Who or what is the bride of Christ?

he church (made up of both Jews and Gentiles who believe in Jesus - having Him as our utter Source of Righteousness and Strength) is the bride of Christ.

Romans 7 describes our relationship with our Saviour Jesus Christ in terms of what it is: a marriage. In union with Him, having Him as our Bridegroom with we His bride (believers) being utterly dependent on Him for bearing fruit, we do not continue to wallow in sins or have no fruit/works to show for our faith as antichrist pastors who twist "faith without works is dead" love to imply. Christ has all it takes to cause us to bear the fruit of godliness and moral excellence. These virtues are fruits of being under Grace.

Understand that Grace is not a subject or topic. Grace is a Person. His name is Jesus Christ. Titus 2:11 says of Him:

"God’s marvelous grace has manifested in person, bringing salvation for everyone."

With this understanding and by seeing our relationship with Christ as a marriage, we have a better understanding of what it means to be under Grace in Romans 6:14:

“For sin shall not have dominion over you for you are not under law but under grace.”

The biggest problem in the church today is that some “men of God" present Grace (Christ Himself) as being neither Husband enough for His bride nor able to cause us to bear the fruit of moral excellence and godly living, so they try to bring in a third party whom they feel is capable of causing us to bear these fruits. His name is Mr. Law. Such “men of God" say things like:

"Yes we are saved by Grace and justified/righteous by Faith and not by the Law, but we still have to keep the Law, not for justification before God but as a guiding principle for morality."

Believer, flee from this evil doctrine. God's word is very clear on this demonic doctrine that advocates having any kind of relationship with the Law (who demands absolute obedience or else death, and cannot lift a finger to help his bride) after we have been justified by faith in Christ who is Grace-personified. Grace is enough. See our marriage relationship with Christ explained in Romans 7:1–6:

"1 Now, dear brothers and sisters—you who are familiar with the law—don’t you know that the law applies only while a person is living? 2 For example, when a woman marries, the law binds her to her husband as long as he is alive. But if he dies, the laws of marriage no longer apply to her. 3 So while her husband is alive, she would be committing adultery if she married another man. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law and does not commit adultery when she remarries. 4 So, my dear brothers and sisters, this is the point: You died to the power of the law when you died with Christ. And now you are united with the One who was raised from the dead. As a result, we can produce a harvest of good deeds for God. 5 When we were controlled by our old nature, sinful desires were at work within us, and the law aroused these evil desires that produced a harvest of sinful deeds, resulting in death. 6 But now we have been released from the law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power. Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit.”

What do these things mean?

Before we became born-again, we were married to Mr. Law who condemns the best of us and will kill his wife if she as much as hogs the blanket as they sleep. Mr. Law demands perfection in every area or else death. Some church leaders try to compartmentalize the law into moral law/oral law/ceremonial law and say that we who believe are still subject to some of these compartments of the law. What a horrid antichrist teaching! The law is a whole, just like the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (a picture of the law which gives the same knowledge and which many are eating of in a bid to be godly/be like God - see Romans 7:8-12 The Message.) As it was with eating of the tree which has many parts (bark, leaves, root, etc,) eating of any part of the law (the letter) kills, whether moral, oral, ceremonial or the one with which man privately judges himself in his heart (see Romans 2:12-15.) Whatever it is that man does by his arm of flesh/will-power in a bid to become godly like God or to contribute to his godliness is law-keeping.

So we were married to Mr. Law. We had the old nature. We were not a new creation in Christ, made righteous by His obedience. With Mr. Law, our fate was death because “all have sinned.” Nothing we did could ever amount to anything with Mr. Law. The more one tries to do His bidding, the more that one's faults and failures become evident:

“19 Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before God. 20 For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.” Romans 3:19-20.

Under Mr. Law, we were destined for death: Hebrews 9—

“27 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, 28 so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many.”

Until Christ found us. He died for us and as us and with His one-time death, He paid in full the wages of sin that Mr. Law demanded for our imperfection. As believers in Christ, we are dead to Mr. Law and are now married to Mr. Grace. Remember Grace is a Person. His name is Jesus Christ.

Recall that in Christ we are not under Law but under Grace: "For sin shall not have dominion over you for you are not under law but under Grace." Romans 6:14. But many have this verse backwards.

Romans 7:1–6 above tells us that getting back under our ex-husband (Mr. Law) for anything at all while claiming to be married to Mr. Grace is ADULTERY. It does not matter whether one is using the Law as "a guiding principle for morality" or for "moral excellence" or "as a reference point for good and evil" like the tree of same name or for whatever: it is adultery to sustain any kind of relationship with Mr. Law while claiming marriage to Christ- Mr. Grace. Verse 1 above says:

"Now, dear brothers and sisters—you who are familiar with the law—don’t you know that the law applies only while a person is living?"

