Page 7 - Good News February 2014 paper

The Real Bride of Christ

s we move closer with each growth of true saving faith will be they display characteristics of an culture - instead of looking for the
passing moment to the fruit, produced by the Spirit of God, unsaved person with little or no Blessed Hope and glorious
Acoming of our Lord Jesus that will result in good works in the genuine relationship with the Holy appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ -
Christ to retrieve His Bride, I am life of the believer. He/she will have Redeemer. are building mansions of pride and
filled with both overwhelming joy a passion and longing to be with selfish ambition on the sinking sands
and intense grief as I am made Christ (Galatians 5:22; James The Gospel has been gradually of this hour that will not withstand
aware, daily, that the largest most 2:17,26). changed over the past 50 years, so the rain, floods, and winds of God’s
ignored mission field that needs to that what is believed to be the Gospel purifying judgment (Matt. 7:24-27).
be evangelized, exists not in some Thus, if there is no fruit of the Spirit today is no longer the true Gospel!
far-off country, but in the culture in one’s life, and a longing for Christ So the real Question is:
of the Church. Let’s examine the to come, a careful self-examination How does the modern Gospel differ Who is the Bride of Christ?
difference between the Bride of is certainly called for (2 Corinthians from the Gospel of Jesus Christ? It The Bride of Christ (the true Church)
Christ and the cult of the popular 13:5; Hebrews 9:28; 2 Peter 1:1-12). differs in that Christ is no longer the will be characterised by her pre-
Church culture. Centre, Object, and Desire of the occupation with the promised
Any profession of faith that does not message, but man is. appearing of the Bridegroom
“For the grace of God that brings result in a changed life and the fruit (Christ). After all, what bride is not
salvation has appeared to all men, of the Spirit of Christ is a false It is no longer the Gospel of Christ, it preoccupied with her wedding day?
teaching us that, denying ungod- profession of faith. Consequently is the gospel of the sovereign self! The symptoms of preoccupation
liness and worldly lusts, we should such a person is not a true Christian. Christianity has been corrupted by include: Feelings of being unsettled
live soberly, righteously, and godly The Scriptures also speak about the passion for pleasure and the in this present, imperfect world,
in this present age, looking for the people who call Jesus Lord, speak fulfilment of self. Professing belie- a l o n g w i t h o v e r w h e l m i n g
Continued on p. 8
blessed hope and glorious appearing the language of a Christian, but are vers in the cult of popular Church Continued on p. 8
of our Great God and Saviour, Jesus told by Jesus, “I never knew you,
Christ, Who gave Himself for us, that depart from me” (Matthew 7:13, 14;
He might redeem us from every law- 17-23).
less deed and purify for Himself His
Own special people, zealous for The people of the world are lost in
good works” (Titus 2:11-14). darkness, spiritual blindness, con-
sumerism, and materialistic idolatry.
The tragedy of tragedies is that the They pursue wealth, status, position,
Blessed Hope of Jesus’ soon return is and power. Tragically, this is an
no longer blessed for the vast accurate description of many of
majority of professing believers in those who profess to know Christ! In
the cult of popular Church culture! this end-time state of blindness and
spiritual shortsightedness, most of
Christianity today is abundant with the professing Church has surren-
people professing faith in Christ, dered to the spirit of this age, and is
living in what one writer has called a engulfed in the darkness of a false
“Fool’s Paradise,” which is a false light, controlled by the impulses of
sense of comfort. They arrogantly the carnal human appetite. All in the
claim that they are in Christ; they Name of Jesus!
boast that they are saved and
eternally redeemed. The clear Adrift in spiritual confusion, people
teaching of the Bible, however, is in the cult of popular Church culture
that when someone is saved, his/her have no sense of urgency of the
life will most definitely change times, because they are willfully
heavenward as he/she is a new ignorant of the signs of the times
creation. The old is gone and the new crying out from heaven: “JESUS IS
has come (2 Corinthians 5:17; RETURNING SOON.”
Romans 8:28, 29; Ephesians 4:24).
Some might say they have an
A true born-again believer will strive urgency of the times, but their
to bring glory and honour to Christ motives are self-centred and they are
by living a life that is pleasing to Him not genuine. Publicly they have one
(1 Peter 1:13-16). The natural out- persona, but behind closed doors