A  Bride Prepared      

Only one Bride

When God created Eve from Adam’s side, she was physically perfect in every way.  Eve became Adam’s wife.  She was beautiful, healthy, intelligent, and fertile – she was the mother of all living.  (Genesis 3:20)  God used Eve to make of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth.  (Acts 17:26)  These attributes of Eve are prefigures or types given to us so that we might comprehend the purpose of the Bride of Christ.  This clearly shows us the incredible objective Christ has in taking a wife.  The purpose of the Church is nothing less than to ultimately bring all mankind to be of one Spirit – bringing the entire world to salvation.  “He that is joined unto the Lord is one Spirit [with the Lord].”  (1 Corinthians 6:17)

The Bride is the Church

Jesus Christ has only one spiritual Body with many members.  Right now, they possess a token [earnest guarantee] of the Spirit of God and are scattered all over the face of the earth.  “As the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one Body: so also is Christ.  Jesus Christ has only one body of believers – that is the one true Church – the Church of God.  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.  That is God's Holy Spirit.  For the body is not one member, but many [brethren]… But now hath God set the members every one of them in the Body [ the spiritual Body of Christ ], as it has pleased Him... But now are they many members, yet but one Body [the one spiritual Body of Christ]... Now you are the Body of Christ , and members in particular.”  (1 Corinthians 12:12-14, 18, 20, 27)

If we expect to be the Bride, we are obligated to extend our realm of brotherhood, fellowship, and service to include all who have the earnest of God's Holy Spirit.  We cannot hate, despise, neglect, or reject any of the saints, as that behavior will disqualify us from the Kingdom of God.  Those who are only interested in preparing themselves, while neglecting the spiritual welfare of their brethren, have fallen for the deception of Cain, who asked in Genesis 4:9, "Am I my brother's keeper?"

Discern the Body

Are we able to discern who our brothers and sisters in Christ are?  Can we distinguish between the world and the Church?  Taking Passover – while refusing to be reconciled to others – renders the Passover service contemptible in God’s sight.  We must recognize all true Christians, without exception, counting them as brethren – our very salvation is at stake.   "He that eats and drinks [the Lord's Passover] unworthily, eats and drinks damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's Body.   For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep."  (1 Corinthians 11:29-30)

Let us analyze the meaning of this verse.  The heart of the matter is that they were: “not discerning the Lord's Body.”  The Lord’s Body is the Church – the saints – the elect children of God – the Bride – the brethren – members of the Lord’s Body (1 Corinthians 12:12).  Keep in mind that Paul is discussing the lack of discernment – the division taking place (1 Corinthians 11:18 ).  Those participants did not regard everyone there equally – as all members of Christ’s Body.  This division was going on at the Passover service in question.  “Discernment,” means understanding and perceiving that all the brethren, regardless of organization, comprise the one Body of Christ.  “Discernment,” means realizing that God places the members in the Body as He chooses – and none are to be excluded from our fellowship.

When we do not understand that all the brethren constitute the Church – look at the terrible consequences that follow – “For this cause [lack of discernment] many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.”  Spiritually, we will be weak, sick or dead [damnation is loss of salvation] because Christ’s sacrifice, the Passover, is taken unworthily.  This same division going on today is why the Church is so weak and sick spiritually.

Jesus is the head of His Church; and converted Christians are individuals in His spiritual body.  Paul wrote:  "[God the Father] has put all things under [Jesus’] feet, and gave Him to be the head over all things to the church, which is His body" [the one spiritual body of Christ].  (Ephesians 1:22-23)

Jesus Christ has only one body – thus, He has only one Church – one Bride.  Every part of the body (each one of the brethren) is indispensable to the whole body.  “There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling… For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ… 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, makes increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.  (Ephesians 4:4, 12, 16)

Again, the Bible reveals that the one spiritual body of Christ is composed of Church brethren. "[ Christ ] is the head of the body, the Church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence… Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his Body's sake, which is the Church.”  (Colossians 1:18, 24)

Jesus prayed for the unity of the Church just before He died (John 17).  He inspired Paul to send us these words of 1 Corinthians 1:10:  “Now I beg of you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.”

When we read that we are members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones, let us understand the obvious reference to the new covenant marriage of Christ and the Church.  Marriages fail because of unrealistic expectations.  But, the new covenant marriage of Christ will never fail because Jesus has made it clear what He expects of His Bride.  Are we up to the task – are we equal to the challenge?  God the Father would not have called us to become the Wife of His Son if we did not possess the potential to acquire the essential attributes that are required.  We have a lot to accomplish – and time is short – even at the door.