How To Abide in Jesus Christ, part 2

By Doris Tarbutton

How do we abide in Christ?  When we grasp the truth of our position in Christ, in God we must yield all control of our lives to the control of the Holy Spirit.  As we decrease self, the righteous life of Christ abounds within us.  Our lives become communion with God—prayer—because the Holy Spirit is in total communion with God at all times.

As God develops within us a hunger and thirst for Him, we find that to satisfy that hunger and thirst we must talk to Him—prayer.  Now, however, our prayer life is different.  We begin to pray with our hearts, instead of with our thought processes.  We no longer tell God what to do about situations, but trust in His will to be done in all matters.  We realize that the Holy Spirit is the only one who can correctly bring requests before God’s throne—we cannot voice requests according to God’s will because we do not know His ways, His plans or His thoughts.  They are far above anything we can possibly know in our finite minds.

We enjoy a position of freedom in Christ that allows us to participate in the prayer process, so that God is glorified as He answers our petitions and requests without the responsibility of asking in the wrong way or asking the wrong thing!  We must rely totally on the Holy Spirit to hear our prayer, interpret it before the throne and then bring us the answer.  This level of communion with God is how we abide in Christ.  Everything, everything, every thing must be filtered through God’s plans and His will.  We do nothing on our own, but only as we are directed by the Holy Spirit.  Remember, Jesus lived that way and He promises that we, too, can live that way!

How, then, can we achieve this level of abiding in Christ?  This life of prayer in constant communion with God?  We are all so busy in the world—little time to think about spiritual matters.  This is the point where decisions must be made.  If your spirit is crying out to know God and you truly want to know Him, you must make time for Him.  This means time for solitude, quiet.  God does not shout at us.  He lovingly calls in an inner voice that can be heard best when distractions are minimized.  Each one of us must make the choice to carve out time of solitude.

At first, this feels uncomfortable—we are so used to a background filled with noise and activity.  But, as you practice solitude, it quickly becomes desirable to you and you miss not having it.  For most women, it will mean changes in their lives and the lives of their family members.  The spiritual benefits for the entire family make the effort worthwhile.  It will mean eliminating all but the basic activities of caring for the family.  Cutting out or at least cutting back on outside commitments is an absolute must.  Limiting children’s outside activities is another necessary function.  They, too, need to learn the value of quiet time before God.  They must learn respect for those who are seeking God in prayer—usually for them!  The commitment to abide in Christ is the way of suffering and sacrifice of self.  It is also the way to sharing in the resurrection power and the ascension glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Matthew 7:13-14 says, “Enter through the narrow gate.  For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.  But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life and only a few find it.”  This saying of Jesus is referring to choosing to follow Jesus for salvation, but it can also refer to choices once the salvation decision has been made.  There is the narrow gate and the broad path.  Most Christians remain on the broad path of mediocrity, never coming into the fullness available to them through Jesus’ Blood and His call to come ever closer into the bosom of the Father with Him.  The invitation is open to all of us to come, abide with Christ.

Come, share the joy, the power, the love, the peace that is ours to claim in our Savior Jesus Christ, ascended to the right hand of our Father in heaven, ever interceding for us whom He loves.

How to Abide in Christ Jesus

By Doris Tarbutton

Abiding—living—in the presence of our heavenly Father is what the Christian life is all about.  Yet, even with that as our goal, we stop short in our spiritual journey from reaching that place of quiet rest, of tranquility, of calm in the midst of the storm.  Perhaps one reason we do not come into the fullness of the presence of our Father is that we do not understand how to abide in Christ.  It is this aspect of our lives in Christ that we will explore here.

We have explored what abiding in Christ means with a look at John 15.  We have looked at what it means to be the Bride of Christ and what it means to have Jesus as our Husband.  We now know that the way to abiding is the way of the Cross, the way of suffering and dying to self.  How, then, do we actually occupy that position of continually being in the presence of our Father in heaven?  The simple answer is prayer.  The more complex answer involves the relationship between prayer and abiding.

Ephesians 6:18 “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.  With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.”                                                              1 Thessalonians 5:17-18 “pray continually…for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

The foundation of abiding in Christ is continual prayer.  If we define prayer as communion with God, then as we live our lives in Christ before Him, our entire life becomes a prayer!  Our daily activities become prayer; our thoughts and conversations with others become prayer.  Let’s think about this.  1 Peter 2:12 says, “Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may bee your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.”                                                           Titus 3:14 says, “Our people must learn to devote themselves to doing what is good, in order that they may provide for daily necessities and to live unproductive lives.”  1 Timothy 5:4 says, “If a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God.”  1 Timothy 3:13 says, “Those who have served will gain an excellent standing and great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus.”

