In previous messages we have considered three categories of negative things that damage the church life: ordinances, doctrine, and the old man. Now we come to the fourth category of these negative things—the spots and wrinkles. Paul refers to this in 5:27, where he says that Christ will “present the church to Himself glorious, not having spot or wrinkle or any such things.”
In Ephesians Paul deals with the four categories of negative things in a very good sequence. Related to the creation of the new man, we have the ordinances. Related to the growth of the new man for function, we have doctrine. Furthermore, related to the daily living of the new man, we have the old man with his old way of life. For the creation of the new man, the ordinances must be abolished and slain. For the growth of the new man, doctrine must be depreciated. For the proper daily living of the new man, the old man must be put off. However, after these three categories of negative things have been dealt with, we must still face the problem of the spots and wrinkles.
Because they are so subjective, the spots and wrinkles are more difficult to deal with than the ordinances, the doctrines, and the old man. We cannot simply abolish the spots and wrinkles or put them off, for they are in our organic tissue and natural makeup. Spots are of the natural life, and wrinkles are a matter of oldness. Humanly speaking, there is no way for us to remove such things. However, God has a way. The water of life in the Word can metabolically wash away these defects by the transformation of life. The more Christ sanctifies the church and cleanses her through the washing of the water in the Word, the fewer spots and wrinkles there will be. Furthermore, as Christ nourishes and cherishes the church, the spots and wrinkles will be removed metabolically. Every flaw, defect, and imperfection will be removed by Christ’s transforming life.
Instead of trying to correct others or to adjust them outwardly, we need to minister to them the sanctifying, purifying, nourishing, and cherishing element of Christ. This element will produce an inward change that will take away the oldness and the defects. We should not rely on any method or way. If a particular way is prevailing, it is not because of the way itself, but because of the life contained in that way and released by it. What we should impart to others is not a method or way of doing things; we should impart the rich element of Christ that will sanctify, purify, nourish, and cherish them. If you contact Christians whose way of meeting is different from yours, do not try to change them. Instead, take the opportunity to minister the riches of Christ to them. We should not care for a way, a method, or a form. We should care only to release the riches of Christ and to impart them to others. It is Christ who sanctifies and cleanses. Through His transforming work, all the spots and wrinkles are removed and replaced by His living element.
We have pointed out that spots and wrinkles are more difficult to deal with than ordinances, doctrine, and the old man because these defects and imperfections are subjectively part of our natural being. They have been interwoven into our organic tissue. Therefore, only the inner supply of life can deal with them. If we want the spots and wrinkles to be removed, then we must rely only on the sanctifying, purifying, nourishing, and cherishing element of Christ. It is not as difficult to deal with ordinances as it is with doctrines; doctrine is not as difficult to deal with as the old man; and the old man is not as difficult to deal with as the spots and wrinkles. Even though we may have no problems with ordinances, doctrine, or the old man, we must still inquire whether or not we are troubled by spots and wrinkles.
The spots and wrinkles must be removed in order for the Bride to be prepared for Christ. To be sure, the Bride presented to Christ will not have any spots or wrinkles. Revelation 19:7 says, “Let us rejoice and exult, and let us give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife has made herself ready.” Certainly the wife by this time will have been purified from all the spots and wrinkles.
We should not place our trust in mere outward change. Such change can take place suddenly without having any effect on the spots and wrinkles in our being. God’s concern is not that we simply change with respect to our outward appearance; His concern is that the spots and wrinkles be washed away by the sanctifying element of Christ. Only through such a process of sanctification can we become a beautiful and glorious Bride for Christ, a Bride without blemish or imperfection. We should forget about trying to improve ourselves and concentrate instead on experiencing the sanctifying riches of Christ. We all need more experience of the purifying element of Christ. The more we experience this element, the more our defects and shortcomings will be metabolically removed. As the result of this process, we shall become a beautiful Bride ready to be presented to Christ. Only by the supply of life from Christ can our natural defects and organic blemishes be removed.
If we are clear about this, we shall realize that mere teachings can do nothing to eliminate spots and wrinkles. To repeat, only the sanctifying element which comes through the nourishing and cherishing of Christ can deal with such things. Praise the Lord that the element of Christ is gradually eliminating our defects!