2-10-2024        Unity of and with God

            

This Tuesday AM, I was still pondering what to put in the blog and Father said “try this for size”:

Over the years, Father has shown me the unity of the Godhead and recently He has shared a couple of eye-openers (at least for me).

In the Book of Deuteronomy chapter 32, Moses explains to Israel that God is their “Rock” (more specifically Deut. 32:15).  Jesus is the “rock” in the New Testament (1 Corinth. 19:1-5).  Do we see a connection?  Is there a unity here?

Now, in Exodus, in reference to bring Israel out of Egypt, Moses asks God “Whom shall I say has sent me?”  And God responds “I AM that I AM.  Tell them that I AM has sent you.”  In the Book of Revelation, John, while on the island of Patmos and ‘in the Spirit’, hears a voice and turns to see one like the Son of man in the midst of seven candlesticks.  His hair was white, like wool or snow, His feet were like brass and His eyes like the flame of a fire.  So, what caused John to turn and look?  The voice said “I AM Alpha and Omega, the first and the last ….” (Rev. 1:10-16).  Hmmm.  Are both Father AND Jesus claiming to be I AM?  Are there two I AMs?  Or just one?

Father reminded me that the fullness of the Godhead dwells in Jesus (Col. 2:9-10).

He also reminded me that in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God (John 1:1).  And the Word was made flesh and lived in our midst, the only begotten of the Father (John 1:12-14).  Here’s a unity, a oneness, that’s hard to overlook.  And yes, Luke says that Jesus is the ‘supposed’ son of Joseph (who through many generations) was the son of Adam who is the son of God (Luke 3:38).  Consider that Adam was not ‘begotten’ of the Father, but God created by Him.  Jesus was ‘begotten’ through a human (Mary Matt. 1:22-25, Luke 1:28-35, 38) with no ‘human’ Father.  The angel told Mary that the Holy Ghost would come upon her.

Biblical situations declaring that both Father and Jesus (Son) ae indicated as thee ‘Rock’ and ‘I AM’. 

Now, not in the scriptures, but on a personal note.  Over time, I asked Father about His unity, more than once.  From ‘man’ I have heard ‘three persons but one in nature’, implying that there are three Gods, but all three are one, that is the same in thought.  But my response (to myself) was that, then, makes us polytheistic, not monotheistic.  Poly meaning more than one and mono meaning, literally one. 

So Father told me this (you can believe this if you want, the choice is yours) that He is Spirit and we must worship Him in Spirit and truth (John 4:24).  Then consider that when He created all that is, He spoke it into existence (Gen. 1:1-31).  The words ‘God said’ appear nine times in Genesis chapter one.  In case you are wondering, according to biblical numbers, nine means God’s completeness.  So God ‘said’ and it was so. 

So what did God say?  No, not the “let there be”, but what do these letters spell?  Words!  God spoke Words to create all that is.  Who is the lving Word of God?  Jesus (John 1:14).

Okay, how did those words ‘go forth’?  What does Genesis say? “… The Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.”  What is the ‘Spirit’ God?  The Hebrew word here is ruwach (H7307) which is translated ‘ breath’. 

So, in creating all that is, God (the essence) spoke (Words) and His Spirit (breath) carried those words into action, creating whatever God spoke!

Father has given us a similar capacity.  When we speak, what happens?  We (our essence) says something (our words) and then our breath carries those words into the world by ‘shifting the atmosphere’ around us.  Shifting?  Shifting?  What do I mean by shifting?  Our breath stimulates the air around us and the sound of our voice carries for a distance.  How loud we speak determines how far our words travel.  When you are within my range (here’s science) those air waves, (which carry my voice) stimulates the ear drum, anvil and stirrup in your ear so you can hear what I say.  As long as we speak the same language, then, you can understand what I have just said.  Get the idea? 

Essence, words, breath – Father, Son and Holy Ghost (Spirit), then body soul and spirit (us).

God is a three part entity and so are we!  We are made in God’s image? 

Made in God’s image can involve several aspects.  One, as a three part being as just cited.  Two, does God have a head, arms, legs, feet and hands like we do?  Jesus did.  He was born into humanity.  God sent His Son, made (born) of a woman, under the Law to redeem us so that we might also become sons so that we might also declare God as Abba (Father) (Gal. 4:4-6).  And Three – love.  God is love (1 John 4:8).  God loves us so much, He has given us the capacity to love Him in return (1 John 4:10).  So if God loves us so much shouldn’t we love Him with the same fervor and one another in the same capacity (1 John 4:11)?  What did Jesus tell us was the greatest commandment?  Love the Lord our God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength which is the first commandment (Mark 12:29-30) and the second is to love our neighbor as ourselves.  There is no greater commandment than to love (Mark 12:31).  Why?  Because the Law and the prophets hang (rely, support, based on) these commandments of love (Matt. 22:40).

So, we‘ve seen the unity of the Godhead AND the relationship to us.  Yes?

Father gives us the promise of everlasting life with Him (John 3:16) when we accept that final blood sacrifice Jesus gave for us.  Scripture tells us that Father is not really impressed with the offering and sacrifice of animals, but Jesus has come to offer Himself, once and for all, taking our sin upon Himself (1 Peter 2:24) and is now sat down (or is standing) at the right hand of God (Heb. 10:1-12). 

Think about this.  My son, my only son, is the true banner carrier of my (surname – last) name.  Yes I have an uncle, who also has a son and I don’t know how many uncles and cousins beyond that, but my son carriers that banner for this part of the family.  My son carries my genes (as well as his mother’s) and he has passed that on to his sons (yes plural).  My son was not created but born through the union between my wife and myself.  As I said, he carries my side of the ‘family tradition’. 

In the beginning, there was nothing through which God could work –.  No sky, no air, no water, to dirt, no nothing!  He spoke it all into existence.  Then, Adam was created from the dust of the earth (Gen. 2:19).  Jesus was born with the union of (wo)man, not with a man (male) but by the  Father through the Holy Ghost (Luke 1:35).  Now, remember how God created all things!  He spoke all things into existence.  Father spoke, the Holy Ghost carried His Word and Mary brought forth Jesus (again Luke 1:35).

One last passage here.  Look at Jesus’ words “Neither do I pray for these alone but those who believe on Me through their word.  that they may be one, Father, as You are in Me and I in You that they also may be one with us, that the world may believe You have sent Me.  The glory You have given Me, I have given them that they may be one as We are one.  I in them, You in Me that they may be made perfect in one and that the world will know that You have sent Me and have loved them as You have loved Me. (John 17:20-23).

Through our ‘salvation’, we are adopted into the family of God and Jesus is our big brother (Eph. 1:4-5), but is He ‘just’ our big brother?  Of course not.  We have obtained our eternal existence through Him and His sacrifice of love He showed towards us. 

Hopefully, we have seen the unity of the Godhead, Father, Son and Holy Ghost.  God, the Father, is ONE God and through His love for us, He desires us to become one with Him, through Jesus (His only begotten son).  That is one with the Creator of all things.

Amen