Love Jesus: Love His Church

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    Ephesians 5:25 is the passage that most women get excited to hear taught. Their thoughts go something like this: "Yes!! This is how my husband should be. He NEEDS to hear this!! Preach it, Pastor!"

   Today I wanted to share something from this passage that was convicting for me, as a woman.  I want to look at the last part of verse 25.

just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her

    Yes, this verse is directed at instructing the men to love their brides as Jesus loves, but I was led to think for a bit on the magnitude of how much Christ loved the church.  It was so much that He gave His life for her! He LOVES the church! The church is His Bride. There are many more evidences of this in Scripture. 

    Thinking about another verse brought me to my knees again. Romans 8:29 tells us that God called us to be "conformed into the image of His Son."  In other words, if we are born again, we should be growing in our knowledge of Jesus, and continually allowing His Spirit to make us more like Jesus. This means we must be learning to think more like Jesus, or even more daunting: love what Jesus loves!

    What did Jesus love? From Ephesians 5:25 we just saw that He loves the church! Now, as a born again, Christ-follower who desires to become more like Him, this means I must love the church!  While I did not think that I really had an issue with that, I still felt convicted. I do love our church! I am so very thankful for it! However, I began to think about all of the areas that this needs to manifest itself in my life. 
    It is easy to say, "I love my church" and still be quickly irritated or offended. We look at our tithe as dues to a really good club instead of an act of worship in giving back to God what is His in the first place! We are quick to complain, gossip and get irritated with others over trivial things. Some treat the church as an insurance policy for when they are sick or dying.  Others nit-pick every dime and penny.  We all fall into varying degrees of one or more of these categories from time to time. 

    First of all, even when the church is not acting lovable, God calls us to love like Christ. The agape love of Jesus for His church does not leave or forsake His church when they stray.  He is faithful and serves the church with a servant's heart out of His unfailing love. When the church acts more like a civic club than the body of Jesus, He still loves it.  When the church fails in areas (as all churches will!), Jesus still loves it! As a body of believers made up of humans, the church will never be perfect apart from Him.  It is only through Jesus that we stand faultless before the throne. 
    
    Jesus intercedes for His church.  Do we? I don't mean a general, flippant "God bless my church" popcorn prayer. I am referring to intercessory prayer that pleads for repentance and revival in the church. This takes time and Scriptural focus that only comes as we read His Word.  Prayer is an area that God is leading me to study more about, as well.  

    Jesus serves the church out of His love for her. Do we? Do we serve for the purpose of loving the church as Jesus loves her? What kind of revival could our church see if everyone caught this vision? This mindset is what prevents burnout for those who tirelessly serve day after day, week after week, with little to no earthly rewards. When we are loving as Jesus, we lose expectations of personal achievement or accolade. What kind of impact on this world could the church of Jesus effect if everyone sought to love, intercede and serve the church as Jesus does? These questions have bombarded my mind as I have meditated on this.

    I know I was convicted to love my church more like Jesus loves her. May God continue to work in my heart and the hearts of all of Christ-followers. 
To love Jesus means I will love His church. 

Soli Deo Gloria!

Heather Sparks

    

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