ONE in Christ

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish… For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh." This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

Eph 5:25-27, 30-32 (NKJV)

I have read this passage many times. I’ve heard it read at weddings and exposited by different preachers. At the end Paul says that he is speaking of Christ and the church, but I still didn’t quite get it. But recently I had a revelation – meaning the Holy Spirit gave me new insight to Scripture that I hadn’t had before. And it was this: I am one body, one flesh, one bone, with Christ.

I have known for some time the fact that I am one with Christ, but God has been increasing my understanding of what it really means. What does it REALLY mean to be ONE with Christ?

It is interesting to note that in this passage Paul quotes from Genesis 2 which refers to the creation of Eve from Adam’s rib and the union that it resulted in. This was a pre-fall event so there was no sin yet in the world. As Adam slept and gave up his rib for the forming of his sinless bride, so Christ slept in death in order to create for Himself a sinless bride, who would be one with Him. Sinless? Yes, sinless! (Keep reading!) Our lot is better than Eve’s though because through Christ’s sacrifice we not only receive right standing before God (which is what Eve enjoyed) but we have the life of God dwelling within us! Through His blood we are cleansed and in Him we have no spot or wrinkle, we are holy and without blemish. It says “that she should be holy” and I somehow thought it was referring to the future in that one day we “would” be holy. But what it says is that Christ cleansed her so that she should be holy – meaning that she IS holy. HE did the work and made her holy! In Christ, it’s not that we “should” be holy from our own efforts or that we have to wait for holiness, we ARE holy! We are, in Christ, sinless! “For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones.” How amazing is that? “…the two shall become one flesh.” We are really, truly ONE with Christ! Think, just think of the power of that position! IN Christ. Can anything get through Jesus that He doesn’t allow? Than it can’t touch us! As long as we are IN Him we won’t sin, the problem is, is that we keep listening to our experience or the “old man” that is positionally dead. Praise be that when we sin we have an Advocate who is Christ Himself, but we have been given the Word of God “so that [we] may not sin” (1 John 2:1). O that we would be lost in Christ and stay in Him! Jesus, draw me nearer to your heart that I may rest in You from my dead works; that all I do may be born of the Spirit of God and not of my own talents and abilities. May the Church of God rise up and not grieve the Spirit nor shut out the One who died for us, but may He have ALL of us! May we not be cold or lukewarm and lose the light that has been give us (Revelation 3) - may we burn with passion for Him!