In 1 Corinthians 6:11, does the washing of believers refer to water or to God's act?
The washing of believers in 1 Corinthians 6:11 refers not to water but to an act of the sovereign holy God. It is spiritual cleansing, not physical washing, and it is tied to sanctification and justification in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.
Les explains that when Paul says believers are washed, he immediately clarifies it is “not in water, but by an act of the sovereign holy God.” Though washing naturally makes us think of water, Les says that in the spiritual realm we are not cleansed by water but by God’s act. He connects this to John 13, where Jesus washes the apostles’ feet. When Peter objects, Jesus tells him, “If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.” Peter then overreacts and asks to be washed all over, not just his feet.
And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.