There are three forces in the human race - One force is the unconverted Jews, the second force is the unconverted Gentiles and the third force is the Body of Christ, the Church. The converted Jews and Gentiles are brought into the Body of Christ as the result of the preaching of the Gospel. Satan works through the first two forces, the unconverted Jews and Gentiles, trying to bring pressure and defeat upon the third force.
Peter said: "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy" (1 Peter 2:9, 10, NKJV).
The Holy Spirit works through the last force, the Church which is a "chosen generation, a royal priesthood and a holy nation" to bring life to the first two forces. Thus the Church, the Body of Christ, the believers with the new nature, becomes the avenue of expression to the world, of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.
The Bride of Christ
You cannot "join" this group of people (the Church) who will be the Bride. You cannot "earn" a position in the Bride, nor can you "buy" your way into the Bride. You do not choose to become a part; you must be born into the Bride of Christ by a spiritual birth. But this is only the first step. Just by attending Church Services and listening to entertaining sermons that make you feel good, even everyday, will not qualify you as part of the Bride. You need the cleansing and sanctifying process of God's Word.
Paul said: ".... Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with washing of water by the word by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish" (Eph. 5:25 - 27, NKJV, emphasis added).
Here are some statements of truth:
1. Christ loved His Church and gave Himself for her.
2. The Word of God has the power to cleanse and sanctify the Church. Notice that the two processes of cleansing and sanctifying are closely related, but they are not identical. The distinction between them is this - that which is truly sanctified must of necessarily be absolutely pure and clean; but that which is pure and clean need not necessarily be in the fullest sense sanctified. In other word, it is possible to have purity, or cleanness, without sanctification, but it is not possible to have sanctification without purity, or cleanness.
3. The Bride is being prepared "with the washing of the Word." Therefore, without upholding the truth of God's Word, the Church will not be cleansed and so is not fit to be the Bride. The Church cannot be cleansed by any other means - like observing Church doctrine, Church custom, Church tradition and doctrine of man because more often than not, these are contrary to the Word of God and therefore tarnish the Church! The Church that is not cleansed by the Word will not be holy; she is full of spot or wrinkle and full of blemishes and therefore fails to be the Bride.
4. The Bride of Christ is a glorious Church.
The Call of the Holy Spirit
Jesus said: "And when He (the Holy Spirit) has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment" (John 16:8).
You are a Christian because the Holy Spirit called you and you are convicted of your sin and you came to Him in repentance. The world is filled with lost people who are walking the streets of their cities and towns. They will never be a part of the Bride of Christ because they turned away from the calling of the Holy Spirit and refused His invitation.
The Parable of the Wedding Feast
Jesus said: "The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, and sent out his servents to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come" (Matt. 22:2, 3).
Here we see the Father, speaking about the wedding of His son, the marriage supper of the Lamb. Those who heard the invitation to the wedding were too busy. They made light of the invitation and gave excuses (Matt. 22:5). They spitefully abused those who brought the invitation (Matt. 22:6), even killing some of them.
The king, the Father, became very angry and destroyed them and then sent His servants out into the highways and bid the people there to the wedding. All around the world today, in simply Gospel services in Churches large and small, in every type of circumstance, the message is still going forth. Yet many people refuse to respond to the invitation to become part of the Bride of Christ.
He who comes without a wedding garment
In the above parable, there also come one into the wedding without a wedding garment. This speaks of the tragedy of someone who does not understand the dispensation of grace and the working of the Holy Spirit today. The Gospel is being preached to the end of the world in these last days, and multitudes are being born again. But, there are still untold thousands who have heard and are convinced but not converted. You cannot have a wedding garment to put on without conversion. Believing and being convinced will not be good enough.
The Wedding guests
I do not believe that all who are washed in the blood of Christ are going to be a part of the Bride. Search the Scriptures and you will find that there are those who will enter into heaven as by fire. There will be those who are only wedding "guests" who will be present also.
Paul said: "... each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is. If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work in burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire" (1 Cor. 3:13 - 15).
Clearly, there are many who are cleansed, washed in the blood and saved who will just make it inside the doors of heaven to watch the wedding procession as Jesus takes His Bride unto Himself.
The Bride consists of vessels of gold and vessels of honor
You can be saved, but your works shall reveal what you are in Christ, how much of Jesus has been revealed in you and the depth of your commitment to Him and how much of His life has been able flow out through you.
Paul also said: "Nevertheless the solid foundation of Gos stands, having this seal; 'The Lord knows those who are His,' and , 'Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.' But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel of honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work" (2 Tim. 2:19 - 21).
