An interesting book on marriage and its correlation to the union believers have with Christ is The Spiritual Marriage Between Christ and His Church and Every One of the Faithful written by Girolamo Zanchi, Concluding his chapter on “Duties of Husbands and Wives” Zanchi includes this gem of a thought that I take as a profound encouragement to evangelism and outreach. Analogous to procreation and the begetting of children in an earthly marriage, evangelism and mission is the spiritual multiplication and church/kingdom growth. He writes,
Add also this to the end: our duty is not to allow the seed of the word of God, and the gift of the Holy Spirit to remain idle in us. Rather, let us take care, each one of us according to our utmost ability, that every day we bear new sons to Christ by way of the word and Spirit.
Three points of specific interest from this quotation are the life inherent in the Word of God and the Holy Spirit. We must not be stopped by the spiritual deadness of our current culture – but encouraged by the life-giving power of the Word and Spirit (Hebrews 4:12)! Second, our exertion of faith should be “according to our utmost ability” – this needs the power of faith to energize and activate our efforts. No mere human effort and purpose will suffice to start, continue, and culminate evangelistic actions. Thirdly, the outcome is “bearing new sons to Christ” – Christ is worthy to have His followers multiplied and His glory expanded!
Earlier in the treatise, the fruitfulness of the union was considered in depth in the chapter “The Final Causes of the Spiritual Union”. Zanchi begins ‘The Second End’ section along the lines of fruitfulness meaning evangelistic life and success that follows,
The second end was (and is) that from the seed of Christ the Bridegroom – that is, from His word and Spirit – by way of the ministry and help of the bride, He might beget children, most numerous and beautiful, to be the heirs of the kingdom of heaven.
Then a few paragraphs later,
As each one is regenerated and born a son of God from Christ’s Spirit in the church and by way of her ministry, so he is the child of Christ and the church. But as each one is joined to Christ by way of faith for the receiving of His spiritual seed – the word and the Spirit – and for bearing the fruit of good works whereby he might win others to Christ, so he is the bride.
One final paragraph on fruitfulness of this union – this time bringing forth good works!
Notwithstanding, another type of child was also appointed to this union, namely, the children of good works. For each none is joined to Christ, as bride, by way of faith. And Christ, as Bridegroom, is joined to each one of us by way of His Spirit so that, receiving His spiritual seed, we being spiritual children forth into the light, that is, we produce the fruit of the Spirit and of good works.
For Christ does not want His word and grace to be idle but rather to grow and be made known abroad by good works to God’s glory and the church’s edification.