Christ's Estimate of His Church # 2

Christ's Estimate of His Church # 2

"There is no spot in you." His perfect righteousness covers her - and hides every spot! Looking upon herself, she exclaims, "We are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags!" Very unfit to be the bride of Him who is the brightness of the Father's glory, and the express image of His person. But, looking upon herself in Jesus, she says, "I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation; He has covered me with the robe of righteousness; as a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels!"

Precious Saviour! You not only worked out this magnificent garment - but You put it upon our souls with Your own hands! He has clothed me; He has covered me. Yes! Jesus makes us lovely - and then calls us so. His own graces adorn His beloved, His blood-bought bride, until, as it is said by the prophet, "Your renown went forth for your beauty; for it was perfect through My loveliness which I put upon you, says the Lord God."

Her perfect image was before Him - when He thus  commended her, "You are absolutely beautiful, My love; there is no spot in you!" He saw the purpose of His Father fulfilled; the end of His word accomplished; as it is written, "For those God foreknew - He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son. And those He predestined - He also called; those He called - He also justified; those He justified - He also glorified!"

The Title by which Jesus calls His Church is, "My love." This expresses His choice of us, for He has chosen us to be His, from all around us. This expresses His preference of us, for He prefers His people to all the universe besides. This expresses His strong attachment to us, for His love is as strong as death, and stronger too. This expresses His high esteem of us, for He esteems His people even above angels. He saw the angels fall - and He did not take their nature to redeem them. But when His people fell - He assumed their nature, took their place, became their Substitute, died in their stead, went into heaven to plead their cause, and will soon come again to receive them to Himself! Well may He exclaim, "You have not chosen Me - but I have chosen you." "I have loved you with an everlasting love, therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn you." O wondrous love! O more wondrous Lover!

Believer, Christ's views of you - are not like your own. He speaks of you in very different language - from what you would speak of yourself. He says, you are "absolutely beautiful; there is no spot in you;" and what He calls you - He will make you! He calls things that are not, as though they were - to express the certainty of their being so; because He is determined and engaged to make them so.

We shall soon be all that Christ says that we are! All His purposes towards us - are love. All His thoughts of us - are thoughts of love. If Christ thinks thus of us - never mind what others thing; His thoughts are right - theirs are wrong; His are wise - theirs are foolish; His shall be realized - theirs disappointed. Christ often commends - when man condemns. His apostles, the first believers, and the holy martyrs were condemned by man, and considered unfit to live! But Jesus commended, sustained, and will reward them.

As Christ speaks to us on earth, so He speaks of us to His Father in heaven. There He pleads our cause - because He loves us; there He will carry our cause - for He has wisdom, weight, and worth enough to do it. He opens His heart, expresses His desire, utters His will; saying "Father, I will that those whom You have given Me, shall be with Me where I am - that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You have loved Me before the foundation of the world." Blessed be Jesus for His love, His love to us; for the revelation of His love in the Word; especially by His Spirit in the heart!

Let us therefore close our meditation in the language of Jude, "Now unto Him who is able to keep us from falling, and to present us faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy; to the only wise God our Savour - be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever! Amen."

~James Smith~

(The End)