What the Bible says about Intimate Relationship with our Savior
(From Forerunner Commentary)

Song of Solomon 5:2-6 Notice that the Shulamite is not entirely distant or cold toward her Beloved (representative of Jesus Christ). He is, after all, her Beloved, and her heart does yearn for Him. Yet, she hesitates; the relationship contains a flaw, demonstrated by the moment of self-interest when she, awakened from her sleep (compare Matthew 25:5), must decide whether seeing Him is worth getting out of bed. She has already settled in for the night, already comfortable, so on some level His arrival is inconvenient to her. She eventually comes to the right conclusion: Yes, it is worth the trouble to open the door for Him. However, this test reveals her heart: She loves Him, but not more than everything else. She ultimately makes the right decision, but it is not immediate because her heart still holds enough self-interest that she experiences an internal tug-of-war instead of an immediate, positive response. She has a relationship with her Beloved, but it does not mean everything to her. David C. Grabbe The Relationship Deficit (Part One) Related Topics: Building a Relationship with God | Fickle Relationship with God | Insensitive to Relationship with Christ | Intimate Relationship with our Savior | Relationship Deficit | Self Interest | Shulamite

Revelation 19:6-9 God blesses marriage in the first chapter of Genesis, and it is interesting that as the Book nears its end, in Revelation 19, marriage and His blessing on it once again take center stage. Clearly, the institution of marriage has a far higher purpose than just the physical union of a man and a woman. Here we have a prophetic portrayal of the ultimate marriage, and God's blessing goes out to those who comprise the wife—the bride—of Jesus Christ. This blessing in Revelation 19:9 gives the blessing in Genesis 1:28 its true context. Our human marriages are types of this greater spiritual marriage. The experiences that we go through during a blessed physical marriage are designed by God to prepare us for our part in the ultimate intimate relationship with our Savior. Marriage is a representation on the human plane of union between God and man. A similar intimacy exists in both relationships. Just as the sexual bond between a man and woman makes them "one flesh" (Genesis 2:24; see I Corinthians 6:16), a close, spiritual unity between God and a converted human being—which Jesus says is "to know" God in John 17:3 (compare this term to the sexual imagery of Genesis 4:1)—makes them "one spirit." On this, the apostle Paul writes in I Corinthians 6:17, "But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him" (see also Ephesians 4:4). Physical marriage, then, can teach us how to be spiritually one with God. Just as surely as God will bless the union between His Son and the Bride, He will also endue the physical type with the ability to fulfill its purpose—that is, to create unity between marriage partners to prepare them for union with God. Richard T. Ritenbaugh Marriage—A God-Plane Relationship (Part Three) Related Topics: Bride of Christ, Preparation for Marriage | Eternal Life is Being Intimate with God | Marriage -A God Plane Relationship | Marriage as a God-Plane Relationship | Marriage as God Ordained Institution | Marriage of the Lamb | Marriage Partners to Become One Flesh | Sexual Imagery | Union with God

 

		The Berean: Daily Verse and Comment Sign up for the Berean: Daily Verse and Comment, and have Biblical truth delivered to your inbox. This daily newsletter provides a starting point for personal study, and gives valuable insight into the verses that make up the Word of God. See what over 155,000 subscribers are already receiving each day. Email Address:     A Faithful VersionKing James VersionNew International VersionNew King James Version Leave this field empty
We respect your privacy. Your email address will not be sold, distributed, rented, or in any way given out to a third party. We have nothing to sell. You may easily unsubscribe at any time.