{"id":48369,"date":"2023-10-17T09:29:11","date_gmt":"2023-10-17T16:29:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/davisparkchurchmodesto.com\/?p=48369"},"modified":"2023-10-17T09:33:45","modified_gmt":"2023-10-17T16:33:45","slug":"permanent-oneness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/davisparkchurchmodesto.com\/?p=48369","title":{"rendered":"Permanent Oneness"},"content":{"rendered":"
By Gary Patton<\/div>\n
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\"Adam<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0What importance does marriage have in God\u2019s eternal purpose? What are the central matters in marriage that must be recognized and respected by all mankind? What is marriage?<\/div>\n
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\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0These are important questions that must be answered to guide how we think of our roles and personal responsibilities in marriage.<\/div>\n
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\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0What is marriage? In Genesis 2, in the work of naming God\u2019s animals, Adam recognized that each animal had a companion but, he didn\u2019t. He was the only person made in God\u2019s image and likeness. There was no one like him. In recognition of Adam’s aloneness, God put Adam in a deep sleep took from his side, and created Eve in His image and likeness (spirit), according to and complementary to Adam’s physical image. Adam called her \u201cwoman\u201d because she was taken out of him.<\/div>\n
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\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0For this reason, a man will leave his father and mother, and be joined to his wife and they shall become one flesh (Genesis 2:22-25). Homosexuality or Fornication of any kind is not created, ordained, or beneficial for any relational practices in society. She was taken from the man in the sense of entity<\/b>.<\/div>\n
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\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Her female identity was produced from \u201cman the entity.\u201d\u00a0<\/b>She is a part of man. She was taken from his side (his body). She is his side helper. Not above-helper nor below-helper, but beside him for life companionship. There is no other gender identity created by God other than male and female.<\/div>\n
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\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0God brought Eve to Adam to be his wife. God put them together in marriage. Adam recognizes her as \u201cbone of his bones and flesh of his flesh.\u201d This is why husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies, (Ephesians 5:28). There is an authoritative responsibility to husbands to treat and protect their wives as a part of man and not like the animals who were not made after God\u2019s image<\/b>. Eve is Adam’s first human (blood) relative and only spouse. The first marriage was instituted by God.<\/div>\n
Eve was to be his helpmeet and he was to cleave (keep close) bond with her, Genesis 2:21-24.<\/div>\n
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So again, what is marriage? What is its eternal purpose?<\/div>\n
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\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Since the woman was taken out of the man, it could be stated: \u201cputting back together that which was separated, or making complete that which was incomplete, reuniting that which was taken apart, making two into one.\u201d This statement implies that prior to God\u2019s action, Adam was \u201cwithout a suitable or fit companion.\u201d<\/div>\n
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\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0What determines whether she is suitable for Adam? Does a college degree make her a suitable helpmeet? What about her personality, traditions, experience, talents, beauty?<\/div>\n
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\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0That\u2019s part of the attraction but, what truly makes all of those aspects of her person valuable is \u201cthe Image and likeness of God\u201d placed in her being that makes her unique and suitable for him (Gen. 1:26-27). This means that as a created spirit, her being was \u201ccut out of God Himself\u201d as Adam was and \u201ctaken out of Adam\u2019s body,\u201d to be a suitable representative of God and relating in correspondence to Adam as wife.<\/div>\n
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\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0In the first institution of marriage, what was supposed to be the greater recognition that makes marriage work? The reality is that \u201cGod created male and female in the image and likeness of Himself, not a marriage license per se.\u201d They were to acknowledge and adhere to Him as their Creator. They were to be \u201cone\u201d not \u201ctwo\u201d independents though capable, not to separate or divorce but, operating together as one human entity.<\/div>\n
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\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0No matter what Adam did or accomplished before Eve, he was still alone, without a suitable companion: no one to relate to, no one to share anything with, nothing to work for, because there were no people besides himself. No one to lead, raise, teach anything to or learn from, have intimacy with, be family with, friendship with, be a neighbor to, etc. Without Eve, Adam could not see the complete value of who he was. Without Adam, Eve could not be a wife, parent, etc. because God made their attraction to each other to be based on Image, blood relations, and physical form.<\/div>\n