There are many other Scriptures that can be read to indicate the underlying truth that the way we live our daily lives is important to God.  He is pleased when we care for family.  He is glorified when we serve others in His Name.  We gain assurance in our faith as it increases, because we are being obedient to the example of Christ.  He was a Servant, fully devoted to doing the work of God among people on earth.  His Father was well pleased with His Son.

Since Jesus’ life is reproduced in us and we will “do what I have been doing.  He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name so that the Son may bring glory to the Father.” (John 14:12)  We must become servants after the example of Jesus.  In this way our daily lives are lived in communion with God, our definition of prayer.  We are to do everything as “unto the Lord” which means our lives are a continual prayer to God.

A secret to abiding in Christ is that He does the living in us; it really is not our life at all!  Philippians 1:21 “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”                                                                                                              Colossians 2:9 “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.                                                                                     3:3 “For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.  When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.”  Let this truth go deep into your inner being—Christ is your life.  Do we need the truth stated more plainly than this?  As we abide in Christ, it is really Him remaining in us and living His life in our spirits, using our bodies as “instruments of righteousness”. Not done yet…

The Bride of Christ: Living With Him, part 3

By Doris Tarbutton

We stay at a place because we enjoy what we are doing there.  So it is with abiding in Christ.  As we grow in love for Him and experience the richness of His love for us, we begin to look forward to each day and what He will bring forth in us for that day.

Is it a lesson in righteousness?  Or holiness?  Or a discipline for misuse of the tongue?  Will He allow us new insight into His Word?  Will He reveal truth to us in answer to our requests in prayer? Will He bring someone across our path that we have the privilege of ministering to in His Name?  Will He call to mind Scripture for us just when we need it?  Will He fill us with a song of joy and praise so that our spirits dance before Him?  What a wonderful life!

Every day is a new adventure when you abide in Christ.  He lives His life of love and servanthood through you.  Knowing that He allows you to help build His Kingdom is a reward with eternal consequences, both for you and others.  John15:5 says, “…If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”  Here is evidence of His promise that we will be useful in His Kingdom.

There are, however, requirements.  In verse 10 Jesus says, “If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love.”  Jesus was perfectly obedient at all times in all circumstances.  We are to be that obedient to the leadership of the Holy Spirit.  Our degree of obedience is the determining factor of our continuing abiding in Christ.  It is a position we accept because of His love.  It is a position we keep as we respond in obedience to His love.

Why does God want us to abide in Christ?  One answer is found in verse 8: “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”  Everything Jesus did, including the Cross, was for the purpose of glorifying the Father.  He died on the Cross to show the world His love for the Father.  Everything He does in and through us now is for the same purpose—to glorify our Father in heaven.

To accomplish that goal, we must remain in Christ, our only Source of righteousness and holiness.  Apart from Him we cannot be pure in heart to see God.  Apart from Him we have no right to bring petitions and requests before the throne of God.  But, abiding in Him we are promised in verse 7 “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.”  This is a wonderful encouragement for us to remain in Him, to seek His face continually and to listen to Him speak to us.

This promise implies that there is an ongoing dialogue between the Spirit and our spirit.  How else will His words remain in us?  It is certainly not the will of the evil one that we have minds filled with the Word of God!  It is not even our own “self” that will fill our minds with the Word and the truth of God!  No, it is only the overriding dominance of the Holy Spirit that fills our minds with the Word of life found in Scripture.  It is only the Holy Spirit that puts those words of encouragement or wisdom on our lips.  It is only the Holy Spirit that gives us a check in our spirits to let us know not to do something that will dishonor God.

Jesus’ promise to give us whatever we ask is given on some terms of limitation.  We must constantly remain in Him, following Jesus to have Him honor our prayer requests.  The secret is that when we remain in Him, it is not our prayer but the prayer of His own Holy Spirit that goes up before the Father!  He provides everything we need to be effective in prayer but, we must abide in Christ.  It is an awesome truth that abiding in Christ puts us “in the loop”, to use a political phrase.  We are now one with Christ and God!

