God’s Parallel Design for Marriage Ephesians 5:21 - 33 This passage is God’s explanation on why He designed the union of a man and a woman in ‘marriage.’ But, did you notice all the times he referenced ‘Christ’ and the ‘Church?’ This is because we are reading about God’s Parallel Design for Marriage. Yes, there is a ‘parallel’ between the relationship a h usband and wife share in their ‘one flesh union ’ , and the relationship we and Christ share in our ‘one flesh union’ as members of His Body. God’s institution of marriage pictures Christ’s relationship with us, and ours with Him. But, without knowing what Christ’s relationship to us truly is, and what our relationship back to Him should be, we will never understand the parallel design. Therefor e, understanding God’s ‘eternal plan and purpose’ is of vital importance for a marriage that reflects what God intended. To start , simply notice and acknowledge that God has designed the marriage relationship of a man and a woman to ‘picture’ our relationship with Christ. Note: Husbands and wives are in ‘ red ’ and, Christ and the Church in ‘ blue .’ Eph 5:21 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God. Eph 5:22 Wives , submit yourselves unto your own husbands , as unto the Lord. Eph 5:23 For the husband is the head of the wife , even as (or just like) Christ is the head of the church : and he is the saviour of the body. Eph 5:24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ , so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Eph 5:25 Husbands , love your wives , even as Christ also loved the church , and gave himself for it; Eph 5:26 That he (Christ) might sanctify and cleanse it (the Church) with the washing of water by the word, Eph 5:27 That he (Christ) might present it ( the Church) to himself a glorious church , not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. Eph 5:28 So ought men (husbands) to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. Eph 5:29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church : Eph 5:30 For we (the Church) are members of his (Christ’s) body, of his flesh, and of his bones. Eph 5:31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife , and they two shall be one flesh Eph 5:32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church Eph 5:33 Nevertheless let every one of you (husbands) in particular so love his wife even as himself ; and the wife see that she reverence her husband We must realize the profound difference in how God created male and female. Notice it in this passage. Gen 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. We must take note that this is not how God created the female . Notice it in this passage. Gen 2:21 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; Gen 2:22 And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman , and brought her unto the man Gen 2:23 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 2:24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh Every person ever born to this planet ( except our Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God ) is of Adam’s posterity We were all ‘in’ Adam when God created him , and are thus born to this world. But by faith God will change the posterity from which we are naturally identified with. We can now be joined in spirit to our Lord Jesus Christ simply by faith. Those without faith are left in Adam’s posterity. Those who are now joined in spirit to Him, are now also of His posterity This is what it means to be ‘in Christ’ , a member of His Body. 1Co 15:22 For as in Adam all die , even so in Christ shall all be made alive This is what the marriage ceremony for a male and female is about. No longer is the woman identified with the posterity of her father, but he r father gives her for the purpose of a new posterity ; that of her new husband. T he husband does not abandon his former identity , so that together they make a n entirely new identity God’s design has t he woman now tak ing on the man’s identity. She takes his last name! In the marriage ceremony s he should take her lighted candle, and mingle its flame with the flame of her husband’s lighted candle , and then blow her flame out leaving his l ighted His life is now her life , his identity her identity This is God’s parallel design for ‘two becoming one.’ But this is only ‘ one in spirit’ , until consummation takes place. This is captured in the phrase, ‘ Christ our life .’ Col 3:4 When Christ, who is our life , shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. This verse refers to what the consummation of a marriage symbolizes The consummation is where the two become one in flesh . Just as the ‘ceremony’ pronounces the two ‘joined in spirit’, the ‘consummation’ makes it a reality. At the return of our Lord Jesus Christ, all those who through faith , that are joined to our Lord Jesus in spirit, will now be manifestly so, members of His Body, of His flesh, and of His bones (Eph. 5:30) All those of true faith will be raised from the grave in resurrection to everlasting life. This group of people are the ‘true’ and ‘eternal’ Church, the Bride of our Lord Jesus Christ. At that time, we are not just joined to Him in spirit, but in one flesh union as well ! Just as Eve was taken out of Adam, when our Lord Jesus Christ returns, so shall all those of true faith come from the Body of our Lord Jesus Christ in a resurrection from our own personal grave. It is at that time that all people of true faith w ill be made manifest as, “the sons of the living God.” 1Jn 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him ; for we shall see him as he is. 1Jn 3:9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed (God’s Seed) remaineth in him : and he cannot sin, because he is born of God In this passage, John is speaking about God’s Son, our Lord Jesus Christ at His return. It is what our Lord Jesus was explaining to Nicodemus in John c hapter 3. He said, “ye must be born again.” We have only touched on the basics of God’s parallel design for marriage in this pamphlet. The relationship a man and a woman should have in marriage, can only be understood based upon the relationship we should have with our Lord Jesus Christ. So, t his pamphlet is not designed to explain the details concerning a proper relationship between a man and a woman in marriage This understanding must be based upon the relationship that Christ has with His eternal church, and the relationship we have to Him in return. For success in the marriage relationship, we must do what Peter says here... 2 Peter 3:18 “But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.” God’s Parallel Design for Marriage Ephesians 5:21 - 33 www.blackhillsgracechurch.com