Bible Study The Bride Of Christ

[Soul man]

If you live the beatitudes, then I don't think you have anything to worry about as far as being left behind for more purification. Like some will. I do not believe that the entire church is the Bride of Christ. All will be saved, but not all will be the Bride. Spotless.

 

[for_his_glory]

The true Bride of Christ are those who keep themselves pure from the ways of the world, James 1:27, especially the worldly church with all their traditions and doctrines that come against truth as they unknowingly allow the spirit of Jezebel teach from their altars. It's by faith alone we are saved by Gods grace alone, Ephesians 2:8, that we become the Bride of Christ as we are then joined to His Spirit. We are called the body of Christ (Gods true Church) when we are in union with one Lord, one faith and one Baptism, Ephesians 4:5, 6; 2 Corinthians 12:12-26. Christ in us and we in Christ.

 

[Edward]

If the cross did not make the body of Christ spotless, nothing will. If there was a way to be purified and would bring life, wouldn't there be no need for a cross ? That is how Israel was dealt with, pure law.

Yes, the cross made us spotless. But then after getting saved many go home and sit down. They become hearers. They may go to church on Sunday, but many are not being the church. After being saved, Sanctification begins...is supposed to anyways. Many are lucky if they give 99% of their life to God. God does not ask for 99%. He asks for 100%. The purification is sanctification.

Israel was dealt with pure law...because Jesus had not come yet. Now we are dealt with grace. God is not a legalist to the church. He knows we will make mistakes, and we repent quickly (or should). That's why David was a man after Gods own heart. Many times Christians will secretly sin, and then...be afraid to pray and repent. So they do not stay spotless.

 

[billybalke]

Soul man, I hope you do not mind my injection of post here to Billy. I am praying that Billy will consider that there is more to being a bride of Christ than being a follower of Christ.

The bride of Christ has all faith and love with Christ's way, truth and life. That faith and love of truth is the only way into the soul where Christ and God are within us - the kingdom of God within _ Luke 17:21. and 1 Corinthians 3:16.

In that faith and love of Christ is full surrender to what is Christ, to what is True. This unconditionality not only accepts all of Christ, all Truth, but transcends all reading, all exhortation, all doctrine to being faithful and loving. Faith being the path, and loving is the guide, to Christ within us.

The bride has no concerns for this world where attendance to reading, to exhortation, and to doctrine is required. For in Christ, where all adoration and devotion of the bride is on, has all the readings, exhortations and doctrine in the bride's Bridegroom (in Christ). These things in Christ become obvious to the bride. There is no need for belief because it has transcended beyond belief, to the obvious, doubtless, and fearless Truth.

Being a bride of Christ requires a complete correction of soul to accommodate access to Christ within the soul. Anything else closes the door to the wedding banquet. Matthew 25:10 "...But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut..."

I didn't say that all there was to being the bride of Christ was to follow Christ, but such is true. Can you think of anything the bride is to do but follow Christ? I can't. If she does anything else than follow Christ Who is the bridegroom SHE IS RUNNING AROUND ON HIM!

 

[th1b.taylor]

I would suppose there will be those that have rejected the conviction of the HolySpirit. The Bride is the Church, not something coming out of the Church apart from the Church. The Bride is the Birthed of God their Father, to be presented to the Son as a Chaste virgin.

I feel that the Bride is best covered in the first fourteen verses in the Wedding Feast. Of course I cannot accept on lady being the bride and since we will not be given in marriage and will be like the angels we will command, sexless. And as I read the text of this parable there are quite a few guests and I picture the bride as a relatively few that have lived the most Godlike of Lives.

But from the scriptures we know that anyone that attends that wedding will never be cast out of Heaven. But the catholic, not Catholic, Church will go to heaven and I cannot know from the scriptures where the cut off point lies but there appears to be one.

 

[Hermit]

I didn't say that all there was to being the bride of Christ was to follow Christ, but such is true. Can you think of anything the bride is to do but follow Christ? I can't. If she does anything else than follow Christ Who is the bridegroom SHE IS RUNNING AROUND ON HIM!

Funny, I knew the word 'follow' would be challenged, yet at the time I did not have another word for it.
Football fans follow football players, but they don't play football.

I find it funny how, in your loving way, you use capital letters and exclamation marks, so I don't miss what you are saying.

May God bless you Billy.

 

[Hermit]

...The bride of Christ is far reaching in our way of thinking and lifestyle, it flows through doctrine to Him, Christ Who is the only life of the believer.
Staying with the theme 'The Bride of Christ. Somewhere a love affair between the Church and the Son, the Bride and the bridegroom, must have a correction. The Bride, the Church, must lose every controversial idea, doctrine, plan and purpose she ever had.
Somewhere, she must come to the place where she is no longer a mother's daughter, the niece of a great aunt, the child of a great man, no longer an educated, well trained young woman, and no longer has an earthly inheritance.
She is not marrying to better her earthly existence, but she is a pauper who has been into the greatest family in heaven. A correction must come to her so that there is no controversy between her and her lover.
The Bridegroom is not interested in what His Bride believes, what her doctrines are, how she has been led, or what her background is because He is going to swallow all of that up when He brings her into His family. There must be an event in her life that makes this so, a miracle that makes doctrine no longer important to her, only the Groom is important.

Love re-reading this post. It opens up so much for me.
The unconditionality of it is the opposite of who we are without Christ. The Bride of Christ disclaims everything that was once claimed as knowledge of Christ, claimed as knowledge of God. Because once we claim that knowledge/understanding, it no longer remains the essence of faith.

Instead of faith it becomes untrustful because it now resides in the mind instead of the heart. The mysterious eternal God, by our delusion of self-seeking, just became defined, categorized and labelled. By doing so, faith went out the window, and love guided it back to God. We are left empty handed but self-denial won't accept it, because the self is to busy pointing at the box and saying "Look what I know".

