Isa 4:2 In that day the Branch of the LORD
shall be beautiful and glorious; And the fruit of the earth shall be excellent
and appealing For those of Israel who have escaped. 3 And it shall come to pass
that he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called
holy-everyone who is recorded among the living in Jerusalem. 4 When the Lord
has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and purged the blood of
Jerusalem from her midst, by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of
burning, 5 then the LORD will create above every dwelling place of Mount Zion,
and above her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming
fire by night. For over all the glory there will be a covering. 6 And there
will be a tabernacle for shade in the daytime from the heat, for a place of
refuge, and for a shelter from storm and rain.
What a beautiful picture of Christ and His church.
Words like “beautiful, glorious, excellent, appealing, and holy,” are used to
describe those who have escaped judgment through faith in Jesus Christ.
The enduring faithful will have their names recorded
in the Book of Life. The filth of all their sins washed away by God’s gracious
gift of faith in the sacrificial death and glorious resurrection of His Son. The
conviction of this truth coming to us through the work of the Holy Spirit who, “will
convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 "of sin, because they do not believe in
Me; 10 "of righteousness, because I
go to My Father and you see Me no more; 11 "of judgment, because the ruler of
this world is judged. (Jn 16:8-11)
Every local congregation, every body of believers,
will gather with the glory of God…..Jesus, in their midst. Mt 18:20 says, "For
where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of
them."
His glorious and washed clean bride will be a place of
refuge and shelter from the storms of life.
This is what we are to be as the Bride of Christ. This
is who and what He will make of us. As we yield to Him and the Holy Spirit,
ever thankful for the mercy He has shown us through the saving gift of faith.
We show that same grace and mercy that He extended to us to others. Eph 4:32
reminds us to “be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another,
just as God in Christ forgave you.
A correct understanding of what God has done for you
in His mercy, will be mirrored in your own life and consequently the life of
your congregation and God will make you and your church, “beautiful, glorious, excellent, appealing,
and holy,”
There are no man-made evangelism programs that can top
that!
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