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 THE SPOTLESS BRIDE -anonymous


[b]THE SPOTLESS BRIDE [/b]

People say that Jesus is coming back soon for a spotless bride. They tell the church that they need to clean up their walk now. But the books of Daniel and Revelation tell us that persecution of the church during the tribulation is how the Lord will cleanse His bride. Now some of the body has the grace to keep themselves clean, but for the whole body to be clean it will take the fuller’s soap of persecution and many shall fall away.

Dan 11:32-36 And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do [exploits]. And they that understand among the people shall instruct many: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, [many] days. Now when they shall fall, they shall be holpen with a little help: but many shall cleave to them with flatteries. And [some] of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make [them] white, [even] to the time of the end: because [it is] yet for a time appointed.

Dan 12:10-12 Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand. And from the time [that] the daily [sacrifice] shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, [there shall be] a thousand two hundred and ninety days. Blessed [is] he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days.

Rev 6:9-11 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they [were], should be fulfilled.

Rev 7:9-17 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. And all the angels stood round about the throne, and [about] the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, [be] unto our God for ever and ever. Amen. And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.

Rev 19-5-9 And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great. And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed [are] they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.

Much of the Church is in love with the world. God will turn the world against the Church to cleanse the Church. It’s hard to keep your pet sins when you are jailed, tortured and killed. God will turn the world against the Church to cleanse the Church. It’s hard to keep your pet sins when you are jailed, tortured and killed.


This is a proof that the rapture is at the end of the tribulation or after much of the church is persecuted because this is how the bride is made white. If Jesus came for us before the tribulation, most of the Church would miss it.

John 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

Mat 13:20-21 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.

Act 14:22 Confirming the souls of the disciples, [and] exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.

Rom 5:3And not only [so], but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;

Eph 5:26-27 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

Rom 8:35-37 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? [shall] tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

Rev 2:9 I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich)

We must not get mad at God when we go through tribulation. Many shall be offended and fall away when Anti-Christ is revealed and the rapture hasn’t happened yet. Jesus said, “Behold, I told you before!” We must rejoice and have faith filled eyes seeing our eternal rewards.

As a side note concerning the dispersal and the persecution of the Jews around the world, it is so that they will rule during the millennium, all those nations whom they suffered under the last 3,500 years. I could get scripture on that but I don’t feel like it; THAT’S WHAT I SAID! Ha.

Rev 13: 8-10 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. If any man have an ear, let him hear. He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.

Jam 1:2-4 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing [this], that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have [her] perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

Heb 12:7-8 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.

Hebrews 12
1Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
2Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
3For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
4Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.
5And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:
6For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
7If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
8But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.
9Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?
10For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.
11Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
12Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;
13And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.
14Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
15Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;
16Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.
17For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.
18For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest,
19And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more:
20(For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart:
21And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:)
22But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,
23To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,
24And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.
25See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven:
26Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven.
27And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.
28Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:
29For our God is a consuming fire.

Heb 5:7Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;
8Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;
9And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;

Gen 15: 12And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him.
13And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;
14And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.
15And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age.
16But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.
In my writing “Jacob’s Trouble” I compare how the book of Exodus reflects the persecution of the Church during in the tribulation, Pharoah equaling the Anti-Christ.

Rev 12:11And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
12Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.
13And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman (Israel) which brought forth the man child.
14And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness (Jordan & Arabia), into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.
15And the serpent cast out of his mouth water (an army) as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.
16And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.
17And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed (Christians), which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
That is the end of the time of the gentiles, persecution of Israel stops!
Col 1:24 Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church:




