THE REAL BRIDE OF CHRIST

As we move closer with each passing moment to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ to retrieve His Bride, I am filled with both overwhelming joy and intense grief as I am made aware, daily, that the largest most ignored mission field that needs to be evangelized, exists not in some far-off country, but in the culture of the Church. Let’s examine the difference between the Bride of Christ and the cult of the popular Church culture. “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungod-liness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our Great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ, Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every law-less deed and purify for Himself His Own special people, zealous for good works” (Titus 2:11-14). The tragedy of tragedies is that the Blessed Hope of Jesus’ soon return is no longer blessed for the vast majority of professing believers in the cult of popular Church culture! Christianity today is abundant with people professing faith in Christ, living in what one writer has called a “Fool’s Paradise,” which is a false sense of comfort. They arrogantly claim that they are in Christ; they boast that they are saved and eternally redeemed. The clear teaching of the Bible, however, is that when someone is saved, his/her life will most definitely change heavenward as he/she is a new creation. The old is gone and the new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17; Romans 8:28, 29; Ephesians 4:24). A true born-again believer will strive to bring glory and honour to Christ by living a life that is pleasing to Him (1 Peter 1:13-16). The natural out-growth of true saving faith will be fruit, produced by the Spirit of God, that will result in good works in the life of the believer. He/she will have a passion and longing to be with Christ (Galatians 5:22; James 2:17,26). Thus, if there is no fruit of the Spirit in one’s life, and a longing for Christ to come, a careful self-examination is certainly called for (2 Corinthians 13:5; Hebrews 9:28; 2 Peter 1:1-12). Any profession of faith that does not result in a changed life and the fruit of the Spirit of Christ is a false profession of faith. Consequently such a person is not a true Christian. The Scriptures also speak about people who call Jesus Lord, speak the language of a Christian, but are told by Jesus, “I never knew you, depart from me” (Matthew 7:13, 14; 17-23). The people of the world are lost in darkness, spiritual blindness, con-sumerism, and materialistic idolatry. They pursue wealth, status, position, and power. Tragically, this is an accurate description of many of those who profess to know Christ! In this end-time state of blindness and spiritual shortsightedness, most of the professing Church has surren-dered to the spirit of this age, and is engulfed in the darkness of a false light, controlled by the impulses of the carnal human appetite. All in the Name of Jesus! Adrift in spiritual confusion, people in the cult of popular Church culture have no sense of urgency of the times, because they are willfully ignorant of the signs of the times crying out from heaven: “JESUS IS RETURNING SOON.” Some might say they have an urgency of the times, but their motives are self-centred and they are not genuine. Publicly they have one persona, but behind closed doors they display characteristics of an unsaved person with little or no genuine relationship with the Holy Redeemer. The Gospel has been gradually changed over the past 50 years, so that what is believed to be the Gospel today is no longer the true Gospel! How does the modern Gospel differ from the Gospel of Jesus Christ? It differs in that Christ is no longer the Centre, Object, and Desire of the message, but man is. It is no longer the Gospel of Christ, it is the gospel of the sovereign self! Christianity has been corrupted by the passion for pleasure and the fulfilment of self. Professing belie-vers in the cult of popular Church culture - instead of looking for the Blessed Hope and glorious appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ - are building mansions of pride and selfish ambition on the sinking sands of this hour that will not withstand the rain, floods, and winds of God’s purifying judgment (Matt. 7:24-27). So the real Question is: Who is the Bride of Christ? The Bride of Christ (the true Church) will be characterised by her pre-occupation with the promised appearing of the Bridegroom (Christ). After all, what bride is not preoccupied with her wedding day? The symptoms of preoccupation include: Feelings of being unsettled in this present, imperfect world, along with overwhelming anticipation and longing for Christ to come. The Bride of Christ will exhibit faithfulness in her daily living, because her goal is to be beautiful for the King - having no spot, blemish, or wrinkle! She will be easily recognised by her heart of brokenness and gratitude, as well as her continual thanksgiving and praise for the King, Who chose her in her total unworthi-ness, and lowered Himself and suffered humiliation, and an agonising death to make her His Own. She will refuse to forget and take lightly the cost of her salvation. She will also be characterised by her single-mindedness, focused on the wedding celebration for which she spares no effort or expense to ensure that everyone in her circle of influence has been contacted, and has responded to the RSVP that has been sent out. The Bride will possess the look and obsessive conversation of one who is madly in love. She will spend hours (which to her will seem like minutes) hidden away in intimate conversation with the One she loves. That intimate place is where the Bridegroom confides in her, and reassures her of His love and faithfulness. It is also the place where He unveils His heart and the secrets of His coming Kingdom. My point is this: The true Church - which is the Bride of Christ - will always be in an undis-tracted posture, focused on the affairs of the Kingdom: preparing, working, waiting, and watching for that glorious day when the King will come back to take her to the place He has prepared for her, just as He has promised. Now, I ask you, my fellow servant: What else in this life could possibly be more important than that? (John 14:1-3; 12:25-26; 17:24). May we be passionate to be a holy Bride without blemish, awaiting the return of Jesus Christ! - Harry Oliver, Prepare the Way, Issue 77