God is One!

A Shepherd’s Musings – Weeks 28 & 29 – God is One   

One of the distinguishing marks of Judaism and Christianity is the belief that there exists one true God. This has been called monotheism as opposed to polytheism, a belief that there are many gods. The Bible clearly reveals God as being just One Being as Deuteronomy 6:4 clearly states, “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.”  That is the testimony of Moses in the law and then from the book of Joshua we learn what kind of “One” God is.  The tribes on the east side of the Jordan called God, “The Mighty One, God, the LORD! The Mighty One” (Joshua 22:22).  However, not only is He the Mighty One, He is also the Holy One as Isaiah the prophet reveals in numerous passages. For example Isaiah 48:17 says, “Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.” Note that Scripture never refers to God as the mighty or holy two, three, or four, etc. Furthermore, there are a few passages where the Apostle Paul refers to the truth that “God is one” in his teaching to emphasize a particular point or line of reasoning.  Romans 3:29-31 is one such example where Paul states that “God is one” to show that the one true God of the Hebrews is also the God of the Gentiles because there is only one God.   So we can conclude unmistakably that the Bible teaches that there is one God!

However, this poses an apparent problem when we realize that the Bible also clearly teaches that three persons are God:

1.  The Father is recognized as God:   I Peter 1:2; II Peter 1:17; John 6:27; Philippians 2:11; Psalm 83:18

2.       The Son is recognized as God:

• He is Called God (Mathew 1:23 John 1:1, 14),
• He is described in terms reserved for God alone (Col.1:16),
• He is worshiped as God (Luke 4:8, Hebrews 1:6),
• He is God made flesh (Phil.2:5-8, John 1:1,14; Heb. 1:3).

3.       The Spirit is recognized as God:

• Lying to the Holy Spirit is lying to God (Acts 5:3-4),

• The Holy Spirit has the attributes of God:

•  Omnipotent – Isaiah 40:12-14
•  Omniscient – I Corinthian 2:10-11
•  Omnipresent – Psalm 139:7
•  Eternality  – Hebrews 9:14

How can this be, if there is only one God?  How can we reconcile this apparent contradiction in the Bible? Well, the problem is not in the Bible; it is in our ability to understand God.  He is clearly beyond us. In fact, it should bring us comfort to know that we can’t fully comprehend God.  If we could, we would be equal with God and that would be frightening when we realize how flawed and finite we are.  If God is God, we should expect that there will be some things of mystery that we struggle to comprehend.  One of these areas is the nature of the Godhead which is triune.  The Father, Son, and Spirit are distinct persons yet one God. They are three persons that are not only working together for the same purpose in unity, but are united as one God-Being. In John 10:30 Jesus says, “I and the Father are one.”  This oneness is more than just a unity of purpose; it is a unity of nature.  Within the Godhead there are three distinct persons, Father, Son, and Spirit who are co-eternal and co-equal.  We see this manifested in many places throughout the Scriptures:

1.   God is referred to in Scripture as a Being of plurality. His name, Elohim, is plural and sometimes pronouns and verbs that refer to God are plural as well (Genesis 1:26; 3:22; 11:7; Isaiah 6:8),

 2.  All three Persons of the Godhead were present at the baptism of Jesus. “And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:16-17),

 3.  Jesus prayed that the Father would send the Holy Spirit. “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.  (John 14:16-17),

4.  Disciples are commanded to be baptized in the name (singular) of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19),

5.  All three Persons of the Godhead are united together in their ministry to mankind:

a.   They work for man’s salvation – “ . . . elect . . . according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:1-5),

b.  They empower believers to serve God and others – “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone” (I Corinthians 12:4-6),

6.  All three Persons of the Godhead are united in an apostolic benediction. “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all” (2 Corinthians 13:14).

Will you worship and stand in awe with me at the triune God as revealed in Scripture?  And as we worship let us realize that it is Jesus’ desire that we be as one as He and His Father are one.  This is how Jesus prayed in John 17:17-21, “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.  As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth. I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”   Now that is something to meditate on and ask God to do in us. Furthermore, as you enter into prayer, remember that prayer is practiced in a trinitarian way: We address the Father in the name of Christ as the Spirit directs us.  Ephesians 2:18 says, “For through [Christ Jesus] we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.”  Jesus wants us to do great things for Him.  Listen, learn, and apply His teaching in your life: “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.  Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it. If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.” (John 14:12-17).   O Lord, please help us to worship, abide, and communion in prayer with you with a trinitarian mindset.

 With Prayer, Mark

 © July, 2011  Scripture quoted: ESV – Emphasis added

Verses for your meditation:  God Is One

Deuteronomy 6:4-5, “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”

Isaiah 43:3, For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in exchange for you.