lit., "an abiding under" (hupo, "under," meno, "to abide"), is almost invariably rendered "patience." "Patience, which grows only in trial, Jam 1:3, may be passive, i.e., == "endurance," as, (a) in trials, generally, Luk 21:19 (which is to be understood by Mat 24:13); cp. Rom 12:12; Jam 1:12; (b) in trials incident to service in the gospel, 2Cr 6:4; 12:12; 2Ti 3:10; (c) under chastisement, which is trial viewed as coming from the hand of God our Father, Hbr 12:7; (d) under undeserved affliction, 1Pe 2:20; or active, i.e. == "persistence, perseverance," as (e) in well doing, Rom 2:7 (AV, "patient continuance"); (f) in fruit bearing, Luk 8:15; (g) in running the appointed race, Hbr 12:1. "Patience perfects Christian character, Jam 1:4, and fellowship in the patience of Christ is therefore the condition upon which believers are to be admitted to reign with Him, 2Ti 2:12; Rev 1:9. For this patience believers are 'strengthened with all power,' Col 1:11, 'through His Spirit in the inward man,' Eph 3:16. " In 2Th 3:5, the phrase "the patience of Christ,' RV, is possible of three interpretations, (a) the patient waiting for Christ, so AV paraphrases the words, (b) that they might be patient in their sufferings as Christ was in His, see Hbr 12:2, (c) that since Christ is "expecting till His enemies be made the footstool of His feet,' Hbr 10:13, so they might be patient also in their hopes of His triumph and their deliverance. While a too rigid exegesis is to be avoided, it may, perhaps, be permissible to paraphrase: 'the Lord teach and enable you to love as God loves, and to be patient as Christ is patient." * [* From Notes on Thessalonians by Hogg and Vine, pp. 222,285.] In Rev 3:10, "the word of My patience" is the word which tells of Christ's patience, and its effects in producing "patience" on the part of those who are His (see above on 2Th 3:5).
"long-suffering" (see B, No. 2), is rendered "patience" in Hbr 6:12; Jam 5:10; see LONGSUFFERING.
akin to A, No. 1, (a) used intransitively, means "to tarry behind, still abide," Luk 2:43; Act 17:14; (b) transitively, "to wait for," Rom 8:24 (in some mss.), "to bear patiently, endure," translated "patient" (present participle) in Rom 12:12; "ye take it patiently," 1Pe 2:20 (twice). See also under A, No. 1.
akin to A, No. 2, "to be long-tempered," is translated "to have patience," or "to be patient," in Mat 18:26,29; 1Th 5:14, AV (RV, "be longsuffering"); Jam 5:7 (1st part, "be patient;" 2nd part, RV, "being patient," AV, "hath long patience"); in Hbr 6:15, RV, "having (AV, after he had) patiently endured." See LONGSUFFERING. Notes: (Adjectives). (1) For epieikes, translated "patient" in 1Ti 3:3, AV, see GENTLE. (2) For anexikakos, translated, "patient" in 2Ti 2:24, AV, see FOREBEAR.
akin to A, No. 2, and B, No. 2, denotes "patiently" Act 26:3.


We are the New Jerusalem, show such, pillar in the house
The house that is to be builded for the Lord must be exceeding magnifical. I Chron. 22:5
Ye ... as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house. I Pet. 2:5
Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. I Cor. 3:16, 17
Your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own. For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's. I Cor. 6:19, 20
What agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. II Cor. 6:16
Ye ... are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto a holy


_________________
SI Moderator - Greg Gordon

 2007/8/29 15:40Profile









 Re: THE SPOTLESS BRIDE -anonymous


Possibly, not anonymous enough... ;-)

Quote:
People say that Jesus is coming back soon for a spotless bride.

This is a very interesting statement, especially as it begins with the word 'people', and not the name of an apostle.

This turned me to a word search for 'spotless' (without spot) and 'bride'. In fact, there is a remarkable dearth of the word 'bride' in the New Testament, which should give us much food for thought....

Just how is a 'bride' defined?

Is it an outward thing? (She's wearing a white dress.)

Or is it an inward thing?

I'll cut to the quick... It's an [u]inward[/u] thing which is what gives her the [i]right[/i] to wear a white dress. Otherwise, she is a hypocrite.

Annie Cousins wrote

The Bride eyes not her garment but her dear Bridegroom's face,
I will not gaze at glory but on my King of grace.
Not at the crown He giveth but on His pierced hand;
The Lamb is all the glory of Immanuel’s land.


So, what is that inward thing?

It is an outworked intention to be set apart for One (God) only. This is called sanctification.

But it is not by being set apart that we are made pure. That setting apart is an essential on-going decision which is not retracted under any circumstances.

But, having been set apart, there is a necessary cleansing for the purpose of our having been set apart (to bear fruit unto God), and that is defined by Jesus in John 15:3 and by Paul in Ephesisans 5:just as Christ also loved the church and [u]gave Himself for her[/u], 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.

Notice, there is not a breath in Paul's exposition of Christ's work, about tribulation, as a way of making the Church fit for His espousal. This is why so many hymns have been written about [u]redemption[/u] and the blood of the Lamb. Because once one agrees to be redeemed by Him - by His blood - one is His: redeemed.

Quote:
They tell the church that they need to clean up their walk now.

This is admirable, because unless they do (clean up their walk now), they will not be part of the bride.

Revelation 22
11 "He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still."

12 " And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward [is] with Me, to give to every one according to his work.

Quote:
But the books of Daniel and Revelation tell us that persecution of the church during the tribulation is how the Lord will cleanse His bride.

This is not what they say at all.

Yes, tribulation and persecution, but you are applying a false logic within your thesis, in that those who are going to endure tribulation, persecution and death, are those who have His Word and testimony, to whom He will give His word in the hour of their trials. (Luke 21:15 I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist.)

Those who have not already pulled down the strongholds:

2 Corinthians 10
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.
4 For the weapons of our warfare [i]are[/i] not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,
5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,
6 and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.

and fulfilled obedience to God, are not in position to expect Him to bale them out during persecution... at least, not unless they are on the way to overcoming in Christ.

Matthew 5
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.
12 "Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great [i]is[/i] your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Those who are rejoicing in persecution, have [i]already[/i] been washed in the blood of the Lamb and cleansed from all sin. This is [i][b]basic[/i][/b]

1 John 1
6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

1 John 2
1 My little children, these things write I unto you, [u]that ye sin not[/u]. And [b]if[/b] any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for [i]the sins of[/i] the whole world.
3 And hereby [u]we do know that we know him, [/u][b]if we keep [u]his[/u] commandments[/b].
4 He that saith, 'I know him', [u]and keepeth not his commandments, [b]is a liar[/b], and the [b]truth is not in him[/b][/u].
5[color=006699] But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.[/color]

Quote:
Now some of the body has the grace to keep themselves clean, but for the whole body to be clean it will take the fuller’s soap of persecution and many shall fall away.

'and many shall fall away' is much more likely, than that persecution will 'clean' up the true Church.

John again:
Little children, [b]keep yourselves[/b] from idols. Amen. 1 John 5:21


James 1:27
Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, [i]and[/i] [b]to keep himself[/b] [u]unspotted from the world[/u].

Acts 15:29
That ye [u]abstain from[/u] meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which [u]if[/u] ye [b]keep yourselves[/b], [u]ye shall do well[/u]. Fare ye well.

Jude 1:21
[b]Keep yourselves[/b] [u]in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life[/u].


Quote:
God will turn the world against the Church to cleanse the Church.

I think it's a bit of a stretch for all those martyrs already under the altar, to accept your use of the future tense, here. Likewise, I don't find it in line with Jesus' words here:

John 16:33
"These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."

Note: Jesus is telling the first disciples that they will have tribulation nearly two thousand years ago. Looking forward to this, they are to 'be of good cheer' because Christ [i]has already[/i] 'overcome the world'.

Beloved, whoever you are, you have a time-warp in your thinking, if you are pushing so much [i]fulfilled scripture[/i] into the future.

