Ephesians 5
25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.
2 Corinthians 11
2 For I feel a divine jealousy for you, since I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ.
Paul draws a beautiful parallel between the sanctification of the Church and the imagery of a bride prepared for her groom. This metaphor not only resonates with the culture of Paul's time but also carries profound implications for our understanding of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.
Jewish Wedding Customs:
Betrothal
Wedding
Celebrations
John 14
2 In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.
Revelation 19
7 Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready;
Preparation of the Bride
A. Understanding Holiness (sanctification)
Definition of holiness: Being set apart, morally pure, and dedicated to God.
Scripture: 1 Peter 1:16 "You shall be holy, for I am holy."
Greek word for ‘Holy’ is ‘Hagios’ used 229 times in the New Testament meaning Set a part, separate.
The Greek word for church is ‘ekklesia’ which means called out ones, set apart or consecrated for a specific purpose.
1 Corinthians 6
9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous[a] will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
Ephesians 5
3 But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. 4 Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. 5 For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God
B. The Process of Holiness
Positional Sanctification (Justification)
Progressive Sanctification (Sanctification)
Ultimate Sanctification (Glorification)
C. Living Out Holiness
Cultivating holiness in everyday life through prayer, Scripture, fellowship, and obedience.
Just as a gardener tends to his garden, removing weeds and nurturing healthy growth, so we must tend to the garden of our hearts, rooting out sin and nurturing the fruit of the Spirit.
2. Appearance of the Bridegroom (Second coming of Jesus Christ)
The second coming of Jesus is mentioned more than 300 times in the New Testament.
Acts 1
10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 11 and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”
1 Thessalonians 4
16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.