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Letter to a Reluctant Bride
Cheryl McGrath
Jun 2, 2003
 

G'Day Diggers,

Recently I received an email from a subscriber expressing confusion and concern over words and terminology referring to "intimate" relationship with God in some of the articles we post. They wrote: "My problem is that I have always understood (and believe) the love of God is platonic and not "romantic" love. Why are "romantic" words and expressions used in prophecies of this kind? It is confusing and disconcerting for me. I feel extremely uncomfortable and almost embarrassed when I read things like this. I also strongly disagree with the word "intimate" being used when people refer to knowledge and relationship with God, as this also implies sexual knowledge. I really need some help with this. I want to have a right understanding. Why does God use the word "bride"? What does this really mean? "

Though I am not going to disclose this subscriber's identity, I do have permission to share their questions here, along with my response, as there may be others on this list who are struggling with the same issues. My purpose in this post is to hopefully alleviate that struggle a little, and to help readers gain a deeper understanding of the incredible spiritual riches that are available to us through life in Jesus Christ.

The apostle Paul expressed it far better than I can when he said: "Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!"

So in this post I will attempt to address the issue of what it means to relate to God intimately, and to be part of the corporate Bride of Christ.

Cheryl McGrath
Great South Land Ministries

=====================================================


Platonic or Intimate Love?

The scriptures state that God is love, but very few of us can honestly say we have a full revelation of what that fully means. We witness God's love for us in the beauty and majesty of creation, we read of His love for us in His Word, and we experience His love for us through the revelation of Christ's sacrifice at Calvary and the mystery of the Cross. If by the word "platonic" we mean a God who is our close friend and someone we can rely on, yes He is both of these. But God's friendship is not the same as human friendship. God desires to relate to His people in a far deeper place than our human and cultural understandings of friendship allow. He desires friendship that comes forth from deep communion. "This is my BELOVED, and this is my FRIEND" ...... (Song of Solomon 5:16)

The truth is God doesn't just love, He IS love. And He knows how to love us and chooses to express His love for us on many different levels of relationship. The word "intimate" does not specifically mean "sexual knowledge" It actually has a much wider application. In fact a search of several dictionaries disclosed the following definitions for the word "intimate":

*very close in friendship or affection; *showing profound and detailed knowledge and understanding as from long study; *closely interconnected or interrelated; *near; close; direct; thorough; complete; *relating to or indicative of one's deepest nature;

To speak of an "intimate relationship" with Christ means to know Him and to be known by Him deeply and completely. For the believer, it means there is no place within us that is held back from Him, no part of our lives where He is not Lord, no sin or fear that is not surrendered to Him. It means the knowledge of Christ is our greatest desire and consequently our greatest pursuit. Notice this is not knowledge ABOUT Christ; it is not accumulated information about His Word, His teachings, or His life history. I am speaking of the deep experiential knowledge of Him gained only through sincerely seeking His face in worship and spending time in His Presence and His Word.

The riches of Christ are so deep they will be continually unfolding to us throughout eternity, but we do not need to wait until we enter Heaven to begin to know Christ. We can know Him now in this realm. From the moment we are born again the Holy Spirit begins revealing Christ to us. It is this knowledge of Him, or communion with Him, that we call intimacy.

This spiritual intimacy can in some ways be compared in our understanding to the close physical intimacy and fellowship of a strong and healthy marriage relationship. However, the scriptures are clear that the spiritual and the natural can never mix. As Jesus explained to Nicodemus, that which is born of flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit (John 3: 6 ). God is Spirit and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth. Therefore there should be no doubt or confusion that when speaking of intimacy with God we are speaking in terms of Spirit to spirit.

