Page 159 - Ephesians

Do you see what He’s saying? He’s saying that when Christ loves
the Church, His constant love changes her spots and wrinkles and
dirt. With each outpouring of love she is cleansed and healed.
He keeps loving her, and loving her, and her spots disappear.
Her wrinkles begin to go away. He loves the wrinkles out of her,
and He loves the dirt out of her. And she’s transformed! One day
she will stand before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy.
Blameless, pure, undefiled, and with no imperfections. She will
reflect His beauty, conformed to His image.

Husbands, and men who are husbands to be. Whether we like it
or not, our wives are becoming conformed to what we are. We
have a responsibility before God to love our life partners – spots,
wrinkles and all. I told Lillian today, that she had no spots or
wrinkles to love away. She denied it. There’s never an excuse for
the children of God. What a graphic description the Spirit of God
uses by saying, “Spots, wrinkles or any such thing.”

How is the bride brought to perfection and glory? The answer is,
by the love of the groom. By the love, of the husband. He loves
the spots away. He loves the wrinkles away. He loves away all
the imperfections. Over and over I’ve had the experience where
people come to me. I’m not a counselor. Fact is, I’m not even
sure where counseling fits in the Church of Christ. Christ, is the
Counselor. But they come and make this comment, “I don’t love
my wife anymore.” I just tell them, “Go back and love her some
more, until you have loved her as Christ loved the church”.

There is never an excuse for a husband not to love his wife as
Christ loved the Church. The love required by God comes from
above and not from within. Again, the Holy Spirit’s point is union
with Jesus. He is telling us that Jesus will always initiate. He will
always deal in grace. He invites us to respond. He is telling us
that the Lord Jesus always regards us, as His own body. We are
one. His desire is to protect us and nourish us and cherish us.
He is telling us that the dear Lord Jesus will not stop loving us
because of our dirt and spots and wrinkles. Instead, He
guarantees to love us, into perfection. To love us, into maturity.
To love us, until we are conformed to His image.