By His obedience to all the commandments of God, Christ wrought out a redemption for men. This was not done by going out of Himself to another, but by taking humanity into Himself. Thus Christ gave to humanity an existence out of Himself. To bring humanity into Christ, to bring the fallen race into oneness with divinity, is the work of redemption. Christ took human nature that men might be one with Him as He is one with the Father, that God may love man as He loves His only-begotten Son, that men may be partakers of the divine nature, and be complete in Him. The Holy Spirit, which proceeds from the only-begotten Son of God, binds the human agent, body, soul, and spirit, to the perfect, divine-human nature of Christ. This union is represented by the union of the vine and the branches. Finite man is united to the manhood of Christ. Through faith human nature is assimilated with Christ’s nature. We are made one with God in Christ. 1SM 250-1
Part 1: ONE WITH GOD?
Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father? Jn 14:9
“Who is Christ?—He is the only begotten Son of the living God. He is to the Father as a word that expresses the thought,—as a thought made audible. Christ is the word of God. Christ said to Philip, “He that hath seen me, hath seen the Father.” His words were the echo of God’s words. Christ was the likeness of God, the brightness of His glory, the express image of His person. As a personal being, God has revealed Himself in His Son. Jesus, the outshining of the Father’s glory, “and the express image of his person” (Hebrews 1:3), was on earth found in fashion as a man. As a personal Saviour He came to the world.” Sons And Daughters p.21
Is Christ and God one single being? What does Christ mean when he says, “I and my Father are One.” Jn 10:30?
Jesus says, “I and my Father…” thereby indicating two different individuals. He could not be saying that two people are the same one person, therefore the phrase, “are one,” must mean that they(Jesus and his Father) are alike, rather than the same. Paul says of Jesus that he was, “the express image of his(the Father’s) person…” Heb. 1:3. The scripture says, “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” Gen. 2:24(Matt 19:5) This is talking about marriage which involves two people, a man and his wife, and it says of these two people that, “they shall be one flesh,” yet we will all agree that we have never seen two married people change into one person, they remain two, but now they work together with the same goals and purposes, thus they are alike.
“The Father and the Son each have a personality. Christ declared: “I and My Father are one.” Yet it was the Son of God who came to the world in human form. Laying aside His royal robe and kingly crown, He clothed His divinity with humanity, that humanity through His infinite sacrifice might become partakers of the divine nature and escape the corruption that is in the world through lust.” Testimonies For The Church Vol.9 p.68
How can we be one with God? 1Cor 6:17
“As we partake of the divine nature, hereditary and cultivated tendencies to wrong are cut away from the character, and we are made a living power for good. Ever learning of the divine Teacher, daily partaking of His nature, we cooperate with God in overcoming Satan’s temptations. God works, and man works, that man may be one with Christ as Christ is one with God….” Maranatha p.225.
Jesus is the express image of the Father, all his life is an example to us of what his Father is like!
Part 2: Equal with God
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God. Phil 2:5-6
“In order to fully realize the value of salvation, it is necessary to understand what it cost. In consequence of limited ideas of the sufferings of Christ, many place a low estimate upon the great work of the atonement. The glorious plan of man’s salvation was brought about through the infinite love of God the Father. In this divine plan is seen the most marvelous manifestation of the love of God to the fallen race. Such love as is manifested in the gift of God’s beloved Son amazed the holy angels…… This Saviour was the brightness of His Father’s glory and the express image of His person. He possessed divine majesty, perfection, and excellence. He was equal with God. “It pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell” (Col. 1:19). . . .” God’s Amazing Grace p.160
What was the circumstance surrounding the answer Jesus gave the Jews in Jn. 5:1-17, and what was the Jews response? Jn 5:18
“Jesus claimed equal rights with God in doing a work equally sacred, and of the same character with that which engaged the Father in heaven. But the Pharisees were still more incensed. He had not only broken the law, according to their understanding, but in calling God “His own Father” had declared Himself equal with God. John 5:18, R. V. The whole nation of the Jews called God their Father, therefore they would not have been so enraged if Christ had represented Himself as standing in the same relation to God. But they accused Him of blasphemy, showing that they understood Him as making this claim in the highest sense.” Desires Of Ages p.207-8
“Christ was the Son of God, equal with the Father; and yet he was abused, ridiculed, scourged, and crucified. There are many who have thought that the Father had no part in the sufferings of the Son; but this is a mistake. The Father suffered with the Son.” Signs Of The Times, Nov 25, 1889
What power does Jesus have as one equal with God? Mark 2:7-10
“It required nothing less than creative power to restore health to that decaying body. The same voice that spoke life to man created from the dust of the earth, had spoken life to the dying paralytic. And the same power that gave life to the body had renewed the heart. He who at creation “spake, and it was,” who “commanded, and it stood fast” (Psalm 33:9), had spoken life to the soul dead in trespasses and sins. The healing of the body was an evidence of the power that had renewed the heart. Christ bade the paralytic arise and walk….” The Ministry Of Healing p.77.
