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The Body and Bride of Christ.
Introduction: The Doctrine of the Bride and
the Body of Christ Is a doctrine that is of upmost importance.
Upon this hinges the Doctrine of Salvation, The marriage of the
Lamb.
The Lord’s Supper, and many more Doctrine. It needs to be
remembered that the church is a group of
call out people believers in Christ finished work of the cross.
It is an assembly that is made up of born again believers. All commands
and ordinances were given to the disciples ( born again believers.)
Many set other times as being the time that Christ started his church.
In Mat 16:18 Christ has not built his church yet because he uses
the words I will. The Church could not
Start till Jesus sent the Holy Spirit. On the day of Pentecost he
sent it with power. Acts chapter 2.
A. The relationship between Christ and His believers in a call out
assembly is presented in the bible in
Seven figures or pictures.
I. In the twenty-third Psalm as well as in John Chapter 10 Christ
is the Shepherd and His believer in Him
are His sheep.
a. Christ came by the
door, he came through the lineage of David , being the legal heir.
b. Christ is the true
shepherd that is followed by His true believers ( sheep).
c. Christ is the Door
of the sheep. John 10:28-29
1. The Door of Salvation.
2. The Door which provides eternal security.
d. The sheep have
been provided for by the Shepherd, their Life and Food.
e. This Shepherd
lays down His Life for His Sheep all other are just hirelings.
The true Shepherd Does it our of love. The hirelings do it only for money.
The Shepherd versus the wolf
John 10:11-15 NIV
11 "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the
sheep.
12 The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep.
So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away.
Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it.
13 The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the
sheep.
f. There is
fellowship between the Shepherd and His sheep.
1. They know each others voice.
2. The father Knows and sent the Son.
3. The Son knows and obeys the Father.
g. In the Old Testament
Israel belonged to another fold. In the present age there is one fold
and one Shepherd. Both Jew and Gentile have the same Salvation Provided
by God through
His only born son. John 10:16
1. There are many clear distinctions between Israel the nation and The
Church ( Called out )
Which make it impossible to confuse the two.
2. Israel’s History began with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Gen
12:1-3.
3. The Church began at Pentecost. Mat 16:18; Acts
chapter 2; Gal 3:26-28. The Church
( assembly of believers) could not begin until the Holy Spirit came.
That the Lord sent. He
had to leave so he could send the Comforter. John
14:26; John 15:26; John 16:7.
4. Israel’s relation to God was based on a covenant. Gen
17:7
5. The Churches ( assembly of believers ) relation based on the new birth
into the family of God.
John 1:12; 1 Peter 1:23.
6. Israel is promised an earthly blessing Deut 28:1-14.
7. The church is blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places.
Eph 1:3; Heb 3:1.
8. Believers alive on earth are to be content with food and raiment
1 Tim 6:8.
9. The Church is not mention in the O. T. It is an entirely new revelation
in the N. T. Romans 16:25-26; Eph 3:1-6
10. Israel worshipped at Jerusalem Psalm 122:1-4
, the church worships wherever
two or three are assembled in Christ name Mat 18:20.
This makes up a church.
11. Israel lived under law Eze. 20:10-12,
Church ( Born again believers ) live under
Grace free from the law. John 1:17; Romans
6:14
12. The destiny of the nation of Israel is linked to Palestine Isa
60:18-21. The Church
will be taken from earth when it is complete and its destiny starts to
unfold.
1 Thess. 4:13-18
h. Beside laying down
His life, Christ ever lives to intercede for them and provide them spiritual
Life and food they need. Heb 7:25
Psalm 23:1 NIV
The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
II. Christ is the Chief Cornerstone. The believers comprise
the living stones of the building.
a. In contrast Israel in the O. T. had a temple. Exodus
25:8 .
The
church is a temple. Eph 2:21.
Eph 2:19 Now therefore ye are no more
strangers and foreigners,
but fellowcitizens with the saints,
and of the household of God;
20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets,
Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth
unto an holy temple in the Lord:
22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through
the Spirit.
b. In this figure Christ is shown as the Chief Cornerstone and individual
believers as stones of the
building. Christ is also the foundation. 1 Cor 3:11;
Eph 2:20-22; 1 Peter 2:6
c. It is God’s purpose to build His church. Mat 16:18
d. Each stone is a living stone because it partakes of the divine nature.
1
Peter 2:5
e. The church as a whole becomes an habitation of God through the Spirit.
Eph 2:22
III. In John chapter 15 Christ is picture as the True Vine and the
believers are shown as the branches.
