Abiding, Union, Communion

"But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him." 1 Cor. 6:17

"But he who is joined [glued to, cleaves, is firmly fastened to, cemented to] the Lord becomes one [numeral] spirit with him."

"Therefore shall a man leave his father and mother and hold fast to [cleave to] his wife, and they shall become one [numeral] flesh." Gen. 2:24

"Draw [to bring near, to join one thing to another] near to God and he will draw near to you." James 4:8a

This is the marriage language of union and communion.

"Abide [remain, tarry, continue, wait for] in me, and I in you. . . . .Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit. . . .If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish . . . As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. . . .These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full." John 15:4,5, 7,9, 11

     We have become one spirit with Jesus. We have been joined to Him as a wife is joined to her husband. He cleaves unto us and we are one flesh. He is jealous in His love for us. He wants comm-union [together union] with us. He wants us to tarry long with Him, to continue with Him, to wait for Him.

"Jesus, lover of my soul, let me to Thy bosom fly."

     I have been meditating this past week on His desire for a love communion with me, a love relationship in which nothing is hidden before Him and yet He desires to be and is joined to me.

"For . . . we have been united [born together, of joint origin, grown together, kindred] with him." Rom. 6:5

     The Greek word translated 'united' in that verse is σύμφυτος (symphytos) - symphony? Me joined to  Christ or Christ joined to me make a symphony. I am in harmony with Him, joined together to make beautiful music. 

     We know ourselves, our great need of purifying and cleansing from our sin, but before Him we are spotless.

"You are altogether beautiful, my love; there is no flaw in you." Song of Solomon 4:7

"Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my perfect one," Song 5:2

"My dove, my perfect one, is the only one," Song 6:9

        We still carry with us the vestiges of sin and self and those remains must be purged from us so that we come to more accurately reflect this union with the spotless Man. We MUST become more like Him. The tools He uses in our lives to effect this more accurate reflection are behold Him in His glory,

"And we all with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this come from the Lord who is the Spirit." 2 Cor. 3:18

and the trials that He sends to us. Because of the purifying effect that they have on us - the 'step-by-step transformation that makes [us] more like Christ' (ESV Study Bible), we can rejoice - have that full joy that He wants to give us.

"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness [lack of internal disturbance in the midst of external hardship]. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect [brought to your intended end, finished]  and complete [entire, whole, at peace], lacking in nothing." James 1:2-4

"More that than, we rejoice [joy-again] in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces [Christ-like] character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame because the love of God has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us."  Rom. 5:3-5

"In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the  tested genuineness of your faith - more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire - may be found to result in praise and honor and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ."  1 Peter 1:6-7

May this purifying love union with Christ have its intended end in your life. Re-joice as you expose yourself to the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ and as He transforms you more into His image.