Possessed?

The man and woman standing before me at the wedding last Saturday, gave themselves to one another.  By the spoken vows and exchange of rings, an expectation of an exclusive relationship was created.  He belongs to her, she belongs to him.  They ‘own’ one another!  Even the law of the land recognizes this mutual interest and will enforce it should one or the other stray from their vows.  No wonder we are cautioned not to enter into the marriage covenant without sober reflection!  For some, marriage becomes a heavy yoke of slavery. They feel trapped in a relationship that is like a prison.  For those who know genuine love; marriage is safe and nurturing. Their covenant vows create an interdependence that makes them together what they could never be apart.  They own a mutual affection and each exists to serve the other.

The Scripture leans heavily on marital imagery to define our relationship with Christ. "You husbands must love your wives with the same love Christ showed the church. He gave up his life for her to make her holy and clean, washed by baptism and God’s word. He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault. In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man is actually loving himself when he loves his wife. No one hates his own body but lovingly cares for it, just as Christ cares for his body, which is the church. And we are his body. As the Scriptures say, “A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.” This is a great mystery, but it is an illustration of the way Christ and the church are one." (Ephesians 5:25-32, NLT)

When we are ‘in Christ,’ by faith, our commitment signified by baptism, a new ownership is created! "Or don’t you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body." (1 Corinthians 6:19-20, NLT)  The Bible goes further and reminds us that when we give ourselves to Christ, we become "slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life." (Romans 6:22, NIV)

Yes, Christians are possessed, owned, by the Lord of Glory. But it is not an oppressive relationship. It is a place of safety.  His deep love is our refuge.  His Spirit lives in us and leads us from a life that has no hope, to one that has Heaven on the horizon.

Our American ideal of individualism makes it very hard for us grasp that we could ever be happy if ‘owned’ by another. We learn from our earliest age that it is good to insist on our rights and to protect ourselves from anyone who would take away our freedom of self-expression.  But, the Lord’s wisdom challenges us to live to give ourselves away, to embrace Christ as our Master!  Jesus does not sugarcoat the demand. “Listen carefully: Unless a grain of wheat is buried in the ground, dead to the world, it is never any more than a grain of wheat. But if it is buried, it sprouts and reproduces itself many times over. In the same way, anyone who holds on to life just as it is destroys that life. But if you let it go, reckless in your love, you’ll have it forever, real and eternal. “If any of you wants to serve me, then follow me. Then you’ll be where I am, ready to serve at a moment’s notice. The Father will honor and reward anyone who serves me." (John 12:24-26, The Message)

Here’s the question I want to leave in your mind today:  are you married to Christ, irrevocably given to Him, owned by Him, and owning His love?  Or, are you just His friend?