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put by God's Spirit into the Church,
be also automatically has become
betrothed
to tbe marriage with the
living Christ!
And what of
that
marriage? Will
it
be subject to divorce and remar–
riage? You know that answer is
A
THOUSAND TIMES
NO!
Tbat mar–
riage
can never be broken!
The betrothed wife MUST BE
FAITHFUL in her betrothal! In the
experience of Joseph, tbe betrothed
- yet unmarried - husband of
Mary, mother of Jesus, he, suppos–
ing sbe had been unfaitbful, was
minded to put her away
before
the
BOUND MARRIAGE. lf one of
US,
spir–
itually betrothed to the living
Christ, becomes unfaithful through
physical divorce and remarriage in
this Christian life, would not our
espoused spiritual husband, Christ,
PUT US AWAY? This sin of unfaith–
fulness cuts us off from God. Unless
our sin is repented of and forgiven,
we will never make it into God's
kingdom!
What is God's command to us, in
this regard? It is: "Know ye not,
brethren, (for I speak to them that
know the law,) how that the law
bath dominion over a man
as long
as he liveth?
For the woman which
hath an husband
is bound
by the law
to ber husband as long as he livetb ;
but if the husband be dead, she is
loosed from the law of her husband.
So then, if while her husband liveth,
she be married to another man, she
shall be called an adulteress: but if
her husband be dead, she is free
from that law ..." (Romans 7: 1-3).
The marriage institution was or–
dained for roan by God
at the cre–
ation ofman
(Genesis 2:24). Human
marriage was given as a TYPE of the
spiritual marriage of the spiritual
"woman"- the Church - to Christ
in the Kingdom of God. That mar–
riage to Christ will
not
be subject to
divorce and remarriage. Therefore
neither can the human marriage be
subject to divorce and remarriage in
God's sight. God's law forbids it. No
32
law in the Bible allows it. Any such
law would do violence to the human
type of the divine.
To be UNFAITHFUL, now, to the
betrothed rela tionship to Christ
would, as we shall show by the
Scriptures, result in Christ "putting
us away" -
before
that marriage!
Why? Because sin "puts us away."
Marriage is a God-plane re1ation–
ship. Even though a physical union,
Ít is aDIVINE fNSTITUTION, ordained
of God. God had great purpose and
meaning in giving it to man. God's
Church, called to preach Christ's
gospel of the kingdom (to be estab–
lished over the earth
by
the MAR–
RIAGE COVENANT with Christ -
which
IS
the
New Covenant)
cannot
pollute that very gospel by approv–
ing divorce and remarriage!
The True Meaning of Marriage
Remember, in this exposition, we
are viewing the subject
as God views
it.
I repeat: Though marriage is a
physical union, it is a
divine
in–
stitution. God does nothing without
a
reason
- a definite PURPOSE! To
understand the "why" of the laws of
God respecting the marriage in–
stitution, we need to know still more
about the reason God had in mind
for establishing marriage.
The living Christ already is
crowned with glory and honor (He–
brews 2:9). He is the firstborn of
many brethren - meaning we who
have his Spirit (Romans 8:29).
Christ is the captain of our salvation
(Hebrews 2:10). That is, he is the
pioneer, who has gone on ahead,
leading the way,
as the husband, pre–
paring the dwelling place for his wije
(John 14:2). Jesus rose from the
dead. He is alive and he is divine -
as we shall be. He has been glori–
fied. His eyes are as flames of tire,
and his face is as bright as the sun in
full strength (Reve!ation 1: 14-16).
That's what we may inherit!
Are you really comprehending
this colossal truth?
Are
you?
And we, if we repent, believe with
living faith, and accept Jesus Christ
as personal Saviour
and betrothed
husband,
can receive God's gift of
the Holy Spirit. That gift imparts to
us the very
lije,
essence, nature,
mind and power of God! It begets
us, now, as God's own (yet unborn)
sons! And if we grow spiritually
(II Peter 3: 18), overcome and en–
dure, we shall, at Christ's coming,
be
changed
from mortal flesh to im–
mortal spirit (1 Corinthians 15:44-
54). We, collectively, shall be the
BRIDE OF CHRIST!
And that is the supreme heritage
of human MAN!
Man, now lower than angels, has
a destiny far higher!
So grasp this stupendous truth if
you can!
For here is the greatest good news
you can ever know! That good
news IS the gospel. And that very
gospel involves
faithfulness
in any
marriage relationship now, for it is
preparation for the spiritual mar–
riage to Christ for all etemity.
Man, and roan
only,
of all life
forms God has created, can be born
into the very God family - the
Kingdom of God! And as a most
vital part of it, he will enter an eter–
na! , unbreakable , never-to-be–
divorced MARRIAGE relationship.
To prepare us for that, God has
made us mortal - human - and
ordained the marriage and family
relationship
in this lije!
WHY?
God has never given animals this
marriage and family relationship!
Angels never marry nor are given in
marriage (Matthew 22:30). Angels
have never enjoyed FAMILY status !
The marriage and family relation–
ship is a God-plane relationship -
higher than even an angel-plane
relationship. And God bestowed it
on MAN because roan is being now
prepared for the marriage and fam–
ily relationship FOREVER in the G.od
family!
Think of it! Of all life forms,
whether plant, animal, human or
angel, in al! that God created, MAN
PlAIN TRUTH November 1973