One

The Bible is clear and emphatic; God is one. Jesus declared that the first and great commandment is; “Hear, O Israel, The Lord our God is one Lord: and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind” Mark 12:29-31. Scripture after scripture declares the oneness of God, the Bible is replete with this proclamation and it is important that we don’t add our own non-Biblical ideas to the truth of God’s Word.

It is important also to understand that the concept of the oneness or indivisibility of God may also be reflected in other major themes of Biblical doctrine as outline by the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 4:4-6.

There is one body - Referring to the Church, there’s only one. There may be innumerable local assemblies that gather regularly but we are all part of the one universal body of believers.

There is one Spirit - God is a Spirit (John 4:24) and God is Holy (Psalm 99:9) therefore the Holy Spirit is God and not another Spirit, there’s only one.

There is one faith - one belief system as opposed to what many in the world would espouse today that there are many roads that lead to heaven. This is a lie, there is only one way to heaven and that’s through the Gospel of Jesus Christ as preached and administered by His Apostles.

There is only one baptism - referring to the single act of being born again and realised in the dual aspects of being baptised in the Holy Spirit and baptised in water by full immersion in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for the remission of sins (John 3:5, Acts 2:38). There are not many modes of water baptism; where some would erroneously argue that it can be done by sprinkling water over someone’s head, by using the formula of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The disciples clearly baptised one way and that’s how we should all be baptised for salvation (Acts 10:48, 19:5, 22:16).

Finally, the absolute indivisibility of God, though not needed, yet intuitively we all recognise that it may also be reflected in the idea that we as human beings, although billions of us on this planet, are one indivisible beings. We may have different parts to us such as spirits, souls and physical bodies. We may have different relationships and sometimes we may look and act alike, yet we are indivisible creatures with individuality and autonomy. We are not part of another person but we all posses uniqueness and the knowledge of ‘self’. Why is this? Because we were created in the image of God, and there is no one else like him. Glory be to our Lord Jesus Christ, He is One!

Isaiah 45:5 - I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me:

Everything Matters

Upon first glance, and a surface read of the book of Ecclesiastes, we are immediately struck by a foreboding and pessimistic perspective of the author about the weary futility and utter meaninglessness of life on earth. The repetitive qualities of nature, history and our human existence itself underscores a depressing outlook that we can neither refute or honestly deny.

What this deep consideration does ultimately give rise to however, is that life without God is utterly meaningless. The good news is that we can live for God, and with God, in the richness of a real and dynamic relationship of faith with our heavenly Father.

As the Righteous Judge; morally perfect and upright in all his adjudication, He brings meaning to every aspect of our lives. The mundane, day to day activities, our behaviour, and the decisions that we make all have meaning. His presence and abundant life that He gifts to us fills us with true joy and purpose. The fact that our actions and words have eternal consequences, and thereby ultimate meaning, brings us the joy of the Lord that becomes our strength.

Ecc 12:13-14 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

Obedience Today

Obedience is a word and a concept that today is considered old fashioned and misplaced in an “enlightened” and post-modern world. Especially with the prevailing worldview of relative truth and subjective reality in our society. The idea of obedience then is misconstrued by such perspectives, that it’s relevance becomes subject to convenience, social acceptance and immediate gratification.

As followers of Christ however, we are required to obey God’s Word unequivocally. That means that we are to do what God commands us to do, even at the expense of what is convenient for us personally or what may or may not be popular in the world. There is also the great temptation to delay obedience for another time for the sake of personal gratification now. As parents we teach our children about delayed gratification in order to instill resilience and discipline in them and in like manner, as Christians, it’s our personal desires that must take a back seat to immediate and radical obedience.

It’s of vital importance for us to understand that God gives us his laws and statutes to follow, not because He is some egotistical megalomaniac as suggested by modern atheists but because obeying his word is of great benefit to us spiritually and physically, as well as every other aspect of human life. On the contrary, a life that is without rule and boundaries is often destructive and unfulfilled.

Radical obedience to God’s word is not laborious or mundane but it is life and life more abundant because it is obedience borne out of a love relationship with our Creator and Saviour, Jesus Christ. We don’t instruct our toddlers not to walk on the railway track because we want to be controlling parents and make life miserable for them, we do it out of love, even if they don’t completely understand the why. Obedience is so powerful that without it, we can not go to heaven but to reiterate, it is an outflow of our passionate love for Christ and as such, it is not a chore or a burden, but a privilege.

John 14:21 Those who accept My commandments and obey them are the ones who love Me. And because they love Me, My Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal Myself to each of them.

John 15:6-7 Anyone who does not remain in Me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. But if you remain in Me and My words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted