CAN PEOPLE TELL YOU ARE ENGAGED?

Born again believers are engaged in a war with the god of this world, with the prince of the power of the air, (2 Cor. 4:4; Eph. 2:2; 6:12). He is known by many names, but primarily as "the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan" (Rev. 20:2). And while he may be able to steal, kill, and destroy the lives of God's children, he cannot separate us, that is, our souls from the love of God (Jn. 10:10; Rom. 8:35-39). He is fighting a war that he cannot win, and his end is already determined (Rev. 20:10)!

Born again believers are also engaged to be married. The Apostle Paul wrote, "... for I have espoused you to One Husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ" (2 Cor. 11:2). In other words, the Church is engaged to Jesus Christ, and in the eyes of God, we are pure, or righteous, because He has made us so (Matt. 5:8; 2 Cor. 5:21; 1 Pet. 1:22; 1 Jn. 3:2-3).

Even though the marriage of the Church to Christ is yet future, for all practical purposes, we are already married to Christ. Using the relationship between Joseph and Mary as an example of how the Jews viewed marital engagement, we see that the Law considered engaged couples as already being married. Matthew wrote:

"Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with Child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily" (Matt. 1:18-19).

"Betrothal," getting engaged, included marriage vows, and a divorce was required to break the engagement (Wycliffe Bible Commentary p. 932). The woman was considered the man's wife, and since Mary was pregnant by "Someone" other than Joseph, had he made it public, she would have been stoned to death (Deut. 22:23-30; Lev. 20:10).

Paul, in describing the perfect relationship between a husband and wife, used our relationship with God as a pattern. He wrote:

"Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself for it; that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word, that He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish" (Eph. 5:24-27).

According to the Book of Revelation, the Church will be officially married to Christ in heaven while the Tribulation is occurring on earth (Rev. 19:7-9). That means, we are espoused to Him now. We are engaged to Christ.

Do you live like you belong to Jesus, or you living in "spiritual adultery?"