God is One

I would like to lay out a basic template for a return to the biblical understanding of God and Christ. This is not in any way considered a creed or a final statement as I realize that God continues to unfold himself to each of us as we “grow in grace and the knowledge” of God.

All Christians believe there is one God. However, some teach that the one God exists as three persons, effectually changing the historic belief of a one person God that was and is believed on by the Jewish faith. This faith was not changed when Gentiles were allowed to come to the faith of Christ. The faith was continued. There is still only one God, the eternal and invisible Spirit.

1 Corinthians 8:6yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.
John 17:3And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

According to these verses the Father is the only true God and Jesus is the Lord Christ.

Matthew 16:16And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

For the Jew this was not a complex theory about God existing eternally as three persons. They did not seek to understand God inside of himself. They sought to understand God as he related to them at present.

It was clear to the apostles that they worshipped and served the one God of Israel through the Messiah Jesus, the Son of the one God of Israel.

Jesus was a perfect man created by the Spirit of God in the womb of Mary and thus he was the Son of God.

Luke 1:35And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

Therefore or because of the overshadowing of the Holy Ghost the child born to Mary is called the Son of God, not because of some theory of eternal generation, etc.

Colossians 1:15Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:

Very simple, Christ is the image or the perfect manifestation and revelation of the invisible God. God was housed, embodied in his Son, Jesus Christ.

How about the Holy Spirit? God is a Spirit, when he condescends and sends forth his Spirit to work amongst mankind it is the Holy Spirit, Spirit of God or the Spirit of Christ.

These are very simple and easy to understand issues. You don’t have to have a complex theory and explanation to understand them. The problem is that the philosophical mind approaching them with a pre-existing standard for understanding “things” about the world will want to impose certain ideas on pre-existence of the Son or how the Son was both God and man.

As you seek to explain these issues and use ideas generated outside of the bible you begin to darken the counsel of God and make his word of no effect to the people.

Leave the simplicity of the Scriptures alone and allow the Spirit of God to reveal the Scriptures themselves to the people and not creeds or false ideas.

Of course there are other Scriptures to touch on in future issues like John 1:1, Ephesians 3:9 and Philippians 2:6-9. If the Lord is willing we’ll touch on these sometime in the future

Feel free to get in touch with me with questions by posting comments here on the blog.

I pray that each of you reaches new heights in the Spirit and power of God!

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