It is written, "... Have ye not read, that He which made them at the beginning made them male and female, and said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore, they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder." (Matthew 19:4-6) Thus did Jesus reaffirm the law that God established in the beginning. Sadly, there are those who seek to put asunder what God has joined together. This is especially true in the spiritual realm. In this short lesson, let us examine some things that God has joined together.

1. Jesus and the Church. It is written, "For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and He is the Saviour of the body. Therefore, as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing." (Ephesians 5:23-24) Jesus has but one bride. (cf. Ephesians 4:4; 1:22-23) Why then do so many seek to put asunder the marriage between Christ and the church, and to join God's Son to harlots? For that is indeed what denominations are-the illegitimate wives of man's corrupted imagination.
   
   There is one lawgiver, and Jesus will never break His law. "If we believe not, yet He abideth faithful: He cannot deny Himself." (2 Timothy 2:13) But this is not so with man; he seeks to join together what God has put asunder--truth and error. There are those who twist Matthew 19:9, and seek to join it unlawfully to 1 Corinthians 7:2. In the same vein, there are those who would, by twisting the scriptures, join their brides to Christ.
   
   
   • John 15:1-5, where the branch becomes a church;
     
     
   • 1 Corinthians 12:14, where the member becomes a denomination, thus, joining truth with error in an unholy marriage. However, God will forever put asunder those who seek to destroy His Son's marriage.
     
     
   And what is true of denominations is equally true of some within the Lord's body. They would, by adding instrumental music, condoning false preaching from her pulpits, engaging in worldly works, etc., have the church play the harlot. "Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are His. And, let everyone that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity." (2 Timothy 2:19)
   
   
2. Baptism and Salvation. It is written, "... Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned." (Mark 16:15-16) Jesus joined together baptism and salvation; why then are there those who seek to put it asunder? Note the following footnote, taken from the King James Study Bible, published by Nelson, concerning Mark 16:16, as well as some other selected scriptures.
   
   
   • Mark 16:16. "Only faith, not baptism, is essential for salvation, as the omission of baptism from the last clause shows."
     
     
   • 1 Peter 3:21. "Baptism doth also now save us" does not mean that water baptism is essential to salvation."
     
     
   • Acts 2:38. "For several reasons be baptized should not be joined with for the remission of sins."
     
     
   But then we read: "Though water baptism does not save or wash away our sins, it is a command that needs to be obeyed speedily after conversion. Jesus commanded it (Matthew 28:19,20), as does Peter here. This is the consistent pattern throughout Acts (16:31-34; 18:8)."
   
   I agree that it is a command; but I disagree concerning the purported reason they give for baptism:
   
   
   • Acts 22:16 - Water baptism is an outward action, symbolizing what regeneration has already accomplished in the Christian's life.
     
     
   Thus, by their reasoning, they seek to put-asunder that which God has joined together.
   
   When man puts asunder, it is to his own destruction. There were those who rejected God's counsel concerning John's baptism--"But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him." (Luke 7:30) Today, when it comes to the command to be baptized, there are those who do the same thing, whether they do not undergo baptism, or change the truth into a lie. But thank God, there are those few who have gladly received His Word. "What God hath joined together, let not man put asunder."
   
   
3. Law and Grace. "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world..." (Titus 2:11-12) Yet, there are those who would twist the very words of God's grace--the law of Christ--and who seek to put asunder that which God hath joined together. Thus, it is written, "For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace." (Romans 6:14) So then, some conclude that the Christian is not under law. If there is no law, there is no sin. "What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law, sin was dead." (Romans 7:7-8) And if there is no sin, why do we need grace?
   
   "But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed." (James 1:25) Thus, a man has access to grace by faith--a working faith, a faithfulness in keeping the law. "Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God." (Romans 5:1-2) "What God hath joined together, let not man put asunder."
   
   
4. Faith and Works. "For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also." (James 2:26) So many today seek to put asunder the works that God has enjoined upon man. Some teach that man is saved by grace only, or by faith only; yet, God hath joined together unto salvation, faith and works. Ephesians 2:8-9 is a favorite passage used by those who seek to put asunder the marriage of works and faith. But they always seem to overlook the very next passage.
   
   
   • "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."
     
     
   • "This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men." (Titus 3:8)

No matter what man does, he can never put asunder what God hath joined together. God's desire is, "That ye should be married to another, even to Him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with Him, we shall also live with Him: if we suffer, we shall also reign with Him: if we deny Him, He also will deny us: if we believe not, yet He abideth faithful: He cannot deny Himself." (Romans 7:4; 2 Timothy 2:11-13) "What God hath joined together, let not man put asunder."