<TITLE>19. Par 85-87</TITLE>L-85 Esther purged her heart before God, walked up with a meek and humble spirit; the church that's going to be the bride of Christ... Now, remember, Esther refused the worldly adornment. She took the Spirit in her heart to go before the king.
And the woman today, the church that thinks she's going to get in because she's got more numbers, she's the best dressed crowd, she's got the biggest organization, the biggest church in the city, and things like that... You'll miss it a million miles if you're depending on that.
It's a sweet, kind, reverent spirit to the Word of God, washed by the water of the Word. And the Word in you, it's a washing. Amen. The church needs a washing, a full Gospel washing (That's right.), not just a part washing, but a full Gospel washing, cleaned up, made new creatures in Christ Jesus.

L-86 Jesus' bride is not a dirty bride. He wouldn't have His dirty bride. A woman come up to get married, and she looked like she come out of the pig pen out there, a man that's got any dignity about him wouldn't marry her. He'd make her clean herself up. And when the church of Christ comes up to get married, thinks she's going in the bride with all the world tagging onto her... Christ's bride won't be like that. No, sir. (I must hurry.)
Neither is the church of Christ, of the Lord Jesus Christ, that church is not a ragged church either, with worn out rags of denominations. She don't have to be a--a member of some great denomination. She has to be Blood-washed, Blood-bought. Not saying we belong to the biggest church, the biggest organization, or this, that, or the other; she's got to be pure, sanctified, holy, without spot or wrinkle, by the Blood of her--her Saviour, Jesus Christ.

L-87 Like Esther, the hidden man in the heart, the hidden man, the meekness and gentleness of the Spirit of God in the human heart, not the glory and class of the world...
I've always said the world shines; the Gospel glows. Oh, it's a million miles apart. Hollywood shines; the church of Christ glows with loveliness, and soft, and sweet, kind. That's right.
Esther didn't want to adorn herself with all the modern apparel of the world. That wouldn't look like a king's wife. And do we wanting to be like the world, and the... Would that look like a holy man's wife? We, as the church of the living God adorn ourselves with the things of the world, and then look like a holy man's wife? Would that look natural?
If you seen a man today, that's supposed to be a holy man, and here comes his wife down like the first lady: one of those great big hairdo's out like this, and red stuff on one side, and green stuff on the other side; and--and look like she's been hit in the mouth with a paint brush, and all these kind of things like that; walking down the street, in little wiener-tight clothes like that, and heels about so high, twisting along, mincing down the street... Say, "That's a holy man's wife?" (I'm not telling jokes. I'm only making statements.)


<A HREF="P20">Next Page</A>