Maintaining the Quality of the Bride

Sunday sermon at GPdI Bethania, delivered by Rev. Steve Poluan on April 5, 2009:

The Shulamite: “I am a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valleys.”

King Solomon: “Like a lily among thorns is my darling among the maidens.”

(Song of Songs 2:1-2)

The book Song of Songs in the Bible depicts the love between God and His people, between Christ and the Church, which is reflected in the love song of Solomon and his beloved bride, the Shulamite.

As the Church of God, Christians ought to possess the same quality as presented by the Shulamite in the above verses. She was the Rose of Sharon, the Lily of the valleys. She was beautiful. She was pure. She was fragrant. She possessed such a quality and confidence that Solomon, King of Israel, valued her above all women and chose her as his bride. Likewise, the Church ought to possess and maintain the quality of the Bride of Christ before Him, the Heavenly Bridegroom.

Nevertheless, some believers doubt whether or not such quality is theirs. Some are not so sure they are worthy to be called the Bride of Christ. Some are even uncertain of their salvation! How come? It is because they tend to look upon their infirmities and make them a cause of unworthiness before God.

The Shulamite, too, was not free of blemish. She openly said of her shortcoming:

“Dark I am, yet lovely, O Daughters of Jerusalem, dark like the tents of Kedar, like the tent curtains of Salma” (Song of Songs 1:5).

The point is: the Shulamite did not let this weakness kept her from pleasing her beloved bridegroom, Solomon. Some people thought that just because they are not as well-off, well-born, or well-educated as others, they are not worthy to share in the Lord’s Body.

It is not so! Every living person has flaws, shortcomings and infirmities. God knows them full well. None of these things matters to Him, for He seeks the motives of our hearts – whether or not we place the desire to serve and please God as our ultimate goal and delight.

Take the churches in Philippi and Macedonia, for examples. In the days of the apostles, these churches were considered small in number and in deep poverty. Yet in their lack of provision, they were able to provide for Apostle Paul’s ministry and even show abundant generosity toward God’s saints beyond their apparent ability to give (read II Corinthians 8:1-7 and Philippi 4:15-19). So astounding was their quality in ministering to the needs of the saints that Apostle Paul highly praised them and set these churches as profound examples for the other, greater churches.

Should we not also follow their examples?

Nonetheless, when we already possess the quality God so desires to see in us, we need to take heed His warning: “Like a lily among thorns is my darling among the maidens.”

Let us not forget that we are living among “thorns” in the midst of this perishing world. The arrogance, pleasures, worries, anxieties, temptations and troubles of this world are already at bay to overrun and crush us.

As beloveds of the Lord, we are expected to serve and please Him with pure motivation while keeping ourselves untarnished by the guiles of the world. Such is the quality of the Bride of Christ!