Tuesday, September 13, 2016

Ephesians 6:22-32 Pictures of the Church

Abraham’s son needed a bride.

Isaac couldn’t marry a foreign woman. He and his family didn’t just sit and wait. Abraham sent a man to find the bride. Genesis 24

And so our story began on Christian Mingle. Seth sent on the site to find his bride. Rebecca decided the site might be the servant.

The Son of God chose a bride - a people He would choose out of a sinful world. And He did not wait for them to seek Him. He came to earth to find His bride, and still sends the gospel out for the world to hear. Ephesians 1:4, Romans 5:8

Rebecca saw Seth’s profile, but she wasn’t sure. She marked it, but she wouldn’t contact him.

And so the world hears of Jesus. He sounds good. He is good. But are they really interested? John 12:40

Seth sent her a smile. Rebecca responded with an email. 

So Christ touches the hearts of His people. It may be a sermon. It may be a verse. It may be a kind follower of Jesus, but He reaches out so people will respond to Him. 
I John 4:19

They emailed for a month. He impressed her - long, well-written emails. Could this guy be for real? And then came the phone calls. She learned to appreciate the warmth of his voice and to anticipate the care he extended in conversation.

What happens when we begin to “seek” the Lord because He seeks us first? We hear His Word and we learn. The Spirit touches our hearts and we begin to sense His person, that there is something of Jesus that we want. Luke 24:45, Isaiah 55:1, 3, 5-6

And finally, after months, Seth came. Rebecca was terrified. What if he didn’t like her in person? But he did. From that first meeting, both knew that the relationship had a purpose. 

The fear of the Lord is a good thing. He is holy. And we are sinful. And when we really understand Him, perhaps we fear we are not good enough. Yet He knows us before He loves us, and when we encounter Him, it is for His purposes. Zechariah 3:7, Romans 3:23-26, Ephesians 1:4

After what seemed like long weeks of waiting, on a beautiful morning in God’s beautiful creation, Seth proposed. The next day he left, but he would come again. He left the ring, a seal... and he was going to prepare, for the wedding day was coming.


So our precious Lord, once He has sealed as His own, has gone, but He will come again. He has gone to prepare a place for us, our home in heaven, and what a joyous day when we get to live in His presence forever! I Peter 1:8-9, Ephesians 1:13, John 14:3, Revelation 19:1-10