But satanic ministers say we who have died to the power of the Law and are now the bride of Christ should continue an illicit marriage relationship with our ex-husband and use him to get the same moral excellence and everything else that we need to live a life of godliness which Christ has lavished on us in abundance? 1 Peter 2:3 tells us of our Husband Jesus Christ:

"By His divine power the Lord has given us everything we need for life and godliness through the knowledge of the One who called us by His own honor and glory.”

Believer, we don't have to "cheat on Grace" with the Law in order to get good morals or live a godly life. Grace Himself is telling us in 2 Corinthians 12:9-

“And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

Everything we need to live a life of moral excellence is added to us freely under Mr. Grace - like a poor and immoral woman that marries a rich and powerful Man who has the power to and does transform her to be like Himself (2 Corinthians 3:18) and literally died for her sins because He loves her so. If you are struggling with sins, Saviour from sins is His job description. Recall Grace is a Person and His name is Jesus Christ? Titus 2:11 says of Him: "God’s marvelous grace has manifested in person, bringing salvation for everyone."

Verse 14 of the same Titus 2 says: "He gave His life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us His very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds."

But many are yet to see how sinful/immoral we all are of ourselves; how desperately in need of salvation and how poor we are in righteousness of ourselves. The Bible says of ourselves, we have no righteousness! See Romans 3:10. Yet many who are in search of righteousness and the fruit of moral excellence and godly living turn to Mr. Law who demands absolute righteousness, cannot lift a finger to help but will punish every error to the uttermost- Death.

Notice Romans 5:5 says- “When we were controlled by our old nature, sinful desires were at work within us, and the law aroused these evil desires that produced a harvest of sinful deeds, resulting in death.”

The one with the old nature is not a new creation in Christ. He does not believe Romans 5:9— “And there is still much more to say of His unfailing love for us! For through the blood of Jesus we have heard the powerful declaration, “You are now righteous in My sight.” And because of the sacrifice of Jesus, you will never experience the wrath of God."

The one with the old nature is still seeking his righteousness from obeying Mr. Law and feels that God's wrath will fall on him for whatever reason if he does not. But the very law that he is trying to keep in order to get the benefits of being in Christ arouses evil desires in him that causes sin to have dominion over him, “For sin shall not have dominion over you for you are not under law but under Grace.” Romans 6:14.

Even worse, those who hold the belief that we who are the bride of Christ (Mr. Grace) have to maintain a relationship with Mr. Law in order to live a morally upright life imply that our Bridegroom Jesus Christ, Grace-personified, cannot cause His own bride to bear the fruit of moral excellence and godly living!

Why would I go to another man (who will kill me at the slightest error) to teach me how to race-drive and for my life too, if my husband was Louis Hamilton's personal trainer who loves me and wanted to be my personal trainer/see me perform well and win so much that He gave His life for these reasons?

Would you really allow another man (who will kill your wife at the slightest fault!) to help you impregnate your wife so that she can bear the fruit of morality (live a life of moral excellence) when YOU are the very definition of moral excellence? But these false doctrine people who push for believers to look to the Law as a guiding principle for morality imply that Grace-personified, Jesus Christ, cannot save you from your sins and will cause you to live a life of immorality! The same Grace of Whom it is said in Titus 2:14—

“He gave His life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us His very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds."

Verse 6 of the same Romans 7 says: "Now, however, we are free from the Law, because we died to that which once held us prisoners."

Mr. Law makes no concessions for anybody. He will condemn, adjudge you guilty and imprison you as soon as you start a relationship with him for whatever reason. Ultimately, the letter (law) kills. Remember Galatians 5:4-

“For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God's grace.”

Law and Grace don't mix. That horrid “part-Law and part-Grace” abomination that false doctrine teachers are advocating is the "neither cold nor hot" that Christ speaks of in Revelation 3. The one here will lose both the wine and wineskin.

Believer, these false doctrine peddlers who try to get you to commit adultery with Mr. Law are not of Christ, even though they always act like they just finished having lunch with God. They can only be successful in deceiving people who think that they can "at least try to keep the Law." Dependence on human effort for the attainment of godliness is death. Why follow the same horrid doctrine that Satan preached to Eve in Eden?

Beloved of God, never trust yourself. Trust in Christ our Wisdon from God. He counsels us in Proverbs 28:26-

“Those who trust in their own reasoning are fools, but those who walk in wisdom will be kept safe.”

