A devotional moment by Chris Garcia
Ephesians 5:22-24 NKJV - Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.
Scripture says, “the Spirit and the Bride say come”. It's one of the last things we see at the close of the book of Revelation. I believe the Lord wants us to understand Him as Bridegroom and us as His Bride. There were so many things I can share that I was receiving as I was just here worshiping but I will share this. It was like the Bride of Christ, the Church, was ushering in the coming of Christ and that it was like the last great move of the Spirit of God. Before the coming of the trumpet sound. Before the coming of Jesus, is a recovery of the Remnant’s understanding that they are truly a Bride. I believe the greatest revelation for the Church, especially in these last days, is the revelation of our identity as the Bride of Christ. Now, when we use words like these, it is not to be taken in a literal sense as a bride, it's a metaphor. It's a symbol. The scripture says in Ephesians, Paul is giving practical advice for marriage, and he says “wives,” but I want you to listen to the tone and the spirit in which he's communicating this, “Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife,” and then look what he says here, this is where I want us to focus. I don't want to focus too much on the physical marriage between a man and a woman. I'm speaking of the symbolism between the Church and Christ. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.” and then he says, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,”. The Church is referred to as “her”. The Body of Christ is related to as the Bride. “Just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify”. Who is “He”? It is Jesus. Jesus is our Sanctifier. He is our sanctification. To “sanctify” something means to set it apart. It means to make it holy. It means to become holy devoted to one thing. The Bridegroom, Jesus. “That He might sanctify and cleanse Her with the washing of water by the Word, that He might present Her to Himself a glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that She should be holy and without blemish.”
The purpose of cleansing, the purpose of sanctification, is for Himself. Is for the presentation for Himself. The reason we are called to be in holiness, the reason why we are called to live in purity, the reason why we are called saints, sanctified, set apart for Him, is not for works. It's not for the things we do, it's the calling of who we are. We think that being holy or being sanctified or being cleansed is so that we can do ministry. That is not the case. The cleansing, sanctification, the washing by the water of the Word, is for Him to present you to Himself, a glorious Church. Man is caught up in what they can do for God. Man is caught up in their ministries. Their titles. Their stuff. Christ is more invested in who you are becoming, to present you to Himself in an act of love. In oneness.
The great vision, the big picture of sanctification, the washing of the water of the Word, is to present you to Himself in unity with Him. Absolute union. Union means oneness. Just as a bride, a physical bride, and her husband are one in flesh. They that are joined to the Lord, are one spirit with the Lord and the goal of the body of Christ is oneness with the Bridegroom.
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