About Christianity and the Christian Faith
Christian Foundations
What Did Jesus Do?...Continued from page 1
Rob Flood
At various times throughout the past 2000 years, the church has reflected very poorly on Jesus. It has bungled both its doctrine and its practice. During one decade, it is too passive and tolerant; during another it is too judgmental and legalistic. In the middle ages, its pursuit of the lost led to the atrocity of the Crusades. In another age, its indifference to the lost led to failure in spreading the gospel.
With all of the embarrassment the church has caused, you might think that Jesus would rather disassociate with the church. Surely, He hesitates to admit His affiliation, right? Wrong. Through these select verses, take a look at what He thinks of the church.
But you [the church] are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; (1 Peter 2:9)
…I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. (Matthew 16:18b)
…that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. (Ephesians 5:27)
He goes on to call the church His bride, His body and His people. Even in His reproof, we are called His flock and He readily refers to Himself as our Lord, the Shepherd of the sheep. And try as we might to lose His devotion, He refuses to turn from us:
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39)
What should I think of my wife?
Too often we fall into the trap of allowing our wife's actions to determine what we think of her. We allow her to become less lovely to us when her actions are not lovely. We allow our love to wane when the romance fades and the honeymoon feelings disappear. We allow our thoughts to be shaped in accordance with our changing circumstances. This is not how Christ loves the church.
If we are going to follow His model, we must choose a different way of thinking. We must think of her as Christ does the church. Regardless of the quality of our relationship, Gina is my bride. As members of one flesh, she is in essence my body. And by the joining of two becoming one, she is forever my people.
Once you honestly ponder the person your wife is, I'm certain that you will discover plenty of wonderful traits that you have forgotten to think of. But reach further and higher than that. Think of your wife from a higher position; think of her as Christ thinks of the church: as complete, as made perfect, as chosen by God.
Practically speaking, think of her as perfectly designed by God for your good. As Gary Thomas, author of Sacred Marriage, says, marriage is not necessarily designed for your happiness but for your holiness. This is true of your wife as well. So, let your thoughts be made holy. Think of her as lovely, desirous, and pure. As you do, you will be thinking of her as Christ thinks of the church.
What has He become for the church?
Each of us is known by our names and roles. Personally, I am known both as Rob and as Daddy. I am a husband, father, friend, teacher, employee, etc. You could create your own list for your names and roles. Christ, too, has names and roles, each of which reflects a different facet of His being. All of which reflect what He is for the church. Consider some of the better known names and roles of Christ.
- A Strong Tower (Proverbs 18:10)
- Wonderful Counselor (Isaiah 9:6)
- Present Help in Times of Trouble (Psalm 46:1)
- The God Who Sees (Genesis 16:13)
- Faithful and True (Revelation 19:11)
- Gracious and Merciful God (Nehemiah 9:31)
Because of who He is and what He has done on our behalf, Christ has become all of these and much, much more for the church. These are not just functions that Jesus performs, they are His character, His very make up.
I can run to Christ not because He provides a strong tower, but because He is one. I can trust Him not because He gives wonderful counsel, but because being a Wonderful Counselor is His very character … it's who He is.
What should I become for my wife?
It is far better to actually be faithful than it is simply to refrain from extra-marital activity. It is far better to be gracious than it is simply to keep your mouth shut. Being is far better than just doing. Jesus does not simply remain committed to His church, He personifies faithfulness. He doesn't just show mercy, He becomes mercy.
In order to love our wives well, we must allow God to develop our character at its deepest levels. We must allow Him to work on us, to change us and to build us into the men he desires us to be. Then, in response to this renewing work, we must live consistently with all we profess. This is precisely what Christ did when He walked the earth. He lived in perfect harmony with what He said and professed to believe.
It is Christ's consistency that makes Him the same yesterday, today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8) Knowing He'll never change gives us all the confidence to trust and follow Him. As husbands, we must establish a similar lifestyle of consistency.
Many may ask, "What does this look like?" It may look the same on the outside, but the difference is as night and day on the inside. Ephesians 5:1 tells us to be imitators of God. Yet Romans 7:18 says, "For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not." In short, we are called to accomplish something (imitate God) that we cannot do because we lack to goodness to do it.
This is where the great provision from God comes in. Paul tells us in Galatians 5:22-23 that "the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control." As we live according to the Spirit and not according to our own efforts and desires, we are able to actually become in our hearts and our characters what we desire to live out. And the greatest beneficiary of this transformation will be your wife.
The Battle Lines are Drawn
In the warfare that we face as husbands, we must remember that victory is not necessarily in the major issues of life and liberty. It is in the minor issues of sliced apples and peanut butter. It is not when the crowds are amassed; it is when you are completely alone. It is not when you are fulfilling your wife's wishes; it is when you are anticipating and meeting them. It is not in the size of your bank account; it is in the willingness to lay yourself down to be sacrificed.
Loving your wife as Christ loves the church is a very high calling—one that could stop a freight train. Remember, God is the One who has called you to it. He is the One who brought you and your wife together. He is the One who has given His Spirit to help you win at your calling as a husband.
Don't be crushed by the weight of it; but don't settle for anything less than all of it. As you embrace your calling, your wife will feel the difference. And you will feel the smile of your Savior.
Rob Flood is a writer and editor for FamilyLife. He and his wife, Gina, have three sons and one daughter, giving Rob ample opportunity to apply God's Word in daily life. Rob and his family are originally from New Jersey but now live in Little Rock, Ark.
Taken from www.FamilyLife.com by Rob Flood Copyright © 2006 FamilyLife. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
