There are moments in a child’s life that every parent eventually faces. Those times when the child steps out of the parent’s care into someone else’s.
For me that moment happens when I drop off my 10-year-old daughter at a friend’s house to spend the night. As we approach the friend’s home and pull into the driveway, I usually give my daughter the “how to behave” speech. After I remind her of the many courtesies she is responsible to show, I end with, “Young lady, don’t forget. You’re a Hoeffner, and I expect you to act like one.” She smiles, says, “Yes, Dad. I love you,” and is gone. In the blink of an eye my little girl is in someone else’s world.
Have you ever wondered what God the Father would say to us in that driveway?
When I think about being an ambassador for Christ in this world, it’s kind of like an extended sleepover in a place that is very different from our Father’s home. I know He would lovingly give us that “how to behave” speech because we see it in the Law and the Prophets. But what would His last admonition be? What would He say right before we walked into that other world? I think He would say, “Young Church, don’t forget. You’re the Bride of Christ, and I expect you to act like it.”
Wow, think about it. We are the Bride of Christ. To fully appreciate all that statement means would require an eternity with Him. Praise God! That is exactly what we get.
The book of Hebrews holds a snapshot of the majesty of our bridegroom, Jesus Christ. Hebrews says:
- Jesus is the heir of all things.
- Jesus is the maker of all the ages.
- Jesus is the radiance of the Father’s Glory.
- Jesus is the exact representation of the Father’s nature.
- Jesus is the one who upholds all things by the word of His power.
- Jesus is the one who made purification of our sins.
- Jesus is the one who when He finished His work sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.
I know my bride thinks it is pretty cool to be married to me. Okay, that may be an overstatement, but this is my article. Yet for us, the Church, to be Christ’s bride is off the chart. There is no greater privilege, no greater honor, no greater position, no greater relationship and no greater experience.
Our bridegroom:
- Blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.
- Chose us before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and blameless before Him.
- Adopted us according to the kind intention of His will.
- Bestowed His grace upon us.
- Redeemed us by His own blood.
- Forgave our trespasses by the riches of His grace, which He lavished upon us.
It is the best of the best to be the Bride of Christ. Why am I telling you this? It is simple. We here at CBNW think that God the Father wants us to keep reminding our family of churches, “Young Church, you are the Bride of Christ, and I expect you to act like it.”
