Now ye are clean—pruned, purged, cleansed, of the Divine Owner—by reason of the word ( λόγον) which I have spoken to you. The Father has been operating this cleansing process upon you by the whole of the ῥήματά (see John 15:7), which are gathered together into one mighty, quick, and active Loges.
As we find in Hebrews 4:12, the Word is sharper than a two-edged sword, and capable of dealing summarily with "thoughts and intents of the heart." Augustine, on this passage, admits that it is the Loges which gives all its value to the water of baptism.
"This purifying, sanctifying process has been performed upon you," says Christ. Then since "he who sanctifieth, and they who are sanctified, are all of one," this continuance remains as the gracious possibility.
The vital sap proceeds from Christ alone, and not from our corrupted nature, which must be grafted into his life and become part of him. Many may seem to be a part of Christ, to be sacramentally or outwardly united to him, and even to be drawing some real advantages from the contact, and yet their end is fruitlessness, rottenness, removal, fire.
The branches which bear fruit never bring forth all they might produce, never realize their ideal. The pruning, cleansing process must pass over every soul, that it may more adequately fulfill its destiny.
The cleansing, searching power of the Word will be freely exercised by the Divine Husbandman.