Dec 11 - OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST

“Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh” (Gen 2:24).

We find here, not only the responsibility of the man but that of the woman too. If the man is to leave his father and mother and cleave to the woman, he should find in the woman both a father and a mother or, a fatherly and a motherly nature. The Church that is to be presented before Christ should have a father’s love and a mother’s caring nature. What kind of nature does the Lord find in us? Would we qualify to be His Bride?
 
Just as a man loves his wife and leaves his father and mother and cleaves unto her, Jesus left His Father’s bosom and Heaven and came to the earth in the likeness of man because He loved the Church. He then “gave Himself for it; that He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish” (Eph 5:25, 27). How much the Lord loves us! How much do we love Him?
 
Christ and the Church are united through the anointing of the Holy Spirit,and the Church grows in that relationship by bearing the fruit of the Spirit. Let us be united to our Lord and bear fruit for Him. Let us be found as His spotless Bride when He comes to take us.

– Taken from Morning Manna – Thoughts for Daily Devotion