Therefore, we are privy to the desires and purposes of God. His Spirit puts those needs and names of people into our thoughts (we call it a “burden”) so that we can glorify God through our obedience in prayer.  The Holy Spirit then brings our prayer to Jesus, who intercedes on our behalf with the Father.  But, you see, it is all God!  He does the entire “loop”.  Prayer begins with Him and ends with Him.  Being a part of this awesome scenario is enough incentive for me!  I scurry to the refuge, the place of rest and quiet that is reserved for me in Christ so that I can experience His presence.  The glory of being in His Presence is a blessing beyond measure.  We are the Bride of Jesus Christ.  I want that—don’t you?  Still more on this subject ahead…

The Bride of Christ: Living With Him, part 2

By Doris Tarbutton

What is our incentive for coming, for remaining forever with Him?  It is His love for us that draws us to Himself.  John 15:9 says “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you.  Now remain in my love.”  It is God, our Father, who loves us eternally.  His love is forever, eternal and He showed His love for us through His Son, Jesus.  So, when we abide in Christ, we are abiding in God Himself!  We are in His care, He constantly watches over us.  In His eyes we are pure and holy because we are enveloped in His Son, Jesus.  Our sinfulness is covered by the precious Blood of our Savior, the Perfect, Sinless Lamb of God.

When we stop to think about the price God paid for our forgiveness of sin, we realize that He does unconditionally and totally love us.  Why?  For being in His Son, whom the Father loves.  So, our place of refuge is Jesus.  Our desire to remain in Him becomes stronger the more we understand what our relationship with God can become.  To know God, to converse with Him, to see Him revealed in our lives, to experience His provision is our goal.  It is our incentive to respond to His love with our love for Him.  We respond with a desire to worship, praise, honor and adore Him.  We become His light in the world, the vehicles for showing His righteousness and holiness to others through our faith in Him.

What is it like to abide in Christ?  Each one can give a description based on their own experience.  My experience is like this:  God called me to come and abide in His love.  I did not truly believe that He loved me.  I knew it as a fact, but not as a state of being.  As I yielded to the Holy Spirit’s leading, He gently demonstrated His love for me in many ways.  He began to teach me to trust Him in all things: to release control (as if I had any!) of my family, of my future, of every single day; to rely on His wisdom for decision-making; to seek His counsel in relationships; to listen to His voice in conversation; to be immediately obedient without questioning Him; to believe that He will conform me to His will and transform me into the image of His Sion.

As all these parts began to function in my life, I realized an amazing thing—I was believing God loves me!  And, I was loving Him.  The process continues because there is no end to the depths of God’s love and care for me, so there is always more to be learned and experienced.

 

The Bride of Christ: Living With Him

By Doris Tarbutton

The Bible has its own vocabulary, many of the terms are different from our every day speech.  I titled this Living With Him because the Biblical term is “abiding”.  I can’t recall the last time I used that term in casual conversation.  The concept of abiding (living, dwelling, remaining) is a basic principle for the Christian lifestyle.  Therefore, it is imperative that we have a grasp on its meaning and how it applies to each one of us.  It is one of those spiritual phrases that has various meanings, dependent on each person’s experience.

For example, abiding in Christ to one person may mean salvation from sin, or to another it can mean rest from problems of the world.  It can have different meanings at different points in your personal spiritual journey.  As one travels the narrow path towards God, the meaning of abiding in Christ will deepen as the spiritual understanding deepens.

The Greek word Jesus used in speaking about this concept is meno.  The primary meanings are: to remain, dwell, live, abide.  Today we say they live in a place or house.  The NIV translation of the Bible uses the word remain to express what Jesus said in John 15 and elsewhere.  Jesus used only one word to explain His ultimate relationship with those who believe in Him.  This fact suggests that there is a focus we can have on what Jesus meant by abide in me.

Jesus gave us a word picture in John 15:1-5  to help us understand what He wants our relationship with Him to look like.  In verse 1 “I am the true vine and my Father is the gardener.”  Verse 4 “Remain in me, and I will remain in you.”  Verse 5 “I am the vine; you are the branches.”  What is the concept here?  I receive a mental picture of a lush vine full of leaves and branches being lovingly tended by the gardener.  He is constantly watching the vine to monitor its growth and its productivity.

Then, I receive a mental picture of myself as one of those branches growing out of the main trunk of the vine.  I see the trunk as strong, large from many years of growth, deeply rooted and supporting many leafy branches.  I see myself as one of the small, tender branches putting forth green leaves and buds that will become fruit in its season. Can I survive apart from the trunk of the vine?  No way!  All of my nourishment comes from the trunk of the vine.  As long as I live attached firmly to the vine, I will flourish.

