Romans 7:4 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.

I have said all I have said about identity and roles only to bring you to this point in our conversation. We all, together, are betrothed to Christ. We have been chosen to be His bride by the Father. As a man I have had difficulty seeing myself as a bride. It might be easier for women. It is important however that we all should accept that we are all headed towards the wedding feast.

Revelation 21:2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

We are not there yet and even in this prophetic word according to my understanding, we had not been to the wedding. The key word in all this is prepared. We who are still alive are in a state of preparedness. Not there yet, but getting there.

Can you see yourself as betrothed to Christ?

The first thing that comes to my mind is that I am not worthy. Who told me that?

Isaiah 21:2a A grievous vision is declared unto me; the treacherous dealer dealeth treacherously, and the spoiler spoileth.

Who plays the spoiler? Who lies to us about who we are in Christ? Who says “Surely God did not say that!”

Genesis 3:4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:

Revelation 12:9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

Ephesians 4:15-17 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,

Vanity is biblically defined as emptiness as to results. In this season of identity we speak of seeing ourselves in a role, chosen of God, to meet a successful end. These verses in Ephesians 4 are critical in determining if our vision of self is vane or a reflection of relationship. Do we fit in or do we feel like an outsider looking in? Are we compacted so that we have close fellowship where we feel supported on every side? Do we feel we are accomplishing our part, adding to the growth of this body in which we are just one part? Do we love them? Are we loved by them?

Are we talking a church body or the body of Christ? Yes. It is both. This is why different members of church groups can gather together in unity of faith and feel they have not lost anything but rather gained a larger part in extending the love beyond the small group setting. Jesus broke up the five thousand into small groups and set men to see that the needs of the individual were not overlooked. He taught all of them at once.

These days jobs change, cities change, and new life is explored afresh. If you are in this situation and you find yourself in new surroundings, how do you find a new church, a new small group? Do you walk in and declare yourself or do you wait to see if anyone notices you are new?