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THE FUTURE OF THE CHURCH By the late Dr. B. F. Dearmore, Long a Leader Among Real, Bible Believing Direct Missions Independent Baptists, and Father of the Webmaster Copyright 2001 by James H. Dearmore, Garland, Texas Permission granted to print copy for own use.

Chapter 6

The church is the betrothed bride of Christ.

In John 3:29 we find that people become a part of the bride by baptism. Remember that the subject under discussion here is "baptism" and the actions being referred to are about baptism, and then John refers to "the bridegroom receiving the bride" while he (John the Baptist) stands by rejoicing.

The full passage, in John 3:25 thru 29 says: "25 Then there arose a question between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purifying.

26 And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him.

27 John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven.

28 Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him.

29 He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled."

Matthew, 25th chapter, seems to refer clearly to Christ as the bridegroom.

He comes at midnight, in the middle of darkness. He comes when the bride and her friends are asleep. He came not to marry five brides but one. He carried with them four bridesmaids.

I Corinthians 15:51, "Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump; for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed."

I Thessalonians 4:16, "For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first."

When will the church cease to be? Never!

We proved in the "Founding of the Church" that God the Son founded it. Ecclesiastes 3:14 says "...... whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor anything taken from it ...."

Ephesians 3:21 tells us that there will be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. What is the "world without end?" Not this world but in the next, "wherein shall dwell righteousness."

As the groom receives glory of the bride, so Christ will always receive glory in the church.