The Bride's Privileges
A Sermon on Ephesians 5:25-33
Originally preached March 20, 1960
Scripture
25Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or …
Sermon Description
By the life, death, and resurrection of Christ Jesus, the church has been redeemed from sin and cleansed from all unrighteousness. In this sermon on Ephesians 5:25–33 titled “The Bride’s Privileges,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones preaches that the bride of Christ comes to enjoy all the benefits and blessings that He brings. They are accepted before God the Father on the basis of who Christ is and their belief in Him. This is one of the most central truths to understand in the Christian life. In it is seen that the church has been seated with Christ in the heavenly places and delivered from this present evil age. Not only are Christians justified by Christ but the church, and therefore all believers, have true and lasting fellowship with Him. This is a great comfort for Christians who struggle and suffer in this world. As Dr. Lloyd-Jones describes, Christians can turn and look to Christ knowing that He loves and cares for them as deeply as a husband loves his bride. Christ in His love for His church also gives an example for all husbands for what it looks like to love their wives wholly and completely. It is Christ’s love of the church that should model for all Christians what true love looks like.
Sermon Breakdown
- Christ bestows his life upon the church. The church shares in Christ's life.
- Christ bestows his name upon the church. The church takes on Christ's name and is called Christian.
- The church shares in Christ's dignity and standing. The church shares in Christ's position and glory.
- The church shares in Christ's privileges like access to the Father and the Father's love.
- The church shares in Christ's possessions and inheritance. All things belong to the church.
- The church shares in Christ's interests, plans and purposes. The church is Christ's co-worker.
- Christ shares his servants, the angels, with the church. The angels minister to the church.
- The church shares in Christ's problems, troubles and sufferings. The church shares in Christ's agony.
- The church shares in Christ's glory and prospects. The church will share in Christ's glory in eternity.
Sermon Q&A
What Does Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones Teach About the Church Being the Bride of Christ?
What does it mean that the church is the bride of Christ according to Lloyd-Jones?
According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, the church being the bride of Christ is a profound spiritual reality that demonstrates our intimate relationship with Christ. He explains that this relationship is modeled in Ephesians 5:25-33, where Paul compares the husband-wife relationship to Christ and the church. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that "we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones," showing that believers are as much a part of Christ as Eve was of Adam. This relationship is not merely symbolic but represents a deep mystical union where the church is bound to Christ in an eternal, loving relationship where "the twain shall be one flesh."
What privileges do Christians receive as the bride of Christ?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones outlines several privileges Christians receive as the bride of Christ:
- We share in Christ's life: "We are sharers of his life."
- We receive Christ's name: "He bestows upon us his name" - we are called Christians.
- We share in Christ's dignity and position: "We are seated with him in the heavenly places."
- We have access to the Father: "You have a right of entry and of access into the presence of the father."
- We share in Christ's possessions: "All things are yours...because you are Christ's and Christ is God's."
- We inherit the world to come: "We are the heirs of this glory."
- We have angelic servants: "The angels of God are our servants."
- We will share in Christ's glory: "When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory."
How does Lloyd-Jones describe the future glory of the church?
Lloyd-Jones describes the future glory of the church as inheriting "the world to come" - not the current world in its fallen state, but the world when Christ returns and purifies it. He says: "It is this same world when Christ shall have come back and shall have destroyed all his enemies and all evil... when there shall be a new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness." As the bride of Christ, we will "share that everlasting glory with the Son of God," appearing with Him in glory as "a glorious church, not having spot nor wrinkle, nor any such thing." He emphasizes that we will "reign over the whole universe" and even "judge angels" as part of our inheritance.
What is the main problem in the church today according to Lloyd-Jones?
According to Lloyd-Jones, the main problem in the church today is "the failure of Christian people to realize the privileges and the dignities of being members of the Christian church and of the body of Christ." He laments that Christians often regard church membership as "a kind of dignity that we confer upon the church instead of realizing that it's the highest and the most glorious privilege that people can ever have." He says, "I cannot understand how anybody can be complacent about the state of the church. Surely the ultimate explanation of the state of the world is the state of the church." Lloyd-Jones believes if Christians truly understood their position as the bride of Christ, they would "no longer be apologetic and languishing and drooping and miserable to look at" but "filled with a sense of pride and of joy and of glory."
How should Christians respond to suffering according to this sermon?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones teaches that Christians are "sharers of his problems, of his troubles and of his sufferings." He quotes Jesus saying, "If they have hated me, they will also hate you. If they have persecuted me, they will persecute you." Rather than being surprised by suffering, Christians should understand it as sharing in Christ's own sufferings.
Lloyd-Jones references Paul's words in Colossians 1:24, "who now rejoice in my sufferings for you and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church." He explains that just as "a wife worthy of the name suffers whenever her husband suffers," believers experience "the agony of the Son of God that will continue until the crowning day comes."
Christians should respond to suffering by keeping their eyes on "the world to come" and their future glory with Christ, "not looking at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen."
The Book of Ephesians
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.