Ver. 26
That he might sanctify and cleanse it
Being defiled, both with original sin and actual transgressions;
for God's elect, whom Christ loved and espoused from everlasting,
fell in Adam with the rest of mankind; and, in their natural state,
live in sin as others do; and so are under the guilt, and in the
pollution of it, as others be: Christ gave himself for them, that
he might deliver them out of this state; he gave himself a
sacrifice for them, that he might expiate their sins and make
atonement and satisfaction for them; he shed his blood that he
might cleanse them from them; and he wrought out a righteousness
that he might justify them from all their iniquities; and which
being put upon them, makes them to appear pure and spotless in the
sight of divine justice; for this sanctifying and cleansing does
not so much refer to the inward work of sanctification of the
Spirit, though that is a fruit and effect of the death of Christ,
and is brought about by the following means, as to the
justification of them by the blood and righteousness of Christ:
which is said to be,
with the washing of water;
not baptism, which is never expressed by washing; nor does it
purify or cleanse from sin; nor is it the means of sanctification
and regeneration, which ought to be before it; nor the grace of
the Spirit, though that is often compared to water, and
regeneration and sanctification are owing to it; yet the saints
are not so cleansed from sin by it, as to be without spot or
wrinkle; but the blood of Christ, which is the fountain to wash
in, and which cleanses from all sin:
by the word;
not the form of words in baptism; but either the Gospel, which
brings the good news and glad tidings of peace, pardon,
atonement, and justification by Christ; or the sentence of
justification pronounced upon the conscience by him; see (
John 15:2 ) .