The Bride - Lecrae

This is a song Called The Bride by my favorite artist Lecrae. I think he is a great modern preacher!

Verse 1:

She's a building of beings bein' constructed, Christ is the cornerstone
Foundation built on another and you's a goner homes
She's built on Him, supported by Him, conformed to Him
Now she's a body of bodies who transformed through Him
A temple that breathes, we are the halls
We are the floorboards or more, we are the walls
Manifold wisdom of God no longer a mystery
The church is the pinnacle of our salvific history
One flesh union homie
The Tri-union is glorified through our corporatized communion
Still the present reality is she was born a casualty
Though she's made alive she's still affected by depravity
Once lived in sin and enslaved by her lust and
Folks catch her slippin' and they turn away disgusted
She's a work in progress, Christ is the head of her
And He wash her clean with the words He done said to her
Already pretty but really she's not dressed
And sometimes she look silly but she's far from a mess
Yes, please don't be dissin' cause Jesus done paid grip
And if you didn't then you should call her Misses
I'm talking 'bout the Church

Hook:

I know she may look gritty
When her Man come back she gone look so pretty
She the Church
You might see her actin' crazy
Be patient with her though cause she still God's baby
She the Church
Before you diss her, get to know her
Jesus got a thing for her and He died just to show her
She the Church
She ain't bricks and buildings
She all of God's people, men women and children
We the Church

Verse 2:

Her name is Ecclesia, meaning the assembly
Bows to the Trinity, no other divinity
A body, family and a community she is all one
But on Earth you see her in congregational small ones
A microcosm or a small scale example
But it is the church even though it's just a sample
Invisible, spiritual, physical, visible
Not a brick temple, never that simple
This a not a building, she is not bricks
She's a world changer but ain't 'bout gettin' rich
Perpetratin' fakes cause a lot of folks to hate
Plus her hands get dirty and her feet get scraped
And sometimes her body parts start acting outta place
Legs tryna be the arms, arms thinkin' they the face
But she'll never be replaced with a one man band
Or a small Taliban with nobody in command

Hook

Verse 3:

Some don't get it so they hate
They say she's on a paper chase, they say she's really fake
So they go start a ministry so they can do the work
But they don't understand how Jesus feel about His Church
And yeah they make disciples, got plenty conversions
They take care of the widows and the orphans, man they be workin'
But none of them are Church and no church structure
No elders and no discipline, they have no conductor
And they don't submit, but quite a few of them are baptized
People how I pray that you'd look at this thing from God's eyes
Take responsibility inside the whole council
Not just the area where you might have a mouthful
Who should folks submit to, who'll conduct the discipline?
If excommunicated, what body will they be missin' then?
Peep Ephesians 4 where Paul gets practical
1 Timothy and Titus if you thinkin' I'm irrational

Hook

Marriage Lessons

Learning to love the law of God is so vital! God’s law shows His character, expectations and His love for us. God’s law has the power to convert the sinner, change lives, judge; the list goes on and on. So often the law is treated with contempt and disdain because our flesh does not like to submit. But, I maintain that if you begin to look at God’s law in a different way your understanding could provide a renewed love.

In Ephesians 5 we learn about the relationship of a husband and a wife, which is compared to the relationship of Christ and the church. So, let us dig a little deeper into that concept.

If you have a husband that is mean, oppressive or harsh then you have a wife that submits simply to avoid conflict. She does not consult him out of respect but out of fear. She does not joyfully serve him or follow him; she simply exists with him because she has to.

Then, there is the wife in a marriage with a man that is understanding, caring, respectable and worthy of leadership; he is decisive but considerate. In this situation the wife consults her husband out of genuine respect and honor. She will submit to him because he has proven to have proper motives and because she truly loves him and wants to be pleasing.

You see if you begin to know Jesus you will know that he is the second husband to the church. When you understand that Christ is righteous and worthy of all glory then you will begin to submit out of love and honor. To submit to and love God’s law is to know and love your creator. It is submission of honor and understanding not of oppression.

To take that one step further the comparison is of marriage. Christ is treated like an affair or a booty call so often these days. Many call themselves followers of Christ but only call on Him when they need something. They, like someone in and affair, only call on Him when it is convenient for them or when they need a fix. Then their everyday life is continued until the next time.

It is a commitment to Jesus Christ and His law!