Preparing the Bride of Christ

The call of God goes forth to “whosoever will” in hope that a good response would be forthcoming and the new creation would begin. Jesus gives a parable of the sower who sowed seed in the ground. The seed has the potential to bring forth something that is totally different in appearance than what is sown. So the seed is sown in the ground in hope that what is desired will be produced from that little seed. All the conditions must be correct to release the tremendous potential that is locked up within, so that what grows is the increase of the Lord.

Jesus describes certain soil conditions – hard, stony, thorny and good. They represent heart conditions that are found in men that will bring forth something of temporal or eternal value. In the natural, soil condition can be changed through work – tilling, breaking clods, adding nutrients, watering, etc., making the soil more receptive to the seed planted. If work does not progress then the seed will never produce because the soil is not conducive to growth, no matter how many seeds are planted.

When a person genuinely comes to Christ, many things occur within them, one of which is a desire for the Lord and His Word. Desire must be cultivated so that continued growth occurs and so that the heart remains soft and pliable. Although the Holy Spirit places desire in the heart, desire must be maintained through a constant cooperation with the Lord. That is why in 1 Pet 2:2 “…desire the pure milk of the Word,” the Greek verb translated “desire” in English, is an imperative mood verb, which means it is a command. We are not commanded to create desire for the Lord, but we are commanded to maintain the longing He has placed within us by walking in the Spirit and not fulfilling the lust of our flesh.

The day that I gave my heart to Jesus, immediately there was placed within me a hunger for Him and His Word. I knew little of God, Jesus, or the Holy Spirit, and I was so ignorant that I could not even look up a scripture in the Bible correctly and stumbled through it, trying to look up a verse. I had no understanding of anything spiritual, but I knew something had happened within me and began to trust the Lord to help and teach me. Later I realized that the Lord had placed this driving hunger in my heart that had to be nurtured through His Word, church, fellowship, etc.

Not only is there to be a response to the Gospel initially, but also there is to be a continual response to the Lord as He tries to bring the Christian on to maturity. He will reveal His Word, personally uncover His will to us, and show the way in which we should walk. There will be things that we will not like but are central truths of the Gospel and key to our development.