Union with Christ

Illustrated:

Vine and Branches.
Jn 15:1 "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.

Jn 15:5 "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

Christ, the True Vine.

Foundation and Building.
1 Co 3:10 By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Union with Christ the answer to problems:

On divisions in the Church.

On partisanship in the Church.

On unity in Service.

On different Kinds of Service.

Warnings.

Take Heed to conduct.
Mt 6:1 "Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

Mt 18:10 "See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.

Mt 24:4 Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you.

Mk 4:24 "Consider carefully what you hear," he continued. "With the measure you use, it will be measured to you - and even more.

Mk 13:9 "You must be on your guard. You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues. On account of me you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them.

Mk 13:33 Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come.

Lk 8:18 Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken from him."

Lk 11:35 See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness.

Lk 12:15 Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."

Lk 21:8 He replied: "Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am he,' and, 'The time is near.' Do not follow them.

1 Co 3:10 By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds.

1 Co 10:12 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall!

Col 4:17 Tell Archippus: "See to it that you complete the work you have received in the Lord."

1 Ti 4:16 Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.

2 Pe 1:19 And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.

Names Applied to Christ Jesus.

A Cornerstone or Capstone.
Ps 118:22 The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone;

Mt 21:42 Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures: "'The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvellous in our eyes'?

Ac 4:11 He is "'the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone.'

Eph 2:20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.

1 Pe 2:6 For in Scripture it says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame."

Spiritual Work Tested.

Warnings Against Conceit.
Eph 2:20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.

The Church a Spiritual Temple.

The Family of God.

Believers Adopted into.
Dt 14:2 for you are a people holy to the LORD your God. Out of all the peoples on the face of the earth, the LORD has chosen you to be his treasured possession.

Isa 43:1 But now, this is what the LORD says - he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.

Isa 63:16 But you are our Father, though Abraham does not know us or Israel acknowledge us; you, O LORD, are our Father, our Redeemer from of old is your name.

Eze 16:8 "'Later I passed by, and when I looked at you and saw that you were old enough for love, I spread the corner of my garment over you and covered your nakedness. I gave you my solemn oath and entered into a covenant with you, declares the Sovereign LORD, and you became mine.

Hos 11:1 "When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.

Jn 1:12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God

Ro 8:15 For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "[Abba,] Father."

2 Co 6:18 "I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty."

Gal 3:26 You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus,

Gal 4:5 to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.

Gal 4:6 Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "[Abba], Father."

Eph 1:5 he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will

The Family of God.

Its Spiritual Relationships.

Obedience Secures the Benefit of.
Mt 12:50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother."

Lk 8:21 He replied, "My mother and brothers are those who hear God's word and put it into practice."

Heirship with Christ Entailed in.
Ro 8:17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs - heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

Ro 9:26 and, "It will happen that in the very place where it was said to them, 'You are not my people,' they will be called 'sons of the living God.'"

Hos 1:10 "Yet the Israelites will be like the sand on the seashore, which cannot be measured or counted. In the place where it was said to them, 'You are not my people,' they will be called 'sons of the living God.'

Ro 16:13 Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother, who has been a mother to me, too.

1 Co 4:17 For this reason I am sending to you Ti, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church.

All Barriers Broken Down.
Eph 2:19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household,

Saints in Heaven and Earth United in.
Eph 3:15 from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name.

Brotherhood of, Recognised by Christ.
Heb 2:11 Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers.

Special Titles of members.

Children of God.
Mt 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.

Lk 20:36 and they can no longer die; for they are like the angels. They are God's children, since they are children of the resurrection.

Jn 11:52 and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one.

Ro 8:16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children.

Ro 8:21 that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.

Ro 9:26 and, "It will happen that in the very place where it was said to them, 'You are not my people,' they will be called 'sons of the living God.'"

Gal 3:26 You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus,

1 Jn 3:10 This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother.

1 Jn 5:2 This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands.

True Christian Religious Leaders.

Prophets.

