Bibledoorajar studies the three main divisions of the book, The Song of the Bride

    This week my minister spoke to our congregation about securing our salvation--realizing the need to be trained and disciplined to fully accept the grace the Lord  so willingly gives us. This idea of training and making progress can be seen in the three main divisions or themes of the Song of the Bride. There is that first stage. The bride is attracted to the King, but still is so into herself. Her position is 'what's in it for me?'  Every Christian is either at this stage or can remember being there. The Spirit woos the believer to pursue Him, to think of Him, but most days are spent not doing so. It is so easy to dismiss Him and there are so many questions not yet settled. Frances Havergal explores this theme in the hymn, "Is it for Me?":
               "Is it for me, dear Savior, Thy glory and Thy rest--For me, so weak and sinful? O shall I be so blest?"
     Entranced, the bride wonders. Like us, she had questions. For her and us, in time, many of them are answered. We find ourselves asking not just what's in it for me, but now, what's in it for Him? Suddenly we realize He thinks of us and has desires that only we can fulfill. E.B. Lorenz wrote:
       "Amid the trials which I meet, Amid the thorns which pierce my feet, One thought remains supremely sweet, Thou thinkest Lord of me!"
     It becomes gratifying to know that He will not be dismissed so easily. The bride's old self did not suit the needs of the king. Like her, the Christian has to be willing to be changed. We begin to see what He wants as His reward and we are willing to pursue just that.
     The third theme is one of the bride's love maturing into a beautifully transformed love. She is ready to be at home with him. Like the bride, Christians must become ready for their eternal home with our King. Now the question is not just, what's in it for me, or what's in it for Him, but rather, what's in it for us? What will we share together? And, we begin to see what our glory will be. As N.H. Lines penned:
       "When in His glory the Savior I see, And in His likeness forever shall be; There from the trials of earth to be free, that will be glory for me, be glory for me."
     There are sub-themes in the book and we will explore them, but these three are the primary themes: learning to love sacrificially, learning to love more dearly, and longing to live forever with Him in His kingdom. Vana Raye expressed it this way:
      "In the kingdom of the Lord there is grace for for every heart; In the kingdom of the Lord blessings come and sins depart. In the kingdom, there alone, are the saved, the good, the blest; Here the Savior knows His own, Here is joy and peace and rest. In the kingdom of the Lord, Christ abides-He is the King! It is ours to love His word, To submit in everything; Oh glorious Kingdom! Bride of the Savior! Living forever, God's purpose to fulfill."
      It is a thrilling and fulfilling journey that the Lord's bride is on. The important thing is to keep on seeking, keep on looking for the One we love, keep on pleasing Him.  The door of the kingdom is fully ajar for such people. God is good!!