The Beautiful Bride of Christ

The church. I've been to so many churches in my lifetime. As a daughter of a minister, I saw so much within the church. Some of my siblings never recovered from some of the damaging pains hurt people in the church inflicted on them. God's people are still sinning and sometimes get so comfortable in "church life" that they forget to "put to death the deeds of the body" so they may live. I call these people the "walking wounded" and have been one it seems for quite some time. God has allowed us to endure trial after trial within the last few years of our marriage, and we have clung tightly to try to "consider it pure joy". I will say for now that this is difficult and stop here. That is for another post. And, actually, discussing sick people in the church is also for another post!

Today, I just wanted to write about the church that Christ is continually renewing to reflect his image.

"Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless."

This is really happening! Christ's cleansing is creating a beautiful body of believers who entertain a sweet community with one another and who seek and find God. It happens! People who love God are really loving each other, giving of themselves to provide for each other in great need, and denying themselves daily. I can say that it is thrilling to experience it, to have a burden relieved because of the beautiful church, to be convicted of sin and admonished due to a faithful brother or sister in faith, to laugh and enjoy community together and teach our children what the true church is, to really begin to know God and seek God through his word. These are the most significant years of my life thus far and have become that because of Christ's radiant bride working in our family and my life.

I am thankful for the church, thankful that we will reunite with these believers after our time on earth, and thankful that the church's main work is to lead us to Christ. Oh, how I need him daily!