Friday, 09 February 2024
“For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up His life for her to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of GOD’s Word. He did this to present her to Himself as a glorious Church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault” – Ephesians 5:25-27 NLT
The first Adam was put to sleep, and his rib taken to make his helper. A part of himself was sacrificed to make her, and this is why when he saw her he said, “Blood of my blood, flesh of my flesh”. Though the decision to take his flesh to make her wasn’t his own, he loved her nonetheless. As a protector and teacher, he failed his wife as she was tricked in his absence. The second Adam on the other hand, voluntarily and freely gave of Himself for His bride. Where the first Adam failed, the second Adam excelled. He lowered Himself and stripped Himself of His glory and kingship so that He may lay down His life for her. In His sacrifice, He not only gave her leadership, guidance, and salvation, but He also gave her His NAME. The Name that is ABOVE ALL OTHER NAMES. In the above Scripture, He also cleansed and washed her, that she may become spotless and blameless. He did all of this, so that when He presents her before Himself, she may be without wrinkle or blemish. There’s no greater love than this (John 15:13).
I remember a couple of years after our marriage, my wife and I visited her relatives. When we got there, her uncles were so happy to see me, that I was even allowed to sit amongst them, something other sons-in-law weren’t allowed to do. I later found out that they were impressed by how “well” I was treating their daughter. My wife had gained weight and they associated that with being well-fed, and that directly translated to me looking after her. Apparently, the fruits of my labor were obvious to everyone who saw her. Another weird thing, was when my wife sent money home (her money by the way), they always instructed her to thank me for the money. To them, everything that my wife did for them, or everything she had, was as a result of being married to a husband who is loving and protective.
Christ is the head of the Church and everything the Church does is a representation of its husband. In the same way, when people look at my wife, they no longer see a Matjeke but they see a Sedibe. When we are fruitful, the world doesn’t attribute that to our own labor, but they see the work Jesus put in us and they give Him the glory. We are His ambassadors here on earth and how we conduct ourselves is a representation of Christ. This is why He laid down His life and gave us His Name. The Name that will enable us to command and change things for the better. Our weight gain and fruitfulness are directly proportional to our proximity to Him, and our revelation of His Word. As His bride, that is without wrinkles and blemish, we are elevated to a higher power that only His Name can produce. This is the Name that controls and governs every single thing in the universe. The Name that unlocks everything satan had locked. The Name that has stripped him of everything he had stolen from us after the fall of the first Adam.
When we are fruitful, the world doesn’t attribute that to our own labor, but they see the work Jesus put in us and they give Him the glory
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