Thursday, July 9, 2015

Pastor’s Perspective - Part 2 - Image is Everything


Continuing Pastor Tracy's timely message for us today:
Ephesians 5:31 is where Paul quotes Genesis 2:24, and I might say, quotes Jesus from Matthew 19:5.  In Ephesians 5:22-33 (Please read it.), God is instructing the church in Ephesus to understand that the example, the picture, the image of a husband and wife living their lives in Christ together in the earth is revealing, bearing, portraying, “unveiling” the amazing picture of Christ and the church.  Again, Ephesians 5:31, quoted from Genesis 2:24 and Matthew 19:5 says, “FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND SHALL BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH.”  Then, Ephesians 5:32 right after it says, “This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church.” 

Image to come
In Ephesians 5:22-33 is where we begin to understand “the end of the thing.”  Ephesians 5:27 says, “that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.”  This is referring to the future, 2nd coming, return of Jesus Christ.  Revelation 19:5-9 speaks of “the marriage supper of the Lamb.”  Revelation 19:7 says, "Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready."  Revelation 21:2 says, “And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.” 

All these Bible verses in Revelation (the book about “the end of the thing”) and Revelation 21:9-11 and 22:17 make reference to the great mystery found in Ephesians 5:22-33 that “the example, the picture, the image of a husband and wife living their lives in Christ together in the earth is revealing, bearing, portraying, “unveiling” the amazing picture of Christ and the church.”

In Summary
1.  Genesis 1:27:  “God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”

2.  Genesis 2:24:  “For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.”

3.  Matthew 19:4,5:  4 And He answered and said, "Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning MADE THEM MALE AND FEMALE, 5 and said, 'FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH'?”


4.  Ephesians 5:31,32:  “FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND SHALL BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH. “This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church.”  
A final word of urged encouragement

Romans 12:1-2 (NASB)  "Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect."

“Image is everything!” – Pastor Tracy Hearnsberger

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