This is not to say there is not tribulation and persecution still to come. But, each generation must bear its own burden in this respect.

Quote:
It’s hard to keep your pet sins when you are jailed, tortured and killed.

I believe you're making another false dichotomy here, in that those who still have 'pet sins' are doomed already because they didn't come to the light with them sooner.

These people may die, but whether it will be attributed to them as [i]martyrdom[/i] seems unlikely. They have failed to lay hold on the death in Romans 6:6, if they have 'pet sins'.

Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with [i]him[/i], that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
7 For he that [u]is[/u] dead [u]is [b]freed[/b] from sin[/u].

John 3
19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.


You quoted Heb 12:7-8
If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.

I believe there is a world of difference between the correction of a loving Father within His relationship with His willing-to-be-obedient children, and His expectation that His children will suffer tribulation and persecution from a contrary world. These are not the same.

Ephesians 5:6
Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things [fornication, uncleanness, covetousness (idolatry)]
the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.

Some translators put 'unbelief' for 'disobedience' and this would underline John's definitions above.


Romans 2:28, 29
For he is not a Jew who [i]is one[/i] outwardly, nor [i]is[/i] circumcision that which [i]is[/i] outward in the flesh; but [i]he is[/i] a Jew who [i]is one[/i] inwardly; and circumcision [i]is that[/i] of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; [b]whose praise[/b] [i]is[/i] [b]not from men but from God[/b].

The inward attitude of one who has accepted circumcision of their heart, is no longer stiff-necked (proud) and is no longer looking for the affirmation of man, but of God. Thus, the believer keeps himself pure, and hopes to endure the trial of his faith, knowing that is [i]more precious[/i] than when gold is purified. (1 Peter 1).


1 John 3
1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.

2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.

5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.

6 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.


Yes, God will have a spotless bride for His Son, but, rather because of the travail of His own soul, and not through tribulation or persecution.

If she is spotless, she will overcome.

If she is not spotless, how can she overcome?

 2007/8/30 17:56









 Re: THE SPOTLESS BRIDE -anonymous


I hope someone else will take time to read the 'anonymous' thesis on how the Church will be made spotless, and offer some comment?

There's a song by Don Francisco which covers a couple of important angles that Christians should understand. In 'The Package', he resists any kind of works-based salvation. Amen.


You can find his song here, in The Package - Collection III, (red framed cd cover), last song in the left column. (The print is very small.)

He makes an important distinction, I believe.

[url=http://www.rockymountainministries.org/membersite.html]http://www.rockymountainministries.org/membersite.html[/url]

 2007/8/31 16:26









 Re:

Hi Linn,

Thanks for taking the time to share from your word study on 'spotless' and the 'bride'. It was excellent and I enjoyed reading it. You are right on about God's way of preparing the Bride for His Son - it is through that precious blood! I've heard it said somewhere that the blood of Christ is the bridal price/dowry that Christ gave for the Church. Isn't that amazing, a dirty, unworthy people made the spotless Bride through His gift! It's all of Him! None of us, all of Jesus!!!

[i]"24Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,

To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen." Jude 24-25
[/i]

Quote:

Annie Cousin:
The Bride eyes not her garment but her dear Bridegroom's face,
I will not gaze at glory but on my King of grace.
Not at the crown He giveth but on His pierced hand;
The Lamb is all the glory of Immanuel’s land.



Alleluia!

 2007/9/2 21:03









 Re: SPOTLESS BRIDE - anonymous


Hello Roniya

Quote:
God's way of preparing the Bride for His Son - ... is through that precious blood!...

Isn't that amazing, a dirty, unworthy people made the spotless Bride through His gift!...

Thank you for the encouragement.

It does seem paradoxical that the Church suffers great brutality from opposition, aggression and persecution, yet the more she refuses to succumb, the more she is reviled for her inner standard of purity. The more her outward appearance is out of synch with the world, the more she is matching her desire with His.

 2007/9/4 20:20





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