Page 300 - Bible Writers Theology Original

284 ♦ Bible Writers' Theology Chapter Nine
Furthermore, unlike the former worship in the tabernacle in the wilder ness or in the temple at Jerusalem, the living God is now receiving praise and His Name is glorified in the heart of the born-again Christian, as well as universally. (See Matthew 18:20; I Peter 2:9.)
3 The Church is the Bride of Christ
God made Eve out of the first Adam to give her to him as a bride; in the same manner the Church is born out of the last Adam, which is Christ (Genesis 2:18-25). The scriptures declare that the Church is born from the incorruptible seed, Christ Jesus, the Word that became flesh (John 3:6; John 1:12-14; I Peter 1:23-25). As Evewas bone and flesh of Adam (Genesis 2:23), the church is begotten of Christ's flesh and bone (Ephesians 5:30). As Eve had become the proper bride for the first Adam, the Church is the perfect bride of Christ, the heavenly Adam (John 3:29; II Corinthians 11:1-3; Ephesians 5:22-27; Revelation 22:17; Revelation 19:7-8). As Adam and Eve had natural similarities in their flesh, the Church that put on Christ by faith has the same spiritual nature as Him (Col. 2:10-14). Paul says it is a great mystery, but when Jesus appears to take His bride to His glory, the Church shallbechangedintoHislikeness (IJohn3:1-3). "Forourconversationisin heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glori
ous body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself" (Philippians 3:20-21).
The prophet Hosea declared from old, "And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in loving kindness, and in mercies. I will even betroth thee unto me in
faithfulness: and thou shalt know the LORD" (Hosea 2:19-20; see also Hosea 2:23; 3:1-5).
4 The Church is the Children of God
The apostle Paul declared, "Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchablerichesofChrist;andtomakeallmenseewhat isthefellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God,
who created all things by Jesus Christ" (Ephesians 3:8-9). He also said, "Eventhemysterywhichhathbeenhidfromagesand fromgenerations,but now is made manifest to his saints: to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:26-27).
In the beginning, God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our like-