This month let us meditate on our heavenly Father’s mansion in eternity even as He gathers us within His earthly tent here in this Time of Grace.
Our Lord and Savior assured His disciples on the night when He was betrayed that He was about to depart to go to the Father, prepare a place for them in His Father’s house, and return to take them there with Him (John 14: 2 – 3). Jesus spoke to them on that night and speaks to you and me this day who abide in His tent – the Church Militant. He advances the Kingdom of God through His Church into the darkness of the kingdom of the evil one, snatching souls from the liar and murderer (John 8: 44). She is His bride. She is the Ark of Salvation for His brothers and sisters that navigates within the Kingdom of Power (physical governance) and the Kingdom of Grace (spiritual governance).
The Church. The Church is both more and less than it appears to mankind in this Time of Grace.
- The True Church. It is more than mankind comprehends and values for it contains the True Church – God’s inerrant Word, God’s holy Sacraments, and God’s holy ones – precious and holy to God. It is His beloved whom His only begotten Son redeemed from sin, death and the power of the devil with His innocent suffering and most holy and precious blood poured out on the cross on that horrible, terrifying Good Friday. She is the Church Militant for her numbers continue increase as He brings in more children into our heavenly Father’s family through the powerful and blessed water of Holy Baptism even as others pass from it into their eternal rest in the Church Triumphant (John 8: 35b).
- The Visible Church. Yet, the visible church is less than it appears to mankind for contains both the True Church as well as the unbelievers, the blasphemers, the heretics, and the apostates that gather within the physical buildings of brick and wood that are called “church.” These children of the devil ritualistically and faithlessly confess sin, hear the Word of God, receive His holy Sacraments, and fellowship with each other and God’s holy ones. They spiritually desecrate the visible church with their refusal to receive, worship, thank and praise the one true God in the one true faith. Rather, they take His most holy name in vain for they willingly receive, worship, thank and praise a god of their choosing that gratifies their flesh (John 8: 35a).
Christ’s bride labors valiantly throughout the ages by the power of the Holy Spirit to remain true to Him and serve our neighbor in love even as goats and wolves in sheep’s clothing embrace and promote heresies, profane social agendas, false religions, and world philosophies behind the visible façade of Christian denominations and cults.
Thankfully, on the Last Day Jesus will come in all His glory with His holy angels. He will gather His militant bride to Himself, removing the temporal tent that covered her in this Time of Grace, revealing her true beauty and character. Jesus’ glory will shine forth from her as He gathers God’s children, the faithful departed and the faithful living – you and me, to Himself. Our heavenly Father, who has watched over and commanded His holy angels to minister and protect us (Matthew 18: 10), will see His only begotten Son and triumphant Bride approaching from a far. He will run unashamedly to, fall lovingly upon, and affectionately kiss His Christ and Bride, calling for His house to be thrown wide open, receive us, and eternally reclining us at the wedding feast of the Lamb (John 8: 35 – 36).
Amen and Amen
