Sovereign Grace Chapel, located at 135 Annabel Lane in Beaver, West Virginia, invites you to listen to a gospel message concerning Jesus Christ our Lord. If you'd like to follow along, I'm gonna be in Ephesians chapter five, beginning in verse 25. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it. That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish. I'm gonna stop right there.

The church, we've said this here many times and we'll say it again many times, the church is not a building. The church is the people of God. The church is, in the Greek, what? Ekklesia, which means the called out congregation. The assembly of ye servants of God, the assembly of God's children. The church is not a building, it's his people.

And I'm just gonna say that again, because I want to. Well, you know, where y'all going? I'm going to church. I always wanna stop and say, well, that's funny, I am the church. The church is not joined. That's another thing most people won't understand.

The church is assembled by Jesus Christ for himself and to himself. Paul's letter here is addressed to the saints, which are at Ephesus and faithful in Christ Jesus. His letter in Corinth, the first Corinthians, is addressed this way. unto the church of God, which is at Corinth. To them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, and here we go, folks, with all that in every place, call upon the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord. That's the church, folks, that's the church.

We sing that song, you know. The church of Christ we have today, a blessing from the Lord. He gave her to his son to save and take her home above. Oh, I like that. The church of Christ is called his bride. And what we start here for in verse 25, it says, husbands, love your wives, love your wives. even as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it.

I'm not gonna get into the husband and wife thing, although it's true. Husbands love you wives. Wives love you husbands. I know a lot of people wanna throw out this, I'm not even gonna get into that, nevermind. I'm gonna try and get done a little quicker today. So I'm not gonna get into that, but it's true. Husbands already love each other.

And it does say, as Christ loved the church and gave himself for it. That's what I wanna say here right now, try and lay a hold of this. He gave himself for his church. He gave himself. And I'm gonna tell you something, he gave his whole self for the church.

Well, when we do the ordinance here of the Lord's table, we take bread and wine. This is to represent his body and his blood. You understand? I know a lot of people talk about, well, his blood was shed for us, and it was. And we are to do this in remembrance of him. But also it says his body that was broken, he gave himself. No part was left out. And I'm gonna tell you something, folks.

He gave himself and his whole mind. He knew exactly what he was doing. He knew exactly why he was doing it. And he knew, he knew what the results of his actions were. He gave himself for the church. for his church. And that's my title, Paul, today, his glorious church. His glorious church. Christ gave his very life for his church.

He took in his own body, on the tree, our sins. Our sins. And the wages of sin is death. Even when they're upon our Lord Jesus Christ. The wages of sin was death. The wages of sin is still death. Now what's that mean? Well, either his sins were upon him or they're upon you. That's the only two places. If he took them in, they're gone.

Why? Because he gave himself for his church. Oh, he gave his body to be broken for us. He gave, he shed his own blood for us, for us. Now think about that and think about husbands love your wives even as Christ loved the church. He gave himself, he didn't just say he loved us, he gave himself for us. Oh my. He purchased each and every individual with his own blood. He redeemed us. And that redemption is in his shed blood and his broken body for us. He gave himself.

The church, the assembly is called his body. In Colossians 1 and 18 it says, and he is the head of the body, the church, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn of the dead, that in all things he might have the preeminence. He gave himself for the church.

He is the head of the body. We are the members of his body. and you're where you're supposed to be in his body. But now God has set the members, set the members, every one of them in the body as it hath pleased him, pleased him. There are many members, but those many members are set where? In his body. in the body, the one body of the church. And I'm gonna tell you something, you're set where God pleased to put you. That's where you are. That's where I am. And I'm happy to be here.

Oh my, he gave himself for his body. Now, you and me, love one another, love one another, love the members of the body. He gave himself for his body, his members, and his church, and we are in him, in him. J.C. Philpott put it this way. It was absolutely necessary either that the sinner should suffer in his own person or in that of a substitute. Jesus became this substitute. He stood virtually in the sinner's place and endured in his holy body and soul the punishment due to the sinner.

Four. He was numbered with the transgressors. He loved us and gave himself for us. Oh my. Then in verse 26 it says this, that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word. The church of Jesus Christ is set apart. The people of Jesus Christ, the people of God, the children of God are set apart. How? By Jesus Christ himself. He set us apart. He gave himself and he set us apart, purified and purged. That's what those words mean. Purified and purged by him. that he might sanctify and cleanse. That's what that means. Set apart, purify. Purify and purged by him.

He gave himself to do this and that's exactly what he did. That's exactly what he did. And here's the thing, none of us were alive when he did this. He did this almost 2,000 years ago. And yet, when he was on that tree, our sins were in him and on him. And he gave himself for his church. He is sanctified and he has cleansed his people. By the offering of himself, he gave himself to God for us.

The world has no idea what a miracle of grace that actually is. You understand? They have this wild idea that God forgives sin by just forgetting about it. God never forgets anything. They read, God is angry with the wicked every day. And God must punish sin. And they say, well, that's the Old Testament. Throw it away. You understand, God doesn't change. He never changes.

That's why Christ came. He gave himself for us. We are sanctified, we are cleansed by Christ himself to God. He redeemed us, he reconciled us to God. He justified us. Oh my. And he washed us. I'm gonna tell you something, when Jesus Christ washes you, you're clean. You're clean. You're clean. Oh my.

