Believing the gospel of Christ is what makes you part of the bride of Christ — the Holy Spirit immediately places every believer into the body of Christ.
Les Feldick teaches that you do not join the bride by signing up or being baptized by a preacher. The moment you believe the gospel, the Holy Spirit automatically and immediately baptizes you into the body of Christ by one Spirit. The bride of Christ is that body of Church Age believers, and no unsaved person is in it. Scripture compares this to marriage to Christ.
1 Corinthians 12:13 — This verse describes the Spirit's act of placing believers into Christ's one body.
Romans 7:4 — This verse describes believers as dead to the law and married to Christ.
Scripture shows that salvation brings a person into Christ's body by the work of the Holy Spirit. First Corinthians 12:13 says, "For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit." The same Spirit places believing Jews and Gentiles into one organism. Paul describes being in that body as a marriage to Christ. Romans 7:4 says, "Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God." Scripture also says in Deuteronomy 29:29, "The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law."
Les Feldick teaches that the bride of Christ is "that consortium of all the believers of the Church Age, who have been placed into the body by the Holy Spirit." He emphasizes that no one signs up for this membership and no preacher baptizes a person into it. Instead, the moment a person believes the gospel, the Holy Spirit automatically and immediately places him into the body of Christ by one Spirit. Les explains that the marriage language used for the bride is a relationship, not a statement about gender. Believers are married to Christ in a spiritual union, and this begins the moment they are placed into His body. He also points out that no unsaved person is ever baptized by the Holy Spirit into the body of Christ. Les connects this to the believer's heavenly calling: as members of the body of Christ, believers are joint heirs with Christ and will rule and reign with Him. He teaches that this is a position Israel never attains, and he pictures Christ calling the bride to Himself in the same way Isaac went out to meet Rebekah.
Les defines the bride of Christ as the entire body of Church Age believers who have been placed into the body by the Holy Spirit. He says that no unsaved person is ever baptized by the Holy Spirit into that body, so the bride is made up only of true believers.
Les is explicit: "You didn't sign up for it. Some preacher didn't baptize you into it." Instead, first you must believe the gospel. The Holy Spirit then automatically and immediately places you into the body of Christ. This is the biblical truth of 1 Corinthians 12:13 — by one Spirit we are all baptized into one body.
Les compares the believer's union with Christ to a marriage. As soon as the old Adam is reckoned dead, God considers the believer married to Christ in a new relationship, not under the Mosaic law but under His love and grace. This is why Paul writes that believers are dead to the law and married to Christ, bearing fruit unto God.
Les uses Isaac going out to meet Rebekah as a picture of Christ calling the bride to Himself. Just as Isaac met the bride on the way and took her home to consummate the marriage, Christ will call the bride home. The bride is preparing herself for the Groom.
Justification by Faith: What Does It Really Mean?
Hello and welcome to Through the Bible with Les Feldick. An Oklahoma rancher and farmer, Les Feldick has been teaching homestyle Bible classes for 20 years in Iowa, Oklahoma, and Texas. Les Feldick's unique style of Bible teaching has made the books of the Bible come to life. When Les is teaching, it's so interesting that people say time just seems to fly by. And now, here is Les Feldick.
Marriage Relationship, Not Gender
Les clarifies that calling believers the bride of Christ is a relationship metaphor, not a claim that believers are female.
Spiritual Oneness Through Faith
Les explains that being in Christ makes believers one with Him as husband and wife, a spiritual relationship comprehended only by faith.
The Bride Is the Body of Believers
The bride of Christ is the whole body of Church Age believers placed into Christ by the Holy Spirit, and no unsaved person is part of it.
The Spirit Places Believers Into the Body
Les details the process: no sign-up and no preacher baptism; believing the gospel causes the Holy Spirit to immediately place the believer into the body.
The Gentile Bride Called to Christ
Les says Gentiles have been brought into the body as part of the bride, and Christ will call the bride to Himself just as Isaac met Rebekah.
The Church's Position as Joint Heirs
Les teaches that the body of Christ has a unique position as children of God and joint heirs with Christ, a position Israel never attains.
Dead to the Law and Married to Christ
Les shows from Romans 7 that believers are dead to the law and married to Christ, so their union with Him begins now and bears fruit for God.
1 Corinthians 12:13: For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
This is the verse Les points to when explaining that the Spirit places believers into one body the moment they believe.
Romans 7:4: Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.
This is the text behind Les's point that believers are dead to the law and married to Christ.
Deuteronomy 29:29: The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.
Les uses this verse to show that God now reveals the spiritual union believers have with Christ.
Les says a preacher does not baptize you into the body of Christ. The Holy Spirit automatically and immediately places you into the body the moment you believe the gospel. Water baptism is not the means of membership.
Yes, in Les's teaching. The bride of Christ is the consortium of all Church Age believers who have been placed into the body by the Holy Spirit.
No. Les says this is merely a relationship, like husband and wife. It is not about gender.
No. Les says no unsaved person is ever baptized by the Holy Spirit into the body of Christ.
Watch the Teaching: Justification by Faith: What Does It Really Mean?