We have pointed out that when we take Christ as our person, we experience Him speaking in us as the life-giving Spirit. The Lord’s intention in His inward speaking is not simply to tell us to do certain things or not to do other things; it is to impart Himself into us by speaking to us. The more the Lord speaks within us, the more He imparts Himself into us. Whenever we tell the Lord that we want Him to be our person, He begins to speak within us.
Even if we do not hearken to His speaking, He will still impart Himself to us by His speaking. Many times we may disobey the Lord’s inner speaking, but He spreads within us a little more nevertheless. The Lord’s main concern is not with how much we obey Him, but with how much opportunity He has to impart Himself to us and to spread Himself within us. As soon as you say, “Lord Jesus, I take You as my person,” the Lord begins to impart Himself into you. However, should you change your mind and tell the Lord that you want to withdraw your promise, He will say, “Even if you withdraw your promise, I have already imparted Myself into you.” If we tell the Lord that we are not able to obey Him, He will reply, “I am not concerned whether or not you feel you are able to obey Me. I only care to be given the opportunity to get Myself into you.” Even as we are speaking to the Lord about not wanting to fulfill the promise we have made to Him or about being unable to obey Him, He is imparting Himself into us. The more we speak to Him, the more we are “Christ-ified.”
Sanctification comes from our dealing with the living Person of Christ. I have the full assurance that those who have told the Lord that they are willing to take Him as their person cannot escape the Lord’s speaking. As the Lord speaks, He imparts Himself into us. This impartation is sanctification.
We come now to cleansing. In sanctification a new element is added into us, whereas in cleansing a particular element is removed from us. We all need our natural disposition to be cleansed. No matter how good or kind you may be naturally your natural disposition is a problem. Furthermore, we have the problems of our habits, customs, and self-made ordinances. All these things need to be eradicated.
Contrary to religious teachings, we are not cleansed by self-correction. This means that we are not cleansed by dealing with ourselves in an outward way. For example, it is impossible to remove wrinkles, signs of oldness, by washing the skin outwardly. During our first period of time in the church life, we may experience a church honeymoon. However, inevitably oldness sets in and wrinkles appear. In order for our wrinkles to be removed, our youthfulness in life must be restored. As the life-giving Spirit, Christ is doing such a work of restoration among us today. Christ will not come back for a bride with wrinkles. If we would be His Bride, we must be kept up to date with Him. Wrinkles are not taken away by teaching or by trying to obey the doctrines in the Bible. Wrinkles are removed as we take Christ as our person and allow Him to live in us. It is not the objective Christ in the heavens who cleanses us; on the contrary, it is the subjective Christ, the Christ so intimate and available, who cleanses us. Whenever we contact Him, we are refreshed, renewed, and made more youthful in life.
Ephesians 5:25 and 26 say that Christ gave Himself up for the church that He might sanctify her, cleansing her by the washing of the water in the word. In the foregoing message we pointed out that the water in the word is Christ as the speaking Spirit. The more Christ speaks within us, the more He flows within us. This flowing water is not in the logos, the constant word, but in the rhema, the present, instant word. As this water washes us, it carries away our oldness. This washing is a metabolic washing. It supplies a new element to replace the old. This leads to transformation. Therefore, cleansing is not a matter of teaching, but a matter of taking Christ as our living person. When we take Him as our person, He adds Himself into us and washes us metabolically.