Our Souls Married to Christ

Reflections on Isaac Ambrose in his book, Looking Unto Jesus:

“Worldly honour keeps many back from Christ. But why must we look off [look away from] everything that diverts our looking unto Jesus?” (Ambrose).

As I ponder this I’m reminded that Jesus says (Mark 4:18 – 19), “And others are the ones on whom seed was sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word, but the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.”

John writes concerning those in positions of power (John 12:42 – 43), “Nevertheless many even of the rulers believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they were not confessing Him, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the approval of men rather than the approval of God.”

We have a fundamental choice to make, and by the grace of God we will make it in favor of Jesus Christ. Peer pressure is great. The fear of man can be paralyzing, if we do not seek the grace of Christ, if we do not submit to Christ, if we do not, by His grace, obey the Word of Christ. We can live in the prison of peer pressure, of pleasure, of temporal safety – or we can live as captives of Jesus Christ. Captivity to Christ is a greater freedom than the freest of the free outside of Christ – for the freest of the free outside of Christ is a prisoner of himself, while those who are captive to Christ have eternal and vibrant freedom in Him.

“Because whilst we look on these things, we cannot see the beauty that is in Christ.” (Ambrose).

This is such a fundamental principle that I don’t understand why we don’t understand it. If our eye is single our body will be filled with light (Matthew 6:22).

“Because all other things, in comparison of Christ, are not worthy a look... "I count all things but loss,” saith St. Paul, “For the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord – I count them but dung that I may win Christ.” (Ambrose).

Shouldn’t we live on earth as we will live in heaven? Shouldn’t we desire and yearn for greater dimensions in our relationship with Jesus Christ? Deeper love? Higher delight? Greater wonder? (Ephesians 3:14 – 21).

“Because it is according to the very law of marriage: “Therefore shall a man leave father and mother, and cleave unto his wife.” The Lord Christ marries himself to the souls of his saints; and for this cause the soul must forsake all, and cleave unto Christ. [Italics mine]. (Ambrose).

“Because Christ is a jealous God. Now jealousy is a passion in the soul, that will not endure any sharing in the object beloved.” (Ambrose).

Paul writes (2 Corinthians 11:2 – 3), “For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one husband, so that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin. But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.”

Do we live as if our souls are married to Christ? Or are we promiscuous in our affections? Do we put our wedding rings to Christ on for an hour or two on Sunday, and take them off as we leave our weekly gatherings? Do those who watch us, who live with us, who work with us, know by our words and actions and decisions that we are married to Jesus Christ, that we are devoted to Him, that we love Him with all that we have and all that we are?

What about our churches?

“Because all other things can never satisfy the eye. “All things are full of labour,” saith Solomon, “man cannot utter it; the eye is not satisfied with seeing”: it is but wearied with looking on divers objects, and yet still desires new ones; but once admit it to that glorious sight of Christ, and then it rests fully satisfied.” (Ambrose).

We live in a culture of seduction. We are seduced into thinking that Christ is not enough for us. We are seduced into thinking that our churches must reflect the world in order to attract the world. We are seduced into watering-down the Gospel. We are seduced into thinking that God will lower the glory of His holiness to accommodate our hedonism. We are seduced to believe that “just a little bit more” of this world will be enough to satisfy us.

O Lord Jesus, by Your grace, teach us to see You, desire You, pant after You as the deer pants for the water brooks, to be faithful to You, to live our lives looking unto You and only unto You.

May we live as those whose souls are married to Jesus Christ.