Israel was related to
God in the figure of a vine in the O. T.
a.
Of Course Christ is the True vine and True believers are the branches.
b.
Here it speaks of both a union with Christ and communion with Christ.
c.
Believers are encourage to abide in unbroken fellowship with Christ.
John 15:10.
d.
The blessing of abiding in the True vine are cleansing or pruning.
As a vine is pruned the better the fruit. V. 2
e.
effectual prayer V. 7
f.
Celestial joy V. 11
g.
Eternal Truth V. 16
The truth here as in all the figures ( pictures ) is that the branches
can not produce without the
True
Vine.
IV. In the New Testament Christ is picture as our High Priest
and the believers are believers-priests.
The believer-priest
has a fourfold sacrifice:
a. He offers a service, presenting himself once for all to God. Romans
12:1-2
b. He offers a service of worship, in giving praise and thanksgiving to
God. Heb 13:15
This includes intercession and prayers own behalf of the believers needs
and the needs
of others plus their own needs.
Blood -- Romans 8:26-27; Col 4:12; 1
Tim 2:1; Heb 10:19-22
Romans 8:24 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope:
for what a man seeth,
why doth he yet hope for?
25 But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for
it.
26 ¶ Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know
not what we
should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession
for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit,
because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of
God.
28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love
God,
to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Intercession – Romans 8:34; Heb7:25
Romans 8:33 KJV Who shall lay
any thing to the charge of God's elect?
It is God that justifieth.
34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that
is risen again,
who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for
us.
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation,
or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long;
we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
c. The believers are member of the royal priesthood offering the sacrifice
of good works.
d. A believer is to sacrifice their substance in addition to their bodies
being a living sacrifice.
V. The present purpose of God as being revealed in the Christ as
Head and the church as the body of
Christ.
a. The church as the body of Christ.
1. The New Testament revelation of the church joined together and formed
into the body of
Christ by the baptism of the Spirit. 1 Cor 12:13
1 Cor 12:13 KJV For by one Spirit are
we all baptized into one body,
whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free;
and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
14 For the body is not one member, but many.
In this figure three major Truths are presented:
1a. The church as a self-developing body.
Eph 4:11 KJV And he gave some, apostles;
and some, prophets; and some, evangelists;
and some, pastors and teachers;
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry,
for the edifying of the body of Christ:
13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of
the Son of God,
unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro,
and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men,
and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things,
which is the head, even Christ:
16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by
that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in
the measure
of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself
in love.
It seems that God equippes the believers and calls them to particular work
in
HIS service To carry out the work the believer is chosen for the believer
to
carry out. Thus sharing in the perfecting the body of Christ.
2. Members of the body of Christ are given special gifts and are appointed
to a special service.
In the body of Christ difference members have difference functions.
Each believer should soberly examine themselves to see what Gifts they
have that are
Given to them. Some spiritual gifts are related to natural abilities. A
person
That has a natural ability that God has given them has a special blessing
of God. But a soul
Which allows God to greatly bless that gifts spiritually has a great blessing
of
God. There is no greater Joy that to allow God to use your gift that God
has given you.
Important Gifts are mention in Romans 12:3-8 ; 1 Cor 12:28.
Some would say that That we should not pray for a gift. Using 1 Cor
12:11 as the reason.
But if one reads the whole chapter with an open mind a Spirit. The believer
is told
They can as for anything. Mat 7:-8 Tells us to keep asking till we
get an answer.
1 John 5:14 ¶ And this is the confidence that we have in him, that,
if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:
15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask,
we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.
The work of God is done primarily through the Church
( the call out assembly of Believers) as an organism, directed by Christ
as the head in
keeping with the capacities of each individual believer.
Other members, pastors, leader in the body of Christ should be looking
for gifted
people Full of the Spirit. There has been many a soul that the Spirit has
been
almost put out by a Pastor, or church leader that feels their position
is in danger.
One needs to be aware God will. God Will take care of people that
get in the way
of a believer that God has anointed.
Romans 12:1 KJV ¶ I beseech you
therefore, brethren,
by the mercies of God,
that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy,
acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed
by the renewing of your mind,
that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable,
and perfect, will of God.
3. The body is a living organism united eternally in Christ.
The unity of the body comprises both Jews and Gentiles.
Eph 1:23; Eph 2:15-16; Eph 3:6; Eph 4:12-16; Eph
5:30
Gentiles and Jews have equal privilege and Grace.
