“Without Spot or Wrinkle, Holy and Flawless”

Eph. 5:17,24-27 (LGV) 17 Consequently, do not be foolish, but consider what the will of the Master is. … 24 Therefore, just as the assembly is subordinate to the Anointed One, so also wives [must be] to their own husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as the Anointed One also loved the assembly and gave Himself up for her, 26 that He might set her apart, cleansing [her] through the bath of water [contained] in the message, 27 so that He may present her to Himself a glorious assembly, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she may be holy and flawless.

My previous blog-post emphasized the fact that “the Bride” joined to Christ at His coming must make herself ready, and this self-preparation is linked to her being preserved by God during the Great Tribulation, something we all crave. In the above passage, the “will of the Master” for His bride is clearly described. He has already “set her apart” from the world through baptism. Christ is coming back for a Bride that is a “glorious assembly, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she may be holy and flawless.” The “foolish” virgins will not “consider what the will of the Master is,” and will suffer the consequences.

The primary goal of the Great Tribulation for Christ’s Bride is her self-purging. “Then one of the elders responded, saying to me: ‘Who are these dressed in white robes, and where did they come from?’ And I said to him: “My master, you have observed.” And he said to me: ‘These are the ones who emerge out from the Great Tribulation, and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His Temple” (Rev. 7:13-15 LGV). This great multitude emerging from the Great Tribulation, having a place in His Kingdom, is the Bride of the Lamb. That they “have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” means that those robes were formerly soiled, yet made white by the Bride’s active “washing” them in the blood of the Lamb. This statement refers to repentance, forsaking sin, and God’s forgiveness. The time of “Tribulation” for Christians is God’s “chastening” which will have one of two possible outcomes for the individual Christian – repentance or apostasy.

Hebrews 12:5-8, 11-14 (NKJV) 5 And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: “My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; 6 For whom the LORD loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.” 7 If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? 8 But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. … 11 Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. 12 Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, 13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed. 14 Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: 15 looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled; 16 lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright. 17 For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears.

In Jesus’ Olivet Discourse¹ and Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonians² we have clear warnings that just prior to Christ’s return there will be a great apostasy from the Faith. This apostasy is so significant and widespread that it is given as one of the signs Christ’s coming is near, just before the “abomination of desolation.” The impending hardships of the first half of the 70^th Week are going to force luke-warm Christians to either repentance or apostasy. Once the “abomination of desolation” occurs and the flight of the Bride to safety is complete, it will be too late. Fence-sitting will soon become impossible. My advice to readers of this blog is not to wait for the severe hardship. “For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world” (1 Cor. 11:31-32 NKJ). Start washing and ironing your wedding garments now. This Passover season is a great time to begin focusing on becoming ready for the wedding feast. “Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man” (Luke 21:36 NKJV).

Apostasy does not typically happen overnight. It is preceded by a slow and progressive hardening of the heart,³ eventually reaching a crisis decision from which it becomes impossible to turn back. In Hebrews 12:16-17 above, Esau is given as an example of an apostate, one who reaches the point of no return where repentance is no longer possible. Esau initially was in a position to receive the birthright of the Abrahamic blessing. His problem was that he did not value the things of God (the Abrahamic Covenant) but was only concerned about his present situation. I am seeing a lot of this “Esau” mentality among Christians today who take the things of God and His commandments lightly, dismissing, disregarding, explaining them away, using unlimited “grace” as justification.

Jesus’ parable of the Sower in Luke 8 describes three kinds of Christians. The first is illustrated by the seed falling on “stony ground” where the Word is first received, but there is no dept of root. When persecution or trouble comes, he falls away from the Faith. The second is illustrated by the seed falling among thorny weeds which choke out the Word. The cares of day-to-day living or the pursuit of success and wealth overcome the desire to continue on the difficult path that leads to life.⁴ Yet the only category of Christian who has any hope of being preserved in the Great Tribulation and having an honorable place in Christ’s Kingdom is the last group, those who produce fruit. This group was further described by Jesus in His “True Vine” parable in John 15. While many of the branches wither and fall from the “True Vine” (Christ) and are gathered and burned, the remaining branches which “continue in Me” are pruned in order to produce more fruit. These branches become the Bride who is preserved during the Tribulation and who attends the Marriage Feast of the Lamb.

My own assessment of Christianity today is that it is woefully unprepared for what is about to occur on the world stage. The exponential progress of apostasy is accompanied by the serious decline in true devotion to Christ demonstrated by willing obedience. A great deal has changed in less than 100 years. Christians used to be known for their separation from the world’s vices. Today many Christians regularly engage in unholy things, some of the very things Paul wrote that those who practice will not inherit the Kingdom of God.⁵ Christians a century ago avoided worldly entertainments. Today they regularly fill their minds with corrupt music, movies, video games, etc. Christians used to respect the 4^th commandment, “Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy” (even though Sunday was substituted) as Christians generally gathered weekly in the churches to hear the Word of God. People used to dress in their “Sunday best” because they understood that they were entering the House of God, coming before the “Throne of Grace”, and utmost respect for God was essential. They understood that separation must be made between the holy and the common, a constant theme in the Old Testament regarding the Temple and the things dedicated to God. Women used to cover their heads in church in obedience to Paul’s instruction in 1 Cor. 11 as they entered the presence of God with a gentle and submissive spirit.

