Guard Your Joint Spirit (Part 1)

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

Several biblical symbols represent the church. Among them is the church's calling as the holy, radiant, spotless Bride of Christ, the Lamb of God. Many times women in scripture picture the attributes of the church as that Bride. 

Proverbs 31 describes the virtuous woman.  However, Psalm 31 is also a description in metaphor of what the Bride of Christ should be as we walk this planet.   

For now, we are going to concentrate on one word in Proverbs 31:10. “Who can find a woman of virtue? For her value is far above rubies.” 

The word translated as virtue is the Hebrew word khahyil.  It means a force, an army, wealth, virtue, courage, strength, activity, substance, worth.  When we are living virtuously, we become a courageous, force of strength, activity and worth.  We become warriors, impowered by the Holy Spirit, to march in the army of God. 

True virtue can be found only in a covenant relationship with Jesus Christ.  Remember in a covenant relationship, we give to Jesus all we have and all we are, with is nothing.  He gives us everything He is and all He has which is priceless, eternal and powerful.

Earthly marriage is to be a covenant relationship, a picture of our covenant relationship with Christ as our bridegroom where we exchange our nothingness for His everything.

The prophet Malachi describes how the people of Israel chose to live outside a covenant relationship with God yet still desired the blessings of God.  Malachi compares that to earthly marriage.  Israel is the wife of Jehovah and the Church the bride of Christ. The prophet Isaiah wrote, ‘The Maker is your husband’, Isaiah 54:5,6. In the New Testament the church is likened to a bride, Ephesians 5:22,23.

This refers to a special and intimate relationship with Almighty God. His plan has always been to be in a relationship where the created worships the Creator in spirit and in truth, for the Lamb was slain before the foundation of the world, Revelation 13:8.

The following passage is from the One New Man Bible which is translated directly from Hebrew into English.

Malachi 2:13-17: " You cover the altar with tears, with weeping, and sighing because He will not turn to the offering any more, nor to accept your good will offering. And you say, What for? Because the LORD* has been witness between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been faithless, yet she is your companion, and your true ally. And did not God make of you one flesh? So that one should have a spiritual kin? And what does that one flesh seek? A Godly seed. Therefore, guard your joint spirit, and do not betray the wife of your youth! For it is hateful in His eyes to send her away, to divorce her, says the LORD*, the God of Israel, and renders one’s garment to be covered with violence, says the LORD* of Hosts; therefore, guard your joint spirit, that you do not betray.   You have wearied the LORD* with your words."

Just as we are to guard our joint spirit with our spouses, we are to guard our joint spirit with our Lord.  The Church is the covenant Bride of Christ.

2 Corinthians 11:2  “For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy. For I have espoused you to one Man, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ.” 

Rev 19:7-8:  “Let us be glad and rejoice and we will give glory to Him. For the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has prepared herself.  And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white. For the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints.”

Our heavenly white robe of righteousness comes when we enter into a covenant relationship with our Lord by surrendering ourselves to His love.

I Surrender All  

Author: Judson W. Van DeVenter

All to Jesus I surrender,
All to Him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust Him,
In His presence daily live.

All to Jesus I surrender

Humbly at His feet I bow

Worldly pleasures all forsaken

Take me Jesus take me now

All to Jesus I surrender,
Make me, Savior, wholly Thine;
Let me feel Thy Holy Spirit,
Truly know that Thou art mine.

All to Jesus I surrender,
Lord, I give myself to Thee;
Fill me with Thy love and power,
Let Thy blessing fall on me.

All to Jesus I surrender

Now I feel the sacred flame

O the joy of full salvation

Glory, glory to His name

I surrender all, I surrender all;
All to Thee, my blessed Savior,
I surrender all.