I Am My Beloved's

                                                         

When we turn our back on sin by repentance and are water baptized in the name of Jesus for the remission (forgiveness/washing away/burial) of our sins, we have entered into a covenant with God. He promises us the gift of His Spirit, the Holy Ghost. (Acts 2:38) We have become His bride. We forsake all others – putting away the world with its lusts and all other gods in our life - and cleaving to Jesus. (John 3:26, 29, 1John 2:15-16).

"And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength…" - Mark 12:30

"To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;" - Ephesians 1:6-7

"I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine..." - Song of Songs 6:3

In our covenant, we are the bride of Christ. Our relationship is as a husband and wife.

"Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;" - Ephesians 5:25

"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." - Romans 7:4

The church is the mother, baptizing with water. Jesus is the Father, baptizing with His Spirit. Souls are born. (John 3:5, Galatians 4:19).

"For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: for we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church." - Ephesians 5:29-32 (John 14:20, John 15:4).

"For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." - Romans 8:38-39