PRESENTATION TO HIMSELF
PRESENTATION TO HIMSELF
As to Ephesians 5, my impression is that the apostle is there looking at the church on the earth and the Lord coming to present her to Himself. If you accept this, it is easy to understand it. He gave Himself for it. He is sanctifying, separating it from everything that is not of Himself, in order that if He walked in He could present it to Himself a glorious church. Already in the epistle we are taught that we are united to Him by the Holy Ghost. It is not union but presentation. In the type God brought Eve unto Adam. The difference is that the union takes place with us before the presentation. For conscious union now, each of us has to be brought to Christ where He is by the Spirit. In none of the types is there any ceremony. The marriage ceremony is the declaration of the union after the destruction of the rival Babylon. We are coming to reign with Christ; we pass the judgment-seat. The fine linen is the righteousnesses of the saints. Every right thing we have done here is recalled; and according to the quality of the [p. 80] things so will be our position in the kingdom. I hope I am sufficiently clear.