How Jesus Gets a Bride

Ephesians 5:22-32

Pastor Albert N. Martin expounds Ephesians 5:22-32, revealing how Jesus Christ obtains His bride, the Church. He outlines three essential aspects: Christ woos and wins His bride through faith in His sacrificial death on the cross, secures her voluntary submission by an act of sovereign power, and makes her suitable for marriage to Himself by making her holy. Martin challenges listeners to self-examine whether they exhibit these marks of being part of Christ's bride, emphasizing that true conversion involves trust in Christ's atoning work, submission to His Lordship, and a genuine pursuit of holiness.

3 illustrations in this sermon

First: Christ Woos and Wins His Bride by His Sacrificial Death

format_quote quotation

Loved as Long as God Has Been God

Driving home: If we, if we are in Christ, we have been loved as long as God has been God.

Martin quotes a statement he read, 'If we are in Christ, we have been loved as long as God has been God,' to emphasize the eternal nature of God's love for His bride.

when it yet lay under the wrath and the curse of God. When that which comprises His bride was yet in union with our first father, Adam, Christ loved the church. And I shall never forget when some months ago I read this statement. If we, if we are in Christ, we have been loved as long as God has been God.

9:43 - 10:18 Read in full sermon

Second: Christ Secures the Voluntary Submission of His Bride by Sovereign Power

auto_stories story

Can I? vs. May I?

Driving home: we want to be our own head our own master our own Lord Christ is out to get a bride what does he do? he not only woos and he wins out of the mass of lost helpless hell deserving humanity of people who come to see the bea…

Martin recounts a story with his young children asking 'Daddy, can I do this?' to illustrate the difference between physical ability and moral permission, highlighting that the carnal mind lacks the internal disposition to obey God.

subject to the law of God my kids were young and they'd come up and say Daddy can I do this I'd say yes you look like you have the physical ability and they'd start to run up but where are you going? to do that? I said no no you said can I? and I said yes you seem to have the ability oh you know what I mean Dad may I?

24:43 - 25:12 Read in full sermon

Third: Christ Makes His Bride Suitable for Marriage by Making Her Holy

format_quote quotation

Rabbi Duncan on Perfection

The point: If a passion to be sanctified and cleansed is not present in your heart, you are not part of Christ's bride.

Martin quotes Rabbi Duncan saying, 'Nobody's perfect... those words are the pillow of the hypocrite. They are a bed of nails to a true Christian,' to distinguish between false assurance and the genuine struggle for holiness in a believer.

What He'll make you then. So as old Rabbi Duncan said, nobody's perfect. He says, those words are the pillow of the hypocrite. They are a bed of nails to a true Christian. I'm not perfect,

42:36 - 42:55 Read in full sermon

headphones Listen to full sermon