Created for Intimacy

When God created mankind it was for the purpose of fellowship and communion. Adam and Eve originally had the great privilege of walking with God the Creator in the cool of the day (Gen 3:8). This implies, friendship, fellowship and intimate communion between God and mankind. Keep in mind that it was God who came searching for this communion with Adam and Eve after they had sinned (Gen. 3:9). God has always been the initiator in seeking man's fellowship and friendship. Immediately that original fellowship was broken through mankind's sin, God wasted no time in instituting a plan for its restoration. He was prophesying that plan even before Adam and Eve were banished from the garden (Gen. 3:15)

The scriptures reveal that it is the Father's desire to fill us with the fullness of Christ (John 1:16: Eph. 3:19). Christ is the Father's total answer to the problem of broken fellowship. He is the reconciler between God the creator, and His creation, man. We need to fully believe and comprehend that God greatly desires communion with mankind before we can begin to understand the issue of spiritual intimacy. God greatly desires to be known! Sadly, many believers accept the free gift of salvation and stop right there. Their lives are never surrendered and exchanged for the life of Christ within. Instead they live according to a system of religious rules and believe they are living Christian lives. They may be living by Christian ethics, but they are not being transformed from glory to glory into the image of Christ, because they have no desire to know Him. Others choose to remain in spiritual infancy, crying out for help at every crisis, but choosing not to pursue the fullness of Christ because denial of their flesh is too high a price. They are like the foolish virgins who were locked out of the wedding feast, not watching for the Bridegroom, because their lives are all about themselves rather than Him. Intimacy with Christ, however, is the reward for those who are maturing into the Bride of Christ.

Word Study on "Knowing" Christ

There are several Greek words used in the New Testament for the words "know" or "knew". However, when Jesus said in John 10:14-15, "I know My sheep and am known by My own. As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father...." the Greek word "ginosko" is used. Interestingly, this term is the same New Testament word used to describe intimate knowledge between a man and woman. For instance in Matthew 1:25, Joseph did not "know" Mary until she had brought forth her firstborn Son. It is also the same word used by Mary when she asked the angel Gabriel "How can this be, since I do not know a man?" (Luke 1:45) Vine's Expository Dictionary states that the Greek word "ginosko" implies "an active relation between the one who knows and the person or thing known". Jesus used the word "ginosko" in the following passage: "Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in our name?" And then I will declare to them, "I never KNEW you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!"

What do we learn from these observations? Firstly, that the Father and the Son know each other intimately - they have an active, close, relationship where each is known fully and loved completely by the other. They are totally involved and connected with each other on all levels. Secondly, this is the kind of relationship Jesus desires with His followers - to know and be known in this intimate and active way. Thirdly, we learn that it is even possible to do many great works and exercise supernatural gifts in Jesus Name, without knowing Him in the place of this intimate, active relationship.

Romantic Terminology

Throughout the Old Testament, Israel is spoken of as God's bride, or wife. Many times idolatrous Israel is referred to as an adulterous bride, and God even spoke of divorcing Israel! ( Jeremiah 3:8, 14; Ezekiel 16; Isaiah 50:1, Jeremiah 11:15; Jeremiah 12:7). Furthermore, the Song of Solomon, though historically known to be a record of a love story between King Solomon and a Shulamite maiden, is also recognised by most Bible scholars as a prophetic picture of Christ and His Bride-church. This beautiful Old Testament book is rich in "romantic" terminology as The Beloved (Christ) seeks out His Bride:""Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away....O my dove, in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the cliff, let me see your face, let me hear your voice, for your voice is sweet and your face is lovely." And the Bride responds "When I found the one I love, I held him and would not let him go....."

In the New Testament the Apostle Paul obviously understood Christ's love for the church in terms of a Bridegroom for His Bride. He wrote to the Corinthians "I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ." (2 Cor. 11:2), and to the Ephesians, "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her..... For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church" (Eph. 5:25; 30-32). John the Baptist referred to Jesus as a Bridegroom seeking His Bride (John 3:28,29) and Jesus also described Himself as a Bridegroom having come for His Bride (Mark 2:19,20).

