A marriage is made when two become one flesh; a soul is redeemed when we become one with Christ.
Let’s pause a little longer on the creation of Eve from Adam’s side. It isn’t just a beautiful picture of companionship in marriage. It also illustrates another Bride from a wounded side. The main message of the Bible is simple. When we sin, we cut ourselves off from the life of God: “The wages [or deserved consequences] of sin is death [that’s spiritual separation from God]” (Rom 6:23). Like a branch broken from a tree, it dies because it’s separated from its life-source. So God had an ingenious plan to reinsert His life back into all who are willingly reconciled to Him, involving two amazing events. His Son, who IS “the life” (Jn 14:6), brought that life to our planet of spiritually dead people. What a beautiful life He lived—healing the sick, forgiving His foes, restoring sinners! Even His enemies agreed: “No man ever spoke like this Man!” “He saved others!” cried the religious leaders at the cross. Amazing! But they still didn’t want Him to be their King. So they crucified Him! But this was the first part of God’s Master Plan. The Lord Jesus gave His precious life FOR us when He died in our place, to deal with the penalty of our sin. But then, three days later, He enacted Part 2 of the plan. He rose again, conquered death for us, and now gives His life TO us as a free gift when we receive Him as Savior. This new life helps us daily to deal with the power of sin. What an exquisite plan! Only God would have thought of it! Christ gives His life FOR us, then TO us. We can share His life as Eve shared Adam’s. In fact, Paul writes the second stanza to Adam’s love song: “We are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones” (Eph 5:30). Now the Church, composed of all true believers, is the REAL Bride of Christ’s wounded side.