Paul was speaking of vessels of common use as compared to those who have entered into a greater manifestation of God to become surrendered vessels that project God by the life they live. This passage of Scripture should be of real encouragement to every Christian as it explains the possibilities in this great house called the Church. In the Body of Chirst, there are vessels of gold and of silver. In contrast, there are also some of wood and clay. Some vessels are for honor and some are for dishonor, or for "common use." Each one has the opportunity to be separated from the old patterns and ways that would hinder them so that they could be of greater use to the Master. God is constantly trying to lift us out of the ordinary into the extraordinary by His continual working upon us, in us and through us. Anything short of the vessel of honor will not be useful for God.
The Holy Spirit is at work in all Christians, pursuing and pushing, convicting and cleansing, drawing them into refinement for we are the workmanship of the master potter, the most high God Himself (Eph. 2:10). He takes us out of the world by the new birth and then turns us over to the Holy Spirit that Christ might be revealed within us. Then God fills us with Himself that we would have the unction of God and the anointing of the Holy Spirit, the power to become adorned for marriage to the Lamb. No loving and adoring bride would ever come to her wedding day until she was properly cleansed, sanctified, wearing beautiful garments and adorned to be pleasing and desireable to her groom (Eph. 5:26, 27).
The fragrance of the Bride
The Song of Solomon is very descriptive in illustrating the reality of the relationship of the Church's love for Christ and Christ's love for the Church. The Holy Spirit is working constantly to heal the Church's deformities, purify its motives and bring its actions into the many deep expressions of love - not only from the Church to Jesus, but from one to another.
Solomon said, "Because of the fragrance of your good ointments, your name is ointment poured forth; therefore the virgins love you" (Song of Solomon 1:13).
When the adorning of the bride reaches a certain point that she truly knows exactly who she is, the Name of Jesus becomes as sweet smelling oil poured forth to her. His Name becomes the only source of satisfation to her cry for her bridgroom, it becomes a fountain of fragrance in the world we live in.
Jesus is adorning His bride and He is dealing with all of us through blessings and through testings as He brings us to decisions of complete obedience and surrender. He is bringing us to a place where we will trust Him in every circumstance. He is fashioning us into the likeness and image of His Son.
The end-time Chruch - the Church of Laodicea
Jesus said: "Because you say, 'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing' - and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked - I counsel you to by from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me" (Rev. 3:17 - 20).
Jesus is speaking to the Church, to the believers who have heard the Gospel year in and year out but has not pursued the adorning of their inner man. He is telling them that that they are spiritually naked, blind and poor because they have been leaning upon natural (worldly) things. Many so-called christians even shut the Lord out of their heart! But Jesus remains "gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and great in mercy" (Ps. 145:8). He still anxiously waits for them to open their hearts to Him again.
The "Rapture" of the Church
After the preparation of the Bride (the glorious Church), Jesus' ultimate purpose for His Church is to bring her to the Father's house for the marriage of the Lamb:
"In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also" (John 14:2, 3, emphasis added).
1 Thessalonians 4 and 1 Corinthians 15 give a picture of what will happen. A day will come when all true Christians will be caught up bodily and alive to meet the Lord in the air. The souls and spirits of those who had previously died believing in Christ, having been consciously with Him in the interim, will come with their Lord from heaven to rejoin their glorious resurrected bodies. Those alive at the time of His return, their bodies instantly transformed as well, will be caught up together with the saints of all ages to meet Christ somewhere above the earth and bring them to the Father's house of may mansions. This is what most Bible teachers called the "Rapture." This is what John 14:3 means, "I will come again and receive you to Myself."
The "Rapture" is a word to which some critics object because they say it itsn't in the Bible. In fact, it is in the Latin translation of 1 Thessalonians 4:17. The Latin word, "rapturous" means, "an ecstatic catching away" as does the English word.
The Great Tribulation
In Christ's days the Jewish bride was taken to the father's house where the two were in seclusion for seven days (one week). Christ must have had that in mind when He promised to take His Bride to His Father's house. During these seven years (the 70th week of year in Daniel's prophecy - Daniel 9:24 - 27) the earth is going through the Great Tribulation period under the reign of the Antichrist! But, at precisely the same time in heaven the marriage supper the Lamb is being prepared (Revelation 19:7, 8)! The Bride of Christ escapes the wrath of the Antichrist. That is the way God protects His true Church, fulfilling what Jesus said to Peter, "The gates of Hades shall not prevail against it" (Matthew 16:18). He brings His Church to Himslf! On the other hand, the gates of Hades shall prevail against the so-called church that is left behind under the reign of Antichrist. In fact the Antichrist together with his false prophets and his "elders" and "pastors" and those deceived so-called christians will be sitting at the gates - the gates of Hades!
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