Imagine some guy proposing marriage, and he says to his prospective bride: “I’m marrying you for your own good. Once you have been around me a while, you’ll be a much better person. You’ll definitely be more attractive than you are now. Let’s be honest, you desperately need me.” How do you think that would fly? But that’s basically what we see in the New Testament allegory of the Church being like the bride of Christ. When you read a wedding announcement in the paper, they always describe what the bride was wearing. Everyone stands up when the bride makes her grand entrance. At a wedding, it’s all about the bride; the groom is basically furniture in a tuxedo. But in the biblical allegory of the church as a bride, it is the groom who receives the honor! He is the one that brings all the glory and beauty to this wedding. A lot of people criticize the Church. Granted, sometimes she is ugly and not very lovable, but we need the Church to learn how to love. See, God loves the unlovable like no one else can. So when we learn how Christ loves his Church with all her imperfections (and you and I are part of those imperfections), then we come to understand what true, pure, holy, real, committed, healthy, honest love is. And that lesson in love teaches us how to love others. Ephesians 5:1-2 (NIV) Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Church, you are loved. Now love each other. -from 728b contributor Scott Franks
Posted on: Wed, 07 Aug 2013 15:08:27 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015