The “bride” of Jesus are those believers that are deeply in love with him. Not just churchgoers that once accepted Jesus as their Saviour and then forgot to have a relationship with him. Not those that read books about him but never encounter him in person. The bride of Jesus Christ is every believer that is totally devoted to the Lover of their soul Jesus who gave his own life to save them. Who took “her” place instead when He was nailed on a cross. Who willingly paid the price for her sin and every wrongdoing of all mankind.
The bride reckons herself to be crucified with Jesus. This means first that in God’s eyes the punisment for her sin is already paid. By Jesus. And therefore she is in rightstanding with God. She believes this and accepted it gladly and thankfully.
Second this means she doesn’t live for herself anymore. Her old nature that was all about herself died on that cross. She consideres herself death. Her old life and ways. She believes that when Jesus rose from the death she rose with him. Not as the same person she once was but as a whole new creation. Born again in the spirit. This is a micracle our mind can’t contain and can only be received when we believe it. Read more about this here: “Free Gift“.
We don’t start living in our own strength trying to obey God when we give our lives to him. That’s just not possible. No, God changes us on the inside when we become believers. We receive a new nature. Our old nature was in rebellion against God but our new nature actually wants to obey him. This change of heart is a gift from God and not something we can do ourselves. Now that gives peace right?! Read also “Rest” and “Instructions from God“.
Living with God is a joyful thing and not a burden. The world may persecute you but that burden doesn’t come from God! If you do find it a burden to obey God you are probably trying to live in your own strength instead of relying on what Jesus did for you including the death of your old sinful nature. You are crucified with Jesus. You have become new. You can’t live holy by trying harder but by trusting more that Jesus inside you is your righteousness and without leaning on him you can’t obey God. It might look like you can on the outside, but inside you’re full of pride if you think you can live up to God’s standard of love and living all by yourself. Without being connected to him. This is only possible through relationship with God. As you talk with him daily and spend time with him his likeness rubs of on you and you start to reflect who He is to others around you. That’s when people will start to be drawn to the gospel (that’s the name for what I just decribed: deliverance from our sin through Jesus and getting in rightstanding with God our Father).
When the bride of Jesus Christ truly embraces her identity of being a pure beloved child of God that is cleansed from all sin, and becomes a devoted lover of Jesus she becomes a beacon of strength to the world. An oak of righteousness as the bible calles it. A place of refuge. Then the world takes shelter under her wings and she (the world) blossoms again. Then life becomes the way it was meant to be. Then people will stand in line to get saved because they see the fruit and joy it brings. Then masses of people that were once aliened from their heavenly Father are finally coming home.
Free GiftRead here how you can give your life to Godand come home
It can be difficult to experience the love of God, if we don’t know the gospel in the core of our being. Not just with our mind, but deep down in our soul and heart. Our minds need to be transformed, so that every moment of the day and night, we know that we know that we know the love of God. That He loves us above reason. More than we could even imagine or hope.
The love of God… Is beyond human reason Above what we think love should look like Deeper than the biggest ocean Wider than then the greatest see Reaching farther than our eyes perceive
Nothing can tame it It cannot be damned in It is wild It is endless It’s more than we can contain
So what does this love look like? And how do we dive in?
It looks like a tree Split in two vertically Each standing on both sides of a river It’s leaves reaching down Healing whom they touch Holding fruit For anyone who dears to come up This is the love of God Reaching out for us
Before God even created us He decided He would save us from ourselves if we wouldn’t obey him. If we would break free from the covering protection of his love, He would even go further Not letting sin rob him From his beloved offspring He would do anything for us
He was willing to send his Son Jesus into this world as a baby. The same way we come into the world. He was willing to meet us in our mess. To come down to our level. And to die an excruciating death, bearing all the sin of mankind combined. He did this so we wouldn’t have to suffer the price for our sin. And yet would learn righteousness. So we wouldn’t be obsorbed by our sin, but rather be set free from it.
He was disrupted from his life in heaven. (of course his roots were still there, pictures can only depict things so far) So He could build a city. Of many sons and daughters.
Oh the mystery of the cross. We can feed on it daily. So let’s.
Activation
Meditate on the pictures What do they tell you?
Write a poem about what happened on the cross. (it doesn’t have to rhyme)
Draw or paint what God’s love looks like to you. (or use whatever medium you want)
Free GiftRead here how you can give your life to God