“But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one Spirit with him” (1 Corinthians 6:17 ESV).
Reading: 1 Corinthians 6:15-20
Oneness with the Lord. I don’t know about you, but that’s a mystery I have a hard time fathoming. At the same time, it’s a reality I long for deeply. And this passage from 1 Corinthians—one that we most often refer to when we’re talking about sexual purity—also contains a brilliant equation for that oneness:
2(B) + TJ + 1S
At first glance, that probably doesn’t make any sense to you, but I’ve been using it just about every day lately. It’s an equation that helps me remember key points in this passage. There has been so much going on lately—so much upheaval and uncertainty—that I need to ground myself in oneness with Him more than ever. So let’s unfold it.
2(B) = Bought + Belong
Paul says here that I’m not my own: I’ve been bought with a price (vs 19 and 20). I belong to Him, not myself. My own body is a member, a part of Christ (v 15). The One who embodies kindness, love, and light has sacrificed His own life to purchase me and make me His. That’s definitely truth worth pondering!
T = Temple
My body is a temple, a dwelling place of the Holy Spirit (vs 19). Isn’t that mind boggling? He’s not far away: He has taken up residence right here. Every day I can consciously acknowledge His presence, greet Him, and let Him know how glad I am that He’s here.
J = Joined
Here’s another unfathomable facet of my oneness with the Lord: I’m joined to Him (verse 17). We’re inexorably connected. The Greek word here is kolláo which comes from the word for glue. Jesus and I are glued together. The Passion Translation puts it like this: “But the one who joins himself to the Lord is mingled into one spirit with him.” Mingled. Glued. Connected. Joined.
1S = One Spirit
Not only am I joined to the Lord, I am one spirit with Him (v 17). The Greek word for spirit, pneũma, is also the word for breath. The Lord and I are so close, so united with one another, that we share breath. We are one spirit.
A custom of the Maori people of New Zealand helps me wrap my head around this mystery. Their traditional greeting, the hongi, involves two people pressing their noses together and sharing ha, the breath of life. Every day I try to imagine going forehead-to-forehead with the Lord and sharing His breath.
2(B) + TJ + 1S Day by day, pondering this equation helps me step into the mystery of oneness with Christ more deeply. Why don’t you join me?
Prayer
Thank You, Lord, that I am bought by You and belong to You. I am Your temple, joined to You. We are one spirit, one breath.
Key Thought
I am one with the Lord.
~ Kathryn Kircher
