Washing in the Word

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Bible Verses ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Eph 5:26 That He might sanctify her, cleansing her by the
washing of the water in the word,
John 17:17 Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Words of Ministry ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In Greek the word rendered washing in verse 26 means laver.
In the Old Testament, the priests wash themselves from
earthly defilement in the laver (Exo. 30:18-21). Now the
washing of the water washes us from defilement. Therefore, we
are cleansed by the laver of the water in the Word.

…Day by day, morning and evening, we need to come to the
Bible and be cleansed by the laver of water in the Word. By
coming to the Word in this way, we are cleansed from the
defilement we have accumulated in our contact with the world.
Whenever you contact the world in the course of your human
living, you need to come to the Word to be cleansed.

One day Brother Nee was speaking about Bible reading. A
certain sister told him that she had a poor memory and forgot
everything she read in the Word. She asked Brother Nee what
was the purpose for her to go on reading the Bible. In his
answer, Brother Nee spoke of the way women in China wash rice
in a willow basket. They dip the basket in and out of the
water a number of times. Every time they take the basket out
of the water, all the water flows out of the basket.
Nevertheless, although the basket retains no water, both the
basket and the rice are washed. He then applied this
illustration to the reading of the Word. Although we may not
retain anything of what we read, we are washed by it
nonetheless, and we are cleansed. Let us be encouraged to
come to the Word again and again to be washed….

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bible verses are taken from the Recovery Version of the Bible
and Words of Ministry from Witness Lee, Life-study of
Ephesians, pp. 458-459. Both are published by Living Stream
Ministry, Anaheim, CA. (Repeat 12/1/97)

Please visit us at www.emanna.com
Comments to: comment@emanna.com.

Message Date: 05/02/2011