A  Bride Prepared      

Awaken out of Sleep

“Behold, the Bridegroom comes; go ye out to meet Him.”  (Matthew 25:6)  What will happen to those who have not taken a stand or put their own wellbeing in harm’s way to save a brother from ruin?  Laying down our life as a living sacrifice is a prerequisite to qualifying as the Bride.  Those who are not willing to spiritually lay their life down as living sacrifices – now – will have the opportunity to lay their life down – physically – in the tribulation.  If nothing has been enough of a concern for us to stand up and be counted – laying it all on the line, as Christ gave us example, we should question whether we are awake or asleep.

There are some brethren – members and ministers alike – who have not found cause to rock the boat in their organizations.  So far, everything is okay – they have been able to put up with the doctrinal changes, political intrigue, substitutions for pure religion, and the way just members have been mistreated.  Their personal policy is to “play it safe – and keep their nose clean.”  They are not yet prepared to be the Bride because they are not considering one another to provoke unto love and to good works (Hebrews 10:24).

A person, who will not get involved in an uncertain situation to salvage a brother who is sinning, is not prepared to be the Bride of Christ. (Galatians 6:1)  An individual like that, “cops out” by saying, “I’ll put it in God’s hands,” which is their justification to avoid fulfilling their Christian duty.  Our future is to reign and rule with Christ in the millennium as His helpmate (Revelation 5:10).  What kind of helpmate would we be if we always defer every problem back to Christ to take care of?  Now is the time for us to prove our willingness to put ourselves in harm’s way in order to turn a brother around (James 5:20).  It would not do in the millennium to insist on putting everything into Christ’s hands.   Jesus Christ will not have a wife – a helpmate – who relegates every task back to Him.

Jesus Christ is not going to marry a baby.  He is not going to marry a childish bride.  The Bridegroom, Jesus Christ, will marry a spiritually mature Bride.  There are few, if any, examples of exemplary marriages in the Bible.  The Church of God today has been given the opportunity to be the showcase of beautiful marriages founded on spiritual principles.  These exceptional marriages of truly converted people will be used in the millennium as illustrations upon which to build a Godly society.  The institution of marriage was established by God to symbolize the intimate relationship that exists between Jesus Christ and His Bride.  As spiritual reality always far surpasses the mundane physical occurrences, the most perfect love that has ever existed between any man and woman on earth comes far short of the perfect spiritual union that will exist with Jesus Christ.  That is the beauty of the wedding supper.

Chapter 18: So Shall We Ever be With the Lord