The True Meaning of Marriage

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In Genesis 2 God created man and called him "Adam." Then God made a declaration saying, "<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><B>It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper as his counterpart</B></FONT>" (Genesis 2:18). Man needed someone to meet his need. So God put Adam to sleep, took a rib from his side, and built a woman. Then God brought the woman to Adam, and Adam became very excited. He said, "<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><B>This is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh</B></FONT>" (Genesis 2:23). This declaration is so intimate and touching. The verse goes on to say, "<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><B>This one shall be called Woman because out of Man this one was taken. Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and shall cleave to his wife, and they shall become one flesh</B></FONT>" (Genesis 2:23b-24). </div> <bR> <bR> <div> <I><B>God Is "Lonely"</B></I></div> <div> These verses show us two things. One is God's place, and the other is man's place. God, the Creator of the universe, made a declaration: "It is not good for man to be alone." This is not just referring to man. This verse also talks about God Himself. God was declaring, "It is not good for Me, the unique God, the universal God, the `I am that I am,' the One without beginning and without ending, the all-sufficient One, the all-powerful, all-wise One, to be alone. I am a lonely God. This is why I created man." </div> <bR> <div> Do you know why human beings are here? Today there are many scientists with many theories. But no matter what theory you believe, no matter how you try to convince yourself, within every man there is a realization that there is a God in this universe. Even the man who invented the theory of evolution confessed at the end of his life that it was God who gave the first life. When people are in desperate situations their automatic response is to cry out to God. Why do they do this? Because within them, they know there is a God. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> <I><B>God Desires a Helpmate, a Counterpart, the Church</B></I></div> <div> But how many realize that God is a lonely God? God made man as a prototype to show the human race why we are here. The reason why human beings exist is because God is alone, and He realized that this is not good. God has declared that He needs man. We can see this in God's statement to Adam that He would make a helpmate to meet his needs. God took a rib from Adam's side and built a woman. </div> <bR> <div> Four thousand years later, God became a man, Jesus Christ. When Jesus was on the cross, He "fell asleep," that is, He died. While He was "sleeping" on the cross, a soldier pierced His side, and out of His side came blood, to cleanse our sin, and water, symbolizing God becoming our life (John 19:34). By being cleansed by the blood and by receiving God's life, we become the "building materials" of God's counterpart, the church. From the blood and water that flowed from Jesus' side, God built the church. </div> <bR> <div> This portion tells us several things. Firstly, God is lonely. Secondly, God needs a helpmate to meet His need. Thirdly, God died for man. Fourthly, out of death God's life was released. Lastly, no matter how sinful we as humans are, as long as we open to Jesus Christ and receive Him as our Savior, His blood will cleanse us from our sin. And His life will come into us to make us material for God to build into His counterpart so that we can meet God's need. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> <I><B>The Wife's Existence is For Her Husband</B></I></div> <div> The story in Genesis also shows us the principal of human existence. When you consider a man's lifetime, most of his life is not spent with his parents. God did not create the children for their parents. Neither did He command children to always remain with their parents. Rather, God has prepared for you to spend the majority of your life with your spouse. </div> <bR> <div> The husband must realize where his wife comes from. The woman was built for the need of man. For this reason, all husbands should learn to treasure their wives, and to love their wives. Learn to nurture your wife, realizing that she is bone of your bones and flesh of your flesh. Her existence is from you, according to God, and her existence is for you in your daily life. It is hard for a woman in this modern age to say that her existence is for her husband's need. It seems that it is against "women's rights." Actually, this is woman's highest right. A wife's existence is for her husband. She is built to meet his need. Every part of who she is meets her husband's need. The existence of the woman is so high. She is here to be with her husband just as their household is here to meet God's need. </div> <bR> <div> If you are not yet a Christian, realize that God has not created you to be a Ph.D. or a scientist or a physician. All these are too low. This is not what God desires. God desires that your existence should be for God Himself. God knows that you are sinful and fallen. But He died for you. He "slept" on the cross so that His side could be opened. His blood was shed to cleanse you from all your sins. When you confess your sins and receive Him as your Savior, all your sins are cleansed away. More than that, His life, the water which flowed out of Christ's side, will come into you to regenerate you when you believe in Him. Then, together with all the believers in Christ, we will become God's helpmate to meet God's need.</div> <bR> <div> <I>[This article was taken from messages given by Titus Chu of Cleveland, Ohio in 2000]</I></div> <bR> <bR> <div> Return to:</div> <div> <A HREF="id149.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Harvest"><U><B>The Harvest</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id150.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Testimonies"><U><B>Testimonies</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id154.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Gospel Tracts"><U><B>Gospel Tracts</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id633.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Gospel Tracts by CTR"><U><B>Gospel Tracts by CTR</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id765.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Streams In The Desert"><U><B>Streams In The Desert</B></U></A></div> <div> see also:  <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#BF0000" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://www.gospelgreeting.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.gospelgreeting.com"><U>www.gospelgreeting.com</U></A></FONT></div> </td> </tr></table></body>