Bride of Christ
III. THEY TWO SHALL BE ONE FLESH
Eph 5:31-32; Gen 2:24; I Cor 6:15-17.
"Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother
and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one
flesh," Gen 2:24.
"Therefore (for this
reason) a man shall leave his father and mother
and be joined to his wife." God ordained that a young
man and young woman remain obedient at home until they are
married, and this is still the command of God forn godly
christian homes. Also, as we find in the Bible, parents
must daily and meticulously teach and train their children
in all the Word of God so that the children will respect
and follow parental advice and guidance in selecting a
wife or husband as a God-ordained life-long partner in
this sacred union.
"They two shall become ONE FLESH" Eph
5:31. This is a unique and singular statement with
profound meaning beyond the normal analysis. The statement
was first made by the Lord in Gen 2:24 (Mt 19:4-5), and
the richness of its meaning is increasingly revealed
throughout the Scriptures, though much of it is hidden in
the mysteries of the kingdom of God, and is revealed to
those who will live humbly, godly, and who diligently
pursue the "excellency of the knowledge of Christ," Mt
13:11-17; Phil 3:8; II Pet 1:1-11.
"He who is joined to an harlot is ONE BODY" I Cor
6:16. "What? know ye not that he which is joined to an
harlot is ONE BODY? for TWO, saith he, shall be ONE
FLESH," I Cor 6:16. The TWO become ONE BODY. A sex
relation with anyone other than a proper married partner
is a gross violation (even by unsaved people) of the
divine and sacred ONE BODY union of Christ and His bride
people. The marriage union among all mankind is God's
design to reflect the marriage union between Christ and
His bride people, though with Christ and the glorified
saints there will no longer be male and female.
"He that is joined to the Lord is ONE SPIRIT
(BODY)," I Cor 6:15-17. With Christ and His bride
after the resurrection, that unique
oneness will reach perfection, but will be
immeasurably more singular and unique from the other
humans and from those who are not firstborn sons of God.
That unique oneness can hardly be expressed explicitly and
fully at present, though we will continue to expand on it
in a rather cloaked manner.
Observe the "association of
sameness" and yet the "contrast of
difference" -- between "one BODY," "one
FLESH," and "one SPIRIT." Carefully compare
this with the distinction between the "earthy" and
"heavenly" bodies of I Cor 15:44-50. Christ's BODY
in His resurrection was made a life-giving SPIRIT. His
physical body was made a SPIRIT body, a heavenly body in contrast
to a physical, material, earthy body. The glorified saints
will experience the spirit dimension of life, power,
knowledge, peace, and happiness which immeasurably excels
the physical dimension. Those not in the bride of Christ
will NOT receive the heavenly
body. That heavenly. spirit dimension is reserved only for the bride among mankind. This
is the birthright of the firstborn.
The "SAMENESS" is that
the "one body" and "one flesh," are
referring to the "two" being "one BODY." A
unique but common oneness of holy and shared family life
between male and female in the physical realm.
The "DIFFERENCE" is that
being joined to the Lord (being a member of Christ's
glorified body) our body is reckoned to be a glorified,
divine, spirit body. According to the covenant reckoning,
our bodies, being metaphorically joined to Christ, are
already reckoned to be glorified members of the glorified
body of Christ, Rom 6:11 (3-13). Therefore, our physical
body is reckoned to be a glorified, spirit body, which it
will really be in the resurrection providing we "flee
fornication" and other worldly lusts, I Cor 6:13-20;
15:44-50; Phil 3:7-14; Ja 4:4.
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