Spiritual washing is God's cleansing of the believer through the blood of Christ and the Word, not through water.
In 1 Corinthians 6:11, Paul says believers are washed, sanctified, and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of God. Les Feldick points out that water baptism only pictures this cleansing; the actual washing is God's work. In Ephesians 5, he identifies the washing of water as the Word, and he describes the blood of Christ as God's chemistry that makes sin white as snow.
1 Corinthians 6:11 — This verse directly pairs being washed with being sanctified and justified through the Lord Jesus and the Spirit of God.
Ephesians 5:26 — This verse says Christ cleanses the church with the washing of water by the Word, which Les emphasizes is not baptismal water.
In 1 Corinthians 6:9–10, Paul lists behaviors that mark those who will not inherit the kingdom of God. Then he declares to the believers at Corinth, "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." The verse uses the language of washing together with sanctification and justification. In Ephesians 5:25–26, Paul describes Christ's love for the church and says Christ gave Himself for it, "That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word." In Romans 6:3, Paul asks, "Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?"
Les emphasizes that spiritual washing is not water. He points to 1 Corinthians 6:11 and says the whole triune God washes a believer—the Father looks down, the Spirit convicts, and the finished work of the Son cleanses. He explains that water baptism could never do this; it was only a picture, as with Naaman and the priests. The real cleansing agent in the believer's daily life is the Word of God, not baptismal water. Les describes saturating yourself in Scripture as constant cleansing, and says when a believer recognizes a failure, he confesses it rather than begging for forgiveness, because forgiveness has already been given. He also describes justification through the blood of Christ as God's chemistry making a sinner white as snow.
Les says water didn't do the cleansing for Naaman or for the priests; it merely pictured a spiritual cleansing that God Himself performs. The washing in Ephesians 5:26 is by the Word, not baptismal water. Romans 6's baptism is into Jesus Christ, not into water or a denomination, and water cannot put anyone into the body of Christ.
Les teaches that believers are cleansed by saturating themselves in the Word. It is a constant daily cleansing, not a one-time Sunday ritual. When sin or failure is recognized, God wants us to confess it; we do not have to beg for forgiveness because we have already been forgiven.
The triune God washes the believer: God the Father looks down, the Holy Spirit convicts, and God the Son's finished work cleanses. Water was only symbolic; God did the actual cleansing. God's chemistry makes blood-red sin white as snow, declaring the believer just as if he had never sinned.
Just as Israel was brought out of Egypt to be a separated people, believers are citizens of heaven and are left on earth as ambassadors to represent that citizenship. The old behaviors that marked the unrighteous should no longer define a person who has been washed, sanctified, and justified.
Separation and Heavenly Citizenship
Les ties Israel's separation from Egypt to believers' separation: as children of God and citizens of heaven, we are left on earth to represent that citizenship.
The Triune God Washes Believers
Les explains 1 Corinthians 6:11 by saying the Father, Spirit, and Son all work together to wash, sanctify, and justify sinful people—the same kind of people we were by nature.
Water Was Only a Picture
Les uses Naaman's dipping and priestly washing to show water couldn't cleanse; it only pictured the spiritual cleansing that God Himself has to do.
Cleansing by the Word
Les identifies the washing of water in Ephesians 5 as the Word, not baptismal water; saturating ourselves in Scripture has a cleansing effect.
God's Chemistry in the Blood
Les explains spiritual washing by God's chemistry: placing a person in Christ's blood makes that person come out white as new fallen snow, and by judicial act God declares him just as if he'd never sinned.
The Word Is the Washing Vehicle
Les repeats that the Word is the church's cleansing vehicle today, not water baptism, which was appropriate for Israel's ceremonial background.
Constant Washing Through Confession
Les compares daily spiritual cleansing to daily physical cleaning: as soon as we recognize a sin or failure, God wants us to confess it—we don't need to beg for forgiveness because we've already been forgiven.
Baptism into Christ, Not Water
Les says Romans 6:3 shows baptism into Jesus Christ and His death, something water cannot accomplish; it is the work of the Spirit of God.
1 Corinthians 6:11: 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.
This verse directly answers the question by showing that spiritual washing is connected to sanctification and justification through the Lord Jesus and the Spirit.
Ephesians 5:26: That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
This verse shows the means of cleansing: the Word, which Les emphasizes is not baptismal water.
Romans 6:3: Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
This verse clarifies that baptism into Christ is spiritual, not something water can accomplish.
No. Les teaches that water baptism was a picture of cleansing, as with Naaman and Israel's priests, but the water itself could not cleanse. The actual washing is God's work through the finished work of Christ and the Word.
Les compares it to daily cleaning: believers need constant cleansing by saturating themselves in the Word. When sin or failure is recognized, God wants confession, not begging for forgiveness, because forgiveness is already given.
Les identifies the 'washing of water' in Ephesians 5:26 as the Word of God, not baptismal water. Saturating yourself in Scripture has a cleansing effect.
Les says the triune God does it: the Father looks down, the Spirit convicts, and the Son's finished work washes, sanctifies, and justifies.
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