What it Means to be One Flesh

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For the next 4 weeks, we will be looking at what it means to be one flesh. To make it easier, I have made this article into a series, and today, we will start with the first part.

Part 1 – The Mystery of Oneness

When God said in Genesis 2:24, “A man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh,” He wasn’t just talking about physical union or romance. He was revealing a divine mystery — one that reflects His own nature of unity, love, and purpose.

Marriage was God’s idea, not man’s. When He created Eve out of Adam’s rib, it wasn’t because Adam was lonely and needed company. It was because God saw that His creation was incomplete without a counterpart who would complete, not compete. Eve was not another version of Adam — she was the missing piece of his wholeness. Together, they reflected the image of God more fully.

To be one flesh, therefore, is not simply to live together or share responsibilities. It means to be joined in spirit, in purpose, and in destiny. It means that what affects one affects the other. It means there’s no “his” and “hers” — it’s “ours.” Our dreams, our struggles, our wins, our calling.

For singles, this truth invites deep preparation. It’s not enough to desire marriage; it’s important to become the kind of whole person who can merge with another whole person under God’s authority. Emotional maturity, spiritual grounding, and purpose clarity are vital. You cannot merge into one flesh if you are still fragmented within yourself.

For the married, this oneness is a lifelong journey. It doesn’t happen automatically after the wedding; it’s cultivated daily through understanding, forgiveness, communication, and prayer. It’s about consistently choosing unity even when differences arise. One flesh means we win together, we grow together, and we heal together.

To be continued next week.