Christ’s Love for the Church

December 30, 2012 Background Scripture: Ephesians 5:15 – 6:9 Lesson Passage: Ephesians 5:18 – 33; 6:1 – 4 “This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.” Just when it seems as though we are receiving some very practical advice on how to have strong and lasting marriages, the Apostle Paul slips this statement in. That’s not to say that this is not very practical advice on how to have strong and lasting marriages. But the statement has a much greater implication than that. Implied in the statement is that human marriage and family are mere shadows of the spiritual reality. Human marriages and families allow us to experience physically what happens in spiritual relationships. This knowledge should aid us in seeing when our spiritual relationship with Christ has become dysfunctional. We readily see it when it occurs in our physical relationships but we too often fail to apply this same insight to the spiritual. Guess which relationship is eternal and which is not. Physical relationships are all ultimately ended by death. Nothing—not even death—can separate us from our spiritual relationship with Christ. Why then do we spend so much time, energy, and negative emotions dealing with dysfunctional physical relationships but very little quality time improving our dysfunctional spiritual relationship? I believe the answer lies in the verses preceding the relationship discussion. “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be not unwise but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; …” These verses admonish us to give sincere effort in understanding our spiritual relationship with Christ and work to improve it. The verses that follow are the physical analogy that we do understand to an extent. The portrait painted of the husband’s character and role describes the great love Christ has for the church. Christ does not expect the church to get herself together so that He can have a bride that would be worthy of Him. Rather, He cleans her up and prepares her so that He can present the church to Himself in her glory (or rather in His glory that He shall clothe her with). Christ did not seek out a queen but took one who was not a queen and made her to become a queen as a gift to Himself. How marvelous are God’s ways! There is even advice offered for how to handle those who are evangelized or given birth by the church as she is aided by the Spirit of Christ. These are the spiritual offspring or children. When one reflects on the relationship between Christ and the church, it is truly awe-inspiring to attempt to comprehend the scope of it. How deep is Christ’s love for the church? Jesus said it this way “Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” And he ended by saying “You are my friends if you obey me.” Robert C. Hudson December 22, 2012