In 1 Corinthians 6:17, the Word of God says that whoever is united with the Lord becomes one spirit with Him. The phrase “united with” in the original Greek is kollōmenos (κολλώμενος), from the root word kollaō (κολλάω). This word can also mean to glue or to attach permanently. What, then, are the concrete implications when a person binds himself to the Lord? This is a crucial matter—far more important than anything else—because a Christian who fails to bind himself to God is a person who fails to recognize and possess his salvation. Salvation is God’s work to restore humanity to His original design, including enabling humans to be bound to Him. We must understand that, by nature, human beings will always be bound to something or someone. The question is: to what—or to whom—are we bound?
No one should feel that he has bound himself to God merely by faithfully attending church. Binding oneself to God means living in constant dependence on God, realizing that life cannot be lived without true fellowship with Him. Fellowship means being aligned in thought and feeling with someone, becoming one in purpose and passion. For that reason, fellowship with God becomes the only true purpose of life on this earth. Financial matters, health, economic and social status, education, and all other things are not the main issues. Without fellowship with God, there is no life. This lifestyle is radically different from that of most people, who are carried away by the fleeting matters of this world and thus treat fellowship with God as trivial. They live only for personal pleasure, using worldly means for self-interest. But those who live in fellowship with God will not do anything outside of God’s will and plan; God Himself becomes their joy.
One spirit means one passion, one desire, one ambition, and one purpose in life, and this implies that the requirement for being bound to God is to know God and all His truth. Through that knowledge, we can understand His will and His plan. No one can share God’s passion without knowing His will and plan. Therefore, we must strive to have the mind and heart of Christ. In truth, the effort to have the mind and feeling of Christ is the effort to bind ourselves to God.
A person who is bound to God will always feel lonely without experiencing God’s presence in their life. He constantly longs for togetherness with God wherever he is. That means there is no activity he can enjoy unless God also enjoys it with him. Therefore, before doing anything, one must first ask whether God is pleased with it or not. A person who is bound to God always wants God to delight in him, and he wants to rejoice in God. He will strive to do everything for God’s interest and will not wound His heart. If he makes a mistake, he will grieve deeply because his heart is hurt; to him, wounding God’s heart is the same as wounding his own. At this point, a person can genuinely be called a beloved of God. Such people deserve to be called the bride of Christ. Let our commitment to God bind us in th new year.