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\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Does that mean that no one benefits from remaining unmarried? No. In 1 Corinthians 7:32-35, the unmarried has the benefit of serving the Lord without distractions. Those who are married must concern themselves with pleasing their spouse as well as the Lord. The goal in marriage is not to express an attitude or behavior of independence, competitive or combative spirit, but, of unity, partnership, harmony, intimacy, and oneness.<\/div>\n
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\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0In this divine design, God did not intend for male and female to be in continual discord, disharmony, disrespect, and disloyalty, in the battle against each other. There are many issues in this world to be separated over, so, how is oneness to be established? How do we keep from divorce or from feeling like we\u2019re divorced while we are married? Remember to recognize that you did not create your spouse nor yourself, but God did so listen to Him only, Genesis 1:26, 27; Malachi 2:10-15; Mt. 19:4-6.<\/div>\n
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\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Fulfill the requirements of your marriage covenant between God, yourself, and your spouse, 1 Corinthians 7:2-5. Since male and female are \u201cman\u201d made in God\u2019s image, how do we acknowledge this if we exercise a will that fails to offer each other body in the marriage act? Do not seek to prostitute while under contract with original spouse, 1 Corinthians 6:15-20. Prostitution is a mindset and behavior that the devil uses through our flesh to destroy the \u201cImage and Likeness union that God instituted,\u201d<\/b>\u00a0to bless the future families and nations to come.<\/div>\n
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\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Paul gives exhortation about how to strengthen unity in the church which relates also to marriage in Ephesians 5:21, \u201cvoluntary mutual submission” in each other\u2019s God-given role in the relationship, not control of each other. It\u2019s easier for husbands to lead in marriage if they are not being outranked in making marriage and family business decisions, challenging and nagging (vs. 22-26).<\/div>\n
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\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0In Eph. 5:22, a wife’s service to the Lord is voluntarily ranking herself under her own husband and head admonition. It doesn\u2019t always mean that we husbands will or have always picked the right direction or course of action in matters. This can be difficult when the wife is more experienced or aware, of what needs to happen. Because of this reality, in Eph. 5:25, husbands’ service unto the Lord is to Love their wives just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her, (26) that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word.\u201d This part of the reading reveals to men in marriage the example that Christ has set where He offered His body and blood on the Cross to free the church which is identified as a wife from the guilt of sin.<\/div>\n
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\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0The husband must love his wife so as to listen, care, and respect his own wife’s interests and concerns almost to the neglect of everyone else\u2019s besides God. When husbands lead without considering our wife’s needs and concerns then, we are giving them reasons to complain and nag us. We husbands should not abusively be the source of our wife’s guilt. The husband is to find joy in her as his own treasured possession and is willing to give up anything besides God that competes with her interests and influence in family life.<\/div>\n
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\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0If the wife is treated as sacred by her husband then she should not have a problem yielding to his direction or decisions because she knows that he does these things while keeping her concerns and interests in mind. He thinks of her as he thinks of himself, Eph. 5:29. It is through this continual practice that the marriage relationship is cared for and therefore, matures.<\/div>\n
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\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Finally, the importance of marriage is not buying a house, making a six-figure salary, not our jobs or careers (though important), not paying bills, not raising children, not entertaining friends or being at church fellowships, not owning land or investing in stock options, etc. These may have been lifestyle choices due to being married, but let\u2019s be real about it, if many of these lifestyle choices are not maintained once they are obtained, these issues will test the integrity and quality of the oneness.<\/div>\n
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\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Marriage is the male and female image and likeness of God being made and growing in oneness in their relationship. This is the practice of caring for the relationship so that it operates in a state of maturity that brings about security and peace. God\u2019s purpose here seems to be \u201cMale and Female operating in oneness together as God\u2019s image and likeness<\/b>.\u201d<\/div>\n
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Questions:<\/b><\/h3>\n