General References to.
Nu 12:6 he said, "Listen to my words: "When a prophet of the LORD is among you, I reveal myself to him in visions, I speak to him in dreams.

1 Sa 10:11 When all those who had formerly known him saw him prophesying with the prophets, they asked each other, "What is this that has happened to the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?"

1 Ki 18:4 While Jezebel was killing off the LORD'S prophets, Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets and hidden them in two caves, fifty in each, and had supplied them with food and water.)

2 Ch 20:20 Early in the morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, "Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the LORD your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful."

2 Ch 36:16 But they mocked God's messengers, despised his words and scoffed at his prophets until the wrath of the LORD was aroused against his people and there was no remedy.

Ps 74:9 We are given no miraculous signs; no prophets are left, and none of us knows how long this will be.

Ps 105:15 "Do not touch my anointed ones; do my prophets no harm."

Am 3:7 Surely the Sovereign LORD does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets.

Mt 13:57 And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, "Only in his hometown and in his own house is a prophet without honor."

Mt 23:37 "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing.

Apostles.
Lk 17:5 The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!"

Lk 22:14 When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table.

Ac 1:13 When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, Jn, Jas and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Mt; Jas son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of Jas. 26 Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles.

1 Co 4:9 For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like men condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to men.

1 Co 9:1 Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not the result of my work in the Lord?

2 Co 11:5 But I do not think I am in the least inferior to those "super-apostles."

Eph 2:20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.

Eph 4:11 It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers,

Rev 21:14 The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

Believers as Spiritual Temples.
1 Co 3:16 Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?

1 Co 6:19 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;

2 Co 6:16 What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people."

Lev 26:12 I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people.

Jer 32:38 They will be my people, and I will be their God.

Eze 37:27 My dwelling place will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be my people.

Eph 2:20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.

Eph 2:21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.

Eph 2:22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

Heb 3:6 But Christ is faithful as a son over God's house. And we are his house, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast.

1 Pe 2:5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

Christ the Foundation of a Spiritual Temple.
1 Pe 2:4 As you come to him, the living Stone - rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him - 5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For in Scripture it says:

"See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame."

Christ's Divinity - Humanity.

Divine Names ascribed to Christ.

Beloved Son.
Mt 3:17 And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."

Mt 12:18 "Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations.

Mk 1:11 And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased."

Eph 1:6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.

Col 1:13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves,

Heb 5:5 So Christ also did not take upon himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to him, "You are my Son; today I have become your Father. "

2 Pe 1:17 For he received honour and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."

Reception - Rejection of God and Truth.

Rejection of Christ.

The Gaderenes.
Mt 8:34 Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they pleaded with him to leave their region.

Mt 21:42 Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures: "'The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes'?

The People of Nazareth.
Mk 6:3 Isn't this the carpenter? Isn't this Mary's son and the brother of Jas, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren't his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him.

Lk 4:28 All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this.

Lk 4:29 They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him down the cliff.

Lk 17:25 But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.

The Chief Priests and Rulers.
Lk 23:18 With one voice they cried out, "Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!"

The Jewish Nation.
Jn 1:11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.

Jn 5:43 I have come in my Father's name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him.

Jn 12:48 There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day.

Miscellaneous Topics relating to the Church.

Compared to a Building.
Mt 16:18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.

1 Co 3:10 By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds.

Eph 2:21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.

1 Pe 2:5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

Acceptable Offerings.
Lev 1:4 He is to lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted on his behalf to make atonement for him.

Isa 56:7 these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations."

Ro 12:1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship.

Php 4:18 I have received full payment and even more; I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God.

Heb 13:16 And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

1 Pe 2:5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

Priesthood of Believers.
Ex 19:6 you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites."

Isa 61:6 And you will be called priests of the LORD, you will be named ministers of our God. You will feed on the wealth of nations, and in their riches you will boast.

1 Pe 2:5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

Rev 1:6 and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father - to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.

Rev 5:10 You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth."