When we apply this picture to the concept of abiding in Christ, we understand one aspect of its meaning: we must first be firmly attached to Jesus Christ.  Apart from Him, we are alone in our own strength, surviving on meager nourishment gleaned from external sources.  Do-it-yourself help books, tapes and lectures, even though Christian in content, are not a substitute for the personal attachment to Jesus’ love and grace flowing into you as a steady stream of nourishment.

To abide in Christ we must first become attached, grafted, into Him.  His promise to us is that He will remain in you.  Do we understand and accept the presence of the Holy Spirit in our own spirits?  Only as we yield to the reality of the Spirit’s presence will we begin to believe that we can abide in Christ.

To go to a place and stay there, live there, remain there requires a high level of trust.  Trust that the house will be there, provision for daily needs will be there, a welcome will be there, a purpose for being in that place will be there.  All these contribute to a sense of security and well-being.  To move to a new town not knowing anyone and not having a house ready, makes for an insecurity and a sense of discomfort.  Jesus uses His illustration of the vine and branches to help us see the truth that we are being called to a new place, but that everything we need will be provided for us.  All we must do is come!  All we must do is trust!  All we must do is yield totally to His care!  We truly want that, don’t we?

In our spirits we yearn to be in that place of quiet rest, near to the heart of God as the song says.  Why are we not there?  Are we there sometimes, but other times leave that place of rest and journey into the world?  Is there a way back into that protected place in Christ?  Jesus knew our difficulty and made provision for that need also.  His provision is repentance, followed by forgiveness and restoration.

When you go on a trip, isn’t there a point when you really want to be home again?  You can’t wait to be back in your own home.  We do the same thing with our spiritual home.  When we travel into the far country, the Holy Spirit stirs us up to want to return home to our heavenly Father.  It is a wonderful relief to once again be back in that safe place of love, protection and provision.  We sleep well at home, we relax in the familiar comfort of what we cherish.

So it is with abiding in our loving Lord.  The more we dwell with Him, the more we want to be there.  We come to understand that we are to be not do.  He provides everything we need; there is nothing we can do on our own to enhance our being in Him.  Therefore, we come as little children to only be in His presence.  There’s more…

Rebekah: Picture of The Bride, part 2

By Doris Tarbutton

What relieved excitement the servant must have experienced!  Not only was his prayer answered, but just as he had asked.  “Without saying a word, the man watched her closely to learn whether or not the LORD had made his journey successful.”  Rebekah’s brother, Laban, was impressed with the gifts the servant had brought.  On that basis, he invited the servant to spend the night, eat and let his camels be cared for.  It is amazing to me that, having traveled for many weeks, the servant was anxious to turn around and head back to Abraham.  That is exactly what he did.  The next day there was discussion about Rebekah.  The mother wanted her to wait ten days, but the servant was focused on his mission.  They agreed to ask Rebekah if she would go with this man.  Verse 57 “Then they said, “Let’s call the girl and ask her about it.  So they called Rebekah and asked her, ‘Will you go with this man?’  “I will go,” she said…So the servant took Rebekah and left.”

The servant recognized Rebekah as the one for Isaac by her spirit.  She was compassionate, generous, thoughtful, intelligent, able to stick by her decisions, willing to step out in faith to go to an unknown place and man.  The long journey back to Canaan must have been a difficult time for Rebekah.  Knowing she would hnot see her family again, riding on a smelly camel, going to a man she knew little about.  However, during those 5-6 weeks the journey took, it would seem reasonable to assume that she asked the servant many questions about Isaac.  She had many nights to ponder the things he told her about what to expect and about her husband-to-be.  Isn’t this like our own spiritual journey?  We ask the Holy Spirit many questions about many things; as He gives us answers we grow to know and love Jesus even before we encounter Him face to face!

Isaac was a unique man.  He was the son of promise to Abraham and Sarah, born in their old age.  Abraham left everything he had to Isaac, including the heritage of a faith in God.  It was through Isaac that the true Seed, Jesus, would come.  Little did Rebekah know that she would contribute to the lineage of the Son of God!  Isaac comes into the picture late in chapter 24.