According to Ephesians 3 all members share
in the wonderful truth hidden from
Old Testament Prophets but revealed in the New Testament.
Partakers of the same promise in Christ by the Gospel as the Jews. Eph
3:6
The unity of the body mention in Eph 4:4-7 is
an eternal unity.
This is basis of Christian Fellowship and service in the present age and
this is the
grounds for eternal fellowship in the ages to come
VI. Christ replaces the first Adam. Christ being the Last Adam and
the church as the new creation.
2
Cor 5:17
1.This picture is based
on the reality of the resurrection of Christ. The certainty of His resurrection
sets forth a new order. 1 Cor 15:1-11
2. The believer is in
Christ by baptism of the Spirit.
3. Since Christ is Head
of a new creation, a new commemorative day, the first day of the week.
The Sabbath belongs to the old order. The First day of week the new order.
VII. Christ as the Bridegroom and the church as the bride are prophetic
of both present and future relationship
between Christ and His
Church ( made up of believers .)
1. Israel is presented
in the Old Testament as an unfaithful wife of Jehovah.
2. The church is
unveiled in the New Testament to be a virgin bride waiting for her bridegroom
to come. 2 Cor 11:2
3. The church as
the bride is the most important figure revealing the future relationship
of the church
of Christ.
4. As early as
John 3:29 Christ is introduced as the Bridegroom by John the Baptist.
5. In Eph
5:25-33 an illustrate of a major revelation in the proper relationship
between husbands and
wives in Christ.
A. The threefold work of Christ is revealed:
1a. Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it. V. 25. This was
done in His death.
2a. That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by
the word. V. 26
This is Christ present work.
This washing of water is the application of the Word of God, and the sanctification
to the
believer. A result Christ is preparing and cleansing His bride for her
future relationship.
1 Thess 4:15 KJV For this we say unto
you by the word of the Lord, that we which
are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent
them which are asleep.
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout,
with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God:
and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together
with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air:
and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
3a. That He might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot,
or wrinkle, or any
such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish V. 27.
Notice who is doing the preparing.
B. Christ ( His death on the Cross ) fulfilled the oriental symbolism of
paying the dowry to secure
necessary price for His wife.
C. All of this is to prepare His bride for the wedding feast that
follows. The marriage feast is
announced in time that Christ is about to come to earth to set up His kingdom.
Rev.
19:7-8
D. Christ love for his church in this picture is a great demonstration
of the love of God.
There can be Five divine characteristics of God divine love that may be
mention.
1D. The fact that the length of time of the love of God is of eternal duration,
comes from the truth that God is love. 1 John 4:8
His love began when God began. God is what He is, because of His love.
In Jer 31:3 everlasting love.
Jer 31:3 KJV The LORD hath appeared
of old unto me, saying, Yea,
I have loved thee with an everlasting love:
therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.
Love without end John 13:1; Cp. John 15:9
In God’s love toward an individual there is neither fluctuation nor cessation.
It never waivers or ends.
2D. What is the reason for God’s ceaseless activity? It is the love of
God.
The ultimate Expression of God’s love. Romans 5:8;
1 John 3:16 KJV Hereby perceive we
the love of God,
because he laid down his life for us:
and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
If the world could look into the heart of God before He created the
Material universe they would see that he had made ever provision
For His Lamb to be slain for the sin and sins of the whole world. Rev
5:6.
The death of Christ and his resurrection was not just a moment
of God’s affection but it was the announcement to the lost of the world
to the fact that God’s love is eternal and is unchangeable.
3D. The love of God is hard explain in human words that avail.
a. This love of God has transparent purity.
b. In divine love of God there is not any selfishness.
c. God is not looking for benefits for Himself.
d. He Gives voluntarily. Lays up in store.
e. Believers are to love with a pure heart often. 1
Peter 1:22
There are very few that love God for what He is. Many love Him
For His benefits. God needs us because his everlasting love cannot be
satisfied a part from us. Other things He does not need.
This is why believers are called Beloved.
The highest thing in relation to God is to be loved.
4D. The limitless of God’s love to the excess or infinity.
The most costly thing in all of God’s universe is the
Blood of His only begotten Son. His unselfish sacrifice of His only son
for
Undeserving sinful man and enemies of God. Sinful man is at enmity with
God
Gen 3:15.
John 3:13 And no man hath ascended
up to heaven,
but he that came down from heaven,
even the Son of man which is in heaven.
14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness,
even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish,
but have eternal life.
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son,
that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting
life.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world;
but that the world through him might be saved.