Rev 20:6 Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.

Sacrifices of Praise.
Ps 107:22 Let them sacrifice thank offerings and tell of his works with songs of joy.

Ps 116:17 I will sacrifice a thank offering to you and call on the name of the LORD.

Jer 17:26 People will come from the towns of Judah and the villages around Jerusalem, from the territory of Benjamin and the western foothills, from the hill country and the Negev, bringing burnt offerings and sacrifices, grain offerings, incense and thank offerings to the house of the LORD.

Jer 33:11 the sounds of joy and gladness, the voices of bride and bridegroom, and the voices of those who bring thank offerings to the house of the LORD, saying, "Give thanks to the LORD Almighty, for the LORD is good; his love endures forever." For I will restore the fortunes of the land as they were before,' says the LORD.

Jnh 2:9 But I, with a song of thanksgiving, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. Salvation comes from the LORD."

Heb 13:15 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise - the fruit of lips that confess his name.

Faith.

Special Promises to those who Exercise.

Answers to Prayer.
Mt 21:22 If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."

Sonship.
Jn 1:12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God

Jn 7:38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him."

Power.
Jn 14:12 I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.

Ro 10:11 As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame."

Isa 28:16 So this is what the Sovereign LORD says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who trusts will never be dismayed.

Col 1:23 if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.

Soul Rest.
Heb 4:3 Now we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said, "So I declared on oath in my anger, 'They shall never enter my rest.'" And yet his work has been finished since the creation of the world.

Spiritual Inheritance.
Jas 2:5 Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?

Spiritual Foundation.
1 Pe 2:6 For in Scripture it says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame."

Spiritual Assurance.
1 Jn 5:14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.

Divine Promises to Believers.

Bodily Supplies.
Ps 37:3 Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.

Unlimited Blessings.
Mk 9:23 "'If you can'?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes."

Answers to Prayer.
Mk 11:24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

Removal of Obstacles.
Lk 17:6 He replied, "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you.

Divine Sonship.
Jn 1:12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God

Eternal Life.
Jn 3:14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,

Jn 3:15 that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.

Jn 5:24 "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.

Spiritual Fulness.
Jn 6:35 Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.

Jn 11:26 and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"

Spiritual Light.
Jn 12:46 I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.

Power for Service.
Jn 14:12 I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.

Ro 1:16 I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.

1 Pe 2:6 For in Scripture it says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame."

Body and Members.
1 Co 12:12 The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ.

The Unity of Believers as Members of Christ's Body.
1 Co 12:27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

Eph 5:30 for we are members of his body.

Husband and Wife.
* Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church - 30 for we are members of his body. 31 "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." 32 This is a profound mystery - but I am talking about Christ and the church.

Solemn Obligation ofMarriage.
Ge 2:24 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.

Mt 5:32 But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.

Mk 10:7 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife,

Mk 10:9 Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate."

Ro 7:2 For example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law of marriage.

1 Co 7:10 To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband.

1 Co 7:11 But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife.

Duty of Husbands.
Ge 2:23 The man said, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman,' for she was taken out of man."

Ge 2:24 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.

Dt 24:5 If a man has recently married, he must not be sent to war or have any other duty laid on him. For one year he is to be free to stay at home and bring happiness to the wife he has married.

Pr 5:18 May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth.

Ecc 9:9 Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love, all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun - all your meaningless days. For this is your lot in life and in your toilsome labour under the sun.

Mk 10:7 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife,

1 Co 7:11 But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife.

Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her

1 Pe 3:7 Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.

Duty of Wives.
Est 1:20 Then when the king's edict is proclaimed throughout all his vast realm, all the women will respect their husbands, from the least to the greatest."

Pr 31:27 She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.

1 Co 7:10 To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband.

Eph 5:22 Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord.

Col 3:18 Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.

1 Ti 3:11 In the same way, their wives are to be women worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything.

Tit 2:4 Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children,

1 Pe 3:1 Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behaviour of their wives,

Family Love.

