Devotional: The LORD our God, the LORD is one!

Deuteronomy 6:4  "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one!

Our pastor has told us to always compare Scripture with Scripture rather than take a verse here or there and build a doctrine around it.  Here is a verse that lends itself well to this.

I have found that as I read Scripture, I find that God is a Triune God. He is three, yet one.  The verse above tells us that He is one.

Genesis 1:26  Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness;...".  Notice God uses the plural form. He doesn't say let me make man in my own image, but uses us  and our.

Something that is interesting to note is that in the next verse the narrative shifts from God speaking to Moses speaking and he says, "God created man in His own image;". He shifts to singular, showing that God is one.

Usually, when the Bible uses the name God by itself, it denotes God the Father and so we also have the Father involved in creation.

We see in Colossians that Jesus had an active part in creation. Colossians 1:13-17

 "He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist."

We also see that the Holy Spirit was involved in creation.

Genesis 1:2 "The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters."

As you study the Bible you will find many places where Jesus either claims to be God or is doing acts only God can do. You also find the Holy Spirit doing things only God can do and the same for the Father. Yet we are told that God is one.

It is a difficult concept for our finite minds to grasp, yet that is what the Bible teaches.  Some would say it's impossible to know a God like this. But that is precisely why He gave us the Bible, so we can know Him.

 I'm thankful I can't "explain" God. A god that can be explained away isn't big enough to be sovereign over my life, our God is.