18 He that believeth on him is not condemned:
but he that believeth not is condemned already,
because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
Believer have been reconciled and Justified through Christ’s death
Romans 5:8-10 NIV
8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still
sinners,
Christ died for us.
9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall
we be saved from God's wrath through him!
10 For if, when we were God's enemies,
we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more,
having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!
Romans 8:38-39 NIV
38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life,
neither angels nor demons,
neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,
39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation,
will be able to separate us from the love of God
that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
God’s love reaches to the outmost bounds of infinity.
We are told that His love is Much more that this.
It is hard to imagine the love that one could have for a person that killed
their child
on a cold lonely Cross. God has that love for us.
In Eph 2:8-9 God’s love is so great he doesn’t
want to share it with any one.
Eph 2:8-10 NIV
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--
and this not from yourselves,
it is the gift of God—
9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works,
which God prepared in advance for us to do.
If man were to share in God’s plan it could no longer be purely God’s love
for the sinner. God is one of these that wants the Salvation of mans soul
to go wrong.
His love is so strong that God, to satisfied his love God’s plan must do
it all.
The reason I use difference translation is because there are many people
that try to say that their bible does not say that.
Churches try to tell their flock that is does not mean that. When
the bible in more
than one translation say it then one needs to take a serious look at their
teachings.
5D. The love that God has for the sinners of this world is inexhaustible.
a. The hope for this world is the fact that God even loves sinners.
God’s love for the sinner does not ignore the condemnation of the sinner.
God’s own holiness imposes this Condemnation. He then could take upon
Himself the curse of sin which rightly belongs to the sinner.
It is now said for the believer that the curse now belonged to the sinner.
John 15:12-17 NIV
12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.
13 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his
friends.
14 You are my friends if you do what I command.
15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know
his master's business.
Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from
my Father I have made known to you.
16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and
bear fruit--fruit that will last.
Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.
17 This is my command: Love each other.
Christ did lay down his life for his friend. This He did without violating
His own holiness.
His death Freed us from the Guilt of Sin by the substitutionary death of
Christ.
Romans 3:26-31 NIV
26 he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be
just and
the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
27 Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle?
On that of observing the law? No, but on that of faith.
28 For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing
the law.
29 Is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes,
of Gentiles too,
30 since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith
and
the uncircumcised through that same faith.
31 Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather,
we uphold the law.
b. God never ceases working until to His satisfaction the justly
doomed sinner into
heaven highest glory. Working with not limitations. That is conformed to
the image
of Christ.
Romans 8:29 KJV ¶ For whom he did foreknow,
he also did predestinate to be conformed to
the image of his Son,
that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
1 John 3:2 KJV Beloved, now are we the sons of God,
and it doth not yet appear what we shall be:
but we know that,
when he shall appear, we shall be like him;
for we shall see him as he is.
c. Why is God’s saving grace more than love? By it being a work of
God with man only
receiving the benefits, unmerited benefits. The only thing is that God
does it all
so nothing else or anyone can boast or have a part in God’s salvation plan
for man.
God is to recieve the glory not man.
Eph 2:8-10 NIV
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-
-and this not from yourselves,
it is the gift of God—
9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do
good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Some people Try to say that Baptism and the Lord Supper are not work.
Jesus did works of righteousness. Mat 3:16-17
If that was not works of righteousness, then what was "the circumcision"
(that done in the body by the hands of men)-- ?.
Here in Eph 2:11 we are told what works of righteousness means anything
done with the hands of men.
How can a person Baptize themselves?
Just How Great is God’s love?
Eph 2:3-7 NIV
3 All of us also lived among them at one time,
gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature
and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest,
we were by nature objects of wrath.
4 But because of his great love for us, God,
who is rich in mercy,
5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in
transgressions— it is by grace you have been saved.
6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him
in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,
7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable
riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
Titus 3:4-7 NIV
4 But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared,
5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done,
but because of his mercy.
He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal
by the Holy Spirit,
6 whom he poured out on us generously through
Jesus Christ our Savior,
7 so that, having been justified by his grace,
we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.
In Titus 3:4-7 we are told of the kindness
and love of God.
V. 5 tells us that He saved us, how through the work of the Holy Spirit.
V. 6 we are told that it is poured on us freely through Jesus Christ
And that He is our Saviour. Without any help from man.
V. 7 talks about the believer being has been justified by Grace.
The sinner has to be just, show just cause why Christ can speak
In the throne of Heaven on the believers behalf.
d. For God to be righteous He has to have a prefect hatred for sin,
this hatred for
sin is what prompts God to save the sinner for the doom of sin. This is
why He
corrects us as a father corrects His children .
