May 14 One With God

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 – 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
 
PAUL has written in Ephesians 2, and we have examined how God has acted that people from all nations are made one people with God. Now, Paul affirms this “One with God” relationship again. Do you see the “Eight Ones” in these verses? There is 1) one body 2) one Spirit 3) one hope 4) one Lord 5) one faith 6) one baptism 7) one God and 8) one Father. (Some say seven “ones” combining God and Father, but you’ll see why I number them separately.) Know again how God had identified himself as the God of Promise first to Israel. “Say this to the people, the Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob has sent me to you.” (Exodus 3:15) What began with the Jews now extends to all people.
    Perhaps we can see God’s plan for this “one transformation” as we put the “Eight Ones” in a sequential order. We’ll begin with “one God.” After all, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1) Then we’ll go to “one Father”. God first demonstrated his fatherhood to Adam and Eve as he formed them and then joined them to himself and each other in Genesis 2:24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. Lovingly, the Father embraced his created children.
    From man’s beginning we know sin came into the world. So we now move to the “one Spirit”. In power, the Holy Spirit moved throughout the Bible to draw God’s chosen people to himself. The one Spirit empowered Abraham to faith, released the Jews from Egypt, informed the prophets, conceived Jesus in Mary’s womb, baptized the Son to ministry, raised Jesus to life and breathed new life into our dead souls as we confess Jesus.
    Fourth is the “one Lord”, Jesus, whose faithful work in the Father’s will made possible the salvation of our souls in the one God, who “predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will.” (Ephesians 1:5) That transformation is the birthing of “one faith” in our one Lord Jesus. Publicly then, in our one faith, we receive the “one baptism” as we declare, “We are God’s own!” Believing in and baptized in Jesus’ blood, we become part of the “one body” Jesus’ church. We live, then, with a great, eternal “one hope”, trusting our God for all aspects of our life now and forever.
    This is one magnificent plan, isn’t it? I’m reminded of the hymn “The Church’s One Foundation”. It speaks of the church being built on the foundation of Jesus Christ, by the water (of baptism) and the Word - of faith and hope.
Verse 2 says:
“Elect from every nation,
yet one o'er all the earth;
her charter of salvation,
one Lord, one faith, one birth;
one holy name she blesses,
partakes one holy food,
and to one hope she presses,
with every grace endued.”
 
Verse 5:
“Yet she on earth hath union
with God the Three in One,
and mystic sweet communion
with those whose rest is won.
O happy ones and holy!
Lord, give us grace that we
like them, the meek and lowly,
on high may dwell with thee.”
 
     In his grace has come the Three in One God to draw his own into a sweet one-communion with him. What is our response? Are you desiring to be one with God? Are you living one with his church?  Are you willing to support your Lord’s mission to minister the one gospel? Are you eager to support your church with prayer, helps, tithes, service, gifts and wisdom, so others will be joined forever with God?
 
Prayer: I pray, God, my heart, mind and soul will be one with you. In Jesus’ name, amen.