Stop Dating The Church by Joshua Harris

Fall In Love With The Family of God

Many times in this life we fall in and out of love, choose what we love and choose how we show love. It is no wonder we are so confused about what true love is really like!! We measure love and relationships by the pleasure it brings us. In looking at the Bride of Christ, the Church, Christ uses this relationship not only as the manifestation of His great love for us but also of His love working through us to one another. The passion and love developed there, for Him and for our brothers and sisters in Christ, is how He nourishes us, grows us and sustains us. In this love relationship, that is meant to look beyond our personal rewards, is where God transforms us to the image of His Son. A love relationship between Christ and His Bride is what the Heavenly beings look down upon in AMAZEMENT!! To think that angels are in awe of the purest love ever imagined, betweem grace-given sinners and the Holy God-man, takes my breath away! The church pictured as the body, endwelled by the Spirit, joined to the head which is Christ is a perfect image of a Holy union, endorsed and created by God and for God! God's plan for the church and His amazing love for Her should compel those saved by grace to work diligently to display His glory! As Christ was dying on the cross, His mind was on His Bride and His great love for her. May God create in me The Passion for His Bride and the desire to carry out the treasure of His glorious gospel. In my love for my church, I am growing to love Christ more and to know Him more, as I am being transformed into His likeness until the day He comes for His Bride.