The Bride of the Lamb of God

The Bride of the Lamb of God
By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

   Many Christians have unanswered questions about our position as the Bride of the Lamb of God and our relationship with our Bridegroom, Jesus Christ.

   Some ask, "Do we become prepared in the 'twinkling of an eye' (1Corinthians 15:42) when we go to be with the King?" Some may insist that because we are born again by the grace of God, our acceptance of the sacrifice of Jesus is enough for Jesus to present us as His bride, without spot or wrinkle .

    However, scripture reveals the answers! 

    Who prepares the Bride?

   "Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready. And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints." (Revelation 19:7-8)

   The above passage reveals that the Bride must make herself ready. It is only through cooperation with the Holy Spirit that we are able make ourselves ready. Our righteousness is possible only through the grace of God, but we are to grow in grace and knowledge and determine to become more Christ-like in our walk.

   Romans 3:10 reminds us that left to our own devices, "There is none righteous, no, not one”.  If none are righteous, how can we possibly prepare ourselves for our Bridegroom?

   Matthew 19:26 declares: "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible. ."The preparation of the Bride involves the Bride's living, moving and having our being in the Holy Spirit of God (Acts 17:28).

   The preparation of Queen Esther exemplifies this process. "Now the young woman pleased him (the king), and she obtained his favor; so he readily gave beauty preparations to her, besides her allowance. Then seven choice

maidservants were provided for her from the king's palace, and he moved her and her maidservants to the best place in the house of women." (Esther 2:9.)

   The seven maidservants represent the Holy Spirit, the seven ministries or spirits of God as detailed in Isaiah 11:2: His presence, wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge and reverence for holiness.

   As symbols of God's Holy Spirit, the maidservants become the provision needed by Esther in her preparation to become the bride of the king.

   Just as cooperation with the seven maidservants was necessary for the preparation of Esther, the preparation of the Bride of the Lamb of God is a cooperative relationship between the Holy Spirit and the Bride.  As we cooperate more fully with the Holy Spirit who indwells us, as
we learn more and more to live and move and have our being in Him, we become more and more the glorious church, without spot or wrinkle, holy and without blemish. (Ephesians 5:27.)

   May we desire to be dressed in the fine linen which symbolizes the righteous acts of the saints.

   Let us pray with the lyricist Thomas Chisholm:

   "Oh! to be like Thee, full of compassion,
   Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,
   Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,
   Seeking the wandering sinner to find."