He is in the field meditating or praying.  “Now Isaac had come from Beer Lahai Roi, for he was living in the Negev.  He went out to the field one evening to meditate and as he looked up, he saw camels approaching.  Rebekah also looked up and say Isaac.  She got down from her camel and asked the servant, ‘Who is that man in the field coming to meet us?’  Isaac must have been anticipating this moment as he waited those long weeks for the return of the servant.  Would the servant have his bride with him?  Isaac could only have faith and hope the mission would be complete.  We are told in Scripture that even Jesus does not know the day or hour when the Father will tell Him it is time to collect His Bride for the world.

Isaac lifted up his eyes and saw the camels coming. With complete confidence, he ran forward to meet his bride.  When Rebekah lifted up her eyes and saw Isaac, she asked the servant who he was.  The servant identified Isaac as her bridegroom.  She dismounted her camel and went toward Isaac.  This is so like our encounter with Jesus.  He is looking for us, His Bride. He comes to welcome us to His heavenly home before we can recognize Him.  Then we respond by coming directly to Him.  What a beautiful picture of our coming to the marriage with the Lamb!  At the end of the story we are told that Isaac loved her.  Verse 66 “Isaac brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah, and he married Rebekah.  So she became his wife, and he loved her.”  Oh, how Jesus loves you and me and yearns for the time we will be with Him forever as His Bride.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God.  And the dead in Christ shall rise fist.  Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lod in the air.  And thus we shall always be with the Lord.  Therefore comfort one another with these words.”

Rebekah: Picture of The Bride

By Doris Tarbutton

Our cultural stereotype of the typical bride is an obstacle to our envisioning the Biblical picture of the Bride of Christ.  Fortunately, we are given an example of the qualities that Jesus’ Bride must display.  We look at the account of Rebekah in Genesis 24 for the clues.

Genesis 24 recounts the story of Abraham sending his servant to find a bride for his son, Issac.  As we look at this account, let us look with the intent of seeing the word picture of the Bride of Christ being chosen for Him and her coming to her Bridegroom.

• Abraham: a type of our heavenly Father
• Servant:    a type of the Holy Spirit
• Isaac:        a type of Jesus Christ
• Rebekah:    a type of the believer and the church

Abraham’s concern was for his son to have a wife with special qualifications.  Not just any woman would do.  She must be from his family, not from the world around him—the Canaanites.  Being from his family, there would be a blood tie.  For the believer, the blood tie comes from our union with Jesus—His Blood.  She must also be willing to leave her old life behind and go forward, in trust, to a new life with her bridegroom.  Isn’t this where we all start our spiritual journey?   We accept an invitation to come into relationship with Christ before we have ever met Him!

Genesis 24:1-4 “Abraham was now old and well advanced in years, and the LORD had blessed him in every way.  He said to the chief servant in his household, the one in charge of all that he had, ‘Put your hand under my thigh.  I want you to swear by the LORD , the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you will not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living, but will go to my country and my own relatives and get a wife for my son Isaac.’”

Abraham, as the type of our heavenly Father, made it clear that not every person on earth will be acceptable as the Bride for His Son, Jesus.  The Canaanites represented the worst of the world culture at that time.  To be a Bride of Christ, each one of us must have the proper spiritual heritage.  In other words, we must be from God’s family, one of His own children. This was what Abraham was making the servant swear too—there must be a family relationship.  The bottom line is that we must have a personal, intimate relationship with God, our Father, through Jesus, His Son.  Otherwise, the individual will not be suitable for the marriage with the Lamb in heaven.

As we look briefly at the servant, we see one who is totally in service to his masters.  Whatever Abraham asks him to do, he does.  Going on a 500 mile journey by camel would not be an easy task; not knowing ahead of time what to expect or who he was to see makes his selflessness apparent.  During his time with Rebekah and her family, his focus was always on the mission at hand—he would not be deterred by anyone or anything.  His devotion to the God of Abraham is also apparent; his close relationship with God is demonstrated with the swiftness of the answer he received about Rebekah.

Genesis 24:10 “Then the servant took ten of his master’s camels and left, taking with him all kinds of good things from is master.  He set out for Aram and made his way to the town of Nahor.  He had the camels kneel down near the well outside the town; it was toward evening, the time the women go out to draw water.”  The servant had been on this journey for many months, a distance of about 500 miles.  During that time, we can speculate he had lots of prayer time!  His goal was to fulfill the assignment given him.  Step one must have been instruction to wait by the village well to see the women as they came to draw water.  Once there we have Scripture tell us he did, indeed, pray: “O LORD, God of my master Abraham, give me success today, and show kindness to my master Abraham…May it be that when I say to a girl, ‘Please let down your jar that I may have a drink, and she says, Drink, and I’ll water your camels too—let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac.  By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master.”

