Family Planning

"For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named..." (Ephesians 3: 14,15)

A husband and wife are the beginning of a family. They are the nucleas of the family circle. Childen also form a part of the family. In the scriptures, both these relationship types are used to describe the relationship that the Lord has with those who become "his people." Christians are both the "wife" of Christ and the "child" of the Father.

In the family of God, we begin with the "Father," our "Grand-Father," and with his "only begotten Son," the Lord Jesus Christ.

God planned his family. He is the expert on "family planning." He prearranged a marriage for his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. He chose the woman who would be a bride for his Son and the Son is most pleased with the Father's choice. All this is illustrated in the search and discovery of a bride for Abraham's son Isaac.

"And let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that thou hast shewed kindness unto my master." (Genesis 24: 14)

"And she say to me, Both drink thou, and I will also draw for thy camels: let the same be the woman whom the LORD hath appointed out for my master's son." (vs. 44)

Christians are those who belong to the "church" and the "church" is the wife of Christ.

"According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved." (Ephesians 1: 4-6)

"Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it." (Ephesians 5; 25)

It is through the preaching of the gospel that sinners are made believers and enter into a holy marriage covenant with Christ.

"Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God." (Romans 7: 4)

Jesus is the husband of the Christian and the Christian is a member of the church, and the church is the bride of Jesus.

"Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife." (Revelation 21: 9)

John speaks of the Lamb's wife in these words:

"The elder unto the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth; and not I only, but also all they that have known the truth." (II John 1: 1)

Christians have a "mother." The church as a whole is the mother of every individual Christian. When a sinner is "born again," his birth is of God and by the church. "...as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children." (Isaiah 66: 8) Yes, they were her children, but they were also the children of Jehovah.

How does the Lord Jesus Christ get his bride? First, as we have seen, the Father chose those who would become bride to his Son, just as he chose who would become the bride of Isaac. But, the Son and the bride must be made to love one another. How does the Father and Son win the heart of the woman that has been chosen to be the bride to the king's Son?

"Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her." (Hosea 2: 14)

"Draw me, we will run after thee: the king hath brought me into his chambers: we will be glad and rejoice in thee, we will remember thy love more than wine: the upright love thee." (Song of Solomon 1: 4)

"The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee." (Jeremiah 31: 3)

When the Lord "turns on the charm," in his wooing and alluring of sinners, the sinner cannot resist. There is no lover or courtier who can win the affections of his lady like the Lord Jesus Christ! He draws and allures the sinner to himself and he never fails. Those who truly become Christians are such who have "fallen in love" with the Lord Jesus Christ. They have been charmed by his loveliness.

Because of sin, we are all married to our idols and false deities. We must be made to despise these husbands, receive divorce from them, before we will ever be "married to another." Friend, to whom are you wedded in heart and soul, spiritually speaking? Are you happy with your present husband?