 Springtime
As we move into mid spring we are just around the corner from the bustling wedding season extending from May to mid autumn. What an exciting time as couples are entering into the beautiful covenant of marriage. While unfortunately many people do not enter marriage with the kind of covenantal commitment that the Scripture calls for, it is still a testimony to the reality of how God has made us, that couples want to enter into this institution. I say this because the Scripture is clear that marriage is about much more than the relationship between these to people, it is about the relationship between God and His people. Covenantal Faithfulness Throughout the Scripture God has spoken in terms that made explicit the relationship He has with His people (Isaiah 62:1-5). God loves His people and even when they had sinned and broken His covenant He would graciously keep extending His steadfast, merciful love to them (Ezekiel 16:59-63). The point is that once God has set His love upon His people, even from the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:3-10), He does not take it back. Rather, He sanctifies and cleanses His bride even at the high cost of His own blood (Ephesians 5:25-27). Watch Your Language However, if this is how God loves His covenant people and His New Covenant people contains all those who trusted in the Savior from Adam to the present time, then we must conclude that this is the kind of amazing and unconditional love that He lavishes on us in the church today. Since this is the case we must understand that when we speak about the church we speak about Christ’s bride. This ought to cause us to choose our words carefully. My point is not that we can never criticize things that are happening in the church or the great Christian sphere of influence. But we must take into account that we do so with reverence of our Lord who is the bridegroom of the church. Certainly the church may exist in frailty but isn’t it true that Christ is her source of strength and power? Again, surely we can find many examples of her foibles and flaws but again isn’t Christ the source of her eternal beauty and perfection? Presently, it may seem as though she is failing and faltering, but isn’t Christ the One who ensures that she will not and cannot ultimately fall away. My point is simply that our view of Christ and His church should not be driven to pessimism and criticism by our assessment of how things are going currently, but rather we must hold to a favorable and enthusiastic optimism based on the promises of God contained in His word. Jesus has all authority in heaven and on earth (Matt 28:18) and He promised that the gates of hell would not prevail against His church (Matthew 16:16-19). Jesus promised that He would present the church to Himself as a bride without spot or wrinkle or blemish (Ephesians 5:27). Jesus even promised that He would never leave or forsake His church (Hebrews 13:5)! Since Christ is so unconditionally and unequivocally committed to His church, the reality is that we should be also. We should only speak critically of the current state of the church through tear filled eyes and with hopeful devotion to her good and His glory!
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