Thy Word

I. Christ died that we might be saved (Ephesians 5:25)

The apostle Paul draws a profound parallel between the sacrificial love of Christ for His church and the love a husband should have for his wife. When we examine what "the church" truly means, we discover it is the called-out assembly of believers - and only believers. This is a crucial distinction that many miss in our modern religious landscape.

Christ's death was not a general act of goodwill toward humanity, but a specific, purposeful sacrifice for His church. He died for the church by dying for each individual person who would come to faith. This personal aspect of salvation reminds us that while Christ died for the masses, His love reaches each believer individually and intimately.

We must understand that ...