The Bride on Her Way to the Bridegroom

The Bride on Her Way to the Bridegroom

“It’s the bride on her way to the Bridegroom; He has captured her heart and her mind.” WotL 393. It is an incredible grace to have received such a calling, but with this calling comes the need for a thorough education. It is this education that we are to receive now during this time of grace. This can only take place when our whole heart and mind are surrendered to Jesus. The bride must of necessity have the same mind as her Bridegroom. That was the mind that humbled itself. Then we are easily entreated and are thankful for all help and all exhortations.

“Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus.” Heb. 3:1. He is our forerunner and His life is what is to radiate more and more from our lives.

In all the situations of life, we need to keep this as our focus. It’s the bride on her way to the Bridegroom. We are not to think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try us, as though some strange thing is happening. 1 Pet. 4:12-13. Why is this happening, and what is happening now? Now God is working with us so that we may be conformed to Jesus. In this fire that comes upon us as a trial, we are to be educated in order to attain our heavenly calling. Now we need to keep our calling and our salvation in mind. “Keep your calling e’er before you in the midst of trial and need. This you must if you’re to ripen; in the strife be glad indeed.” WotL 302.

All these trials we face are God’s great goodness toward us. They have been measured and weighed with precision, so that we can endure them and remain standing and victorious. This is the good fight of faith!

We should count it all joy when we fall into various trials. Jas. 1:2-4. How is it possible? It’s possible when we have a living faith in our hearts for victory in every trial. When we endure our trials it produces patience—and patience must have its perfect work so that we may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. That is what we are being trained for as the bride of Christ, and it is cause for rejoicing.

There is much strength and self-reliance in us that must be broken down. And God undoubtedly has a greater work to do in breaking us down than in building us up when that time comes. He has our eternal well-being in mind. We are not to instruct Him as to what we need for our salvation. We are to humble ourselves under God’s mighty hand and find the way in Jesus’ footsteps. “Who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth.” 1 Pet. 2:21-22. Here we see the way in Jesus’ footsteps.

It is in all these everyday situations of life that we find the way in Jesus’ footsteps, and the works that have been prepared beforehand for us—right in front of us. However, in order to see these works and walk in them, we have to humble ourselves, and it is precisely this that we are to be trained in: to learn humility. That is the way in Jesus’ footsteps, He who humbled Himself.

We experience this humiliation when the light shines into our hearts and we sense God’s judgment over the sin that dwells within us. Then we must not become discouraged and weak, but without reservation agree with the judgment, so that the death of Christ may truly work in us. Then the life of Christ will come forth, more and more, resulting in a great blessing right where we have been placed.

May our lives and our conduct truly be a testimony that we are “the bride on her way to the Bridegroom.”