The Bride Of Christ
CHURCH ARTICLE | Wayne Goff | Kansas City, Missouri
The Union
Ephesians 5:25-33 describes the relationship of the church (God’s people) to Jesus Christ (Head). While comparing this relationship to an earthly marriage, the Scriptures teach us that Jesus Christ is the Head of His bride and Savior. The corresponding obligation of Christ’s bride is to be subject to Jesus Christ in everything. This obligation is explained further (vv. 25-27) to be due to the tremendous sacrifice Jesus made for His bride! He loved her, and He died for her. He cleansed her with His blood through the washing of water by the word. If these sacrifices were not enough, Paul states even further that Christ sacrificed Himself for her that He might present her to Himself a glorious, spotless bride that is holy and without blemish!
All of these descriptions in Ephesians 5 have tremendous spiritual meaning, but the comparison for our earthly minds of the husband-wife relationship is especially helpful. Perhaps we should stop and reflect on why Jesus Christ would want to marry us, His bride, in the first place! We were without strength, ungodly, and sinners (Romans 5:6-8)! That does not sound like a beautiful, desirable mate, now does it? Upon further reflection, it becomes obvious that Jesus joined us to Himself in marriage to do for us what we could not do for ourselves! He washed us from our sins and made us clean, pure, and sanctified. We could now come into a pure relationship with Him. Furthermore, He “loved” (agapē) us (Eph. 5:25), which is His unselfish motive for looking out for our best interests even at His own expense! What kind of person would do that? A loving, giving, selfless person full of a multitude of spiritual, benevolent riches. He not only is the Groom, but He is also the Savior!
Now that we have obeyed the Gospel and are washed, cleansed, and sanctified, we not only have every obligation to be in submission to Jesus by obeying His every wish and command found in the New Testament (see Matthew 28:18-20), but it is in our own best interest to do so! In my sermons about the family, I have often said that if every Christian husband acted toward his wife as Christ did to His bride, then there would be few real issues in the home! Jesus joined Himself to us, His bride, to make us better and to lift us up to a higher position and plane than we could ever have done on our own. Husbands should make their wives better for having married them.
The Lord’s bride, the church, is obligated to be faithful to her Husband. Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 11:2, “For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.” Every Christian and every local congregation should feel this moral obligation of faithfulness in their existence! The context of this statement shows us what Christ expects of us. Do not go after “another Jesus” (2 Cor. 11:4), do not believe “a different gospel,” and do not partake of a “different spirit.” The fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) is evidenced in the life of every faithful Christian and every faithful local congregation. She exhibits the spirit of love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control! What man would not want to be married to such a beautiful bride?! Yet our behavior is begotten by our Husband, Jesus Christ. “We love Him because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19)! The reciprocal relationship of Husband-Bride is seen in this perfect marriage. Christ loved and sacrificed for His bride. His bride loves and obeys Him because of it.
The Danger of Unfaithfulness
It has often been said that “absence makes the heart grow fonder … for somebody else!” And so it is with Christians who the world has enticed. Or by local churches who have looked longingly to pseudo-brides (denominations) for their conduct! The Groom, Jesus Christ, is in heaven, and our relationship with Him is fostered by constant communication through studying His Word (“love letters?”) and by fervent prayer. The church or the Christian who loses their love for the Groom then looks longingly to others who are easily viewed by sight and not by faith. How sad that this should happen, but it happens often! James said, “Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God” (James 4:4)! Once again, we look to the context of this statement to find “unfaithfulness” to Christ includes worldly pleasures, lusts, unbridled covetousness, and selfishness (James 4:1-3)! How many Christians and churches have succumbed to such worldliness?! While professing great love for their spiritual Husband, their worldly priorities tell a different story! You see the material wealth of houses, cars, vacations, and retirement plans pursued at the cost of neglecting their spiritual obligations in the local church and to their fellow brethren. The excuses that “I don’t have time!” or “I can’t do that!” or “I will when I’m not so busy!” are used to overlook their neglect. There is nothing of the material world that will draw one closer to Jesus Christ. Only a heart full of love for Jesus will cause one to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:33)!
The solution to this unfaithfulness is penitent grief (James 4:8-10)! Jesus will take back His unfaithful bride if only she will humble herself, resist the devil, and draw near Him once again (James 4:6-8)! The loving, intimate relationship of husband-wife is desired by God, and it should be by us! Dear brethren, do not be blinded by the glitz and glamour of this world — its fading beauty lasts only for a while (see Hebrews 11:25; 1 John 2:16-17)!
The Blessed Reunion
Though our spiritual Husband is away for a time in heaven, one day He will return to claim His beautiful, faithful bride! “‘Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.’ And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Then he said to me, ‘Write: “Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!”‘ And he said to me, ‘These are the true sayings of God'” (Revelation 19:7–9). In Revelation, the marriage of Christ to His beautiful bride takes place after the horrific persecution of the first century! Those who remained faithful to Jesus through suffering and persecution were adorned with “fine linen, clean and bright” because it is “the righteous acts of the saints!” Today, Christians and the Lord’s bride, the church, continue to be persecuted by the world. Satan is alive and well, going about like a “roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). The naive bride may easily be deceived and led astray by an evil, self-serving paramour. Be warned, my beloved brethren!
John describes the beautiful, eternal marriage of Groom and bride at the end of time in Revelation 21:2, 9-10 — “Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband… 9Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, ‘Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife.’ And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God.” The beautiful description of an eternal relationship in heaven follows (Revelation 21:11-27). And though the figure changes from “bride” to “city,” the angels have explained already that the bride is the city of God! One second in heaven, one second viewing that beautiful home of the soul will make all the sacrifice on this earth worthwhile!
Participation in this spiritual marriage and its ultimate eternal feast is still available for those who will only trust and obey! “And the Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let him who hears say, ‘Come!’ And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely” (Revelation 22:17). So, dear reader, come to the wedding to the perfect Husband, Jesus Christ, by faith, repentance, confession, and baptism. Remain faithful until the end of time, and enjoy the blissful wedding feast forever to follow!
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July 2021 | GROW magazine