As all humans are equal, so is Christ equal to God as a divine being!
Part 3: Jesus is God
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God, The same was in the beginning with God. Jn 1:1-2
The first time the word God is used in the passage, who does it refer to? It certainly does not refer to Christ(The Word), because it says that, “the Word was with God.” The word therefore could not be the same person he was with. You could not be with somebody and at the same time be the person you are with, that is not logical. So the first time the word ‘God’ is used it referred to a person and the second time it refers to the nature or quality of a person rather than a person.
“Christ was God essentially, and in the highest sense. He was with God from all eternity, God over all, blessed forevermore. The Lord Jesus Christ, the divine Son of God, existed from eternity, a distinct person, yet one with the Father.” Review And Herald, April 5, 1906
“The Scriptures clearly indicate the relation between God and Christ, and they bring to view as clearly the personality and individuality of each.” Testimonies For The Church Vol.8 p.268
What declaration did Christ make that shows that One was above him? Jn 14:28
“From eternity there was a complete unity between the Father and the Son. They were two, yet little short of being identical; two in individuality, yet one in spirit, and heart, and character.” Youth Instructor, December 16, 1897
“The Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of the Father, is truly God in infinity, but not in personality.” (Manuscript 116, Dec 19, 1905) Upward Look p.367
Who does Paul see above Christ? 1 Cor. 11:3
“God is the Father of Christ; Christ is the Son of God. To Christ has been given an exalted position. He has been made equal with the Father. All the counsels of God are opened to His Son.” Testimonies For The Church Vol.8 p.268
Does Jesus have a God? Jn 20:17
“From that scene of heavenly joy, there comes back to us on earth the echo of Christ’s own wonderful words, “I ascend unto My Father, and your Father; and to My God, and your God.” John 20:17. The family of heaven and the family of earth are one. For us our Lord ascended, and for us He lives. “Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them.” Heb. 7:25.” The Desires Of Ages p.835.
Jesus is God by nature, as we are humans by nature, but this does not make Jesus the Father of himself, God his Father is greater and higher.
Part 4: “That they may be one….”
“And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.” Jn 17:11
“We are to be brought into a sacred nearness with the world’s Redeemer. We are to be one with Christ as He is one with the Father. What a wonderful change the people of God experience in coming into unity with the Son of God! We are to have our tastes, inclinations, ambitions, and passions all subdued, and brought into harmony with the mind and spirit of Christ. This is the very work that the Lord is willing to do for those who believe in Him. Our life and deportment are to have a molding power in the world.” ….. My Life Today p.252
What will be the result of abiding in Christ? Jn 15:7
“If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” When you pray, present this promise. It is our privilege to come to Him with holy boldness. As in sincerity we ask Him to let His light shine upon us, He will hear and answer us. But we must live in harmony with our prayers. They are of no avail if we walk contrary to them.” Child Guidance p.499
What is the most important blessing of being one with God? 2 Pet. 1:4
“God is the source of life and light and joy to the universe. Like rays of light from the sun, blessings flow out from Him to all the creatures He has made. In His infinite love He has granted men the privilege of becoming partakers of the divine nature, and, in their turn, of diffusing blessings to their fellow men. This is the highest honor, the greatest joy, that it is possible for God to bestow upon men. Those are brought nearest to their Creator who thus become participants in labors of love. He who refuses to become a “laborer together with God,”—the man who for the sake of selfish indulgence ignores the wants of his fellow men, the miser who heaps up his treasures here,—is withholding from himself the richest blessing that God can give him.”—R. & H., Dec. 6, 1887. Counsels On Stewardship p.23.
What is the relationship between diet and the divine nature?
“It is God’s design that believing parents and their children should stand forth as living representatives of Christ, candidates for everlasting life. All who are partakers of the divine nature will escape the corruption that is in the world through lust. It is impossible for those who indulge the appetite to attain to Christian perfection. You cannot arouse the moral sensibilities of your children while you are not careful in the selection of their food.”—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 2, pp. 339, 400 (1870).
