1 Corinthians 6:17

Unto the Lord. Verses 16, 17 are in direct contrast to each other. They set forth two directly opposed conditions that are wholly incompatible with each other. He who loves and trusts the Lord seeks to unite himself with Him in every way possible. He actively rejects everything that displeases God, and accepts only that which is in harmony with His will. This joining of himself with Christ is a constant activity, one that becomes his all-absorbing interest. The act of fornication, whereby the body is joined to a harlot, is temporary. But the character is degraded by the act. Though the union is a physical one, it reduces the participants to the very lowest moral level. On the other hand, union with Christ lifts the believer to the highest moral and spiritual level. It is intended to be a lasting union in which the mind of Jesus becomes the mind of the believer, which is thus completely united with the will of God. He desires nothing more than to be the agent through which the will of God finds expression in human thought, word, and deed (see COL 312). This joining to the Lord, here described by Paul, is another way of defining righteousness by faith. It is a beautiful statement of the mysterious transformation that takes place when the sinner lifts his eyes to Christ and by faith lays hold of the promise found in Jer. 31:33, 34. Jesus described this union under the figure of a vine and its branches (see on John 15:1, 4, 5). The believer does not lose his identity and personality, but he joins himself to Christ in such a way that he thinks Christ’s thoughts with Him, and desires the things Christ desires and does the things Christ would do were He on earth. This experience is further likened to the marriage union (see Eph. 5:22-33). The union between a man and a woman in marriage should be regarded as sacred and unchangeable. The union between Christ and the believer is more intimate, rich, pure, and complete than any earthly marriage could be.