Jesus honours His bride

The best demonstration of honour is that which Jesus shows toward His bride, the church. Ephesians 5:25-27 says "Husbands love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that he might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle..." This is honour at work. Honour presents people in the way that God sees. It esteems. It builds. It never demeans or shames.


Jesus didn't come to condemn but He came to minister life to sinners. For example, He spoke to the Samaritan woman in terms of what He had to offer her namely "water springing up into everlasting life." (John 4:14) He didn't condemn because of her sin. She received honour or worth that transformed her and not only her but also the men of her city. The gospel of grace builds up. It always honours the worth of people because of the nature of our heavenly Father in whose image we are made. Honour restores because it is the antidote to shame.


Jesus sees His bride as that which will reflect His glory. He sees her clothed with glory and honour. She sees her radiant and beautiful. This was always the Father's valuation of His people. Even when Israel was backslidden, the Father went to extraordinary lengths to affirm His love for her. Hosea, the prophet demonstrated this when he wooed Gomer, the prostitute to himself. Gomer represented the state of Israel's heart but Hosea represented the state of the Father's heart toward Israel.


The heart of Jesus is always to lift up the church. He gave Himself for her. He honours her and covers her. What is our response to the way of honour that Jesus has for His bride? Do we see the church in the same way as Jesus does? How do we speak about her? Jesus took 'the fall' for the church. He "gave Himself for her". Romans 12:10 says "be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honour giving preference to one another." Believers are exhorted to honour one another in the same way that Jesus honours the church. Does our speech cloth one another with honour?


When we are clothed with His grace, honour will manifest. The "washing of water by the word" both prepares and presents the bride as a "glorious church" (Eph.5:26) It is the constant supply and application of the gospel of grace that transforms from "glory to glory". It is grace that makes her presentable. It is grace that grows her into the likeness of Jesus. When Jesus 'washed' the Samaritan woman with "water springing up into eternal life", she was immediately transformed. She received honour and was also empowered to pass honour forward.








This blog is adapted from a message by Ross Smith, Senior Pastor of The Vine Church, called Jesus Honours His bride. The full message can be accessed from the podcast dated 23/11/14 from www.thevine.org.au/teaching.

The Way of Honour (Part Two) : Double Honour

One of the worst effects of sin is shame. when Adam and Eve sinned they became shame conscious and immediately tried to cover themselves with fig leaves. humanity has been 'covering' ever since. God however provided them tunics of skin, symbolic of His plan and provision to deal with shame at the cross.


Shame never comes from God because it diminishes who we are. It carries the message that 'I am wrong and therefore I am unloved, worthless and alone.'. It badly damages relationships with other people and it triggers all sorts of dysfunctional behaviours.


The plan of God however is to eliminate shame and in its place establish honour. Honour is that which esteems, builds and values worth. One of the promises that he made with Israel who had endured shame associated with captivity, was that "instead of shame you shall have double honour." (Isaiah 61:7). The phrase 'double honour' means that the privileges of the friends of God would be far greater than had been experienced formerly. God doesn't just return what was lost but He brings increase over and above what was lost. For example, the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before he suffered loss. (Job 42:10)


God delights in bestowing honour. He especially delights in restoring that which sin has robbed from people. He restores peace, joy and righteousness. He promises that "all the heavenly blessings are ours in Christ" (Eph.1:3) He restores dignity and worth to sinners. All of this is the fruit of the victory that Jesus secured at the cross "who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising its shame and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Heb.12:2). Jesus despised the shame associated with the cross. He was not troubled by what others thought of Him - false witnesses, derision, abandonment and nakedness. Far more important to Him was the glorifying of His Father's name. He trumped shame with honour!


We are invited to receive the same honour secured for us through His victory over shame at Calvary. The way of honour has already dealt the death blow to shame.

This blog is adapted from a message called "Double Honour" by Ross Smith, Senior Pastor of The Vine Church (16/11/14) and can be accessed by podcast from www.thevine.org.au

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The Way Of Honour (Part One)

We all  like to receive encouragement and recognition for who we are, if not at least for the achievements we have done. There is something in our DNA that seems to crave these needs. It's probably fair to say that our very worth depends upon these needs being met. The dilemma is not so much the need for affirmation as it is about the source of that affirmation. Our dilemma is trying to get affirmation form other people who are also on a quest to discover who they are. Could this be like "the blind leading the blind"?

If we are made in the image of God then it behoves us to check out the nature of the source itself. One of the characteristics of the Godhead is the amazing honour that they have each for one another. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit honour each other. The plan of the Father was and still is to restore relationship between Himself and humanity. He charged the Son to implement the plan of redemption. The Holy Spirit has the job of broadcasting what Jesus has done for all people. Honour of each other is at the heart of heaven's plan being accomplished on earth.

The Father honoured the Son even before Jesus had done anything. When Jesus arose from his water baptism, a voice from heaven declared, "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." (Mt.3:17) Honour was broadcast from the Father to the Son. The Son said of His Father when He was in the garden of Gethsemane, "but not My will be done but thy will be done" (Mt.26:39). The Son honoured His Father's plan to go all the way to Calvary. Today the Holy Spirit honours the finished work of the Son as "He will testify of Me" (John 15:26) The Holy Spirit honours Jesus and always seeks to build people up in Christ.

This is the source at work. The way of honour is the way ahead. Honour always accords worth and esteem. How much are you worth? Who values you? Where does your esteem come from? The way that the Godhead honour each other is also the way of honour for us.


Adapted from the message by Ross Smith called "The Way Of Honour" from 09/11/14. The full message can be accessed by podcast from www.thevine.org.au