656 The Spiritual Man
you not know that He who joins himself to a prostitute becomes one
body with her? For as it is written, “The two shall become one’ “
(v.16). Paul develops this doctrine of union most effectively. “He
who joins himself to a prostitute becomes one body with her,” that is,
he becomes a member of the prostitute. A believer has been united
with Christ, hence he is a member of Christ. Where will this leave
Christ if this member of His becomes a member of a prostitute? The
Apostle forbids such a thing.
“But he who is united to the Lord becomes one spirit with him”
(v.17). In verses 15-17 we can behold the mystery of our body’s
union with Christ. The thought of this seventeenth verse is that if
man in joining his body to that of a prostitute becomes one flesh and
also a member of her, how could our bodies not become the members
of Christ if we are united to the Lord and become one spirit with
Him? To join the body to a prostitute will effect the union of the two
bodies: how much more must the two bodies become one if our
whole being is joined to Christ!
Paul views the first step in uniting with the Lord as becoming
“one spirit with Him.” This is a union in the spirit. But he does not
regard the believer’s body as something unrelated. He concedes that
the primary union is in the spirit, yet this fusion of the spirit will
consequentially cause the believer’s body to be a member of Christ.
This ultimately proves that the body is for the Lord and the Lord is
also for the body.
The issue before us is union. The children of God ought to
perceive clearly their position in Christ, how there is not the slightest
gap in their union with Him. Their bodies are members of Christ
through which His life may be exhibited. They could not expect
much if the Lord were weak and sick; but since the opposite is true,
they undeniably can obtain health, power and life from him.