This is a wonderful and revealing statement about the foundation of this marriage. There is a sense in which the Christian's whole life is in the Husband, and yet the Christian has not become completely lost. He is still here, as Paul says, The life I now live, I live in the flesh.
Though there is a great mystery concerning the marriage relationship, and we must never forget that this great name of Jesus Christ is upon us. What matters, and should matter to all of us, is that our names have been changed. Here in the realm of the church, other names do not matter. What matters now is that the name of Christ is on us.
So we are united here, and we are all together in Him. He has taken us to Himself, His church, His bride. Notice again what Christ says to the Philadelphians and to the rest of the church.
It is easy to look at the negative side and say, "What if I cannot do it?" The fact is we cannot do it ourselves! That is why it takes faith to be baptized. We cannot, of and by ourselves, go God's way. But with His Spirit helping, guiding and leading us, and with Jesus Christ actually living His life over in us, God promises that we can make it.
It takes faith to be confident that God will complete what He has started in us.
What must be the source of our salvation? We have to totally, faithfully rely on God. God does not expect us to make it into His Kingdom, or even spiritually survive this present life, based on our own works. Our own works will not save us.
