The exclusivity and passion of HOLINESS…

[Marilyn C]

4 hours ago, Saint_Dude said:

You said:  Good we agree that the blessings for us are His Holy Spirit and being justified through faith. Israel, however has more blessings that we do not partake in - the land (of Israel) and rulership over the nations on the earth.

 

I never said they didn’t.  I used the Galatians 3 text to show exactly which blessings were passed down to the Church through Abraham.

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You said:  So what does God`s word say the meaning is of the Bride for Christ?

 

Ephesians 5:25-33:  Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her to sanctify her, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to Himself as a glorious church, without stain or wrinkle or any such blemish, but holy and blameless.

In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. Indeed, no one ever hated his own body, but he nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church. For we are members of His body.

“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” This mystery is profound, but I am speaking about Christ and the church. Nevertheless, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

I will let these verses from Ephesians 5 speak for themselves.

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You said:  You seem to think it means `one.` `He did this to create in Himself one New Man out of the two.`  But we see the Lord is referring to the New Man. That is not male or female but the New Man, a coming together of male and female natures. 

 

The main purpose I mentioned this about the bride was just to point out that when you talk to a man about being the bride, you are not saying that he himself is the singular bride of Jesus, but that he is one small part of the bride which is also the church.

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And getting back to what you said earlier:  “Rev. 19: 7 refers to the `wife.` (KJ) And that is Israel.” 

 

Revelation 19:7:   

“Let’s rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, because the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His bride has prepared herself.”   (NASB version)

In this verse, Jesus is called the Lamb.  John the Baptist said of Jesus:

The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”  (John 1:29)

Jesus is called the Lamb because of His sacrifice.  And the Lamb’s sacrifice is for the whole world, not just Israel, and so, in context, in Revelation 19:7, because Jesus is called the Lamb, the bride is clearly not Israel but it is everyone in the world who will be saved.  If His bride in this verse was Israel, Jesus would not be called the Lamb.

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As I mentioned before, the reason I began this thread is that I wanted to present holiness as not just purity, but also as passionate love.  But if you continue to want to present your case to me that the Lamb’s bride is Israel, thinking that I will change my mind, that is not going to happen, and I think we should just agree to disagree.

I can`t change you mind, however, the Holy Spirit can show light on this topic to you and others reading.

You talk about `passionate love` in regard to a bride. Did you know that there are `Jesus my boyfriend` songs around. Think how it would affect someone who had been a homosexual who is now told they can have those feelings but `spiritual.` 

To have a `pure` love for the Lord is NOT emotional passionate love, but a love that `gives of itself` and respects the Lord as Lord. It is NOT an earthly passionate love between a man and woman (as picture suggests). Our love to the Lord is His love through us back to Him. 

Now Eph. 5: 25 - 33 is an exhortation to husbands to love their wives as their own body as Christ does His Body. 

So for this supposed doctrine of the Church (the Body of Christ) being a female, bride there is no substance but just conjecture. The RCC has the `brides of Christ (nuns) and this thought came through into Protestants. It is all `emotive.` 

Note the title `Lamb of God` is in relation to Israel. Yes Jesus took away the sin of the world but He came as Israel`s sacrifice. We were never given the Feasts of the Lord, they were given to Israel. 

[AnOrangeCat]

On 4/30/2025 at 5:40 PM, Saint_Dude said:

(Holiness means to be "set apart"). 

I appreciate this reminder of the definition. Maybe it's just the churches and teachers I was exposed to growing up but in my experience holiness was often presented in a way that seemed rather vague and mystical. It wasn't until sometime far along in my adult life that I learned the meaning behind it. It simplified and clarified things a lot for me.

[Saint_Dude]

23 hours ago, Marilyn C said:

I can`t change you mind, however, the Holy Spirit can show light on this topic to you and others reading.

You talk about `passionate love` in regard to a bride. Did you know that there are `Jesus my boyfriend` songs around. Think how it would affect someone who had been a homosexual who is now told they can have those feelings but `spiritual.` 

To have a `pure` love for the Lord is NOT emotional passionate love, but a love that `gives of itself` and respects the Lord as Lord. It is NOT an earthly passionate love between a man and woman (as picture suggests). Our love to the Lord is His love through us back to Him. 

Now Eph. 5: 25 - 33 is an exhortation to husbands to love their wives as their own body as Christ does His Body. 

So for this supposed doctrine of the Church (the Body of Christ) being a female, bride there is no substance but just conjecture. The RCC has the `brides of Christ (nuns) and this thought came through into Protestants. It is all `emotive.` 

Note the title `Lamb of God` is in relation to Israel. Yes Jesus took away the sin of the world but He came as Israel`s sacrifice. We were never given the Feasts of the Lord, they were given to Israel. 

passion /păsh′ən/  noun    1.  Strong or powerful emotion.

If we have a holy  passion for God, it is good.  If we are passionate for sinful things, it is bad.   And love is not just an emotion, but it definitely includes emotion.  Emotion is not, in and of itself, a sin.  God created us as beings who have emotions.  God has emotions.  

Another word for passion is zeal:

 

zeal /zēl/  noun

1. Enthusiastic devotion to a cause, ideal, or goal. synonym: passion.
2. Passionate ardor in the pursuit of anything;

 

You said:  You talk about `passionate love` in regard to a bride. Did you know that there are `Jesus my boyfriend` songs around. Think how it would affect someone who had been a homosexual who is now told they can have those feelings but `spiritual.` 

Just because the world has taken relationships in a bad direction doesn’t negate the truth of Scripture.  The rainbow has been hijacked by the world, but it doesn’t change the significance and beauty of the rainbow God showed after the flood.  Many people use the name of Jesus as an expletive, but I intend to continue to proclaim His name anyway.  Many fathers abuse or abandon their children, but we still proclaim God as father.  But of course, as with any interaction with anyone, you have to be led by the Spirit as to what you say and when.

And regarding other things that you said:  as I said earlier, I am no longer going to debate with you regarding the Church being the Bride of Christ. 

May we all have more and more zeal for Jesus!  Have a blessed day!

 

Edited Sunday at 10:57 PM by Saint_Dude

[Saint_Dude]

Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.  (Romans 12:11)

fervor /fûr′vər/  noun

1. Great warmth and intensity of emotion. synonym: passion.