Marriage

It seems as if Josh stole a bit of my thunder with his post, but I too was privileged to be a part of a wedding this past Saturday. So often a wedding is a celebration of two people joining their lives together and forming a union in front of family, friends, and God. It is the culmination of every little girl's fantasy growing up and the satisfaction of every young man in his pursuit for that perfect "one". Everyone is there to adore the beautiful bride and congratulate the new groom. The wedding party's job is to make sure everything goes according to plan and to make the bride and groom look as good as possible. It is a momentous occasion as well it should be.

But as I stood there during the ceremony I thought nothing of these things. I was truly blessed to be a part of the wedding and am greatly encouraged by the relationship that God has brought together. However, I found myself reflecting on how marriage is the perfect reflection of the unconditional love Christ has for His saints. He sacrificed His own life so that in turn we might enjoy the benefits of His righteousness. He has set us apart from all others to have and to keep unto Himself. His desire is to present us as holy, unblemished, and in splendor! How awesome will it be on that day when we, as the bride, will be presented to Christ as a beautifully adorned bride bearing His purity, holiness, and righteousness all because of His infinite love for us!

Ephesians 5:25-27

²⁵Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, ²⁶that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, ²⁷so 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.