Perfection

Revelation 19:7-8 – Let us be glad and rejoice and honour him; for the time has come for the wedding banquet of the Lamb, and his bride has prepared herself. She is permitted to wear the cleanest and whitest and finest of linens. (TLB)

During Queen Elizabeth's coronation in 1953, watched by millions, she wore a gown and jewels worth millions of dollars. She was anointed with oil from a golden vial in the shape of an eagle, which is kept in the vaults under Westminster Abbey. This part of the ceremony was performed under a canopy to provide privacy between Elizabeth and God. The English monarch is also the head of the Church of England. The ceremony was laced with ages-old traditions.

The Queen accepted a ring to signify that she is married to the throne. When a novice becomes a nun, she wears a ring to signify that she is married to God. In the same way, couples exchange wedding rings to show the world that they are married and belong to each other.

Months of preparation were invested before the coronation, just as with any type of celebration. Before a wedding, everything is discussed and planned down to the last detail: the venue, the dress, rings, invitations, meal, cake, wine, music, photographer, seating, speeches, transportation, honeymoon … the list goes on. Colours are chosen; traditions upheld. Everything is important, meaningful. Everything must be perfect. The bride needs to lose ten pounds, have the perfect shoes, tan, makeup, manicure, pedicure, and not a hair out of place. While she fusses and stresses and often submits to despair, the groom mops up the tears.

The Bible tells us that the wedding banquet of the Lamb — with Jesus as the Groom and the Church as His bride — will be a party like no other. No expense will be spared: all the riches in the world belong to God. What a day that will be!

We may doubt whether we'll be ready to face our Saviour. We may feel that we'll never be good enough, no matter how hard we try. But do not despair — we, the bride, will not have to worry about being perfect.

Isaiah 61:10a – I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness. (NIV 2011)

When the time comes, Christians — Christ's ones, those who belong to Him — will appear before Him absolutely flawless.

Ephesians 5:27 – [Jesus died for the Church] so that he could give her to himself as a glorious Church without a single spot or wrinkle or any other blemish, being holy and without a single fault. (TLB)

Prayer: Lord Jesus, it's not about what we achieve but what we become. You believe in us, our redemption, and our royalty. Help us to believe in You and become what You made us to be: totally Yours. Amen.

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