by Phil T. Arnold
“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. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for it, that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish.” – Eph.5:23-27
It is amazing to me how unattractive the bride of Christ apparently is in the eyes of so many who claim to be attracted to Christ. The bashing of the church while continuing to profess Jesus Christ as Lord has become a popular response on the part of many. How must that make Christ feel? Perhaps this is to be expected from those who only have a denominational concept of the church and think of the church as merely the product of men in their hopefully honest efforts to serve Christ. It would be reasonable that such uniformed individuals regard the church as an option and that one might “choose the church of their choice” or in fact choose no church at all but only choose Christ. While such ignorance is apparent, this would seem to lessen little the insult to Christ to count as trivial or meaningless that which He cherishes.
Many great dowries may have been paid for other brides but none compares to the price Jesus paid for His bride. “Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.” - Acts 20:28
Many husbands may have given much in demonstration of their undying love for their wives, but none greater than the sacrifice Jesus made for His bride whom He loved. “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for it.” - Ephesians 5:25
Any loving husband would do all he could to spare His wife torment and pain, but only Christ can save and the only ones He will save are His bride, the church. “For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body.” – Ephesians 5:23 (See also Eph.1:21-22)
Consider the following two statements of Scripture: In speaking of the importance of Jesus in our relationship with the Father, Paul wrote to the church at Colosse: “For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him…” – Colossians 2:9-10 In other words, all of the blessings and benefits that “the Godhead” offers to bestow upon us are found in and through Jesus Christ, who was the physical manifestation of God in this world. Is that true? If so, think about the significance of the following statement of Paul to the Ephesians regarding the church of which Christ is head. “And He put all {things} under His feet, and gave Him {to be} head over all {things} to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.” – Ephesians 1:22-23 Just as Christ is “the fullness of the Godhead” so too is the church said to be “the fullness of” Christ. Just as all that God offers to us is found in Jesus so too all that Jesus offers to us is found in His church. If not, why not?
We must remember the principle set forth by Jesus concerning acknowledging Him as Lord. “But why do you call Me `Lord, Lord,’ and do not do the things which I say?” – Luke 6:46 The church (purchased by His blood, for which He sacrificed Himself, over which He is head, which He has promised to save, and His fullness) is the Lord’s teaching and not man’s. We truly do not accept Him as Lord without accepting His bride, the church. And we can only truly honor Him as we honor His bride.
Also, we in the Lord’s church need to be reminded of the priceless gift that is ours in this wonderful relationship called the church that “yes” is most significantly my saved relationship with God but that also involves my relationship with fellow forgiven sinners and fellow heirs. We, who are members of that precious body, need to also remember that the visible manifestation of the church which belongs to Jesus in this world today is seen in local congregations of which we are blessed to be members - to be aided in our spiritual journey and in which we serve the Lord, one another and the world. Do we think of the Lord’s church as incidental? No, not in the universal sense of all the saved who belong to Christ – but in the congregational sense, the practical, daily, participatory sense? What value do we place upon the local church of which we are members? Do we regard it merely as the product of men in their hopefully honest efforts to serve Christ? Do we view it as an option to be chosen when it serves us and cast aside when we feel it does not? Just as surely as the church universal is the bride of Christ, so too is the local church that belongs to Him for He is head of both, Lord of all and the only Savior that any will ever know. Love and loyalty to Him is seen in this wonderful relationship to which we have been called – His bride, the church.
