Why does God unite Himself to us as members of the Body of Christ?
God unites Himself to believers as members of the Body of Christ so they will be fruitful and bring forth spiritual children. The marriage picture in Romans 7:4 shows this union with the risen Christ has fruitfulness unto God as its primary purpose, producing spiritual offspring.
Les teaches that Paul uses the husband-and-wife relationship to illustrate God's purpose in uniting Himself to believers as members of the Body of Christ. In Romans 7:4, Paul writes that believers have become dead to the law by the Body of Christ, so they should be married to another, even to Him who is raised from the dead, that they should bring forth fruit unto God. Les connects this with the primary purpose of marriage: fruit, namely children. In the same way, the primary purpose of God uniting Himself to us as members of the Body of Christ and claiming us as His own is to be fruitful and to bring forth spiritual children.
Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.
More Questions
How is human marriage like God's union with the Body of Christ?
Human marriage and God's union with believers in the Body of Christ are parallel in that both have the primary purpose of bearing fruit—physical children in marriage and spiritual children in union with Christ.