Cleave To The Lord

In these late hours before Christ returns we must learn to cleave to Him.

Cleaving requires intimacy which can be uncomfortable. God not only sees through walls but He walks right through them. There is no in between space with God when He is close to us - no walls, self imposed barriers or restrictions - will keep Him from drawing near to us.

Genesis 2:23-24 says, The man said, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman,' for she was taken out of man. That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh." (NIV).

While this speaks of the love between man and woman joined in marriage I want to suggest this is a type of Christ and His bride, the church. From out of one Man, the second Adam, the church is formed and is joined to Him in Spirit.

Paul contrasts a sinful union and that of a holy union. "Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, "The two will become one flesh. But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit." (I Corinthians 6:16-17, NIV). In other words, there is no such thing as a "worldly believer" because we are either united with God or we have joined the world. It's impossible to have it both ways and be in agreement with God.

The Holy Spirit helps us separate ourselves from the world and all that it means to us. Another term used for separating is sanctification. We are marked, sealed and set apart from the world.

Maintaining that unity (as it is in marriage)requires a measure of passion for Him that only God can give us. In Genesis the word cleave in Hebrew can mean closely pursued and deeply attracted.

Are we pursuing Him daily in prayer, worship or sharing with others the love of God? Are we hunger to know more about Him than the latest football stats or stock market? Or are we too busy talking to our friends and filling our days with one event after the other only to fall asleep in front of the television?

We can become easily distracted and attracted to other things in this life that only serve to pull us away from Him. How many husbands and wives can testify that after years of neglect they look at each other as if they are strangers.

Yes, it's true nothing can separate us from the love of God so why do we attempt to separate Him from certain areas in our lives and say we are cleaving?

Beloved, cleaving is a dividing work. It requires a cutting off of one thing to be joined to another. That is why Christ is the vine and we are the branches. In order to bear fruit we must cleave to receive nourishment and life. Otherwise, a life outside of Christ is no life at all.