Again, He “gave Himself for it.” In the plan and purpose of God, there was not only the birth and ministry of Jesus. There was also His death on the cross. And behind that death, there was, to be sure, the purpose of atonement for sin. But there was also the purpose of giving His life FOR the church, linking the church with His death on the cross and the shedding of His blood.

Again, He sanctified the church. That is, He set it apart from evil, and devoted it to good. Jesus wanted the church to be devoted exclusively to the Will of God. And so, He sanctified that church. He had cleansed it; He had washed it; He had made it clean“with the washing of water by the Word.” That is to say that, those who have received the blessing of the shed blood of Christ received it when, in obedience to the Gospel, they were washed in the water of baptism that they might be CLEANSED from their sins and would be raised up as members of the church, set apart from evil and devoted unto God.

Again, He will present the church. Present the church. What a beautiful thought that is! There will come a day when, in the presence of God, there…will…be…presented…the church, composed of all of those who, from the Day of Pentecost until the end of the world, have…been…made…members…of the church of the living God. One can imagine some such scene as this:

“Lord, who are these people?”

“Well, they are the church. They are the church that was established in this town, or that town. Here are the people who heard the Gospel call. They lived, they served, they died in the Lord, and now they stand redeemed in the presence of the Father. This is the issue of My work in the world. I went into the world; I lived; I died; I rose again; I ascended to the right hand of the Father; and by the work that I did in the world through the apostles, we have won this mass of men and women from every nation, tribe and tongue. This is the CHURCH that has come triumphant through the difficulties of the world and the devil. I present them now. This is what has been accomplished in the work.”

What a marvelous thought that is. He…will…present…it…to Himself. No angel will do so. There will not be any man to do that. It will be the exclusive right and privilege of Jesus Christ to present the church for the union eternally of the church, as the bride, and Christ, as the groom. Our minds are filled with that beautiful thought. There is, then, the thought that the church has a special bond with Christ, and that bond with Christ is precious to consider.

The church in this age is awaiting the second coming of Christ. There will be the resurrection, the Judgment and the eternal destiny of the redeemed and those who are rebellious. One can consider this culmination of God’s plan as the time when the kingdom is presented to God. Paul said, “Then cometh the end when He (Christ) shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; and He shall have put down all rule and all authority and power” [1 Corinthians 15:24]. There will be the time when all that stands between God and His people will be removed. All of the work of the devil and his angels; all of the work of worldly-minded, rebellious people will have been brought to an end, and the kingdom of God will be presented unto the Father. And in that great moment, it is the greatest desire in the heart of the Christian to be a part of that wonderful and marvelous event.

Now, let me turn to some passages in the book of Revelation. I suggest that one might carefully think about reading—carefully—the book of Revelation. O, I know there are some difficult places in it. I do not claim that I know the meaning of every verse in that book, but the Lord promised that there is a blessing for him who reads these Words, and we need to claim that blessing [“Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the Words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand” Revelation 1:3.].

Let me think with you for a moment about some passages that talk about our Lord Jesus Christ as “the Lamb of God.” It is this theme of Christ as the Lamb of God that culminates in the description the book of Revelation gives to the bride of Christ.

In Revelation 5, and verse 6: “And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.” Notice this Lamb. He has, in the language of Revelation, “been slain.” He bears the mark of his death, and that mark of His death is a reminder of the cross and the church. John is able to see that in the vision granted. And then, he sees this Lamb, “having seven horns and seven eyes,” having to do with the fullness of the power and the fullness of the knowledge; and “the seven Spirits of God,” the fullness of revealing the Will of God to man. John, then, is able by the Spirit of God to see the beginning of the end of all that is known in this world, AND this revolves in the book around the One Who is spoken of as “the Lamb.”

There are some other verses.

In Revelation 17, and verse 14… In the chapter earlier, there’s a reference to the beast (the devil), his followers, the kings who stand with Satan against God, and it is said in Revelation 17, and verse 14, “These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for He is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with Him are called, and chosen, and faithful.” Now, catch the imagery here. Here is the struggle that is present, even now. There is a struggle going on in this world. It may be fought only in the mind and the heart of an individual. It may be fought on a wider plane, but the war is going on. And that is the war between the Devil and those with him, and the Lord Jesus Christ and those who are with Him. As a member of His family, we experience that battle time and time and time again.