God's Army: What is the Church?

Day 5

Ephesians 5:25-32 (New International Version)

²⁵Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her ²⁶to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, ²⁷and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. ²⁸In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. ²⁹After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church— ³⁰for we are members of his body. ³¹"For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." ³²This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church.

You may be married or may not be married, but follow me on this one. Paul is trying to show us what being the Church is like, and he uses marriage as the example. Jesus is the groom and the Church is the bride. Notice that you alone aren't the bride, but all Christians together. God is preparing all of us that we might be God's spotless bride. Reread the passage and look at how Jesus cares for his Church. God cares tremendously about the health of your church.

Your church may be experiencing some problems, but God is in the process of making all of us pure, holy, and unified. How is Jesus doing this in the life of your church?

How should we as the Church respond to Christ as the groom?

If this is how God cares for his Church, then how should we treat the other members of our local church?