Rev 3:19-20 NIV
19 Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent.
20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock.
If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and
eat with him, and he with me.
These are saved because he says he loves them and the saved hears his voice.
Heb 12:5-9 NIV
5 And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that
addresses you as sons:
"My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline,
and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
6 because the Lord disciplines those he loves,
and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son."
7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons.
For what son is not disciplined by his father?
8 If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline),
then you are illegitimate children and not true sons.
9 Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us
and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit
to the Father of our spirits and live!
e. By the believer having a living union with Christ ( 1 Cor
6:17 ),
the believer is loved by God the Father as Christ the Son is loved
( John 17:23 ).
Many believe that God’s love decreases in the hour of correction or trail.
His love is so infinite that it is never decreased at any time. God’s love
Is not condition only any thing after accepting Christ death and resurrection.
As God’s substitutionary death. As one said the only way we can pay for
the salvation of our soul ourselves is the eternal punishment in
the everlasting
lake of fire. The trouble with that is the fact that you never get
out of the lake
of fire that never consumes your body or spirit or soul.
This is eternal separation for God and loved ones.
There you can never get the dept paid in full. This is everlasting never
to
escape the flames of Hell ( the lake of Fire ) No more tears.
Rev
7:17; Rev 21:4
f. Much of God’s love is related through His Spirit. Romans
5:5; Gal 5:22.
He is the source. Cp 1 John the book; 1 Cor chapter
13
There is no comparison in life to the out flowing of the never ending love
of God.
The love of God has no limit on its height, width, depth, and length or
Compassion.
Romans 8:39
g. At this point the love for God is not under consideration.
What is under consideration is the love that is God’s own.
As this love is concerned there are certain things that need to be noted.:
1g. consider it in prayer of Christ John 17:26.
2g. God loves the lost world John 3:16; Eph 2:4.
3g. He hates the evil world-system 1 John 2:15-17
4g. God loves the ones He has redeemed
John 13:34-35; John 15:12-14; Romans 5:8; Eph 5:1-2;
Eph 5:25; 1 John 3:16; 1 John 4:12
Eph 5:1-2 NIV
1 Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children
2 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.
5g. God loves the nation of Israel Jer 31:3
6g. The ones that have wandered from Him God loves. Luke
15:4, 20.
7g. This is one of the greatest expression of God’s love, it is eternal.
John
13:1.
8g. God’s love is sacrificial, God gave his own only son.
1 John 3:16; 2 Cor 8:9; Eph 5:2.
2 Cor 8:9 NIV
9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor,
so that you through his poverty might become rich.
9g. Paul recognized the greatness of this love. Rom
9:1-3.
10g. The first commandment of Christ under grace is the exercise of divine
love.
John 13:34-35; John 15:12-14
This should be the outstanding characteristic of every believer.
Gal 5:13; Eph 4:2, 15; Eph 5:2; Col 2:2; 1 Thess. 3:12; 1 Thess 4:9
11g. This imparted love of God can not be taught or nurtured to grow.
It can not be produced by the flesh. .
You have to meet the simple conditions.
Accept the Gospel 1 Cor 15-1-11
Be filled with the Spirit Gal 5:22
Gal 5:22-26 NIV
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with
its
passions and desires.
25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
12g. God love is so great that Christ prayed for Peter that he fail not.
Luke 22:32 NIV
31 "Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat.
32 But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail.
And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers."
VIII. Wife of the Lord. Hosea 2:1-23.
That Israel is
the wife of Jehovah Hosea 2:16-23, Marriage
is one of the figures (pictures) used to show the relation between God
and man. There by Showing a picture of God’s love, intimacy, privilege,
and responsibility, pictured both in the O. T. and N. T. Israel as the
wife of Jehovah is now disowned but yet to be restored, is the clear teaching
of the passages. This relationship is not to be confounded with that
of the Church of Christ. See John 3:29. In
the mystery of the Divine tri-unity both are true. The N.T. speaks
of the Church as a virgin espoused to one husband 2
Cor 11:1-2 which could never be said of an adulterous wife, restored
in grace. Israel is then, to be the restored and forgiven wife of Jehovah,
the Church the virgin wife of the Lamb John
3:29;
Rev 19:6-8. Israel Jehovah's earthly
wife Hosea 2:23, the Church is the Lamb's
heavenly bride, Rev 19:7. The Grace in V.
