In Ephesians 1:17-18, Paul talks about hearing about the faith the Ephesians have in Christ Jesus, and in their love for their fellow saints. Paul then also talks about how he is thankful for all of them, and how he constantly remembers them in his prayers. And as I read these words, one thing has struck me time and time again. Paul is writing these words about his fellow saints in Christ Jesus. Paul is writing about the Church, that which, in other contexts, God calls His Bride, or the Bride of Christ Jesus.
That's a jolt for many of us as we think about God's Church. I hate to say it, but there are way too many times that we don't see God's Church as the beautiful bride of Christ that she really is. For those of us on the inside, we look at our fellow members and saints, and we see their ugliness. We point out their faults and flaws. We far too often talk negatively about them, more often than not behind their backs rather than to their faces. And then, when they really mess up, we let them know it, regardless of who may hear what we have to say. We fail to see the beautiful bride of Christ in our fellow saints.
Those on the outside of God's bride also fail to see the beautiful bride for who she is. They see a group of people that, in recent years, they feel is best described as hypocritical, homophobic, bigoted, and the like. They also see the warts and the flaws and the sins, and focus on those in their descriptions of the Bride of Christ. (Sad to say, way too often we have given them cause for having these descriptions, but that's for another post on another day.)
That's why the words of Paul here should really hit us square in the forehead. Paul is thankful for each and every one of them. Yes, let me say that again. Paul is thankful for each and every saint who is a part of the Body of Christ Jesus. He is thankful for them, even as he knows that they are not perfect. He is thankful for them, even though they come with warts and flaws and sins. In fact, because they are the bride of Christ, he does not cease to give thanks for them.
As you consider your local Body of Christ, how thankful are you for those brothers and sisters, for those fellow saints? Do you find it much easier to grumble and gripe about them than to be thankful for them? Then maybe they aren't the ones who need the heart change. Maybe it's you. Yes, you should and can expect sin and fault and flaw in your fellow saints. But that should in no way take away from your thankfulfness that God has made them part of the Body of Christ, as His bride.
If we looked at all of our fellow saints as the Bride of Christ, would our eyes be opened to seeing them in new ways? Would we, perhaps, leave that lingering hurtful word unspoken? Would we reach out a hand to help, rather than storing up judgment within? Would we desire to speak the truth to them in love, rather than in letting them continue their hurtful ways, which are also destroying their repuation? Isn't that what we would do if it were our bride? How much more so if it's the Bride of Christ Jesus, the beautiful bride, that we are talking about?
That's a jolt for many of us as we think about God's Church. I hate to say it, but there are way too many times that we don't see God's Church as the beautiful bride of Christ that she really is. For those of us on the inside, we look at our fellow members and saints, and we see their ugliness. We point out their faults and flaws. We far too often talk negatively about them, more often than not behind their backs rather than to their faces. And then, when they really mess up, we let them know it, regardless of who may hear what we have to say. We fail to see the beautiful bride of Christ in our fellow saints.
Those on the outside of God's bride also fail to see the beautiful bride for who she is. They see a group of people that, in recent years, they feel is best described as hypocritical, homophobic, bigoted, and the like. They also see the warts and the flaws and the sins, and focus on those in their descriptions of the Bride of Christ. (Sad to say, way too often we have given them cause for having these descriptions, but that's for another post on another day.)
That's why the words of Paul here should really hit us square in the forehead. Paul is thankful for each and every one of them. Yes, let me say that again. Paul is thankful for each and every saint who is a part of the Body of Christ Jesus. He is thankful for them, even as he knows that they are not perfect. He is thankful for them, even though they come with warts and flaws and sins. In fact, because they are the bride of Christ, he does not cease to give thanks for them.
As you consider your local Body of Christ, how thankful are you for those brothers and sisters, for those fellow saints? Do you find it much easier to grumble and gripe about them than to be thankful for them? Then maybe they aren't the ones who need the heart change. Maybe it's you. Yes, you should and can expect sin and fault and flaw in your fellow saints. But that should in no way take away from your thankfulfness that God has made them part of the Body of Christ, as His bride.
If we looked at all of our fellow saints as the Bride of Christ, would our eyes be opened to seeing them in new ways? Would we, perhaps, leave that lingering hurtful word unspoken? Would we reach out a hand to help, rather than storing up judgment within? Would we desire to speak the truth to them in love, rather than in letting them continue their hurtful ways, which are also destroying their repuation? Isn't that what we would do if it were our bride? How much more so if it's the Bride of Christ Jesus, the beautiful bride, that we are talking about?
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