The world will know God’s love—that the Father has sent Jesus Christ—if those who believe on Him are one; Jesus prayed for such (Jn. 17:20-23). Many man-made ecumenical attempts have been made throughout the centuries, but have failed. Usually men, instead of going back to the Bible, try to shorten the list of items upon which we must agree in order to embrace an ever-widening field of divergent opinions. However, the Bible shows that the fundamental doctrines of Christianity cannot be abandoned for some pseudo-unity. In Paul’s inspired exhortation towards unity, he wrote that we are to be: “endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all” (Eph. 4:3-6).

Instead of concocting our own system of agreeing to disagree, we must maintain the unity the Holy Spirit provides. The oneness of the Lord’s followers is emphasized in the book of Ephesians. God was able to make first-century Jews and Gentiles one in the church, the one body where both are reconciled to God (Eph. 1:22-23; 2:16). Christians can be one as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are one. Ephesians 2:18 goes on to say of Christ, “For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.” By the Spirit we are to walk worthy of our calling (Eph. 4:1). We have been called into the fellowship of God’s Son through the preaching of the gospel (1 Cor. 1:9; 2 Thess. 2:14). This fellowship with the Father and the Son is maintained by abiding in the doctrine of Christ, not changing it to include those who bring other doctrines (2 Jn. 9-11).

The mindset that is key to unity is seen when Christians walk “with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love” (Eph. 4:2). Notice how the same words appear in Galatians 5:22-23: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” The Spirit has produced results (fruit) in our lives that create the possibility for unity we could never achieve on our own without Him. We can show humility (Phil. 2:3), because Jesus showed the ultimate humility (lowliness) in giving up the glories of heaven to come to earth, not only to live as a man, but also to die a despicable death on a cross for us (Phil. 2:5-8). The meekness and gentleness Paul showed to His brothers was really the meekness and gentleness of Christ (2 Cor. 10:1). We love others because love was first shown to us (Jn. 13:34; 1 Jn. 4:10). Loving others in the same way results in all men knowing we are disciples of Jesus (Jn. 13:35). God’s plan is for every Christian to be filled with the Spirit (Eph. 5:18), continuing in the unity and edification of the truth (Eph. 4:13-16), and building one another up in most holy faith (Jude 19-21).

-Mark Day

Do you know the only true God? The answer to this question is all that will matter in the end. To know God changes us and ultimately results in our salvation. Our Lord said in His prayer to the Father, “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent” (Jn. 17:3). Contrariwise, to not know God is to be lost. When the Lord is revealed from heaven, punishment will come to those who “know not God” (2 Thess. 1:7-8).

Hosea declared how God’s people under the Mosaic covenant were destroyed for a lack of knowledge (Hos. 4:6). In context, this was more than merely an intellectual understanding of His existence; they had rejected Him and refused to acknowledge Him in the way they lived. We should acknowledge the Lord in all our ways (Prov. 3:6). We can know that we know God by keeping His commandments (1 Jn. 2:3). While Israel of old may have in large part become estranged from God, His prophets foretold of a time when the earth would be filled with the knowledge of His glory (Hab. 2:14).

Now, in the new covenant of Christ, each one of His people know Him (Heb. 8:11; Jer. 31:34). To know God is to be in a covenant with Him. Many first-century Gentiles turned from their idols and false gods to serve the living and true God (1 Thess. 1:9-10). The universe God created teems with evidence that points to Him. Those who preached to Gentiles in the first century pointed to creation as they introduced God (Acts 14).

