What does our marriage manual tell us about our new relationship with God?
Marriage manual?
The Word tells us that the church is the bride of Christ. Jesus reveals himself to us by his Word. The Bible is the manual that tells us how to live so that our lives reflect our love for him.
Think about teenagers. They are quick to “fall in love” and equally quick to fall out of that same emotion. Why? They enter the relationship with the expectation that they will receive something from it. It is all about them.
We all know what compromise is. It means to meet someone halfway. Will that work in a marriage? No, not successfully. The only way to create a truly successful marriage is to give not 50%, but 100% of everything we are to making the relationship work.
A relationship with Christ is the same way. It is not about us. It is about Jesus. We must have a revelation about who he is, or the marriage will fail.
In Salvation by Degree, we have seen the progression of God’s divine plan for salvation. From fallen man’s willful state to his contrite heart, God’s plan works to bring his creation back to him. Today we will follow God’s plan to reveal himself to our broken hearts.
Stage Four – Revelation:
There is little doubt that God wants us to change our ways when we come to him. In Ephesians 4:22, Paul tells us to put off the “old man” that wants to do wicked things.
If we continue with our worldly ways, we see the results in Romans 6:23. “For the wages of sin is death...” Paul finishes Verse 23 with the good news that the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
In John 3:3 Jesus called this process being born again, for he says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
Acts 4:12 makes it clear there is salvation in no one else. “For there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
When we study God’s marriage manual, we learn just how easy it is to become Christ’s bride. Romans 10:10 lays it out with simplicity and clarity. “For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.”
Does that mean we can still gallivant around, wallowing in the ways of the world? By no means! Read Romans 6:2. “How can we who died to sin still live in it?”
When we give in to the love of God, he will instruct us on how we need to come to him. His way is truth and purity, and he expects the same from us.
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