The Bible says "God is One". But the Bible also shows that God is more than one. How are we to understand this? Why has God presented us with what seems to be a contradiction? Five times, Paul writes that God is One: in Romans, in 1 Corinthians, in Galatians, in Ephesians, and in 1 Timothy. However, in the Gospel of John, we have this "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." Two are on view. "The Word was with God and the Word was God". There is God the Father, and there is God the Son. Several times, the Bible says that Jesus is God. And, indeed, Jesus said "I and the Father are One". In Philippians, it says that Jesus is equal with God. And in the Gospel of John we are told that Jews wanted to stone Jesus because He was making Himself equal with God. So we have two, who are as one. And that's entirely possible with God. It's a principle that is established at the start of the Bible. "A man shall leave his father and his mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh." Note: a man leaves his natural family. He is joined to his wife. They don't become two people simply having the same goals in life. They become "one flesh". And Jesus confirmed this principle twice in the Gospels, and it's affirmed again in the writings of Paul. It's a remarkable statement. It's not just placing a high value on the union of a man and a woman and the need for faithfulness. It tells us something important about God, and it hints at what God has in mind for us in eternity. We have to see the statement "God is One" in the sense of "unity". Being united in spirit, one with another. There is such unity that they can't be separated. Before He went to the cross, Jesus said that the Father would send "another Helper, the Spirit of Truth" and "He" will be with us. The passage reveals the Holy Spirit in a personal form ... "He", "Him", "He will be in you" "He will testify of Jesus", and "He" comes in the name of Jesus. Isaiah 9 verse 6 says, "A Child will be born to us, a Son will be given to us, and His name is Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." The Child, the Son, is Jesus, the Prince of Peace. Note: His name is the name of the Counselor (the Holy Spirit), and His name is the name of the Father (the Everlasting Father). There is only one name for God, and that name is Jesus. John 17 is known as Jesus' high priestly prayer. Jesus prayed to the Father in heaven: "I have manifested Your name to those You gave to Me out of the world. Keep them in Your name, the name which You gave to Me." The name of the Father is Jesus. The name of the Holy Spirit is Jesus. And the name of the Son is Jesus. There is only one name to call on for salvation ... the name of Jesus. So why has God arranged redemption in this way? Because He is alerting us to what He has in mind for us in eternity. We shall be one with Him. That's an incredible privilege. One day we shall be gods, sons of the Most High. Jesus is God. He gave up the privileges of heaven to be with us. He suffered. He gave up His rights. He took the way of the cross. And Jesus wants us to do the same, because of what is to come one day in heaven. God has a purpose ... "to bring all things together in Christ". Because there will be no marriage in heaven (no male or female), the Bible can say Jesus is bringing "sons" to glory. The plan is to have a people for God from among the Jews, and from among the Gentiles. God's plan is to make us all one. United. One flock with one Shepherd. One new man. The unity that God seeks is not only that His people will be in faith in Jesus Christ. It's deeper than that. Jesus declared that "He is in the Father, and the Father is in Him". And Jesus prayed that His people "will be one, just as He and the Father are One". He will be in us, and we will be in Him. And we will be perfected in this unity. United in His love, one for another. A day is coming when everyone will understand this. And then, when all is accomplished, Jesus will hand over the Kingdom to the Father. It's not accomplished yet, but it will be. God is One. And one day we shall all be one.
