The Unity of God

(1John 4:14) “And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.”

I want to explore the depths of this statement. Here again we see an attribute to God’s individuality that boggles the mind but at the same time brings immense joy. My mind would want to accredit salvation solely on the shoulders of our Saviour, the Lord Jesus; I would be in error if I thought like this! I understand that the Lord came to the earth to live as a man and then without ever entering into sin He died on a cross for the sins of mankind. He suffered on the cross; He trusted His Father and whilst in heaven as Father, Son and God the Holy Spirit they discussed the plan of creation and they laid out their script which involved man and his fall, and after his separation from God how he would be reconciled back unto God. Their plan needed to be accomplished within their character, which will always be in a sphere of righteousness with justice prevailing. This meeting must have taken place somewhere in the past within the wheel of eternity, He (the Lord Jesus) said, “Send me”! On conclusion the Father then said I will send Him as God the Holy Spirit would of affirmed the decision. Here we see God in perfect unity, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit all equally involved in the salvation plan of all those predestined to become son’s of God. There is absolutely no tension in their decision; they are unified in perfect harmony, not a cord out of tune. We are also encouraged to pursue unity amongst one other as believers, it shows maturity in understanding.

“Until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:13)

God is always unified in Himself; we on the other hand have to learn to find unity as believers in Christ. But never to the expense of sound doctrine, is it the love of doctrine when applied correctly in application and in the bonds of love that will bring unity. Possibly another thought for another day.

Now with God unified in their decision to save sinful mankind and as John and the other witnesses, “testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.”

I consider another thought that God processed, not only were they unified in their verdict but it pleased the Lord to bruise Him. “Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief:” (Isaiah 53:10)

It was a pleasure for God to send Christ to die on a cross for us, the saints of God. We are also taught that the Lord Jesus endured the cross for the joy that was set before Him. "Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:2)

He accomplished all of His Fathers will, He died, was buried and on the third day He rose again. He is now in heaven seated at the right hand of God the Father. How I now wrestle for God the spirit to now write these truths deep within the recesses of my heart, equipping me with a clearer understanding of what it meant for God to send His son to die in my place, in our place! To Imagine God our Saviour nailed to a tree and as a man who had total confidence in God His Father and yet He personally faced the wrath of God His Father. It was such an intense moment that our God insures that we understand his Son’s suffering and gets Matthew and Mark to pen this account for all to examine; in Matthew it reads, “And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" that is, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46)

And then again in Mark it reads, “And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?" which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Mark 15:34)

Just in case we missed it the first time round. The God-Man Jesus deserted for the first and the last time by God the Father as He hung upon a cruel roman cross as the Father righteously pores out His wrath, as he judges His son for the sins of mankind. In judging His Son, He judges Himself as God for our sins. We must remember that God is and always will be totally unified as the Trinity, three in one. Do not ever think for one single minute that man has a whole lot of options in which to find favour with God; it is only through the Lord Jesus Christ that we can come and find favour with this awesome God. There is no other way! I cannot with any certainty speak of our Fathers emotional state but I can imagine it was heart rendering, however that may have played out in His righteousness, He nevertheless carried out their eternal plan, Isaiah tells us, "that it pleased God to bruise His Son." There is a day coming in the not to distant future where all those who will not bow to Jesus Christ as Lord, will be forced to bow as God then executes judgement on all those who would not repent and believe on His only begotten Son. All those who think they know better than God Himself, what a treacherous day that will be. Today is the day of Salvation, flee to the Rock and fall on Him, crying out in repentance to Him, for the sun will soon set and then the Rock will fall on you, with Hell your ultimate destination. I dare not chew over this notion as it is too horrible for words. Suffice to say that hell will be a place full of weeping and gnashing of teeth.

The Lord Jesus always works what the Father wills. In the wounds of the dying Saviour see the love of the great I AM. Let every thought of Jesus also be a thought connected with God, the Trinity, the three in one.

“We too frequently ascribe the honour of our salvation, or at least the depths of its benevolence, more to Jesus Christ than we do the Father. This is a very great mistake. What if Jesus came? Did not his Father send him? If he spake wondrously, did not his Father pour grace into his lips, that he might be an able to minister of the new covenant? He who knoweth the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost as he should know them, never setteth one before another in his love; he sees them at Bethlehem, at Gethsemane, and on Calvary, all equally engaged in the work of salvation.” C.H.Spurgeon

As God worked in the salvation plan for mankind, may we take comfort in the fact with the same assurance that God is for us and not against His Children. We are loved because of our Saviours obedience and let us never forget that He who has begun a good work in us will complete it. We will one day be able to fall to our knees in heaven and sing praises unto our God as we wash His feet with our tears. Until that day, let us press on in faith clinging to the promises of God in hope.

Signing off

Tyrone