After the remarkable description of his bride (Vs. 1-5) in which the groom describes her exquisite beauty, he tells her that he will answer her invitation to go to the mountain (Vs. 6 cf. 2:17). He concluded the poem with an intensified version of opening statement—“you are all beautiful….there is no blemish in you.” These words of the groom are spoken in the heat of love—he sees her as a flawless beauty. We all know on a human level that love is blind and fails to see flaws in the object of love. This language then, is a very natural and common figure of speech, called hyperbole—it makes the point by exaggeration. But when we hear our Saviour say this of the Christian and compare this to other parts of Scripture we discover that there is a very different, profound and legal meaning. The love that Christ has for his bride is not a blind love. He is omniscient, He sees with an all-searching eye and does not ignore excuse or rationalise sin—God’s love deals with sin.
Ever Christian knows that there are things in the life—in the mind, words and attitudes—that are sinful and ugly and in the realm of this earthly life there are many incongruities and inconsistencies. But while we grieve that it may not be well with our life, we can say with Spafford; “It is well with my soul” and seek by God’s grace to bring the life into comformity with the soul, which is in Christ. The beauty of the Christian then, is the beauty of the soul in Christ—who is without spot. Paul comforted the Romans with this; “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus…” Nothing can condemn us…in Christ there is no spot.
Featuring a sermon puts it on the front page of the site and is the most effective way to bring this sermon to the attention of thousands including all mobile platforms + newsletter.
Text-Featuring a sermon is a less expensive way to bring this sermon to the attention of thousands on the right bar with optional newsletter inclusion. As low as $30/day.
Aaron Dunlop, who is originally from Northern Ireland, graduated from the Geneva Reformed Seminary, SC. He pastored for ten years in Victoria, British Columbia and is currently preparing to move to Kenya with his family to work with the FAME Reformed Theological College.
