The Bride

Loving parents desire the best of everything for their precious children (howbeit, sometimes parents and children disagree respecting what is in the best interest of the children). Of paramount concern to parents and of extreme importance to the temporal and eternal happiness of maturing children, is a child’s selection of a spouse. 

Suppose a son introduced a young woman to his father as his choice for a bride. Further, imagine that the father in this case was aware of the despicable past of the woman just presented to him as his future daughter-in-law. She was from a family whose members were thieves, adulterers, prostitutes, homosexuals, drunkards, liars, even murderers; and this woman herself had been guilty of many of these same crimes. 

Remarkably, his son’s espousal presented herself somewhat audaciously at this meeting, though she certainly knew that her future father-in-law was fully apprised of her (earned) reputation. Were this father to ask you for advice, what would you say? At the risk of discord between parent and child, most parents probably would discourage the young man regarding his wedding plans. 

Brethren, you and I, along with every other faithful Christian, together comprising the church, identify with this bride in the narration above. We were guilty of such sins in the past, but we changed (1 Cor. 6:9-11). 

"Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God."

As Christians now, we are members of the church, which is the bride of Christ (John 3:29; Revelation 18:23; 21:2, 9; 22:17). Jesus Christ as groom (Matthew 9:15), mediator (1 Timothy 2:5), Saviour (Acts 5:30-31) and priest (Hebrews 4:15) between his Father and us is the reason that, though undeserving, we can boldly come before the Heavenly Father (Hebrews 4:16). "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." 

We should be humbled at the thought that we, due to our sins, made of ourselves the offscouring and dross of God’s creation. Further, in that condition man is utterly helpless and unable to come near God who is holy. Yet, because of the intervention of Jesus Christ and our willingness to accept the gift of God’s grace (on his terms), we are permitted to come before a merciful and loving Heavenly Father. How wonderful is our God!