Read Scriptures here - Gen 2: 18,23, 24 & Eph 5:
28-32
Here we see how the union of husband and wife symbolises the great mystery of the union
between Christ and His Church.
Remember how God created Adam, and then He said that it was not good for man to be
alone, but that he needs a helpmeet, comparable unto him. Then God let all the animals He
created pass before Adam, to see what he would name them.
We see how brilliant Adam was in being able to name about half a million animals each
uniquely. Wernher von Braun was a great rocket scientist, designing and sending rockets to
the moon and back, and he was a believer. He said that he could not understand how any
intelligent person can say that there is no God. If you just look at the complexity of the
human brain, or even just the eye, there must have been a designer, God. As the lions
passed before Adam, he called them "lion", but, although they were so majestic
and strong, they were but lions and could not be a helpmeet to him. Even when the apes
passed, he was not confused as most of today's scientists are, but called them
"ape" and recognised them as just apes. They were not "bone of his
bone" and "flesh of his flesh". Most scientists today call apes their
ancestors, but are offended when you then tell them, that in saying such a foolish thing,
one can see a connection between them and apes!
After Adam had named all the animals, and no helpmeet was found for him, God caused a
deep sleep to come over Adam, and opened his side, took a rib, and fashioned it into a
woman and brought her to Adam. Blessed is that young man who is asleep with regards to the
opposite sex, and God brings his wife to him and unite them. When Adam awoke from his
sleep and saw her, he said that she is "bone of his bone" and "flesh of his
flesh". "She shall be called woman, for she was taken out of man". A man
that breaks this union by committing adultery, sins and destroys himself.
This what we've seen today, of a young man and woman being united in marriage in
purity, is only made possible through the Gospel. All other ways to get married, beside
the way of the Bible, creates sexual immorality. We see the pure white dress of the bride
and the vale, which was removed by her father, and know how it symbolises her purity and
virginity - that she's kept herself pure and untouched just for her husband.
Satan loves to dirty God's beautiful way, and boys and girls flirt with each other
before marriage. May God have mercy on such young people and let them repent before it is
too late, that they too may become new creations.
This matter about becoming one flesh is a great mystery as it symbolises the unity of
Christ and His Church. The English word mystery is directly derived from the Greek, musthrion (musterion). Normally in today's language if we speak about a mystery, we
mean, knowledge that is withheld or unknown, but in the Greek it is "truth revealed
that was unknown". See Col 1:26 for its definition. This word goes together with muew
(mueo), which means, to initiated.
Christians are initiated by God. God living in the Christian and he in God (inbued with
Him). In Phil 4:12 we see how God initiated Paul to such an extent that he didn't mind in
what circumstances he found himself in, still he was content, for he was in God's will.
So also does the union between Adam and Eve point us to the union of Christ and His
Church. As Eve came from Adam's side, so were Christ's and His Church united from His side
that was pierced on the cross.
When Christ calls a person to follow him, he too leaves his father and mother and
everything else, and follows Christ, even as a husband leaves his father and mother to be
joined unto his wife. When Christ was revealed to me, I forsook all and went to preach the
Gospel to the Zulu nation. Even today we see this mystery revealed, as many people forsake
all to be joined unto Christ and go and preach the Gospel, sometimes even in other
countries. We do this because we too have become "bone of His bone" and
"flesh of His flesh". Just as a husband love his wife, so Christ loves His
Church, and just as a wife ought to reverence her husband, so must the church reverence
Christ.
This mystery cannot be understood by the carnal man, but the renewed man glories herein
that He is in Christ and Christ in him. We saw a small measure of this rejoicing (Zulu
ululating) as the bridegroom received his bride. Even so is there rejoicing in heaven over
one sinner that repents. And as the bridegroom rejoices over his bride so does Christ
rejoice over you when he sees you coming to Him, washed in His blood.
It is wonderful to be a Christian, when this heavenly mystery has been revealed to you
and His love burns and bubbles up in your inmost being. But poor are those who become
Christians and bemoan the things of the world, sins and fashions they have to leave
behind.
(At this point Rev Stegen then united the couple together with matrimony vows)
