Lily Among Thorns: Christ's Love and Believer's Beauty

 

Summary

In the Song of Solomon, the imagery of the "Lily among Thorns" beautifully captures the relationship between Christ and His church. This metaphor speaks to the unique and cherished position of believers in the eyes of Jesus. The lily, a symbol of purity and beauty, stands in stark contrast to the thorns, representing the world and its challenges. This imagery is not just poetic but deeply theological, illustrating how Christ perceives His church and each believer as precious and set apart, despite the surrounding trials and tribulations.

The church, as the bride of Christ, is the object of His profound love. This love is not generic but specific and personal, as Christ calls His church "my love." This designation signifies a deep, intimate relationship where the church is not only loved but also reflects the beauty and righteousness of Christ Himself. The believer's beauty is not inherent but is a reflection of Christ's own beauty, bestowed upon them through grace. This grace transforms the believer, making them distinct and beautiful in a world that often seems harsh and unyielding.

Moreover, the position of the church as a "Lily among Thorns" highlights the trials and persecutions believers face. These challenges, however, serve a dual purpose. They not only test and refine the believer's faith but also act as a protective barrier, keeping them close to Christ. The thorns, while painful, ensure that the believer remains dependent on Christ, who is their ultimate source of strength and beauty.

The church's role in the world is also transformative. Just as a lily can change the perception of a thorny landscape, so too can the presence of believers bring about change in their environments. Through their actions, love, and kindness, believers can influence those around them, turning a world of thorns into a garden of lilies. This transformative power is a testament to the work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers, enabling them to be a blessing to others.

In conclusion, the "Lily among Thorns" is a powerful reminder of the believer's identity in Christ, their calling to reflect His beauty, and their mission to transform the world around them through love and grace.

Key Takeaways:

1. Christ's Distinctive Love: Christ's love for His church is not just a general affection but a specific, personal love that sets believers apart as His cherished "lilies" among the thorns of the world. This love is a profound mystery, reflecting the depth of Christ's commitment and delight in His people. [06:22]

2. Reflecting Christ's Beauty: Believers are called to reflect the beauty and righteousness of Christ. This transformation is not of their own doing but is a result of Christ's grace, which adorns them with His own comeliness, making them beautiful in His sight. [12:46]

3. Trials as Protection: The thorns, representing trials and tribulations, serve as a protective barrier for believers. These challenges keep them close to Christ, ensuring their dependence on Him and refining their faith in the process. [20:18]

4. Transformative Influence: Believers are called to be transformative influences in the world, much like a lily that changes the perception of a thorny landscape. Through their love and kindness, they can bring about change, turning a world of thorns into a garden of lilies. [45:20]

5. Enduring Persecution: The church and individual believers often endure persecution, akin to a lily among thorns. This suffering is not in vain but aligns them with the prophets and apostles, serving as a testament to their faith and commitment to Christ. [43:16]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:12] - Introduction to the Song of Solomon
- [00:29] - Christ's Love for His Church
- [01:38] - The Beauty of the Lily
- [02:21] - The Calling of a Christian
- [03:18] - Christ's View of His Bride
- [04:01] - The Object of Christ's Love
- [05:03] - The Personal Love of Jesus
- [06:22] - Distinguishing Love
- [07:19] - The Mystical Union
- [08:35] - The Open Declaration of Love
- [10:09] - Reciprocated Love
- [11:42] - Bearing Christ's Likeness
- [13:32] - Christ's Delight in His People
- [16:14] - The Position of the Lily
- [19:19] - The Cost of Redemption
- [20:05] - Afflictions as Protection
- [24:32] - The Beauty of the Church
- [30:37] - The Church's Relationship to the World
- [37:24] - Enduring Trials
- [43:16] - Persecution and Transformation
- [45:20] - The Transformative Power of Believers

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
- Song of Solomon 2:2

Observation Questions:
1. What imagery does the Song of Solomon 2:2 use to describe the relationship between Christ and His church? How does this imagery contrast the church with the world? [00:12]
2. According to the sermon, how does Christ view His church and individual believers? What specific term does He use to describe them? [04:01]
3. What role do trials and tribulations play in the life of a believer, as described in the sermon? How are these challenges depicted in the metaphor of the "Lily among Thorns"? [20:18]

Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the metaphor of the "Lily among Thorns" illustrate the unique and cherished position of believers in the eyes of Christ? What does this suggest about the nature of Christ's love for His church? [06:22]
2. In what ways are believers called to reflect the beauty and righteousness of Christ, according to the sermon? How does this transformation occur? [12:46]
3. The sermon mentions that believers can be transformative influences in the world. How does the presence of believers change their environments, and what role does the Holy Spirit play in this transformation? [45:20]

Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a time when you felt like a "Lily among Thorns" in your own life. How did you rely on Christ during that period, and what did you learn from the experience? [20:18]
2. How can you actively reflect Christ's beauty and righteousness in your daily interactions? Identify one specific area in your life where you can demonstrate this transformation more clearly. [12:46]
3. Consider the trials and tribulations you are currently facing. How can you view these challenges as protective barriers that keep you close to Christ? What practical steps can you take to depend more on Him during these times? [20:18]
4. In what ways can you be a transformative influence in your community or workplace? Identify one specific action you can take this week to bring about positive change in your environment. [45:20]
5. The sermon highlights the enduring persecution of believers. How can you find encouragement and strength in knowing that you are aligned with the prophets and apostles in your faith journey? [43:16]
6. How can you cultivate a deeper understanding of your identity in Christ as His cherished "lily"? What spiritual practices or disciplines can help reinforce this identity in your daily life? [06:22]
7. Think of someone in your life who may be struggling with their faith or feeling isolated. How can you support and encourage them to see themselves as a "Lily among Thorns," cherished and loved by Christ? [16:54]

Devotional

Day 1: Christ's Personal Love for His Church
Christ's love for His church is not a distant or abstract affection but a deeply personal and specific love. This love sets believers apart as His cherished "lilies" among the thorns of the world. It is a profound mystery that reflects the depth of Christ's commitment and delight in His people. This love is not just about being chosen but being intimately known and valued by Christ Himself. The imagery of the "Lily among Thorns" in the Song of Solomon beautifully illustrates this unique relationship, where believers are seen as pure and beautiful in the eyes of Christ, despite the challenges and trials they face in the world. [06:22]

"Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine." (Isaiah 43:1, ESV)

Reflection: Think of a time when you felt particularly loved by God. How can you carry that assurance of His personal love into your interactions with others today?


Day 2: Reflecting Christ's Beauty
Believers are called to reflect the beauty and righteousness of Christ, a transformation that is not of their own doing but a result of Christ's grace. This grace adorns them with His own comeliness, making them beautiful in His sight. The believer's beauty is not inherent but is a reflection of Christ's own beauty, bestowed upon them through grace. This transformation is a testament to the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives, enabling them to be a blessing to others. As they grow in their relationship with Christ, they begin to bear His likeness, becoming a living testimony of His love and grace in a world that often seems harsh and unyielding. [12:46]

"And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit." (2 Corinthians 3:18, ESV)

Reflection: In what ways can you intentionally reflect Christ's beauty and grace in your daily interactions this week?


Day 3: Trials as a Protective Barrier
The thorns, representing trials and tribulations, serve as a protective barrier for believers. These challenges keep them close to Christ, ensuring their dependence on Him and refining their faith in the process. While the world may see these trials as obstacles, believers understand that they are opportunities for growth and deeper reliance on Christ. The thorns, though painful, act as a reminder of the believer's need for Christ's strength and guidance. Through these experiences, believers are drawn closer to Him, finding comfort and assurance in His presence and promises. [20:18]

"In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 1:6-7, ESV)

Reflection: Identify a current trial in your life. How can you view it as an opportunity to deepen your dependence on Christ today?


Day 4: Transformative Influence in the World
Believers are called to be transformative influences in the world, much like a lily that changes the perception of a thorny landscape. Through their love and kindness, they can bring about change, turning a world of thorns into a garden of lilies. This transformative power is a testament to the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives, enabling them to be a blessing to others. As they live out their faith, they have the potential to impact their environments positively, reflecting the love and grace of Christ to those around them. This calling is not just about personal transformation but about being agents of change in a world that desperately needs hope and healing. [45:20]

"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house." (Matthew 5:14-15, ESV)

Reflection: Consider one specific way you can be a transformative influence in your community this week. What steps can you take to make this a reality?


