Articles
Messiah’s Bride without Spot or Blemish-Will He Know You?
Barbara L. Klika, MSW, Undershepherd, Life Coach
May 2018
Written for Wisconsin Christian Newspaper
In this series on Returning to our God’s Righteousness, I am now discussing what will be important for Messiah to recognize us as His Bride. It is not enough that we think we know Him. We also need to know that He will know us. It is indeed wonderful to know already that His message was first to the Jew and then to the Gentile; for all who will receive Messiah’s work on their behalf! Though the “Judaizers” tried to impose their particular circumcision ritual of conversion on incoming Gentiles, it was clearly established that the Ruach haKodesh/Holy Spirit had made no such pre-requisite! But it is also true that being grafted into the House of God/YHVH carried with it the idea of learning the ways of the Father; not imposing our ideas onto Him. Salvation yes! And then, sanctification!
Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. John 17:17
This is the part that has been muddied and trampled on since the first century to some extent, but even more so since about the third century when so many pagan practices were consolidated into the assemblies. His Word is Truth…it doesn’t say only part of it…and in fact, the Word that was recognized as His Word when John wrote this, was the Torah…not what we call the New Testament.
The idea that our Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth/Yeshua established a new religion upon His death and resurrection gained so much traction in those days that it remains difficult still today to help people open their eyes to what His Word actually says! Our western worldview of seeing things in opposition to one another…this OR that…is contrary to the Hebraic worldview which is more accurately described as …both/and. It is NOT the OT as opposed to the NT. It is not that the OT is obsolete, but that it is a foundation and a shadow of what was to come! The physical truths seen throughout the OT are parallel to the spiritual truths seen throughout the NT. We are not in the Land and there is not a Temple so the physical expression of the sacrificial system cannot be accomplished here while we are yet in exile. This does not mean that we should divorce ourselves from the understanding that comes through consideration of the WHOLE Word, rather than fall to the unanchored interpretations of the Word that do not match the foundation.
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. Ephesians 5:27
Many will likely recognize the ideas of being without spot, wrinkle or blemish AND holy, but most do not know what this really means, beyond a sort of vague “feel good” image. These ideas are based on the pictures and metaphors our Elohim/Mighty One established in the Torah. Did you know that “without spot or wrinkle/blemish” is part of the description of animals offered for purifying?
If you have been following our SAM articles for a season, you likely already know that to be “holy” comes from the Hebrew word, Kadosh, and that it means to be “set apart for a special purpose.” That special purpose may be a good one or not. One could be “set apart” by satan for serving him as much as one could be “set apart” for the God of Israel, for His purposes. Thus, it is crucial to indicate TO WHOM one is set apart. In this case, those who desire to meet Messiah as His Bride, would need to live their lives in a way that clearly states and shows that they are “set apart” for YHVH’s purposes, as we are told in the Scriptures.
As noted in the last article, some people have skipped over the foundational aspects of this being set apart and jumped right into the last part, being identified as His Bride. Putting the proverbial cart before the horse is not recommended! Some will be coming to Messiah with confidence in their relationship with Him, only to be turned away.
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he
that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord,
Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy
name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you:
depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Matthew 7: 21-23... entire chapter for context
The word translated as “iniquity” is also translated as “lawlessness” or being without the Law, the Torah.
How would we know what His will is for us unless we consider His Word in its entirety? Knowing and doing His will are different things, too. Not just settling for a token faithfulness. Even when many around us ridicule or accuse us…just as the first century people who left their pagan ways behind and took up His ways were ridiculed and marginalized by their families.
If we only honor the last third of His Word, we are missing much of the foundational picture of what it is that He has asked of us. Forsaking the foundation of the Torah--which is truthfully, both the Written Word AND the Living Word in Messiah Yeshua-- has left so many people who think they know their God out in the proverbial left field. These seem to me to be among the most scary of verses! If those who call on His Name and have even prophesied or participated in deliverance by calling on His Name are not recognized by Him in the end, how frightening is that!
Not only do we want to be certain that we know Him, but also that He will know us!
For Next Time: How does He know us, and definitions of spot and blemish.
Will_He_Know_You__WCN_May_2018_REV_20230.pdf