Title
The Corporate, but Intimate Metaphor
Scripture
Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.
(Revelation 19:7)
Devotional
Of the metaphors used to define our relationship with God, "The Bride of Christ" has to be the most intimate. However, it is in reference to another metaphor, "The Body of Christ." Our references to God as Father, Lord, Master, Savior and Creator are all personal addresses. It takes a ready Church to be the wife of the Lamb. How do we do that? Ephesians 4:11-16 tells us clearly: "He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro... but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head