The Church - Christ’s Bride
1. God gave to establish a close marriage covenant relationship with people. 
 a) In God’s covenant with Israel, He took them by the hand and brought them out of slavery in Egypt. He 
     became a husband to them & they His wife. Sadly, they were consistently unfaithful to Him by turning 
     to other gods (Jer. 31:32). Finally, He forsook and sent her away in exile, but committed to 
     compassionately restoring the relationship (Isaiah 54:5-8, Hosea 3:1).
 b) Christ gave Himself for the church with His sacrifice on the cross. His purpose was to sanctify/set her 
     apart for God after having cleansed her by the washing of the water (could be an allusion to baptism 
     and/or the bridal bath before a wedding, Ezek. 16:9) with the Word/Gospel (Eph. 5:25-26).
 c) Christ lovingly pursued us and purchased us.
2. His goal is to sanctify her (Eph. 5:26-27)
 a) v23-24 calls for us to submit to Him as our husband & head with His leadership & initiative. v26 
     mentions His purpose was to sanctify or set apart people for God. Now He is working the process of 
     sanctification where our character increasingly matches our position. He wants to present to Himself 
     one day a pure bride without any spot, wrinkle or other blemish (think of the effort a bride puts into 
     looking her best on her wedding day). All moral & spiritual impurities will be removed.
 b) Christ lavishes on us His spiritual riches & spares no effort to remove our impurities & blemishes to 
     prepare us to be the pure bride He redeemed us to be. We should submit to leadership, cooperate with 
     His efforts to purify us.
3. This relationship calls for a pure devotion with no rivals (Ezek. 6:9, 2 Cor. 11:1-4)
 a) When Israel turned its devotion to idols/other gods this was spiritual adultery. It grieved God & 
     provoked His jealousy (her husband, Ezekiel 6:9, Exodus 20:4-6).
 b) Paul was the spiritual father of the Corinthian church who betrothed them to Christ & wanted to 
     present them as a pure virgin. He feared that as the serpent deceived Eve’s thinking in the Garden, 
     false apostles who distorted the Gospel would deceive their thinking. They would devote themselves 
     to another Jesus, or a different Gospel than the pure Gospel of grace. 
 c) This close intimate relationship is to have no rival husbands/gods/pursuits (James 4:4). Godly 
     jealousy/zeal for people’s exclusive devotion to Christ is the appropriate response to your own or 
     other’s unfaithfulness.
4. It is to be a source of great delight & joy (Isaiah 62:4-5)
 a) Israel’s experience in the Babylonian captivity was one of, “Forsaken,” or “Desolate.” Isaiah described 
     a day where she would called, “My delight is in her,” and “Married.” God would delight in her much 
     like a young married man over his bride. God would rejoice over her.
 b) Being part of His Church/Bride implies He delights and rejoices over us, and we should find our 
     source of delight and joy in Him. If we view our actions towards God as perfunctory duties, we have 
     lost sight of His delight in us & our responding delight in Him.
5. It will end in celebration (Revelation 19:7-9).
 a) Revelation 19 begins with the 4 “Hallelujahs!” that praise God for judging the great harlot of the end 
     times to pave the pave the way for the establishment of Christ’s kingdom on earth. Before Christ’s 
     second coming to earth, the marriage celebration of the Lamb to His bride is introduced.
 b) The bride/church has made herself ready for this day by faithful obedience (Eph. 5 stresses Christ 
     preparing her). The bride working out her sanctification balances with God’s grace with “it was given 
     to her…” The Lord provides a pure glorious bridal dress matching the righteous acts of the saints who 
     make up the bride.
 c) Marriage celebrations in those days could last a week & were times of great joy & celebration. Christ’s 
     marriage supper celebration with His glorified bride/church will surpass all other celebrations. His 
     followers should look forward to this celebration & eternal experience that follows.