…But we know our faithfulness involves more than mere spiritual survival.

We also have a mission. The Bride reflects Christ’s glory when she shares His grace with others.  In a purely human relationship a bride would not dream of sharing her groom with others, and she would likely break off her engagement if she believed her husband felt differently.  Yet, Christ’s Bride is a collective entity representing a vast multitude.  She has been commanded to invite others to join with her in her walk with the Savior.

Our mission and our desire to honor Christ with our lives is inseparable.  We are the salt of the earth and the light of the world, but we are useless if we lose our saltiness (Matthew 5:13) or hide our light under a bushel (Matthew 5:14-16). If others see Christ in us, they will be drawn to Him, and hopefully on the final day they will come into His presence with us.

As we prepare we want to be faithful in keeping ourselves for Christ alone, unstained by the world.  At the same time we want to be faithful in remembering Christ is not for us alone, and that He has asked us to bring as many as possible into contact with His grace.  This “alone, but not alone” dynamic is echoed in the Apostle Paul’s description of the church: “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” (1 Corinthians 12:27)

We love the church, but not nearly so much as He does.  If He died to make His Bride holy, we must all find a way to let everyone see His glory in her.  And why wouldn’t we?  We are the Bride of Christ.  But, I will concede she isn’t always the reflection of holiness our Lord intended.  In our next section we will reflect on this unfortunate truth.