The Power of Oneness

 By Evangelist Shirlene Bailey

“This is now bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh she shall be called woman for she was taken out of man.

For this reason a man will leave his mother and father and be united with his wife and the two shall become one flesh”.   
 Genesis 2:23 & 24

In the beginning of creation God decided to make a man in His image and out of that man God then created a woman--a helpmeet, a wife, and a companion---for this man. The union of this woman and man is recognized as the first ceremony of Holy matrimony officiated by God, Himself, in the Garden of Eden. It is in the book of Genesis where we see, for the first time, the institution that shall be known as marriage. The institution of marriage was created by God and it is the closet example that we would see in the earth realm that which is reflective of the covenant between God and Israel, Christ and the church, and also reflective of the oneness of the Triune Godhead.   Although they have three distinct functions they are one just as the husband and the wife are one.  The husband and the wife have two completely different functions and two distinctively different personalities in the marriage, yet, in verse 24, the bible tells us that “the two shall become one flesh” (Gen. 2:24).

The word “Triune” is translated, Tri meaning three and the word “une” in the French language which means one.  Therefore when we see the term triune Godhead it means three in one. The trinity or the triune God was first revealed in the Old Testament which we witness in reading about the creation of the world (Gen 1:1 – 3). The oneness of the husband and wife divinely and intentionally designed by the triune Godhead was also revealed in the Old Testament (Gen1:27, 2:20b, 2:24). 

Now it is a fact that “ishshah (Hebrew for woman) is similar to “ish” (Hebrew for Man) which is reflective of the fact that God intended for male and female to have the attributes of the Godhead--to be distinctively different, with different capabilities, different functions, while maintaining their individual personalities, yet being ONE entity.

I don’t know about you but that alone makes me excited to know the purpose and intent of God’s design for mankind would be birthed out of the union of two becoming one.  I am also excited about His intent and design for those who are married. It helps me to understand the power that we as “married believers”, those united in “Holy matrimony” possess.  For the bible tells us that one can put a thousand to flight and two can put ten thousand to flight.  Look at the math!  We possess the power to multiply, to increase.  In other words in the union of a happy, healthy home everything has the possibility to be doubled (or even greater). When we say the prayer of Jabez “Enlarge my territory” it is doubled.  When the enemy attacks our homes, our children and our marriages it is double the trouble for the devil. We go from having the power of each putting a thousand to flight to having the power as two to adding eight thousand more to what we could do separately to flight.

Let us explore some of the other powers we possess in oneness.  We have the power to have dominion, to be fruitful and to multiply (sounds like the triune Godhead).

Then God gives us the power, on a daily basis, as husband and wife to exercise our power to love, forgive, be submissive, and sacrifice (sounds like the Son).   Then He gives us the power to be creative beings, to manifest things in the earth that are reflective of those things in the spirit realm (sounds like the Holy Ghost).  Can you see where I am going with this?

If you understand where I am headed with this, let me ask this question, “Why are we not demonstrating the act of “oneness” in our marriages? The “oneness” God intended to be demonstrated amongst those who profess to be His believers, His followers and the doers of His word. Now before you begin blaming your spouse, as a believer you become the responsible party.  I am not saying the guilty one, or the one to blame.  No!  What I am saying is that individually we must all remember that God is looking at you to be the “mature one” (spiritually), the responsible person He desires each of us to be.   Is it possible that the reasons we come up with for not being responsible and obedient to the word does not have anything to do with God?  Is it possible that every excuse we make of the why it is not happening (oneness, cleaving & leaving) are more reflective of the selfish, self-centered, prideful, lustful, deceitful ways of the devil?  Take a minute think about your marriage. Think about the things that may be wrong or going wrong.  Now examine it to see if you see God in your action.  Or do you see the attributes Satan?

If God came walking by your house (husband/wife) would He find you and your spouse like Adam and Eve before the fall?  Or would He find you both “naked”?  You see the eyes of this couple were not opened until both of them had fully engaged in sin (Satan’s characteristics).  What I am suggesting here is that when one of you refrains from acting in a sinful manner, even though your spouse may be acting sinful, you are still demonstrating to God that you have faith in Him.  You are still demonstrating to God that you are putting your trust in Him.  You are demonstrating to God you will be obedient to Him and what His word says.  Are you ready to examine yourself?  The bible tells us to let every man/woman examine him/her self?  So this is not the time to look at your spouse, but you need to examine you.

In all fairness there are times when one may feel justified in their actions.  You must understand that you have still yielded yourself over to walking in spirits of rebellion, selfish pride, and disobedience to the word of God.  Quite often we don’t recognize these behaviors as spiritual because we use them as a defense mechanism.  We do this because we don’t want to feel the hurt and pain or deal with the feelings of inadequacy that are released by your spouse; however, I am sorry, it still does not permit you to act out of your God given character.  Just take a minute and reflect on the most powerful time in you and your spouse’s lives together.  What took you away from that powerful place where you felt that together you could conquer the world or when you encouraged one another and your spouse was your biggest fan?   What price did you consider too much to pay or what sacrifice did you deemed to great to give for the one in your life? 

It cost God something---His only begotten Son and then it cost His Son something and that was the life that He gave up on Calvary.  In that sacrifice Jesus gave us the power, individually and collectively as a union of two, to become one. He gave us the power to submit, forgive, sacrifice, and, the greatest one of all, to love unconditionally (agape, philios, and eros) and only in the sanction of the institution of marriage do we experience every kind of love there is to be expressed at one time. 

I am not suggesting that you lose you identity, or become clones; neither am I saying that you should be taken advantage of, or put yourself in the position of being used and/or abused, but I challenge you to look at the word of God.  Explore God’s divine purpose so that we may better understand how the two shall become one flesh.