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Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Guest Blogger ... Wendy Alsup


The Profound Nature of Christ’s Love for You

25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 so 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. 28 In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, 30 because we are members of his body. 31 "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh." 32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.

When we read this passage from Ephesians 5, we often tend to focus on instructions to husbands. If you have a husband, you may measure him up against this standard. If you don’t have a husband, you start to think about the qualities for which you should be looking. Husbands who love their wives sacrificially – who doesn’t want to meditate on that?! But let’s not let our romanticism cloud the big idea that the Apostle Paul is trying to communicate here. The really big thing in this section is the beauty of what is revealed about the relationship Christ has with His church. Earthly husbands and wives are an imperfect picture of something deeper and of eternal significance.

My husband and I recently had a painful conversation about some hurt and concerns I had in our relationship. In that conversation, my husband was stunned that I had doubts about his love and commitment to me and told me in strong words, “You complete me!” Wow! I can say boldly that while my husband and I get many things wrong, he loves me well as Christ loves his church. I know that many beautiful godly women do not have a husband who loves them that way. I do not tell you that story to make you feel bad. Hang with me for a minute for the conclusion.
After my husband told me those words, I basked in the beauty of his love for me for a while. It meant so much to me to hear him say it like that. But as I drifted off to sleep, the Spirit prompted me to think of this passage in Ephesians and it seemed He nearly audibly said to me, “Wendy, you complete Me!”

At first, I pushed the idea away. “No, Wendy, you don’t complete Jesus!” That sounds blasphemous. That sounds like touchy, feely, emotional, Jesus-is-my-girlfriend fluff. But I kept thinking of the exact wording of this passage. Christ loved the church. He gave Himself up for her. He is washing her, cleansing her, and clothing her in splendor. Christ loves the church as His own body. He nourishes and cherishes her because she is a member of His own body. The two of us, Christ and the church, have become one. I am part of this corporate thing He loves dearly and for which He gave Himself completely.

The Scripture does not give me any other choice but to accept that you and I as God’s adopted children do indeed complete Jesus. Oh, that thought humbles me. I push it away because it conflicts with my own self-identity. But Paul wants you and I to get this. You complete Jesus. He has given everything He had for you, He loves you, and He will present you spotless as His beautiful bride. Dear sister in Christ, whether you are loved on earth this way or not, I hope you find great peace and worth in knowing of Jesus’ deep affection for and commitment to you.

You are His, and He is yours.
____________________________



Wendy lives in Seattle, Washington and is a wife and mom to two preschool boys. She teaches math at a local community college and is the author of Practical Theology For Women: How Knowing God Makes a Difference in Our Daily Lives. She blogs at theologyforwomen.blogspot.com.

posted by Margaret McSweeney @ 4:56 AM

1 Comments:

At February 17, 2010 6:26 PM , Blogger Wendy said...

Wendy,
That was profound. I'm going to chew on that for awhile. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts!
Blessings from...
Another Wendy:)
(@ Faith's Firm Foundation)

 

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