The absolute faith of this servant is remarkable.  His belief in answered prayer is shown in his confidence that the right girl would be presented.  Jesus promises that when we pray, believing we will receive, that He answers our prayers.  Here is an ancient example of that promise and truth.  Incredibly, “Before he had finished praying, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder…the servant hurried to meet her and said, ‘Please give me a little water from your jar.  Drink, my lord, she said, and quickly lowered the jar to her hands and gave him a drink.  (The servant must have held his breath in anticipation—would she ask to water his camels?)  After she had given him a drink, she said, “I’ll draw water for your camels too, until they have finished drinking.”  What happens next?  Stay tuned…

Who Are We? The Bride of Christ

By Doris Tarbutton

What is a bride?  We all know the answer to that question!  A woman making permanent vows to and with a man, her husband.  She is a bride-to-be until she walks down the aisle and makes those vows public, verbally assenting to enter a permanent love relationship with her life partner, her husband.  He is not a husband until he repeats his vows to his bride.  Until then, they are “promised, betrothed, engaged”, but she is not a bride, he is not a husband.  They may spend much time together developing a relationship based on mutual understanding of life goals and values, of developing love and trust of each other, but it is the ceremony of verbally pronouncing the commitment to one another that makes her a bride and him a husband.

As I think about this picture of our relationship with Jesus Christ, I wonder—where am I in the process of preparing to be the bride of Jesus?  From the time, as a young girl, that I asked Jesus to be my Savior and God to be my loving Father, I have been preparing.  Being eternally united with Christ was and is my goal—He shares that goal with me and with you.  To reach that goal there has been a long spiritual journey.

Does He love me?  How much does He love me?  Will He be faithful to me?  Will He always be by my side to comfort me in times of difficulty?  Does He really have the resources to support me, to provide for my needs?  Does He want to have a spiritual family?  How large a family does He want?  These questions and many more receive answers on this long spiritual journey.

I read in His love letter to me, the Bible, that indeed He loves me—so much He proved it by dying for me!  I read John 17:26 “I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”  Who is speaking in this Scripture?  It is Jesus talking to our Father, expressing the love relationship they have and that includes you and me.  Jesus is God and here, as well as other Scriptures, tells me that His love for me is such that it will last eternally.

Jesus promises to continually make His love known and He promises to be faithful, because of His enduring love.  His yearning for complete spiritual union is also seen in the words “I myself may be in them” Being the bride of Christ is having a complete, eternal union with Jesus.  What an awesome reality!  What does it mean “have an eternal union with Jesus’?  Two Scriptures which speak of being united with Christ are Philippians 2:1 “If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion…and Romans 6:3-5 “Don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?  We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.  If we have been united with him like this in death, we will certainly also be united with him in His resurrection.”

Being in union in Christ, therefore, means an entirely different and new life.  Marriage does that, doesn’t it?  We leave one lifestyle behind to embrace a totally new orientation and direction for the new life of union in marriage.  From these Scriptures, I understand that committing to be the bride of Christ means the acceptance of a radically different life.  I am to die, be buried and live again in a new dimension!  Wow!  That is a commitment to be thoughtfully considered before the marriage.

Am I willing to totally relinquish “self”?  To die to the world and its wonders?  To identify with the humility of a dreadful death by crucifixion?  To begin living in a dimension I know nothing about?  Is my love for my Lord sufficient to sustain that commitment?  Eternity is a longer time than I can imagine!  I have been married to my earthly husband for 53 years, which seems like a very long journey.  Eternity?  My commitment is one of permanence, a total commitment.

Being a bride of Christ requires that commitment—He alone is worthy of receiving it.  From the Philippians 2:1 Scripture, we see some of what we are promised for making our commitment to be the bride: we receive “encouragement, comfort, fellowship, tenderness, and compassion.”  At this point in my spiritual journey I am satisfied with my Savior.  He is continually proving His love, His faithfulness, His provision for me.  I am experiencing His encouragement, His comfort, His fellowship, tenderness and compassion.  For now, I rest in His love and look forward to that day when our union will be complete.

Are you prepared to make that total commitment to Jesus?  Now is the time to be busy building your personal love relationship with Jesus and the Father.  God will provide everything you need to prepare for the Wedding Feast of the Lamb.  Seek Him and your reward will be eternally united with Him.

                                                            HERE COMES THE BRIDE!