THE PASSION OF BELONGING

THE PASSION OF BELONGING

                “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.” Eph. 1:13, 14.

                There are two different concepts of salvation. One is that of obligation. In other words, Jesus died for your sins; you accepted His death in your place. You are A Christian now, so act like one.”

                The other concept is that we have been set free by the blood of the Lamb. Our sins are covered. We can do what we want. Jesus has set us free.

                Both of these concepts have a hint of truth to them, but neither of them actually reflects our Father’s heart. He has redeemed us unto Himself. We are precious in His sight. He has sealed us with His Holy Spirit. His own life is now inside of us, drawing us toward an eternal marriage.

                We often talk in terms of obedience and sacrifice, but what God really craves more than anything is our love. A bride that simply goes about the obligatory rules of marriage does not warm the Bridegroom’s heart. What He is looking for is that certain look in her eye that betrays her love for Him. Has she simply resigned herself to a marriage that will never consume her heart; or is she gushing with eager anticipation… blushing with excitement at every touch, every look, and every sound of His voice?

                Marriages can go two ways. If true love is not there, you will grow further and further apart spiritually, mentally and physically until you are two lonely people living in one house. On the other hand if your loves is real and you are building upon that love then you will end up like Bonnie and me. We treasure every moment together and the older we get, the less we like being apart. We have become one in spirit, one in flesh and one in mind.

                But this is exactly what God is looking for in a bride. She is adorned for her Husband. Her gown is without spot or wrinkle… in other words her love for Him is flawless. Her devotion is continuous… her joy at being one with Him is overflowing. He has become her passion and the focus of her desire. The troubles and trials of this life do not separate them but draw them closer together. Their relationship is a precious covenant and it is sealed by His very Holy Spirit.

                To say that we are sealed by the law would represent something far inferior to what they have. Keeping the Law…following the obligatory rules never made them one. Being filled and embraced with His Holy Spirit… that is what made them one. And now He is the only thing she can talk about. All of her sights are set on that marriage.

                There is no greater price that a bridegroom can pay for a dowry than the price of His own life. Can we not see the passion of His desire?

                I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in heavenly places… and now you have been raised up with Him and seated with Him in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Eph. 1:18-20, 2:6

                Long before the creation of this world, God was planning for a wedding for His Son. It was to be a wedding of choice, not of obligation. God knew what was going to happen. There was going to be a rebellion and many humans would side with the rebel Lucifer, but out of that deep and dark rebellion would be those who would choose His Son. They would put the rebellion behind them and come out of the darkness to love Him and to become one with Him in marriage.

                “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son that He might be the first-born among many brethren; and whom He predestined, these He also called; and whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.” Romans 8:29, 30

                Looking down through time, He saw those who would come out of the rebellion and give themselves to Him in passion and love and He decided then and there that the price He must pay would be worth it in the end. He would redeem them with His own blood. He would call them out of the rebellion to be His own forever.

                He is looking for a Bride that is after His own kind. He is holy and righteous and sinless. How could He ever draw people out of the rebellion and make them like Himself? This wasn’t simply about paying off a sin debt. His sacrifice must also transform His Bride into someone like Himself… holy, righteous and without sin. How could it be done?

                We often skip over important things in the Bible simply because they go beyond our comprehension. It says in verse 29: “For whom HE foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, THAT HE MIGHT BE THE FIRST-BORN AMONG MANY BRETHREN.” Whaaaaaat?

                He is to be the first fruits of a great harvest of brothers and sisters? We are actually going to be after His kind?    Holy, righteous and sinless?     Sons and daughters of God?     Joint heirs of the very throne of God?     Is this not outrageous?    What was He thinking?

                So Paul concludes chapter 8 by saying: “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38, 39.

                In other words, if we have said “yes” to His marriage proposal, then we have been sealed by His Holy Spirit. “For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.” Gal. 3:27. But it is not just an outer garment of His righteousness that we wear, for as it says in Gal. 2:20:

                “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I, who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and delivered Himself up for me.”

                God knew that we who have come out of the rebellion could never become holy and righteous and sinless. Flesh can only produce more flesh and if that flesh is sinful, then it can only produce more sinful flesh. So Jesus provided a death for us in His cross. We die to the flesh so that Christ can come in and live His life in and through us. We are becoming a spotless bride, not by our power, but by His.

                So the same Holy Spirit that has sealed us is the same Holy Spirit that is transforming us into His image. What will we look like when we are the spotless Bride of Christ? The apostle John said:

                “Beloved, now are we children of God and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be. We know that when He appears we shall be like Him because we shall see Him just as He is.” 1 John 3:2

                We are betrothed to Jesus and our relationship with Him must be growing more and more intimate as we approach the time of the actual marriage. Jesus will soon return to claim His Bride. When He comes for you, will you be after His kind? Is His Holy Spirit a stranger to you… someone whose name you invoke in baptism, but avoid in the intimacy of your life? Have you received His gifts so as to operate by His power? Are you bearing His fruit? Are you living by His Spirit or are you still living by the flesh?

                Is your relationship with Him obligatory or is it passionate. Has His Spirit poured forth from your innermost being like rivers of living water? Are you becoming one with Him?

                “And as for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him. And now little children, abide in Him so that when He appears we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming. If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone also who practices righteousness is born of Him.” 1 John 2:27-29.

                This is all about relationship. It is about becoming one with Jesus through His Holy Spirit and through His Word. We are sanctified in truth. We are being conformed to His image so that when He comes, we will be like Him. We are the Bride of Christ… the called out ones. We have heard His marriage proposal and we have said “Yes.” We belong to Him, for He has sealed us with His Holy Spirit. It is time to let the Holy Spirit stir up the passion of our first love once again. He is coming soon! Even so, come Lord Jesus.