The Bride of Christ finds no satisfaction in claiming Christ for self, only in seeking Him in faith.
The heart of the Bride knows that the less is understood about him, the closer he is.

 

[Soul man]

Yes, the cross made us spotless. But then after getting saved many go home and sit down. They become hearers. They may go to church on Sunday, but many are not being the church. After being saved, Sanctification begins...is supposed to anyways. Many are lucky if they give 99% of their life to God. God does not ask for 99%. He asks for 100%. The purification is sanctification.

Israel was dealt with pure law...because Jesus had not come yet. Now we are dealt with grace. God is not a legalist to the church. He knows we will make mistakes, and we repent quickly (or should). That's why David was a man after Gods own heart. Many times Christians will secretly sin, and then...be afraid to pray and repent. So they do not stay spotless.

Again there is a difference between soul and spirit that has to be divided.

 

[Edward]

Again there is a difference between soul and spirit that has to be divided.

That's what I was thinking before, but when I brought it up, I was shot down so fast that I let it go...
Tell me more about this Brother. Have you done it? I listened to a mans testimony where he said he did...I believe that man.

 

[Soul man]

Yes, it will be later today before I will have any time.

 

[Edward]

No sweat Brother. I've taken my bad starter out of my truck and am cleaning it up instead of buying a new one.

Jesus is helping me. I couldn't bust it loose the other day! This morning I asked myself...why didn't I ask for help? So I went out there and prayed for help with ratchet in hand...and boom, it came right off! Praise the Lord!

So take your time...

 

[for_his_glory]

Edward, this might help until Soul man replies back.

Genesis 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

Here dust + breath/spirit from God = a living soul. When the flesh dies physically it returns back to the dust of the ground and our spirit is preserved with God for final judgment.

Genesis 3:19 in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

Ecc 12:7 then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

We return to the dust of the ground when this physical body dies and our breath/spirit returns to God as we wait for Gods final judgment.

Matthew 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Our spirit can never die and is preserved until Gods final judgment on the last day when Christ returns, John 6:40.

 

[Edward]

Here dust + breath/spirit from God = a living soul. When the flesh dies physically it returns back to the dust of the ground and our spirit is preserved with God for final judgment.

I disagree with this Sister. I am a spirit. I have a soul. I live in a body.

It's not a mixture of spirit and flesh that makes the soul, like making kool aid. Otherwise the soul could not live on (or be condemned) after the flesh body dies.

 

[for_his_glory]

Edward I never said it was a mixture of spirit and flesh that makes up the living soul. I said it was the breath as the same being the spirit of God breathed in us that makes us a living soul. I never used the word flesh other then to say when the flesh (body) physically dies it returns back to the dust of the ground from where it was formed from.

 

[Hermit]

The Bridegroom Christ is indeed very interested in what His Bride believes about Doctrine and Theology. You can show no Scripture to validate your notion He doed not care about His Bride's Doctrine and Theology.

Do appropriate work and discernment before further embarrassement of God's People.

Post #6 may help you to understand.

 

[Hermit]

My post above here might help you to understand. Lol. You need much help if you have the opinion God does not concern Himself with the beliefs of His people. If He does not, why is there so much Doctrine and Theology in Scripture?

Do your best to answer here without adding to your error.

See http://christianforums.net/Fellowship/index.php?threads/the-bride-of-christ-2.71110/#post-1370564

God is Truth and Love. God is only concerned about what Truth, and its Love, we harbor. Anything else will be cut and thrown into the fire before the harvest. What use is it to believe in untruths which only can be expressed with conditions based on fear and tension, which a lot of people in this world express.

Doctrine and Theology is for dealing with the world. Truth and Love is not of this world, but of the kingdom of God.
Doctrine and Theology reveals what Truth and Love is. Faith in us embraces Truth and Love.
Doctrine and Theology is a language of the heart, but not the heart itself.

 

[reba]

Please heed this general warning/reminder
2.4: . . .. Do not make an inflammatory remark just to get a response. Address issues not personalities. Respect where people are in their spiritual walk, and respect all others in general. Respect where others are in their spiritual walk, do not disrupt the flow of discussion or act in a way that affects others negatively including when debating doctrinal issues, in the defense of the Christian faith, and in offering unwelcome spiritual advice.
Do not reply to this post in this thread... have a problem take it to TWITS

 

[Hermit]

My post above here might help you to understand. Lol. You need much help if you have the opinion God does not concern Himself with the beliefs of His people. If He does not, why is there so much Doctrine and Theology in Scripture?
Do your best to answer here without adding to your error.

Galatians 5:22-26 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

 

[Hermit]

Do you have any desires of the flesh, such as:
1.) A need to eat and hydrate?
2.) A need for intimacey with your wife?
3.) A need for physical health?
4.) A need for Christian America?
5.) A need for retirement funding?
6.) A need for a hobby or past time?
7.) A need for friends and companionship?
8.) A need for rest and some relaxation?
9.) A need for good neighbors?

The flesh desires those things. The Spirit, according to God's will, encourages me to keep my body going for it is the way for the Spirit to express itself, for others to witness, that Christ exists in his disciples. The point about all those things you mention is, can we let go of them, including physical life, without hesitation (looking back), without fear of losing something we have invested into the flesh. Can we be unconditional about it. That is the Christian quest while alive on earth.

 

[Hermit]

So, you do desire things of the flesh. How about insurance on your house? How about locking your doors at night? How about vacations?

I am a hermit (no insurance, no car, no money, no vacations, and my door is unlocked).

Try and take in these Scriptures:
Matthew 16:23-27 Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns." Then Jesus said to his disciples, "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.

Philippians 4:11-13 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.