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The One Spirit Union
The One Spirit Union
When God instituted marriage, He declared, “the two shall become one flesh.” (Genesis 2:24b). In the one flesh union, Adam and Eve joined their bodies together. “Now the man had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain.” (Genesis 4:1a). What’s more, Adam had to consider Eve in every decision. In marriage, spouses live as a unit, not as separate parties independent from the other. In fact, the Holy Spirit later revealed through Paul, “He who loves his own wife loves himself; for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it.” (Ephesians 5:28b-29a). Husbands and wives are so united by the one flesh union that to treat our spouse well is to treat ourselves well. To treat our spouse poorly is to treat ourselves poorly. Consider three truths about the one flesh union in marriage. 1) Every decision we make must take our spouse into consideration. 2) Whatever effect our decisions have on our spouse, whether good or bad, affects us too. 3) The one flesh union brings with it the beauty, joy, excitement, and exhilaration we find in the Song of Solomon!
Now watch this. In 1 Corinthians 6, the Corinthians were fornicating with temple prostitutes, and the apostle Paul argues why that’s so heinous. He says, “The body is not for immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body.” (v. 13). Their bodies were not their own to do with what they pleased. Their bodies belonged to God! He continues, “Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take away the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? May it never be!” (v. 15). They’re one body with Christ! He goes on, “Do you not know that the one who joins himself to a prostitute is one body with her? For he says, ‘the two shall become one flesh.’” (v. 16). They’re in a one flesh union with Jesus, so how in the world can they go join another one flesh union with a prostitute? They’re cheating on Jesus! Now, applying the “one flesh” concept to Jesus is a little weird because Jesus isn’t in the flesh anymore. Even if He were, it would be sexually immoral for so many, both men and women, to have a one flesh union with Him. Paul explains in the next verse, “But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him.” (v. 17).
Christians are in a one spirit union with Jesus, modeled after the one flesh union in marriage (cf. Matt. 9:15; Jn. 3:29; 2 Cor. 11:2; Eph. 5:25-27; Rev. 19:7-8). That means we don’t operate independently from Jesus. 1) Every decision we make must take Jesus into consideration. 2) However our decisions affect Jesus ultimately affects us too. 3) The beauty, joy, excitement, and exhilaration in the Song of Solomon finds its ultimate fulfillment in our one spirit union with the King of Kings!
