Saturday, December 03, 2005

Joined by one Spirit into one Body

A wife is joined to her husband when they are married.

But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him.
(1Co 6:17 ESV)

This is the consummation of the covenant we make with Jesus, our spirit joining with His Spirit. Jesus, in the form of flesh, could not live physically with every one of us here in this world. So, He sent His Spirit so that all people could be joined to Him and so that all could have a close relationship with Him.

Peter answered them, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the Holy Spirit as a gift. For this promise belongs to you and your children, as well as to all those who are far away, whom the Lord our God may call to himself."
(Act 2:38-39 ISV)

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that everyone believing into Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
(Joh 3:16 LITV)

God's Spirit breathed physical life into man (Adam) at creation. Man's body, because of sin, will die. A new “spiritual” life starts to form inside of us, though, when our spirit is joined with God’s Spirit. This spiritual life inside of us will give our physical body new life again – a body that will be comparable with the resurrected body of Jesus.

But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.
(Rom 8:10-11 ESV)

So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. Thus it is written, "The first man Adam became a living being"; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual. The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.
(1Co 15:42-49 ESV)

Behold, I speak a mystery to you: we shall not all fall asleep, but we shall all be changed. In a moment, in a glance of an eye, at the last trumpet; for a trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall all be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. But when this corruptible shall put on incorruption, and this mortal shall put on immortality, then will take place the Word that has been written, "Death was swallowed up in victory." (Isa. 25:8) "O death, where is your sting? Hades, where is your victory?" (Hos. 13:14) Now the sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the Law; but thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! (1Co 15:51-57 LITV)

The reforming of His Wife's body to a new Bride is the mystery that is now revealed! Believers are all “pieces” of the Bride’s body, so this transformation takes place individually in their lives as well as corporately. We will receive our new imperishable, glorified, and spiritual body when Jesus returns for us. That spiritual body is now being developed inside of us and we will put on this new body when Jesus returns. But, Jesus can now give his Bride a new soul and spirit while she is here on Earth so that she can be joined to Him in every way and be fully prepared for His return.

For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
(1Co 12:13 KJV)

The Wife's old body, the children of Israel, is not done away with, though. The Bride's framework, or bone structure, is formed from the "bone" of Jesus - Israel under the Law. Jesus is the "last Adam" and the new, perfect woman (Bride's body) will be formed just like Eve was formed from one of Adam's ribs. This will happen right before her new spirit and new soul is put into it. We can see an example of Israel being called "bones" during the time of King David. The tribes of Israel called themselves King David's "bone and flesh".

And Jehovah God made the rib (which He had taken from the man) into a woman. And He brought her to the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh. She shall be called Woman because she was taken out of man.
(Gen 2:22-23 MKJV)

And all the tribes of Israel came to David, to Hebron, and spoke, saying, Behold, we are your bone and your flesh.
(2Sa 5:1 MKJV)

And all Israel gathered to David, to Hebron, saying, Behold, we are your bone and your flesh.
(1Ch 11:1 MKJV)

For these things were done so that the Scripture might be fulfilled, "Not a bone of Him shall be broken."
(Joh 19:36 MKJV)

He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken.
(Psa 34:20 MKJV)

Behold My hands and My feet, that I am He! Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see Me have.
(Luk 24:39 MKJV)

So men ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, even as the Lord loves the church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones. "For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two of them shall be one flesh."
(Eph 5:28-31 MKJV)

God still loves the "bones" of His Wife and has never planned to get rid of them. Through Jesus, He will make those bones come to life again, forming the structure of His Bride. The Bride's new flesh is the Church, and that new flesh will be placed upon the bone structure of Israel, joining the two together. The Bride's new spirit and new soul will then be added, too, to make her complete.

The hand of Jehovah was on me, and brought me by the Spirit of Jehovah, and made me rest in the midst of a valley, and it was full of bones. And He made me pass among them all around. And behold, very many were on the face of the valley. And lo, they were very dry. And he said to me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord Jehovah, You know. Again He said to me, Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the Word of Jehovah. So says the Lord Jehovah to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. And I will lay sinews on you, and will bring up flesh on you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live. And you shall know that I am Jehovah. So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a noise. And behold, a shaking! And the bones came near, a bone to its bone. And I watched. And behold! The sinews and the flesh came up on them, and the skin covered them above. But there was no breath in them. And He said to me, Prophesy to the Spirit, prophesy, son of man, and say to the Spirit, So says the Lord Jehovah: Come from the four winds, O Spirit, and breathe on these dead ones so that they may live. So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the Spirit came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army. And He said to me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, Our bones are dried and our hope is lost; we are cut off by ourselves. Therefore prophesy and say to them, So says the Lord Jehovah: Behold, O My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up out of your graves, and will bring you into the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am Jehovah when I have opened your graves, O My people, and have brought you up out of your graves. And I shall put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. And you shall know that I Jehovah have spoken and have done it, says Jehovah.
(Eze 37:1-14 MKJV)

How long wilt thou go about, O thou backsliding daughter? for the LORD hath created a new thing in the earth, A woman shall compass a man.
(Jer 31:22 KJV)