“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” 2 Corinthians 13: 14.
Paul ends his letter to the church at Corinth with a beautiful message God’s love has brought reconciliation between Himself and the ordinary person. We are in fellowship with God our Father in His Holy Spirit through the Lord Jesus Christ’s death on the cross. His life’s blood making use right with God.
Christians are united in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, brothers and sisters in the Spirit of God’s love, and the Spirit of Jesus.
When we meet another Christian the family connection the unity in the Spirit becomes apparent, especially when we are like-minded, believing that Jesus is God revealed in the flesh and knowing him in a personal way.
We share the understanding of the word in the Bible revealed and confirmed to us by the Holy Spirit. We are followers together proclaiming to people who do not know about Jesus, the way of faith to find Jesus.
We are united at various levels of spiritual unity, spirit to spirit, discerning the Holy Spirit from the spirit of the flesh. It is not telepathic transferring of the same thoughts or worldly love. It is sharing the gracious brotherly, sisterly love, joy and peace in the Spirit.
The Church the Bride of Christ.
The Sadducees in conversation with Jesus asked him a question saying, “If a man dies, having no children, his brother must marry his widow, and raise up children for his brother. Now there were seven brothers among us the first married and died and having no children left his wife to his brother. So, to the second and the third, down to the seventh and the woman died. In the resurrection, therefore, to which of the seven will she be wife? For they all had her.” Jesus replied, “You are wrong, because you know neither the scriptures nor the power of God. For in the resurrection, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like the angels in heaven. And as for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was said to you by God, ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. He is not God of the dead, but of the living.” Matthew 22: 23-33.
Arnold G Fruchtenbaum book ‘The Footsteps of the Messiah’ he writes, “To fully understand the background of the ‘Marriage of the Lamb’, one must first understand the background of the Jewish marriage system which was present in that day and which involved four distinct steps.
- The father of the groom made the arrangements for the marriage and paid the bride –price. Sometimes it occurred when both children were infants, and at other times it was shortly before the marriage itself. Often the bride and groom did not even meet until their wedding day.
- Fetching of the bride, this could have occurred weeks years or decades after the first
- step. The bridegroom would go to the home of the bride in order to bring her to his home. The wedding ceremony, to which a few would be invited.
- The marriage feast, would follow, and could last for as many as seven days. Many more people would be invited to the feast.”
The betrothal took place almost 2,000 years have passed since the first step, the price paid for the bride, Jesus’ redeeming blood his death on the cross. . The three other steps have yet to take place.
Every Christian having received eternal life in the resurrection of Jesus in our present life, are united in the Holy Spirit having fellowship in Christ with one another in the Spirit. As Jesus stated there is no marriage in heaven, therefore, there is no marriage between believers and no children born to believers. We are all children of God and members of one body the church, the virgin bride of Christ.
The church, Christians are to be in readiness for Jesus’ return when the bridegroom comes to fetch the bride and take her to his home before the wedding ceremony followed by the wedding supper.
An event we can look forward to, celebrating in heaven with all believers.