Day 5: Enduring Persecution with Faith
The church and individual believers often endure persecution, akin to a lily among thorns. This suffering is not in vain but aligns them with the prophets and apostles, serving as a testament to their faith and commitment to Christ. Enduring persecution is a part of the believer's journey, reminding them of their identity in Christ and their calling to reflect His beauty. Despite the challenges, believers are encouraged to remain steadfast, knowing that their suffering is a witness to the world of their unwavering faith and hope in Christ. This endurance is not just about surviving but thriving in the midst of adversity, trusting in God's promises and His ultimate victory. [43:16]

"Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived." (2 Timothy 3:12-13, ESV)

Reflection: How can you prepare your heart and mind to endure persecution with faith and grace, should it come your way? What practical steps can you take to strengthen your resolve in Christ?

Quotes

{"text": "The Lord of life and Glory the prince of the kings of the Earth has such a loving heart that he must have an object upon which to spend his affection and his people chosen from among men whom he calls his church these are they who are his love the object of his Supreme Delight. Christ loved the church and gave himself for it.", "timestamp": "[00:04:25]

"}

{"text": "This love is distinguishing love for in its light one special object shines as a Lily and the rest the daughters are his thorns. Love has fixed on its chosen object and compared with the favored one all others are as nothing. There is a love of Jesus which goeth forth to all mankind for the Lord is good to all and his Tender Mercies are over all his works.", "timestamp": "[00:06:29]

"}

{"text": "The saint is United to Christ by a mystical Union a spiritual marriage bond and above all others Christ loves the souls espoused to him. He said once I pray for them I pray not for the world but for them which thou has given me thus indicating that there is a specialty about his intercession.", "timestamp": "[00:07:16]

"}

{"text": "He bids his ministers Proclaim it to the world's end that many Waters could not quench his love neither could the floods drown it and that neither life nor death nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our lord.", "timestamp": "[00:09:28]

"}

{"text": "She is comely in his comeliness which he puts upon her. If any Soul hath any such beauty as is described here Christ has dowered that beloved soul with all its wealth of charms for in ourselves we are deformed and defiled. What is the confession of this very spouse in the previous chapter she says I am black that is the opposite of a lily if she adds but calmly it is because her Lord has made her calmly.", "timestamp": "[00:12:12]

"}

{"text": "Our beloved you know who it was that in gathering your soul and mind lacerated not his hand only but his feet and his head and his side and his heart yea in his inmost soul he spied us out and said Yonder Lily is mine and I will have it but the Thorns were a terrible barrier our sins had gathered round about us and the wrath of God most sharply stopped the way.", "timestamp": "[00:18:45]

"}

{"text": "Certainly the church is so and she is thereby kept for Christ's own if Thorns made it hard for him to reach us for our Salvation there is another kind of thorn which makes it hard for any enemy to come at us for our hurt our trials and tribulations which we would feign escape from often act as a spiritual protection they hedge us about and ward off many a devouring foe.", "timestamp": "[00:20:09]

"}

{"text": "Though the church may seem to be little and poor and despised yet is she better than all the princes and kingdoms and glories of the Earth he means that true Christians are infinitely Superior to ungodly men these ungodly men may make a fair show of virtue and they may have much prudence and wit and count themselves wise and great but Jesus calls all unconverted ones Thorns while his own believing ones he compares to lilies.", "timestamp": "[00:25:34]

"}

{"text": "A True Believer is a blessing a tree whose leaves heal and whose fruit feeds a genuine Christian is a living gospel an embodiment of Good Will towards men did not the old Covenant blessing run in thee and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.", "timestamp": "[00:31:33]

"}

{"text": "Such holy work among ungodly people is the truest and best flower mission they do well who give flowers to cheer the poor in their dreary habitations but they do better still who are themselves flowers in the places where they live be lilies my dear Brethren preach by your actions preached by your kindness and by your love and I feel quite sure that your influence will be a power for good.", "timestamp": "[00:45:20]

"}

{"text": "He can make a lily grow among Thorns till the Thorns grow into lilies remember how it is written the Wilderness and the solitary Place shall be glad for them and the desert shall rejoice and Blossom as the rose he considered Christian in a Godless family till first one then another shall feel the divine power and she'll say we will go with you for we perceive that God is with you.", "timestamp": "[00:44:40]

"}

{"text": "The Lord has a people where you look not for them think not that all his lilies are in his garden there are lilies among thorns and he knows their whereabouts many Saints reside in families where they will never be appreciated any more than the Lily is appreciated by the thorns this is painful for the sympathy of our fellows is a great comfort.", "timestamp": "[00:40:12]

"}

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Transcript
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