19 is beautifully set forth in the verb “betroth” which in the original
means to woo a virgin.
Cp Num 23:21.
IX. The Bride of Christ. The marriage of the Lamb.
Rev 19:7
Christ is said the have
been perfecting , preparing his bride. 2 Thess 3:17;
Heb 5:9; Heb 10:14
The "Lamb's wife"
here is the "bride" Rev 21:9 the Church (Call
out assembly, the Born Again
believers), identified with the "heavenly Jerusalem"
Heb 12:22-23 and to be distinguished
from Israel, the adulterous and repudiated "wife" of Jehovah, yet
to be restored Isa 54:1-10,
Hosea 2:1-17 who is identified with the earth Hosea
2:23.
A forgiven and restored wife could not be called either a virgin
2 Cor 11:2-3 or a bride.
If she is a wife the it is assumed that she is no longer a virgin by the
traditions of marriage.
The marriage was to be consummated on the marriage night. Second if she
was a wife She is
still marriaged and would not be called a bride.
"The Marriage of the Lamb" (lit. "the marriage supper of the Lamb") is
the consummation of
the marriage of Christ and the Church as His bride.
The figure is according to the oriental pattern of marriage covering three
stages:
(1) the betrothal, legally binding when the individual members
of the body of Christ are saved;
Some say that lack of Christian living will cause one to not be in the
bride of Christ.
But the only legal binding requirement of God is that the soul be saved.
The only requirement for a soul to be a member of the call out assembly
is Believing
on the name, the authority of Jesus Christ. Romans
10-13 ; 1 Cor 1:10; Gal 3:3;
Eph 4:12-13; Col 1:28; Heb 5:9
The confusion seems to come from the definition of The Church. The
True
Church of God ( the bride of The Lamb with Christ as the head) is Made
up of
believer that has accepted Christ as their personal Saviour, Past, Present,
and future.
Many do not like the use of the word invisible Church.
The reason the word invisible is use because there are some members that
do not have
Christ in their heart. They only have a head knowledge that does not
save. Looks at times
are deceiving. A person that acts likes and talks the word may not
be saved and the
opposite may be, that person may say to himself or God I can not live to
get to
heaven on my own ( any thing man does to help God out is on man’s
own ) or Lord if
I am going to heaven you are going to have to do it for me Lord and I trust
you to have the
power to do just that for my soul. The Visible Church is what the
world sees at this
present time Members on the Church books. Not all of these souls are saved.
In 2 Cor 11:2 Paul for he has a Godly jealously
that he might present the believers
( the bride ) to one husband as a pure virgin to Christ the bridegroom.
(2) The coming of the Bridegroom for His bride at the rapture
of the Church; and
1 Thess 5:2; 1 Thess 4:13-18; 2 Thess 2:1-2
The application to the fetching of the Bride of Christ is the rapture of
the believers.
After Christ has caught his bride up into heaven that at this point there
is a final
cleansing and sanctification comes.( the believers are already set aside
sanctificated as a special called out assembly ).
The believers are to be changed in the twinkling of and eye. That is the
moment
a beam of light hits ones eye and sparkles off of the eye. 186,000 feet
per second.
1 Cor 15:50-58. The Believers will be glorified and at this point
put on immortality
and incorruption. That he might sanctify it having cleansed it by the washing
of the
water with the word, The he might present the church to himself. Who present
the believers? Christ him self. Eph 5:26-27.
(3) The marriage supper of the Lamb, occurring in connection
with the second coming of Christ
to establish His millennial kingdom.
The Lamb's wife is to be contrasted with the harlot of Rev
17:1; and she is
also to be distinguished from Israel, the unfaith wife of the LORD (Jehovah)
in
historic times, who is to be restored in the millennium ( Isa.
54:1-10; Hos. 2:1-17 ).
In the Biblical time The man and/or the parents made a agreement that the
son and daughter
would be given in marriage. There was always a price to be paid for the
bride.
When the time was right The bridegroom would take friends and kin and go
claim his bride.
After he had claimed his bride the would be a big Marriage feast. There
where times that the
bride and her family did not know the time of The bridegrooms coming for
his bridge.
X. Before there can be a Marriage there has to occur the Judgment
seat of Christ.
This Judgment
is for reward for works done on earth. The judgment set of Christ is
not for a judgment of lost of saved.
If you are not saved before your death or the rapture You are lost for
eternally. Hell is you eternal
place of abode.
This outline is too lengthy to cover
the rewards and the marriage Feast.
A study following this study is the rewards followed by the Lamb's
marriage.
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