Conjugal.
Ge 24:67 Isaac brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah, and he married Rebekah. So she became his wife, and he loved her; and Isaac was comforted after his mother's death.

Ge 29:20 So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her.

Ge 29:30 Jacob lay with Rachel also, and he loved Rachel more than Leah. And he worked for Laban another seven years.

Est 2:17 Now the king was attracted to Est more than to any of the other women, and she won his favour and approval more than any of the other virgins. So he set a royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.

Pr 5:19 A loving doe, a graceful deer - may her breasts satisfy you always, may you ever be captivated by her love.

Song of Songs 8:7 Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot wash it away. If one were to give all the wealth of his house for love, it would be utterly scorned.

Eph 5:28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.

Eph 5:33 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

Col 3:19 Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.

The Bible, the Word of God.

Purifies the Life.
Ps 119:9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word.

Jn 15:3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.

Jn 17:17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.

Eph 5:26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word,

1 Pe 1:22 Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart.

Spiritual Beauty.

General References to.
Ps 149:4 For the LORD takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with salvation.

SS 6:10 Who is this that appears like the dawn, fair as the moon, bright as the sun, majestic as the stars in procession?

Eze 16:14 And your fame spread among the nations on account of your beauty, because the splendour I had given you made your beauty perfect, declares the Sovereign LORD.

Eph 5:27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.

1 Pe 3:3 Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewellery and fine clothes.

1 Pe 3:4 Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight.

Rev 21:2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.

Holiness Commanded.
Ex 19:6 you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites."

Lev 11:45 I am the LORD who brought you up out of Egypt to be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy.

Lev 19:2 "Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: 'Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.

1 Ch 16:29 ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name. Bring an offering and come before him; worship the LORD in the splendour of his holiness.

Lk 1:74 to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fear

Lk 1:75 in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.

2 Co 7:1 Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.

Eph 4:24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Heb 12:14 Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.

1 Pe 1:16 for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."

2 Pe 3:11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives

The Spotless Life.
Job 11:15 then you will lift up your face without shame; you will stand firm and without fear.

Song of Songs 4:7 All beautiful you are, my darling; there is no flaw in you.

Eph 5:27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.

Jas 1:27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

2 Pe 3:14 So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.

Offerings must be unblemished.
Ex 12:5 The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect, and you may take them from the sheep or the goats.

Lev 22:21 When anyone brings from the herd or flock a fellowship offering to the LORD to fulfill a special vow or as a freewill offering, it must be without defect or blemish to be acceptable.

Eph 5:27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.

1 Pe 1:19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.

The Preciousness of the Church.
Dt 32:10 In a desert land he found him, in a barren and howling waste. He shielded him and cared for him; he guarded him as the apple of his eye,

Isa 62:3 You will be a crown of splendour in the LORD'S hand, a royal diadem in the hand of your God.

Zec 2:8 For this is what the LORD Almighty says: "After he has honoured me and has sent me against the nations that have plundered you - for whoever touches you touches the apple of his eye

Zec 9:16 The LORD their God will save them on that day as the flock of his people. They will sparkle in his land like jewels in a crown.

Malachi 3:17 "They will be mine," says the LORD Almighty, "in the day when I make up my treasured possession. I will spare them, just as in compassion a man spares his son who serves him.

Ac 20:28 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.

Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her

Col 1:24 Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church.

Mysteries - Revelations.

Great Mysteries that test the faith of men.

Of the Prosperity of the Wicked.
Jer 12:1 You are always righteous, O LORD, when I bring a case before you. Yet I would speak with you about your justice: Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all the faithless live at ease?

Of the New Birth.
Jn 3:8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."

Of Providence.
Ro 11:33 Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!

Of the Future Life.
1 Co 15:51 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed -Of the Union of Christ with the Church.

Eph 5:32 This is a profound mystery - but I am talking about Christ and the church.

Of the Incarnation.
1 Ti 3:16 Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great: He appeared in a body, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory.

Of Suffering.
Heb 12:11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

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