As we all know, we don't become lovers until the marriage vows have been taken. The marriage vows create the marriage covenant, but the sexual intimacy establishes the marriage covenant by making the two, one flesh. Ephesians 5:31 (NIV), states, "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh."

 

This is the phase that creates relational oneness. As a married couple you are joined together as one. The intimate relationship is designed to bind you together spirit, soul, and body. Your intimacy is so sacred that no one else can or should know you this way. Genesis 4:1 (KJV) explains, “And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD.”

 

The New Living Translation (NLT) reads, “Now Adam had sexual relations with his wife, Eve, and she became pregnant. When she gave birth to Cain, she said, “With the LORD’s help, I have produced a man!” (Genesis 4:1).

 

As we can clearly see from the scripture, God even sees you as one relational entity. It is so serious to Him that he tells husband's, "In the same way, you husbands must give honor to your wives. Treat your wife with understanding as you live together. She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in God’s gift of new life. Treat her as you should so your prayers will not be hindered” (1 Peter 3:7, NLT).

 

The lover stage brings you to a deeper level of love. A level so unique that it involves absolute relational protection. To protect your relational oneness, you must honor the relational oneness. As a husband you will protect your wife's body as your own. And as a wife, you will protect your husband’s body as your own. First Corinthians 7:4, (NIV), reminds us, “The wife does not have authority over her own body but yields it to her husband. In the same way, the husband does not have authority over his own body but yields it to his wife.”

 

When you do this, you will not allow yourself or anyone else to share intimacy with you in this special covenantal way.