The Bride

Genesis 6 The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him to His heart. So the Lord said, I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.

But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.

Do you know someone who is making a difference in this life for the kingdom? Someone with a pure heart and clean hands? Someone who is steadfast, faithful and true? That rare person who practices faithfully the love of Christ, the joy found in knowing Him and the discipline required to be found obedient in Him.

I know someone like that. She might tell you that she is young, or immature or prone to make mistakes but to me, she is a giant in the faith.

And if you were not at her wedding last month you missed a really beautiful picture of the bride of Christ.

Without our faith in Christ there is little to hold us steady. Without Him there is no reason to remain pure. If the Bible is a lie or He is not risen then we should eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die. We should get all we can. We should indulge every passion. The Scripture says that if we have hope in this life only then we are of all people most to be pitied. We are fools and the life we live is meaningless.

So what makes a young person remain pure? What makes a junky stay clean? What makes someone give up all they have and travel the world to tell people the good news?

What can make me white as snow?

Nothing.

But the blood of Jesus.

Thought changing. Life altering. Heart saving.

He steps into our lives and changes forever our perspective. And suddenly, and usually for the first time, we come to the realization that we are not our own and our life is not our own. We have been purchased. A pearl of great price. A virgin betrothed to a worthy King.

In the spiritual and in the physical, it is beautiful to behold.

A life that matters for the kingdom. A daughter that waits for the King. Clothed in righteousness. A garden locked up. A pearl of great price.

One man, Noah, saved the world entire from extinction.

One man, Jesus Christ, saved the world entire from death and hell.

What is the worth of one righteous person?

Only He knows for sure.