The Bridegroom and His Bride

“In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation – having also believed, you were sealed in Him, with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory.”

Jesus compares Himself to a bridegroom and we who believe in Him are His chosen Bride! He declares His love for us and His intention to marry us, to make us His own. We, through the faith and grace He gives us, believe that He really means it and we accept His offer. At first, we enter into an engagement, or bethrothal period. And just as a prospective bridegroom usually seals the engagement with a ring, the Son of God gives to us His Holy Spirit as a “pledge of our inheritance.” The Spirit is His sign to us that we indeed are His own and He intends to fulfill the promise in full measure. In Bible times, as now, there is a time of preparing for the marriage. But in Jesus' day, unlike now, it was the bridegroom who determined the wedding day! The bride, responsibly, was to get herself ready and stay ready and when the bridegroom had everything prepared and the home ready to receive the bride, then he and his family and friends would travel to the bride's home to bring her back and consummate the marriage. What a glorious picture for us of what we have in store as the bride of Christ! He has given us His Holy Spirit as a pledge of His intent to fully make us His own. And now we are charged with the responsibility to be ready for His return. What does the bride think of during this time? Nothing except the Bridegroom and being ready and listening for His voice! She keeps herself pure and her heart becomes more and more devoted to her beloved as she readies herself to go to the home he is preparing for her. Oh that that would be the way it would be for us who believe in Christ and know Him as Savior! That we would believe that Jesus is preparing a home for us His bride and we would be preparing ourselves to go and be with Him. We would cleanse our hearts of all earthly thoughts and desires and be focused on the joy awaiting us when we hear Him call us to come and be with Him. Oh, to see this earth as only our temporary home and our training and preparation ground for the permanent, eternal home Christ is building for us in Heaven. May we, as His Bride, be pure in heart, pure in body, through the power of the Spirit who is the pledge of our inheritance. Christ gives us the gift of Himself and the power to enable us to become and live forever as His holy bride. What a joy to say “yes” to Him!