The Word of God uses various analogies to describe the relationship between God and His people. For example, the church is spoken of in terms of being Christ's "body" (1 Cor. 12:13) , the "sons (children) of God" (Heb. 12:7), and and "a spiritual house of living stones" (1 Peter 2:5) These are all important analogies, or word pictures, in helping us to understand various aspects of our relationship to the Lord, and our relationships to one another. However, I believe the analogy of the church of Christ as His Bride is of greatest significance, because it flows consistently throughout the New Testament and it is the Bride-church we find standing at the end of the age, crying out to Jesus along with the Spirit, "Come" (Rev. 22:17).

Why does God choose to use the word "bride" to describe those who know Jesus and are known by Him? The complete answer to that mystery will only become evident in eternity hereafter. However, it may help to consider this: Is there any other relationship known among human beings worldwide than is more unique, deeply abiding, mysterious and universally understood, than the covenantal union between a man and a woman as it was ordained to be originally by our Creator? Could God have chosen any more revealing way to convey His desire for covenantal communion and fellowship with us than the words "Bride" and "Bridegroom"? Why do people all over the world cry at weddings? Because, whether we admit it or not, marriage is covenant! God is a Covenant-keeping god. He understands and values covenant, and desperately desires covenant relationship with us. Unfortunately, in the Western church, we don't understand or honour covenant nearly as completely as He does. Nevertheless, when Christ returns to the earth, there will be a covenant-keeping Bride waiting for Him.

Understanding Communion

Finally, to complete this study on spiritual intimacy, we should take a brief look at the ordinance of communion, which so many of us misunderstand and consequently undervalue. Most of us are familiar with the account of the Last Supper as we commonly call it, but which was in fact a traditional celebration of the Jewish Passover feast. The gospel of Luke records the events: "When the hour had come, He sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him. Then He said to them, "With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God." Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and said "Take this and divide it among yourselves, for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes." And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying "This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me." Likewise, He also took the cup after supper saying "This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you" (Luke 22:14-20). Matthew adds "Then He took the cup, and gave thanks and gave it to them, saying "Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom" (Matt. 26:27-29).

Note it was the cup that was drunk after the meal, known in Jewish tradition as the "cup of blessing", that Jesus said signified the Covenant of His Blood. This is confirmed in Paul's letter to the Corinthians "The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ?...." (1 Cor. 10:16). There was one other time in Jewish custom when the Cup of Blessing was used, and that was at a marriage betrothal. When a young Jewish man wished to propose marriage to His chosen bride, if she agreed, they would seal their covenant by drinking wine from the same cup, which was called the "cup of blessing." From that moment on they were considered man and wife. Following this proposal, the groom would return to his father's house to make preparation for the coming of his bride, and the wedding feast. He would not return for his bride until his father gave permission. On departure from the bride's home it was customary for the groom to leave her with these words: "In my Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself; that where I am, there you may be also." I have related this true story many times to Christians from a wide variety of denominational backgrounds, and without exception the Holy Spirit never fails to move them as the true nature of the communion celebration is revealed. How much we have lost in failing to understand our Jewish roots!

When we understand that Jesus was in effect betrothing to Himself a Bride at that first celebration of communion, we also begin to understand the deep covenantal symbolism of the bread and the wine. The celebration of communion is the celebration of intimacy with our spiritual Bridegroom. Each time we partake of the bread and wine we are accepting His proposal and pledging our faithfulness to Him. God takes covenant seriously; so should we. Not very much longer after that intimate Passover meal, the church was born as the blood and water gushed from the side of Christ, the last Adam. Just as the very first bride, Eve, had been brought forth from the side of the first Adam (John 19:34).

Jesus "fervently desired" to partake of that first communion with His followers. One day He will drink of that cup once again with His Bride as we celebrate together at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. The Bridegroom is returning for a Bride without blemish - let's make ourselves ready!

Cheryl McGrath
Great South Land Ministries,
www.greatsouthland.org
southland@greatsouthland.org

Copyright Cheryl McGrath, Great South Land Ministries, 2003 This article may be distributed freely with copyright intact. Permission is needed for reproducing this article or any part of it on a website.

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