The Bride

The ultimate purpose of our relationship with God is that the Father desires a bride for His Son Jesus. The Church will fulfil God's desire. In Genesis 24 we read how Abraham, the father, commissioned his servant to travel into a distant country and find a bride for Isaac, his son. In the same way, the Holy Spirit has been sent into the world to choose a bride for Jesus. Many times in Scripture, God uses the example of husbands and wives to illustrate the relationship between Christ and His Church:

"Husbands, love your wives, just as 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 a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless" Ephesians 5:25-27.

"I will betroth you to me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in love and compassion. l will betroth you in faithfulness, and you will acknowledge the Lord" Hosea 2:19-20.

THE HOLY SPIRIT IS SELECTING A BRIDE

Abraham sent his servant to seek after a bride, just as the Father sent the Holy Spirit into the world to separate unto Himself a people who would be a Bride for Jesus. Read Genesis 24. There were special qualities that the servant was looking for in the bride-to-be:

She had to be of the same blood (verses 3-4)

"...and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross" Colossians 1:20 (see also Ephesians 2:13,19).

Willingness to forsake all and follow the servant (verse 8)

"If anyone comes to me without 'hating' his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be a disciple of mine" Luke 14:26 (see also Genesis 24:58; Matthew 19:29).

Heart readiness - She was early at the well (verse 15)

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled" Matthew 5:6 (see also Isaiah 12:3).

Fair, Young, Virgin (verse 16)

Fair (inner beauty)

"...and provide for those who grieve in Zion - to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes..." Isaiah 61: 3.

Young (youthful zeal)

"...who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good" Titus 2:14 (see also Romans 12:11).

Virgin (purity of heart)

"I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. l promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him" 2 Corinthians 11:2 (see also Matthew 5:8).

Spontaneous desire to serve (verses 14,18-20)

"Whatsoever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men" Colossians 3:23.

An increasing capacity to receive (verses 22-26,53)

"The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day" Proverbs 4:18 (see also Acts 17:11; 2 Corinthians 3:18).

Disciplined - She followed the servant a long distance (verse 61)

"Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls" Matthew 11:29 (see also Ephesians 4:11-13) .

PREPARATION FOR THE BRIDE - HER BETROTHAL

Separated unto him

"Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you" 2 Corinthians 6:17 (see also 2 Corinthians 11:2).
Seeking to be in His presence

"Tell me, you whom l love, where you graze your flock and where you rest your sheep at midday..." Song of Solomon 1:7 (see also Psalm 105:4).
Seeking to know Him better

"What is more, l consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. l consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ" Philippians 3:8 (see also verses 10 and Ephesians 1:17).
Adjusting to His ways

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord; as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts" Isaiah 55:8-9 (see also Psalm 25:9; Micah 6:8).
Living to please Him

"And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him that died for them and was raised again" 2 Corinthians 5:15 (see also Song of Solomon 2:8-12).

THE BRIDE WILL BE READY

When Jesus returns to the earth, He will not be coming to get His Bride ready. No, the Bride, responding to the work of the Holy Spirit, will have made herself ready (Revelation 19:7-9) . She will be the ultimate, the fulfilment of a concept that was birthed long before the universe ever came into being - she will be the consummation of all that God has ever planned.

"Then one of the seven angels, who hold the seven bowls which were filled with the seven last plagues, came to me and said, 'Come, and I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.' Then he carried me away in the spirit to the top of a vast mountain, and pointed out to me the city, the holy Jerusalem, descending from God out of Heaven, radiant with the glory of God. Her brilliance sparkled like a very precious jewel with the clear light of crystal...The Spirit and the bride say, "come!" Revelation 21:9-11; 22:17 (Phillips) (see also 17:2-22:5).

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