Intimately One

Intimately One Registration Form

INTRODUCTION

In the Garden of Eden, God planted trees, flowers, shrubs, rivers, animals and man. All these together,
were very beautiful to the eye. The real beauty however was not to be found in the trees, animals or even
man. The true beauty of Eden was in the relationship God created when He brought man and woman
together as man and wife, making them ‘one flesh’ (Gen.2.24, Prov.18.22)

Marriage was created and instituted by God. (Gen.2.18-24). It was God’s idea, not man’s.
The devil came in and perverted God’s institution and created another form of marriage different entirely
from God’s original plan. (Gen.3)

We therefore, see two marriages in the beginning. One in Gen. chapter 2 and the other in Genesis chapter
3. The later marriage in Gen.3 will eventually end in divorce, but we will focus our study in the Marriage in
Genesis 2

Since God instituted marriage, if we follow the instructions in Genesis chapter 2, (and the instructions are
many) we will have beautiful, fruitful, blessed and happy marriages
Even if your marriage (or someone’s you know) is in or almost at the divorce courts, applying God’s
principles will turn things around

Today we will look at marriage as God intended focusing on being Intimately One

Thank you

MARRIAGE: GOD’S INSTITUTION

Some Facts and Implications

1. It is God that determined when the man or woman was ready for marriage; not the man, his friends
or parents (Gen.2.18)

2. Wife was made from the rib of the man (Gen.2.22)

3. The man recognized the woman and being a part of him. He recognized her as being bone of his
bone and flesh of his flesh (Gen.2.23)

4. They both recognized it as a permanent and complete relationship (Gen.2.23)

5. The husband leaves in other to cleave

6. The man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed

INTIMATELY ONE
Gen.2.24

To be intimately one means starts with an understanding that the ultimate goal of 2 becoming one flesh is a
deliberate intention and action on God’s part.
It should be understood that the man and his wife are from the same source, same origin (maybe not
physically, but spiritually). The same bones and the same flesh Gen.2.23

The wife is a perfect fit for her husband or the husband’s ‘size’

Intimately One – Foundational Principles

1. Leaving Properly (Gen.2.24)
Leaving means
– To withdraw from
– To forsake without any attachment

In other to be intimate with his wife, a man must leave his father and mother. Though his parents
are very close to him and he loves them both, they are not the bone of his bone and flesh of his
flesh.
Until a man marries his wife, there is a vacuum or void in his life that no father, mother, family
member or relative can fill

This vacuum is only filled by his wife who he is intimate with. That is the reason why a married man
must leave in other to be intimate

2. Cleaving The Right Way
Cleaving means to:
– join together, adhere, cling or stick fast
– It also means to be faithful
To cleave with your spouse is a determination of the heart (Ruth.1.16-17)
Marriage is a venture of faith not of sight. To succeed we must make up our minds that our
marriages will work as God has promised.
Seeing God’s vision for your marriage will help the heart to be steadfast. (Heb.12.12)

We must see beyond the cake, rings, wedding feast etc. If God grants grace to see beyond the
physical, it becomes easier to cleave to one another (Gen.24.58, 67).

To cleave properly force needs to be exerted, as there are forces that want to separate spouses.
Once the forces of life etc. try to tear spouses apart, there must be deliberate re-cleaving

3. Understanding the Male and Female (Gen.2.18, 22-23, Mat.19.4)
God that made them at the beginning made them both male and female, not ‘male and male’, or
‘female and female’.
God recognized that they both had different temperaments, outlooks, strengths, abilities, make-up,
yet He put them together.

Why?
Because the man a complement (complete) one another

It is wrong to make a ‘male’ out of your wife and make a ‘female’ out of your husband
The woman is the weaker vessel (1Pet.3.7) in physical strength, ability, internal and spiritual make-
up.

4. The Pursuit of Intimacy (Matt.19.6, Mk.10.9)
The pursuit of married couples should be to become one flesh. Every good, happy and loving
marriage is a testament to the fact that both husband and wife are pursuing oneness in all areas
That pertain to the Spirit, soul and body (physical)

INTIMATELY ONE – PRACTICAL UNDERSTANDING

1. Practical Understanding: Goals, Dreams, Ideas
Before marriage the husband and wife were 2 separate people.
They had separate
– Goals in life
– Plans
– Programs
– Ideas
– Projects etc.
But now that you are married, you are one flesh
one mind
one voice
one idea
one project
This means the husband and wife marry their plans, ideas, projects, dreams, life-goals, aspirations,
decisions etc. and walk / work together in life to achieve God’s program for their lives
As the married couple are no longer separate individuals, they cannot be individualistic in thinking
and action. If as a married person you think alone, plan alone, decide alone, do things alone, then
you are not really properly married as you are not one flesh, but two

2. Practical Understanding: Friends & Family
Question: Can a spouse have personal friends?
Answer: Any friend that disregards either spouse and wants to continue to be a personal friend as
before must be discouraged

Question: What about father, mother, family members and relatives?
Answer: They must relate with both of you as one. What cannot be discussed with both of you
should be discarded

3. Practical Understanding: Responsibilities Within

Responsibilities in the house should be regarded as responsibilities of both the husband and the
wife. This include
– Finances
– Child care
– Family upkeep

All responsibilities are corporate responsibilities and not the husbands or wife’s exclusively

4. Practical Understanding: responsibilities Within
Other corporate responsibilities such as
– Care of in-laws
– Land / Building Projects
– Business & Investments

5. Practical Understanding: Spiritual