God is not an impersonal entity. The personal relationship He desires to have with us is described as a loving father (Deut. 1:31; Psa. 103:13; Heb. 12:5-11), or a jealous husband (Ex. 20:5; 34:14; Ezek. 16:8-19; Hos. 1:2; 3:1-5; Eph. 5:23; Rev. 21:2, 9). Yet, while He desires interaction with us (Acts 17:27), His nature is transcendent (Isa. 55:8, 9). God is not beset by human frailties as false gods created in the minds of men. The gods made in man’s image act like immature children who get their feelings hurt. Greek mythology is filled with tales of gods who behave like characters in a soap opera. They are like souped-up humans, capricious in character. Contrariwise, the only true God does not change (Mal. 3:6). There is no variation with the Father (Jas. 1:17). Jesus Christ is ever faithful (2 Tim. 2:13), the same yesterday, today, and forever (Heb. 13:8).

The only true God is distinct from gods in other religions in that He entered into human suffering. Jesus, the Son of God, became flesh (Jn. 1:14). He experienced sickness, hunger, thirst, sleepless nights, betrayal, distress, pain and death. Jesus has declared the unseen God (Jn. 1:18). To truly see Jesus is to come to know and see the Father (Jn. 6:45-47; 14:9), for the Son and the Father are one (Jn. 10:30; 17:11, 21). This is what the prayer of Jesus was in John 17:3, that men would come to believe and know the only true God and have eternal life. God has revealed Himself and given sufficient evidence for us to believe and know Him through Jesus Christ and have eternal life (Jn. 20:30-31). Do you know God?

-Mark Day

Kings tend to think they have supreme authority, that no one is above them. King Solomon wrote, “Where the word of a king is, there is power; And who may say to him, “‘What are you doing?’” (Eccl. 8:4). But only one King has no one above Him. Nebuchadnezzar was king over the mighty Babylonian empire and thought he was above all, but God humbled him and taught him that there is indeed a King of kings (Dan. 4:34; 1 Tim. 6:15). God is the Most High who reigns as king over the kingdom of men (Dan. 4:17; cf. Psa. 7:17).

God’s sovereignty means He works all things according to the counsel of His own will (Eph. 1:11; Dan. 4:35). All are subject to His rule (Psa. 103:19). He is the Creator of all; He does what He pleases (Psa. 115:3; Rev. 4:11). As the omnipotent, reigning King (Rev. 19:6), He could force His will upon us feeble humans who in Him live, move, and have our being (Acts 17:28). Some believe that He does. John Calvin viewed predestination as, “the eternal decree of God, by which he determined with himself whatever he wished to happen with regard to every man. All men are not created on equal terms, but some are preordained to eternal life, others to eternal damnation; and accordingly, as each has been created for one or the other of these ends, we say that he has been predestinated to life or to death.”[1]

Contrary to Calvin, the Bible teaches that God allows humans to have free will. From the beginning—when He gave Adam and Eve the option of obeying Him and living or eating of the forbidden tree and dying (Gen. 2:16, 17)—God has always given man a choice (Deut. 30:19; Josh. 24:15). Jesus said, “If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself” (Jn. 7:17). Man can exercise his will to find out the will of God and know divine doctrine, or he can reject the Lord. Jesus does not, at present, force us to be His servants; instead, He extends the invitation to all to come to Him (Mt. 11:28). The Lord has all authority; however, with that authority He commands the invitation of the gospel to go out to the entire world (Mt. 28:18-20). Every individual has the choice: “whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely” (Rev. 22:17). Many are lost because they reject this offer (Mt. 23:37; Acts 13:46; 2 Thess. 1:8).

God loves every person (Jn. 3:16; Rom. 5:6-8). He desires that all be saved (1 Tim. 2:4; 2 Pet. 3:9). God has not chosen for you whether you will be saved or lost; you must choose. Your will is the deciding factor. God wants you to love Him in return with all your heart, soul, mind and strength (Mk. 12:30). But He will not force you to love Him. Just as Jesus chose to lay down His life (Jn. 10:18) in order to follow God’s determinate plan (Acts 2:23), you must choose whether you will follow the path God has laid down for you to have eternal life.  Jesus said, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it” (Lk. 9:23, 24). You can choose to let God reign as King in your life by doing all things under His authority (Col. 3:17)

-Mark Day

[1] Institutes. III.21.5