Things are much different today. Most semblance of outward separation from the world is gone. Placing conspiracy theories above obedience to God’s very specific commandments to submit to the governing authorities is common, even flaunted. Sports and entertainment are more important than keeping the Sabbath holy and separated to God. Preaching has become about making people feel good about themselves in their present condition because this is how to “grow a church.” Christian music is “me” focused and proclaims that God loves me exactly as I am; in fact “He wouldn’t change a thing!” Worship leaders copy the wicked entertainers, supposedly leading “worship” of God dressed in the latest disrespectful fads, like torn jeans, flip flops, and baseball caps, while proudly displaying their tattoos and piercings. God commanded His people not to mark their bodies: “You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you: I am the LORD.”⁶ Yet Christian leaders are proud to defile the “Temple of God” with graffiti and holding up their hubris for public display as they allegedly lead in worship. “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”⁷ When did Christians forget that the word “worship” means to prostrate ourselves willingly before God, as His obedient servants? Today’s “worship” has the heart of Saul and not David. “Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, Nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive blessing from the LORD, And righteousness from the God of his salvation” (Ps. 24:3-5 NKJ). The utter disrespect for God in His own house and dismissing His commandments is breath-taking and sends exactly the opposite message to young people from what the Bible commands: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Rom. 12:1-2 NKJ). Regarding women, first it was forsaking the head coverings, a God-commanded constant reminder of the created order and gender roles and the requirement of willing submission. Then the command for women not to teach or hold authority over men both at home and in the church fell by the wayside. We now have women pastors who exercise authority in churches over their own husbands and the other women’s husbands. Pastors who preach and teach holiness and obedience are then accused of “abusing” members. I have been accused of this for exactly these reasons. The ultimate outcome of the creeping apostasy of forsaking the God-ordained gender roles is this: Some denominations now have homosexual, lesbian, and trans-gender pastors leading their congregations straight into the Lake of Fire! These things illustrate clearly the creeping nature of apostasy. Apologetics for the pristine Christian Faith has been replaced by apologetics for disobedience and the grossest of sins that are an abomination to God.

You and I cannot do much about the overall condition of modern Christianity. But we certainly can do something about ourselves, our families, and perhaps to some degree about the fellowships and churches that we attend where we might have some influence. But before we point the finger, we must deal with the logs in our own eyes. It all must begin with self-examination, genuine repentance, and determination to love God by keeping His commandments.⁸ Jesus is coming back for a Bride that loves Him, who demonstrates that love by gladly keeping His commandments.⁹ This Passover season is the time designated by God for self-reflection. Some prayer and fasting in anticipation of what Christ did for us on that Great Passover nearly 2000 years ago is called for. Time is running out for purchasing sufficient oil for our lamps.

2 Corinthians 11:2-3 (NKJV) 2 For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. 3 But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

During the Passover meal, the Israelites ate only unleavened bread. The Bread of the feasts represents humanity, and unleavened bread represents sinless humanity. Thus the unleavened bread eaten during the Passover meal on Nisan 14th spoke of spotlessness of the Lamb of God. The seven days of Unleavened Bread which immediately followed Passover was meant to point to the spotless Bride of the Lamb, having been delivered from bondage to sin and made holy by the blood of the Lamb of God. During this 7-day Festival the Israelites were required to remove all leaven from their homes and eat only unleavened bread. The Apostle Paul gives us the interpretation and application of these things to Christians.

1 Cor. 5:6-7 (NKJV) 6 Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? 7 Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. 8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

Again in Gal. 5:6 Paul repeated the same statement about leaven: “A little leaven leavens the whole lump.” Given that the early churches observed Passover following the Apostles’ pattern, they fully understood the symbolism and the requirement that Christians are to “purge out the old leaven” during this memorial time. The idea of “leaven” as a reference to sin goes back to Jesus’ own condemnation of the Pharisees:

Luke 12:1-2 (NKJV) 1 In the meantime, when an innumerable multitude of people had gathered together, so that they trampled one another, He began to say to His disciples first of all, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. 2 For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known.“

In 1 Cor. 10:1-14 Paul drew a clear parallel between the exodus, Passover and Unleavened Bread, and the Christian walk. He ended this section with the following statement: “Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.” (v. 14).

We have here two things God hates, hypocrisy and idolatry, both linked in Scripture with Passover and the exodus. During this very solemn season, we all should reflect on our own possible hypocrisy and idolatry, and any other “leaven” in our lives, and use this time to prepare our garments for the wedding feast of the Lamb.

Go to: “Washing Our Robes in the Blood of the Lamb”

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1 Matt. 24:9-13

2 2 Thess. 2:3

3 Heb. 3:12-14

4 Matt. 7:14

5 1 Cor. 6:9-10; Gal. 5:19-21

6 Lev. 19:28

7 1 Cor. 6:19-20

8 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:22-24; 1 John 5:2-3; 2 John 1:6; Rev. 22:14

9 John 14:15,24