Being One With God
Hugh Laybourn - 2006
Jesus came
to reveal the Father. Remember when Philip said to Jesus, “Lord, show us
the Father, and it is sufficient for us (John 14:8, NKJV).” Jesus said, “Have I been with you so long, and yet
you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me
has seen the Father; . . . (John 14:9, NKJV).”
Jesus’ mission was to reveal the Father in his character and his nature, and
that is exactly what Jesus did.
To the hearts of the
hungry this was exciting, but to the hearts of the religious this idea produced
anger and even hatred. “Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him,
because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making
Himself equal with God (John 5:18, NKJV.)”
Jesus’ claim to be God’s Son stirred up extreme anger and hatred in the Jewish
leaders.
We can see the human analogy of
being one with God in the picture of the marriage relationship. In
Genesis the physical union between husband and wife is described as the two
becoming “one flesh” (Genesis 2:24). In the marriage of two believers,
they also become one in spirit. However, notice that there is still
something in the two that is becoming
one. Both their flesh and their souls are becoming one. That’s why they don’t think alike, they don’t
desire the same things. They’re still becoming
one!
Do any of you have conflicts in
relationships? Are any of you married and you see things differently or
disagree with your spouse? Any of you? It’s because
you’re still becoming one!
In the same way, if we are
believers, we are one Spirit with Jesus in God. We have the same Spirit that
raised Christ from the dead in us, and in Ephesians 5:30 the apostle Paul
wrote, “For we are members of His body, of His flesh and His bones.”
We’ve become married to him, in a sense, as members of the Bride of Christ.
But guess what? We’re still becoming
one with Jesus. Because even though we are believers, we’ve got a lo-o-o-ng way to go to become like Jesus.
John 17 is the key passage about being one with the Father. Jesus prayed,
“My prayer is not for them alone, I pray also for those who will believe in me
through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in
me and I am in you (John 17:20, NIV).”
Hello, we may be Christians,
but guess what? Whoa, it’s a process! The process begins by talking about
oneness with one another. We begin working through relational issues.
Jesus said, “. . . that all of them may be one, Father just as you are in
me and I am in you (John 17:21a, NIV).”
Although it’s apparent that we need to be one with each other, we need to
one with God first. That process is also happening. Furthermore, we need to be
one with one another, in the same way
as the Father and Jesus were one. Why? Jesus said, “May they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you
have sent me (John 17:21b, NIV).”
This is not some side issue is it? This is an important concept. To be
one with God and one with one another is vital!
We are not going to win the world, we are not going to impact the world, unless unity
with God and unity with one another exists. In spite of our differences,
if we can’t learn to love one another, and love authentically, we are not going
to change the world. Do you see how important this is in the heart of
God? Unless we find out how to walk in unity and walk in love, the world
will not believe! The heart of God is throbbing with this message:
Jesus came to earth to win the world; Jesus came to turn the world back to Him.
Jesus died on the cross to make a way where there was no way.
Jesus’ prayer continued, “I
have given them the glory you have given me, that they may be one as we are
one: I in them and you in me (John 17:22-23a, NIV).” How do we become one? It’s through the glory!
What’s going to cause us to come together? What’s going to cause us to tear
down the walls? What’s going to cause us to resolve conflicts? What’s going to
cause us to forgive one another? What’s going to cause us to have this unity? It’s
the glory of God!
What is the glory? It’s Jesus.
He is the glory! It’s his presence. Becoming one with Jesus is the only
way we can ever hope to become one with one another. The more we get filled
with the Holy Spirit, the more we connect with the body of Christ.
You know what? Humans are not
easy to love. I mean just generally, humans. We can look around the world and
say, humans are tough to love. There’s some bad stuff going on isn’t there?
Just open your newspaper and read about it. “For God so loved the world
(John 3:16a),” the whole world. Give me that kind of love, Lord.
I confess to you, I am not there
yet. But I want to be there. I need more of the glory. I need more of the
life of God in me. I know I’m one with God. I know his life is in me, but I
want more of the glory! I need an exchange, because I still see a lot of flesh,
a lot of bad attitudes in my life. Jesus said, “I have given them the glory
that you [Father]gave me (v. 22)”. You can’t buy the
glory. You can’t work out a deal with God. Jesus settles it in this verse,
“I’ve given them the glory.” If the Spirit of God is in you, then the glory is
in your life. We just need to let the glory be in charge! We just need the
glory of God to bring those changes in us and we need to get out of His way and
let the glory be revealed. “I have given them the glory you gave me.” Was Jesus
glorious?
Yes! Read the gospels again.
Jesus is beautiful! He is so gracious! He is so kind!
He is so loving! People respond or reject God when
they are in Jesus’ presence. Such a glorious presence is with Jesus, that it
changes the atmosphere. He ruined every funeral he went to, because he
would raise the dead. Now that’s glory! I’m trying to stir you with
a greater desire for intimacy with God. We might know intellectually or
theologically that we are one with God, but there is a gap between what we know
and what we experience.
The glory of God, the fragrance of
God, is not exuding from us like it did from Jesus. Jesus said, “I in
them, and you in me (v. 23).” Just close your eyes for a second and say that
with me, “I in them and you in me.” Jesus is saying,
I’m going to be in them like you’re already in me. So guess who else is
in us? The Father is living and abiding in us. Jesus describes this
indwelling of the Father in this way “. . . I in them and you
in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know
that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me (John 17:23, NIV).” It is a process, isn’t it?
See, God has created us, God has bought us, and
transformed us, that we might exhibit the love of the Father to the world. The
people in the world are not going to read the Bible without knowing Jesus,
having the Holy Spirit to teach them. They might read the Bible intellectually,
but they will not understand it. However, they will read you. You are the
one who will exhibit God’s glory to the world. You’re the one, as you love the
unlovely that will reveal Jesus. Something has to happen inside of us so
we love one another blemishes and all. There’s not one perfect person alive on
earth, yet God loves us. Heavenly Father, give us this kind of love for
one another, love that loves beyond the blemishes.
First we need to be one with God in
intimacy. Second we need to be one with him in proximity. In other words,
we need to hang out with him.
Jesus said, “. . . I am with you always, even to the end of the age
(Matthew 28:20, NKJV).”
We need to be one, in his presence. We need to wake up in the
morning and get into God. Don’t let the morning start without getting
into him, and then walk all day with him.
Third we need to be one with God in
security. Jesus said, “My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater
than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand (John
10:29, NKJV).” In
conclusion, be with Jesus, be intimate with Him, find yourself in proximity
with God, and abide in Him.
Build your confidence. Paul
wrote in Hebrews 13:5, “For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor
forsake you.” Build your confidence, knowing nobody can pluck you from God’s
hand. Put your confidence in his strength, his ability, not your own
resources.
I’m so glad God is the one who
pursued us and grabbed us.
Paul wrote: “There is one body and one Spirit – just as you were called to one
hope when you were called – one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and
Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all (Ephesians 4:4-6, NIV).”
That’s where we want to live,
every day, with that sense of unity. No matter where we are, there is a
presence, a glory. God wants us to be conscious of His presence.
Someone defined the fear of the Lord in this way: to have a
constant awareness of God’s power and presence. I like that. We are one
with Him. Let us be continually aware of His presence with us.
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