The Unity of God - Jan 22-24

Hello everyone!

OK its update time:
This fast has been running for almost a year. We're coming up to our one year anniversary which will take place at the end of this month!!!
It excites me to think of how much God has impacted my heart during these weeks of voluntary weakness that i personally have put before Him as i have fasted every week for the last year.
The TVVT fast team hasn't always been via blog and personal "solo" commitment. We first started at the International House of Prayer and at one point we were 15+ members who met every week to fast and pray and hold eachother to accountibility and confession of sin and a higher level of seeking the Lord together.
My dream is that this fast team will one day transition into the prayer room here in Winnipeg MB. SHOP (http://sanctuaryhop.com/)
That day will come, and this one year mark is just one step closer. The fast has continued even when the initial group dispersed. The fast will continue into a new season because of the spiritual/natural ground that has been cultivated through this blog. Bring it on Jesus!!!!! Amen.

This week i am speaking about The Unity of God at SHOP. Here are my notes for my talk. Its from my own understanding and it is to be taken directed completely about God and about His Unity.
Fasting and prayer can help heighten a fascination of God! He wants to surprise us and fascinate us by His transcendent beauty!! Enjoy Him, love Him, praise Him, worship Him. Say 'Yes' to His divine purpose for your life that is rooted and grounded in His love.
If you have any questions or concerns about this blog please e-mail me at mewithoutdrew@gmail.com or look at the profile or check the Dec 18-20 post of 2007.
-Drew


The Unity of God: A glimpse into the oneness of God with man.
By Drew Gusztak


I. MY OWN PERSONAL CALLING AND GROWTH IN UNITY WITH GOD

A. My dream concerning John 17:21 at IHOP Nov. 3/07

II. GODS UNITY WITH HIMSEFL AND MAN

A. It is clear through scripture that God is a singular being. Genesis 1:1 clearly states that in the beginning there was one being, who before creation, stood alone. This is God the Father as we know Him, meaning He is the Father of all creation and the absolute ruler of heaven and earth. The next character who we are introduced to is the Spirit of God whom appears to be like God and who is God but is a person all His own whom must have been there before/during/after creation as well. The next character who we are introduced to is the Word of God. (Jn 1:1,2) He is the first manifestation of God within His created realm who, according to the rest of the Bible, Is God and was apart of everything that God could have been, meaning He also was there before/during/after creation. (Jn 4:24, 8: 42)

“God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” (Jn 4:24)

Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and have come from God… (Jn 42: 46)

B. Throughout the rest of scripture, starting from Gen 1:1, we follow an in-depth story of how God interacts as these three persons with His creation. A very climactic portion of scripture is when God the Father thunders His voice over His Son Jesus, a man, and sends His Spirit to rest on Him. (Matt 3: 16-17, Mk 1: 11-12, Luke 3: 21-22) Here we see all three persons of God interacting with each other in the same place at the same time.

C. Jesus, the living breathing Word of God full of the Holy Spirit, the one sent from God who is God came for one very specific reason and He even chose to look the part for which He came. He came for Humans. The One from the Father, who had the Spirit, who spoke the Words of life who is a man, Jesus. He is the prophetic picture of oneness with God.

D. Not only did Jesus display unity with God He also spoke it into existence and allowed all men to be in unity with the Father. At the end of His ministry Jesus prays to His Father in heaven and seals everything He did by declaring with the Words of life that we would be one just as He and the Father are one. (Jn 17:21, 23)

21that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also maybe be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. (Jn 17:21)

23I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfect in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.(Jn 17:23)

III. GOD IS ONE. HE DESIRES HIS CREATION TO BE JUST LIKE HIM.

A. An aspect of the unity of God comes from the understanding that God is a perfect and holy being who can not have any involvement with sin but that He does have involvement with His creation who is wrapped in sin. The Lord knew sin would enter His creation. He wouldn’t just give up on His creation, its not in His character to do that. So it is Who He Is that He would interact with His creation and with Himself in different ways to deliver His beloved creation and His most beloved creatures in love. Not only does God deal with His creation as a most Holy God seated in heaven completely separated from sin He also interacts with His creation as a loving Spirit dwelling around and within sin/sinful beings and He also interacts as His loving Son who conquered sin, He does this all with perfect unity with Himself.

B. God created man in His own image and likeness. (Gen 1:26) So it wasn’t a surprise to God that Adam was not satisfied being alone in the garden. So God created woman and He proclaimed that man and woman would become one flesh.(Gen 2:24) The same way God was one Spirit with Himself. Once again God revealed Himself through creation allowing man and woman to become a part of what God Himself was.

26Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness… (Gen 1:26)

24...and they shall become one flesh. (Gen 2:24)

C. God desires relationship. He desires partnership and He desires it with Himself and His creation. He desires it for Himself and He desires it/allows it for us His most beloved creation. He desires for us perfect unity in our relationships. He knows that it can only come through Him when we are one with Him and He knows it comes only through love.

VI. GODS LOVE = PERFECT UNITY.

A. God is in love with Himself. (Jn 17:23) All three persons of God are wrapped in a love affair with each other that far surpasses our knowledge or understanding. Gods unity is Gods love. All of Gods motives and actions are based on love. Fist and foremost the ways in which God interacts with Himself within all three persons being rooted in love, but also the way in which He deals with His creation which is also completely established in love.(Jn 3:16) In Ephesians 3 Paul establishes the ultimate relationship between man and God and its basis is in love. All the fullness of God is based in love.(Eph 3:19) Therefore Gods unity is also based in love.

For God so loved… (Jn 3:16)

And to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge that you may be filled with all the fullness of God (Eph 3:16-19)

B. Jesus exhorts Israel and the Church in Mark 12:29-31 establishing oneness of God on the basis of love and the Godheads heart towards their beloved creation.

29 Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one.
30 And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.
31 And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” (NKJV)

C. The Lord is one. All three persons of the Godhead agree on every level of transcendent comprehension. They have also made a way for humans to share in their oneness and it is through the love that God shares with Himself and His creation. God loving Himself is the ultimate solution to any “worldly” problem and it is also the very joy of the holy Godhead. God has 100 percent interaction with all facets of life through the love He shares with Himself. His love effects heaven as He sits on the throne. His love effects earth as His Spirit moves over its surface and His love effects His most precious creation as His Son drives Himself deep into our hearts through His word and His Spirit. Gods will allows Him to have complete control over all heaven and earth, and His love is the means by which His will is accomplished. The unity that He shares within Himself brings together the ultimate gratification of a transcendent holy God who is working in and through His creation to ultimately share Himself in a profound way which causes all heaven and earth to worship and love Him because He is worthy of all honour glory power and praise. (Rev 4:11)

D. Paul’s words to the Colossians sums up our unity with each other though love plainly and simply…

Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. (Col. 3:14)

E. The Lord has invited the body of Christ to join together in love like He has with Himself. His love comes through Christ, who is our way to God. Without Christ we would not know how to love the way God loves. Jesus and the love He gives will guide us to unity, and His love helps us comprehend the unity of God within Himself.

And to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge that you may be filled with all the fullness of God (Eph 3:16-19)