Get Your Pretense On!

Chapter 3: ”There’s Plenty Good Room” • 65

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; [8] it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure” – for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.

~ Revelation 19.7-8

These texts illustrate this central biblical motif, one which you as a Christian should embrace and live into. You see, God describes his rescue as a tale of divine romance and passion for his people. If you think going to church is a little deal with no meaning, mostly boring, and easily ignored, you need to ponder these truths afresh. This romance and passion is God’s most deep burden, clearly seen in the drama of Christ and the Church, with Christ as the Bridegroom and the Church as his bride (Matt. 9.15; 25.1ff.; John 3.29; Rev. 21.2). John the Baptizer understood his ministry for and relationship to Jesus in this way (“The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete”, John 3.29.) You also see how Paul integrated his communication with the believers of his day with this clear understanding of Christ’s relationship to his people, the church. For instance, when he exhorted the believing husbands to high moral treatment in their conduct with their spouses, he referred to Christ’s relationship with his people: 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. ~ Ephesians 5.25-27