October 06, 2015

WHEN CHRIST AND HIS CHURCH GET MARRIED...


         TERMS OF SALVATION – GLORIFICATION
       
GLORIFICATION, as it relates to the salvation of sinners, has to do with that momentous experience in the hereafter when Jesus Christ engages in the presentation of His bride to Himself. Note this passage:

(Ephesians 5:25-27)25 “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27 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.”
The Church is a glorious bride, “prepared as a bride adorned for her husband” (Revelation 21:2). What is her preparation? All the riches of glory in Christ Jesus. He is made unto her all the beauties of the 13 terms of salvation which He has bestowed upon her. In this moment of presentation she stands before her groom: 1. saved 2. justified 3. sanctified 4. reconciled 5. repentant 6. converted 7. regenerated 8. redeemed 9. propitiated 10. hopeful 11. adopted 12. glorified, all because, by the grace of God, she 13. believed in Jesus Christ as personal Savior and Lord. The sum total of all these riches of grace bestowed upon her add up to her resplendence of glory when presented to Jesus as His bride. Thus, the glorification of the Church. Note Jude’s benediction thereunto: (Jude vv.24,25)
24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, 25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.”

THE HISTORICAL AND ESCHATOLOGICAL SEQUENCE LEADING TO THIS MOMENT OF GLORIFICATION:

1.   John the Baptist refers to Christ as “the bridegroom.”
John 3:29,30 29 “He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease.”

2.   In seeking the sanctification of God’s people, Paul spoke of the believers as a bride being prepared for her lover. 2 Corinthians 11:2,3:
“For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. 3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.”

3.   The rapture of the Church is Jesus, the bridegroom, coming to catch away His bride, the Church.
John 14:1-3 1 “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”

4.   The marriage takes place in heaven right after the rapture and just before the great tribulation (the last 3 ½ years of the 7 years of tribulation). An angel shows John Jesus’ bride and speaks of her as “the Lamb’s wife.” (This sounds like they are already married. Jesus has presented His bride to Himself, probably before the Father and the hosts of heaven. See again Ephesians 5:25-27.)
Revelation 21:9 9 “And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.”

-rdc