I am now in the fourth chapter of the book written by Timothy S. Lane and Paul David Tripp. The topic is about the use of marriage analogy describing the Christian life. It directs our minds to realize that every Christian is married to Christ.

One of the authors introduced the chapter by sharing a story about his marriage. He told us that when he married his wife, the latter didn't know that the former was deep in debt. He accumulated such liabilities during his studies in college. Contrary to his financial situation, his wife has a stable job and has developed a saving habit. He used this part of his marital life to illustrate the fact that just like his wife shared his debt and he shared his wife's assets, Christ too assumes our debts and his assets became ours. This is popularly called in the Bible as "grace".

Aside from such legal and financial advantage that he inherited from his wife, both of them entered into a personal relationship that is expected to grow through the years. In relation to the biblical idea of change, such a personal relationship with Christ is vital for a Christian to grow in Christlikeness. This idea of change is unique for it has nothing to do with techniques or any other methods, but centered on the person of Christ. It is more than an intellectual or behavioral change; it is a change brought about by an intimate relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

Whether we like it or not, if we are married to somebody, he or she can influence us for the better or for worse. Ideally, a married person should be gradually changing into the likeness of the person he or she is married to. If we are indeed married to Christ, His Spirit will do everything to transform us into the likeness of Jesus, and that everything could include even the use of a painful process such as trials in life.

Means are not Ends

Typically, when Christians think of change as a lifelong process, the inclination is to focus on the so-called "means of grace" such as prayer, fasting, study, fellowship, service, and other similar spiritual activities. The problem with this mindset is that the means attract attention to themselves, leading them to function as ends. As such, they distract our attention from the person of Christ, who is the real goal of biblical change.

Implications of 2 Corinthians 11:1-3

In 2 Corinthians 11:1-3, the apostle Paul warned the believers in Corinth about the danger forgetting Christ as the center of the Christian life. Speaking with affection of a spiritual father, the apostle was jealous for the believers in Corinth to remain pure and true to their husband, Christ. The apostle was worried that the church in Corinth will be seduced by false lovers.

And then Lane and Tripp asked:

What does it mean to be married to Christ?

They answered their own question:

Christ has made us the recipients of his affection and, in turn, we are to make him the ultimate object of ours.

Following such an admonition, Corinthian believers as well as believers today must avoid false gospels and counterfeit lovers.

And then the authors asked two searching questions:

What false lovers entice you to forget your true husband and the faithfulness he deserves? Why do we worship other things in place of Christ?

They replied that "we worship what we find attractive" and these attractive things "eclipse the beauty of Christ" whether they are "our jobs, other people, a state of mind (comfort, security), success, power, peace, or money" (p. 50).

Three Profound Realities

In concluding this article, let me end with three "profound realities" associated with the fact that Christians are married to Christ:

• If we are indeed married to Christ, our goal should not be our personal happiness, but spiritual purity.

The big issue here is fidelity. As Christ's wife, will we remain to Him or will we seek happiness elsewhere? The focus should be one of spiritual purity, single-minded devotion, and fidelity.

• If we are indeed married to Christ, this relationship affects the way we live now.

Our current life should be viewed as a preparation for eternity. Even though we can have a foretaste of the blessings of this new relationship in this life, its ultimate culmination will take place in the afterlife.

• If we are indeed married to Christ, we must view life as all-inclusive.

We can do all spiritual activities such as prayer, Bible study, giving offerings, mercy ministry, and the like without Christ as the focus. If you are asked the question what makes Jesus attractive to you, how would would you respond? Are you more attracted to yourself that makes your attraction to Christ less?

Source: Timothy S. Lane and Paul David Tripp. 2006. How People Change. Greensboro: New Growth Press.