Beware of those who mix some Law with Grace for whatever purpose. Their behaviour and false doctrines should not make pastors and leaders try to “help" Jesus Christ aka Mr. Grace by introducing Mr. Law to keep New Covenant believers in check regarding morality. Such are saying that we need to go under our ex-husband the Law to get the fruit of morality and to be able to live a life of moral excellence since Christ (Grace-personified) has none to give us! No friend! Never! Beware of Satanic ministers who preach this horrid adultery. Christ Himself IS moral excellence-personified! Everything we need for a life of godliness and moral excellence we have under Grace.

Beware of those who try to redefine God's Grace as the reason why they can continue to wallow in sins too. Jude spoke of these “scoundrels" in Jude 1. Such are not under Grace but under Satan's control. Grace did not come to accommodate our sins. Grace came to save us from our sins (Titus 2:14).

Believer, we don't need to go carry on an illicit relationship with Mr. Law in order to get guiding principles for life and godliness when we are married to the Author and Giver of moral excellence! Law and Grace cannot mix. See the typology of Hagar and Sarah as the two covenants of Law and Grace in Galatians 4. Sarah (Grace) did not need Hagar (Law) to bear or raise Isaac (the church.) Grace is enough! “Cast out the bondwoman and her son”!

By Grace, we reject any attempt by Satanic ministers to make Hagar (Law) our mother, nanny or helper in whatever form. Only punishment awaits here because the Law condemns everyone who tries to keep it in a bid to be righteous or earn God's goodwill. For all their efforts, those who try end up getting cut off from Christ-

“For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God's Grace.” Galatians 5:4.

Believer, don't be deceived by these seemingly godly but in reality antichrist preachers who try to take us back under the slavery of the Law that Christ has saved us from. The spirit of the antichrist is not anti-God. It is one that preaches strongly on the need for believers to be godly (be like God,) but its own method of attaining or maintaining godliness (after we have been made godly through Christ's suffering) is through human effort at keeping the Law. See the typology of the forbidden fruit as a picture of the law that many are trying to keep in order to be godly in Romans 7:8-12 (MSG version.) This demonic doctrine is the same one that Satan used to deceive Eve when he told her that that she would be godly (be like God) if she did something by human effort. But God had already made she and Adam to be like Himself (Genesis 1:26-27.) Believer, in Christ, God has made us to be like Himself. His word says in I John 4:17-

“Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.”

Beloved, by Grace, let's not follow after the same example of striving for godliness through the law which gives the knowledge of good and evil and which kills like the tree of the same name.

Law-keeping for whatever purpose, whether for justification before God or "just as a guiding principle for morality" by those who claim to be married to Jesus (making themselves adulterers) is adultery and brings condemnation.

Many think that we preach Grace because we want to sin and are saying that it is okay for people to continue to sin as they like since we are under Grace! Never! Can you imagine feeling great guilt and condemnation and expecting punishment for the sin of responding with 12 o' clock when the time was really 12.02 after someone asked for the time? That's a lie, even though it wasn't told intentionally. That is how much we grace children wanted to sin before God opened our eyes to His Grace- the message of Christ. Like our heavenly Father, we hate sin and by Grace, we get to "live in triumph over sin and death" through Jesus Christ- Grace-personified.

There are some people who teach this or even live their lives this way. Jude speaks of such who try to redefine God's saving Grace in Jude 1:

“Some godless people have sneaked in among us and are saying, “God treats us much better than we deserve, and so it is all right to be immoral.” They even deny that we must obey Jesus Christ as our only Master and Lord. But long ago the Scriptures warned that these godless people were doomed.”

God knows about such people who pretend to be under Grace or try to redefine Grace and deals with them. Their rejection of Christ should not make any of us try to “help" Grace by introducing the Law to keep believers in check regarding the issue of sins. Grace is enough.

Paul too was misunderstood and accused of preaching that it is okay to commit sin because of grace by religious Jews who used the Law as their standard of righteousness (Romans 3:7-8). The law condemns the best of us but being under True Grace without reigning over sin and death is as impossible as jumping into the sea naked without getting wet. See this in God's word in Romans 5:16-17-

"And the result of God’s gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man’s sin. For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins. 17 For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and His gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one Man, Jesus Christ."

When the love of God, expressed in His undeserved, unmerited favour (Grace - our Saviour Jesus Christ) towards us is unveiled from the pulpit, the people will live right. We love because He first loved us. Under Grace, we have all the moral excellence that we need to live a life of morality. Starting a relationship with our ex-husband (Mr. Law) in order to bear fruit to God or become whatever while married to Mr. Grace is adultery.

By Grace, let's keep on believing that "By His divine power the Lord has given us everything we need for life and godliness through the knowledge of the One who called us by His own honor and glory.”

Through the knowledge of Grace and not the letter that kills.

By Grace, let’s keep on believing Galatians 5:1- “So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.”

Right believing always produces right living.