Isaiah 48:17, Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the LORD your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you in the way you should go.

Isaiah 54:5, For your Maker is your husband, the LORD of hosts is his name; and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer, the God of the whole earth he is called.

Mark 12:28-31, And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

Luke 4:33-34,  And in the synagogue there was a man who had the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice, “Ha! What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are–the Holy One of God.”

Romans 3:29-31, Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, since God is one–who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.

1 Corinthians 8:3-6, But if anyone loves God, he is known by God. Therefore, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that “an idol has no real existence,” and that “there is no God but one.” For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth–as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”– yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.

Galatians 3:19-20,  Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was put in place through angels by an intermediary. Now an intermediary implies more than one, but God is one.

Ephesians 4:4-6,  There is one body and one Spirit–just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call– one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

Timothy 2:3-6, This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.

James 2:17-19, So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe–and shudder!

God Is Unchanging!

A Shepherd’s Musings: Week 27 – God is Unchanging

Have you ever noticed that the people in your life, as well as yourself, are always changing? This can lead to frustration with self and others! In fact, one of the major complaints in marriage is that one’s spouse is not the person he or she though that spouse was.  Similarly, you will find out as you get to know God better that He is not the Person you thought He was. However, unlike man, this is not because God is changing!  It is because we are changing in our knowledge of Him through the Scripture which God has given to reveal Himself.  Scripture makes it absolutely clear that God does not change in nature or attribute. God is not growing or becoming something new or better.  James 1:17 says,  “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” Perfect gifts can only come from a perfect being. This perfect being called the “Father of lights”, for He created light, does not vary in His thoughts or actions due to any change in His own nature or being.

The theologians call this the immutability or unchangeableness of God’s nature. The word “shadow” in the verse is very illustrative. While driving home the other evening I took notice of the shadows being cast across the highway.  It was amazing to see how big a shadow a small object could make because of the changing position of the sun as it lowered into the horizon.  Shadows are constantly changing! We can take great comfort in the fact that “there is no shadow” in God “due to change”.  His position on every issue is always consistent, unchanging, and completely dependable.  God’s clear will for our lives, which is revealed in Scripture, is not going to change. It is not going to be on-again—off-again. It is not one thing today and another thing tomorrow!  When you go to bed tonight you can rest assured that God’s revealed will for your life will be the same in the morning when you wake up.  Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

Now, at times to us God seems to be changing. But in reality, we are the ones who are changing.  God, being consistent with his nature, will only change the way He deals with us.  For example, when we as children of God sin against our Heavenly Father, He will lovingly discipline and correct us.  God’s disposition toward us did not change, however His dealing with us was different because we changed.  In some translations you will find verses that indicate that God “repented” from having done something.  The word repentance in English does carry the idea of a change of mind.  For example, Genesis 6:6 says, “And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart” (KJV).  Beside the fact that this word for “repentance” can also be translated “sorrowed”, clearly God was grieved that He would have to change his dealings with man by bringing them to justice and destruction because of their rebellion.  God’s nature and will did not change, but the way He had to order His dealings or purposes for mankind did because of the change in man—not God!  Similarly, in the situation with King Saul in 1 Samuel 15:35, God’s purpose changed for Saul because Saul had changed—not God!

Because God is unchanging, we can have complete confidence in Him even though we are prone to change.  We can marvel at whom our God really is as the Psalmist did in Psalm 102:25-27, “Of old you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you will remain; they will all wear out like a garment. You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away, but you are the same, and your years have no end.”

The next time you see the shadows lengthening, remember that in God “there is no variation or shadow due to change” and join in adoration and praise of the Eternal Self-existent One—The God who Is!

With Prayer, Mark                                            © July, 2011  Scripture quoted: ESV – Emphasis added

 Verses for your meditation:  God Is Unchanging or Immutable

Numbers 23:18-19, And Balaam took up his discourse and said, “Rise, Balak, and hear; give ear to me, O son of Zippor: God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?

Psalm 102:25-27,  Of old you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you will remain; they will all wear out like a garment. You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away, but you are the same, and your years have no end.

Psalm 110:4,  The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind, “You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.”

Malachi 3:1-6, “Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts. But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the LORD. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the LORD as in the days of old and as in former years. “Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the LORD of hosts. “For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.

Titus 1:1-3,  Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness, in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began and at the proper time manifested in his word through the preaching with which I have been entrusted by the command of God our Savior.

Hebrews 7:20-25,  And it was not without an oath. For those who formerly became priests were made such without an oath, but this one was made a priest with an oath by the one who said to him: “The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, ‘You are a priest forever.’” This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant. The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.

James 1:17,  Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Jas 1:18  Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.