The prayer of Jesus is that all the children of the Kingdom of his Father to be united as one, as he and his Father are one.
Part 5: ONE SPIRIT
“For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.” 1Cor 12:13
“The unity that exists between Christ and His disciples does not destroy the personality of either. In mind, in purpose, in character, they are one, but not in person. By partaking of the Spirit of God, conforming to the law of God, man becomes a partaker of the divine nature. Christ brings His disciples into a living union with Himself and with the Father. Through the working of the Holy Spirit upon the human mind, man is made complete in Christ Jesus. Unity with Christ establishes a bond of unity with one another…. The closer our union with Christ, the closer will be our union with one another. Variance and disaffection, selfishness and conceit, are striving for supremacy. These are the fruits of a divided heart, open to the suggestions of the enemy of souls.” Sons And Daughters p.286
In unity there is a life, a power, that can be obtained in no other way. Look at the benefit of uniting with Christ! Col. 2:10
“Christ brings His disciples into a living union with Himself and with the Father. Through the working of the Holy Spirit upon the human mind, man is made complete in Christ Jesus. Unity with Christ establishes a bond of unity with one another. This unity is the most convincing proof to the world of the majesty and virtue of Christ and of His power to take away sin.”—MS 111, 1903. S.D.A. Bible Commentary Vol .5 p.1148.
“In view of the fact that we are living so near the close of this earth’s history, there should be greater thoroughness in labor, more vigilant waiting, watching, praying, and working. The human agent should strive to attain perfection, that he may be an ideal Christian, complete in Christ Jesus.” Testimonies For The Church Vol.7 p.248
What great blessings can we enjoy as Christians? Ps 133:1
“The cause of division and discord in families and in the church is separation from Christ. To come near to Christ is to come near to one another. The secret of true unity in the church and in the family is not diplomacy, not management, not a superhuman effort to overcome difficulties—though there will be much of this to do—but union with Christ. Picture a large circle, from the edge of which are many lines all running to the center. The nearer these lines approach the center, the nearer they are to one another. Thus it is in the Christian life. The closer we come to Christ, the nearer we shall be to one another. God is glorified as His people unite in harmonious action.” The Adventist Home p.179.
My fellowship with God may be, and should be closer than that which I enjoy with any human being.
Part 6: unity and uniformity
“Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” Eph. 4:13
“Christian unity is a mighty agency. It tells in a powerful manner that those who possess it are children of God. It has an irresistible influence upon the world, showing that man in his humanity may be a partaker of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. We are to be one with our fellow men and with Christ, and in Christ one with God. Then of us can be spoken the words, “Ye are complete in Him.”…….. God calls upon the members of His church to receive the Holy Spirit, to come together in unity and brotherly sympathy, to bind their interests together in love. Nothing so manifestly weakens a church as disunion and strife. Nothing so wars against Christ and the truth as this spirit. . . . He in whose heart Christ abides recognizes Christ abiding in the heart of his brother. Christ never wars against Christ. Christ never exerts an influence against Christ. Christians are to do their work, whatever it may be, in the unity of the Spirit, for the perfecting of the whole body.” My Life today p.276
What was the result, when the disciples came together in true unity after Jesus left? Acts 2:1
“Before the day of Pentecost they met together, and put away all differences. They were of one accord. They believed Christ’s promise that the blessing would be given, and they prayed in faith. They did not ask for a blessing for themselves merely; they were weighted with the burden for the salvation of souls. The gospel was to be carried to the uttermost parts of the earth, and they claimed the endowment of power that Christ had promised. Then it was that the Holy Spirit was poured out, and thousands were converted in a day.” Desires Of Ages p.827.
What is the root of Christian unity? Jn 13:34
“In the church of God today brotherly love is sadly lacking. Many who profess to love the Saviour do not love one another. Unbelievers are watching to see if the faith of professed Christians is exerting a sanctifying influence upon their lives; and they are quick to discern the defects in character, the inconsistencies in action. Let Christians not make it possible for the enemy to point to them and say, Behold how these people, standing under the banner of Christ, hate one another. Christians are all members of one family, all children of the same heavenly Father, with the same blessed hope of immortality. Very close and tender should be the tie that binds them together.” The Acts Of The Apostles p.550.
“Abide” means to remain always. Why is it that our
relationship with God is so fluctuating, at times close, at other times
very distant and shaky?
