Christ the Builder, Christ the Perfecter

The church is a people who are called out and set apart from the world who are also called and sent into the world. The goal of the Christian life is complete conformity to Christ, and such conformity is both in character and in mission. In other words, the church is to be both a holy people (set apart) and missionary people (sent) at the same time, all the time.

I come away with this when considering the promise that Jesus will build His church and the purchased goal that Jesus will perfect His church.

Christ the Builder: And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Matthew 16:18

Christ the Perfecter: Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. Ephesians 5:25-27

Jesus, the head of the church, is very committed to His bride, that is His people. He has determined that His church will be built and that His bride would be pure. Given that these promises are “yes” and “amen” and are sealed in His blood, we should consider the implications on who we are and how we should function as His people.

Experience the true freedom in Christ.

Everyone seeks freedom. Especially in the West, freedom is the highest virtue, and it is sought after by all who are, or consider themselves to be, oppressed. But freedom in Christ is not the same as political or economic freedom. In fact, some of the most harshly oppressed people in history have had complete freedom in Christ. The Bible tells us that, spiritually speaking, no one is free. In Romans 6, Paul explains that we are all slaves. We are either slaves to sin or slaves to righteousness. Those who are slaves to sin cannot free themselves from it, but once we are freed from the penalty and power of sin through the cross, we become a different kind of slave, and in that slavery we find complete peace and true freedom.

Although it seems like a contradiction, the only true freedom in Christ comes to those who are His slaves. Slavery has come to mean degradation, hardship, and inequality. But the biblical paradigm is the true freedom of the slave of Christ who experiences joy and peace, the products of the only true freedom we will ever know in this life. There are 124 occurrences in the New Testament of the word doulos, which means “someone who belongs to another” or “bondslave with no ownership rights of his own.” Unfortunately, most modern Bible versions, as well as the King James Version, most often translate doulos as “servant” or “bond-servant.” But a servant is one who works for wages, and who, by virtue of his work, is owed something from his master. The Christian, on the other hand, has nothing to offer the Lord in payment for his forgiveness, and he is totally owned by the Master who bought him with His shed blood on the cross. Christians are purchased by that blood and are the possession of their Lord and Savior. We are not hired by Him; we belong to Him (Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 7:4). So “slave” is really the only proper translation of the word doulos.

Powerful Bible Verses about Love to Encourage You.

 1. ”The LORD God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.’” ― Genesis 2:18

2. “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone?" ― Ecclesiastes 4:9

3. “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church.” ― Ephesians 5:25-33

4. “And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them." ― 1 John 4:16

5. "I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine." ― Song of Solomon 8:3

6. “Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.” ― Proverbs 31:11-12

Inspiring Quotes from Well-Known Authors, Theologians, and Book Characters:

7. “Human love is directed to the other person for his own sake, spiritual love loves him for Christ's sake. Therefore, human love seeks direct contact with the other person; it loves him not as a free person but as one whom it binds to itself. It wants to gain, to capture by every means; it uses force. It desires to be irresistible, to rule.” ― Dietrich Bonhoeffer

8. “A common vision can unite people of very different temperaments.” ― Timothy Keller, The Meaning of Marriage

9. "Most foundationally, marriage is the doing of God. And ultimately, marriage is the display of God." — John Piper

10. "You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you." — Mr. Darcy, Pride and Prejudice

11. “‎True love isn't expressed in passionately whispered words an intimate kiss or a embrace; before two people are married, love is expressed in self-control, patience, even words left unsaid.” ― Joshua Harris

12. "The point is the love story. We live in a love story in the midst of war." — John Eldredge

13. "To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it careful round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket—safe, dark, motionless, airless—it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable . . . The only place outside Heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all the dangers . . . of love is Hell.   — C. S. Lewis, The Four Loves

14. "Love says: I’ve seen the ugly parts of you, and I’m staying." — Matt Chandler

15. “I always said, ‘When things come against us we can either turn on each other, or we can come together and turn on it.’” ― Chip Gaines, The Magnolia Story

16. “The joy of intimacy is the reward of commitment.” ― Joshua Harris

17. "Marriage is patterned after Christ’s covenant relationship to his redeemed people, the church. And therefore, the highest meaning and the most ultimate purpose of marriage is to put the covenant relationship of Christ and his church on display. That is why marriage exists. If you are married, that is why you are married. If you hope to be, that should be your dream." — John Piper

18. “Men, you'll never be a good groom to your wife unless you're first a good bride to Jesus.” ― Timothy Keller

19. “Material things are no replacement for human, emotional love.” ― Gary Chapman, The Five Love Languages

20. "Here’s a blueprint for marriage: 1. We become overwhelmed by Christ’s care for us. 2. So we shower our wives with the same love we receive from God. 3. Then, people are shocked by our extravagant love toward our wives. 4. As a result, we are given an opportunity to tell them about the love of Christ that compels us." — Francis Chan (You and Me Forever: Marriage in Light of Eternity)

21. “The only way love can last a lifetime is if it's unconditional. The truth is this: love is not determined by the one being loved but rather by the one choosing to love.” ― Stephen Kendrick, The Love Dare

22. “When one has once fully entered the realm of love, the world — no matter how imperfect — becomes rich and beautiful, it consists solely of opportunities for love.”

― Søren Kierkegaard, Works of Love

23. “Love is at the heart of marriage, as it is at the heart of God himself (1 John 4:16).”

― Henry Cloud, Boundaries in Marriage

24. ”Let the wife make the husband glad to come home, and let him make her sorry to see him leave.” — Martin Luther

25. ”When I have learned to love God better than my earthly dearest, I shall love my earthly dearest better than I do now.” — C. S. Lewis

Relationships and love are a foundational piece of the purpose of mankind. From relationship with God to relationship with one another, bonds are formed and the love and work of the Kingdom of God is carried out. When looking first and foremost to Him as the root, and then a commitment to one another, true beauty is formed.

AuthorCally Logan is a writer and sixth grade English teacher from Richmond, Virginia. She graduated from Regent University with a degree in English with High Honors. Currently she is a writer for Polished ministries, and head of the Dear Sparrows Ministry site, and the podcast, “Dear Sparrows.” In her free time she enjoys leading a High School girls small group, cooking, and spending time in tree houses. Her latest book, “Dear Young Sparrow” is available everywhere or at DearSparrows.com