And he says this, that he might present it, the church, to himself. To himself, a glorious church. Not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that he should be holy and without blemish. He, Jesus Christ, presents us, his church, to himself. The assembly is for Jesus Christ. That just seems strange to me. But here's a thought, and this is the truth. He is going to present us to God in himself. In himself. And the father is glorified in his son. Believers are gathered together. We didn't earn it. We don't deserve it.

And he does it. He gave himself for his church. Oh my. Here's a hard saying, if you want. and especially in these days and in these parts, the church is not for you or for me. The church is for our Lord Jesus Christ. He gave himself for the church and he's going to present it to himself, these three words, a glorious church, a glorious church. Oh, I like that. How the heck are we gonna be glorious? Because the church is his people. There's only one way, in him, in him. He gave himself. I'm gonna tell you something, folks. He gave himself in an offering as a substitute on the tree, taking our sins in his own body. And yes, that's glorious, that's gracious, that's mercy for sinners. But here's the thing, he gave himself to his church.

When he calls us out of the world, when he calls his sheep by name, voice of the Son of God, the dead hear it, and those that hear it shall live. What's he do? He actually places us in Christ, in himself. He gave himself for us, and he gave himself to us.

A glorious church, a glorious church. I'm gonna tell you something. We benefit in the fact that he gave himself for the church. We benefit from him taking our sins in his own body on the tree. We benefit by the fact that he gives us his Holy Spirit within. He gave himself for the church and he gave himself to us. Oh my, he washed the church. He sanctified, he cleansed the assembly, and his saints are perfected forever in him, in him.

Oh my, what's it say here? Not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish. I wish it was. I am in him. One day, we shall be in his likeness. But right now, by his word, by his power, by his sacrifice, by his life, we are right now without spot, wrinkle, and holy and without blemish, not of yourselves, in Him, in Him, we are. I'm gonna tell you something, that's a glorious church. It's a glorious church. Oh my. Understand, we cannot see the way God sees. We cannot hear what God hears, but we can read and believe what Christ has told us in his word.

He says you're clean in him. He says you're holy in him. He says you are part of a glorious church and you are in him because his church is glorious. It's not glorious because of us, it's glorious because of him. We just sang that song, it's why I picked this song. Ye servants of God, your master proclaim and publish abroad his wonderful name. The name all victorious of Jesus extol. His kingdom is glorious. Here's why. He rules over all. He rules over all. His kingdom is glorious. Why? Because he's glorious. He's glorious. And we are, it's, This still astounds me to this day. We are his. I did a little while back. You're not your own, you're bought with a price. You're his. You're his. His church is glorious. A glorious church.

We cannot comprehend the perfection of Christ. And we cannot comprehend our perfection in Christ. And I can preach it. I can believe it. This is the thing. You understand, when we say trust Christ, that's not just words. We're trusting him that he's gonna present us to himself a glorious church. Not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish. Why? Because he sanctified and cleansed us. He does it. We don't do it. He does it. It's his work. All his work.

His church is glorious. I'm gonna tell you something, we may not feel it, we may not sense it in any way, but his kingdom is glorious, his people are glorious, only in him, by him, for him, but most of all, in him. His church is glorious. The word means splendid, noble, honorable. Honorable.

And the reason his church is glorious is that Jesus Christ is glorious. Because it's all him. It's all him. Christ is splendid. Christ is noble. Christ is honorable. And his church is in him. He's the head of the body. He's the head of the body. Oh my. This is an amazing thing. Where Jesus Christ is, we are. Because we're in him. We're in him. What Christ is, what Christ is, we are. In him, I'm not boasting, folks. Ain't none of it's in me, ain't none of it's in you. But it's all true.

Because he is glorious. His church, his assembly is chosen in him, redeemed by him, justified by him, reconciled to God by him, called by him, brought in by him, and kept by him. That's a glorious church. That's a glorious church. He gave himself for his chosen people, and he and his church shall appear together before God, perfect in him, but no less perfect.

Oh my, no spot, no wrinkle, not even a blemish. You know where that word can come from? Come from the Passover lamb. It's supposed to be without blemish, not even a mark. And I'm gonna tell you something, there was not any kind of a mark on our Lord Jesus Christ. He was perfect, holy, so holy we can't understand it. God looked at him and said, this is my beloved son in whom I'm well pleased. God never said that about anybody else. And God's not gonna say it about anybody else. And if you're in him, you are without spot, without blemish, holy, sanctified, redeemed, justified, a glorious church, a glorious church. And his church, his people, his body is complete in him. in him.

It's a glorious church. I'm waiting for that day. I'm waiting for that day when it says, what it says, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish. and ye are complete in him. A glorious church.

Our Heavenly Father, we're thankful for this timeless place. Most of all, Lord, your Son, who has done everything for us, who gave himself for us, who gives himself to us, and keeps us, keeps us in the workings of his mighty power. Thank you, Lord. Be with those who couldn't be here. Help, Lord, help us all. But we need your help. Be with Paul, be with Walter as they come to preach your word.

In Christ's name we pray. Amen. Am I a soldier of the cross, a follower of the Lamb? And shall I fear to call His cause or pledge to speak His name? Must I be carried to the skies on flowery beds of ease? While others fall to win the prize and sail through bloody seas. Are there no foes for me to face? Must I not stand afloat? Is this my world a friend to grace, to help me unto God? Sure I would fight if I would reign, increase my courage for I'll bear the toil, endure the pain, supported by thy word.

Thy saints in all this glorious war shall conquer though they die. Then see the triumph from afar, by faith it is brought nigh. When magic must rose, faith shall rise, and all thine armies shine. In rose of victory through the skies, the glory shall be thine.