There are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit, and these three are One (1 John 5: 7). We know that the Word became flesh, Jesus Christ, the Begotten Son of God. The singularity of the Godhead is the same singularity God desires between Himself and man. “Let us make man in our image and likeness,” declared by God in the book of Genesis chapter 1verse 26 is a clear indication of this. It was the conclusion of the extravagant love that God has for man. Unfortunately, the man shifted his focus away from God, and man lost his estate. Sin came in, and man lost his holy estate, and consequently, man lost the glory of God that was his covering and his defence.
Man may never know the weight of this glory that he lost because of sin. Sin is a reproach to any man and any people. Man became destitute because of sin. He who was created to have dominion became overtaken with fear, gods (God’s image-bearing man) became mere men and died as mere men. “I say unto you, you are gods, you are all sons of the Most-High” ( Psalm 82:6). Since the man did not believe God and rather chose to believe the lie and deceit of Satan, his heart became desperately wicked and deceitful also and the result was what we read in verse 7 of Psalms 82: “But ye shall die like men and fall like one of the princes (Lucifer). Our Lord Jesus in the Gospel of John chapter 11 verse 40 told Martha: “Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” The raising of Lazarus was a manifestation of this glory that man lost. Man was made to have power over death because man was made to be eternal like God. This is the singularity that man was to enjoy with God. But the soul that sin will die was the law which man contravenes, and the result is death. ” For all have sinned and come short (lost) of the glory of God” in Romans 3: 23 sums it up.
The desire of God, the counsel of His will, remains, however. We see the heart of God in His declaration to Moses in the book of Exodus chapter 19 verse 6: “You will be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation”, these are the words that you will speak to the people of Israel.” The condition was outlined in the preceding verse; “if you will obey Me fully and keep my covenant.” This discourse was before the law was given. So the law was the covenant, and it remains today. Apostle Peter will later in his epistle re-echo this counsel of God’s will to the newborn believers in 1 Peter 2 verse 9: “But ye are a chosen people (generation), a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession (treasure).” The same desire expressed by God to the nation of Israel but which they could not attain, God has extended through faith in Christ Jesus to all men from every nation. The condition outlined in Exodus 19 verse 5 remains “if you shall obey Me fully and keep my covenant (law).”
We therefore know the purpose of the law. The law was not to be used as a ground to kill (as the men planned to kill a woman caught in adultery). The law was not to be an instrument to oppress others as we see done. It is not necessarily a set of dos and don’ts. The purpose of the law is to help man become holy, to grow in godly and righteous character, and to be a priest unto God. (If you will obey me fully and keep my covenant, you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation). Every man was to use the instrument of the law to work out his salvation, to become holy, and to attain singularity with God in this regard. “You shall be holy, for I the LORD thy God am holy.” (Leviticus 11: 44-45). Man was to become God’s treasure once again and have the glory of God restored as a covering and defence. Our Lord Jesus said: “The glory which Thou has given Me, I give to them. (John 17: 22). The purpose of this is : ” that they may be one just as We are one:
We see in the lives of the early Apostles manifestation of this glory because they attained singularity through their obedience and faith in Jesus. We see them raising the dead, in healings, and miracles. Men like Joshua, Elijah, and Elisha attained singularity in their holy living, devotion obedience to God and faith and we see a manifestation of the glory in their lives in miracles, in display of authority over the elements and weather, and national revival. All these are a foretaste of the restoration of the glory upon a people that will so obey God fully and keep His covenant (law).
In the Old Testament, in the days of Moses, the law was written on a tablet of stone that must be read continually because the hearts of men had become desperately wicked and deceitful. The law was unto men in the Old Testament, a school teacher, a guardian to bring men unto Christ. In the New Testament, ratified by the blood of Christ, man received the gift of eternal life through faith in Christ. The Spirit of Him that raised Christ Jesus from the dead now resides in every believer through faith in Christ. A new heart they now received in Christ making them born again, that is a new creation. The law is now written in their hearts for them to live by their conscious will. The purpose of the law, however, remains the same: that man may obey the law from the heart and keep it. As the believers practice this daily, they attain unity (singularity) of the faith and knowledge of Christ, unto a perfect man (holy) unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ (His glory). Christ in us, the hope of glory. This is the desire and purpose of God for every man.
So as a believer, with the law of God in my heart to obey fully and keep daily and always, I do not have to live a double life, be one person in the church and another man on the road. I do not have to be a corrupt official in the office, I do not have to cheat on my spouse when am away, nor do I have to fall under peer pressure as a youth and abuse or peddle in drugs which ultimately destroys. The law in me is to become my constant school teacher to steer me on a course in the path of holiness, which is the path of life. So, as a believer, I have to look into this law, which is unto me, a law of liberty to set my soul free from the destruction and reproach of sin. As noted in the book of Psalms chapter 37 verse 31: ” The law of his God is in his heart, none of his steps shall slide.” The law ultimately brings me to God daily, bringing me into singularity with God’s holiness, holiness in thoughts, holiness in speech, and holiness in conduct. This is the power we have in Christ and of Him to be and to live as children of God.
The scripture is not in vain: ” Be ye holy for I the LORD thy God am holy.” And without holiness, no man shall see the LORD and such that obey not this command remain destitute though they were made to be god and were redeemed by the blood of Jesus as well to be restored as gods.
Our Lord Jesus prayed in the gospel of John chapter 17 verse 3: “And this is life eternal, that they may know You, the true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. The “know” here is more than an intellectual accent, it is about being aligned, being one with the true God and with Jesus Christ whom God has sent and made to be a propitiation for the sin of man. Thus, being one with God is through faith in Christ Jesus who had abolished sin, the enmity between God and man. Our Lord Jesus also has this to say in the gospel of Mathew chapter 6 verse 22: ” When thy eye is single, thy whole body will be light.” When we attain singularity to God through our obedience and faith, we are in the light just as God the Father dwells in light (1 Timothy 6: 16).
As there are three that bear witness in heaven and these three are One, so also on earth there are three that bear witness, the Spirit, the water (depicting peoples out of every kindred and tongues) and the blood (depicting the propitiatory work of Christ), and this three are one. As a believer, I must have faith in the blood, the work of redemption of Christ, His death, and resurrection. I must agree with the Spirit, as He works in us, equipping us to obey fully and keep the law. Two cannot walk together unless they are agreed (Lamentation 3:3), I must be holy like God is Holy before I can walk with Him before I can see Him, and enjoy the restoration of His glory in my life manifested in the spirit of power, love and sound mind.
Belief in Christ is not the same as having faith in Him. Belief is a mental accent that Christ is, the demons also believe, and they tremble. But faith is in acknowledging that Jesus Christ is the Son of God (He came in incarnate form and was born of a virgin), who came in the flesh to pay the penalty for our sins. He died, and God raised Him from the dead for our justification, and He lives forever. I acknowledge the righteousness of God in making provision for the penalty of my sin and through faith in the death and resurrection of Christ I obtain the righteousness of God, through faith, not by any work(s). Through faith in Christ, I share in the fellowship of His suffering in baptism, I partake of the power of His resurrection to live no more unto sin but unto God thereby being made conformable to Christ’s death, am dead to sin, to all ungodliness and every worldly lust daily and I grow in godly character.
No one outside of Christ can fulfil the law by the flesh. Those who try to do so become despotic and end up subjugating others to laws which they do not obey or cannot fulfil. The law is to be lived by every man daily from the heart. It is our spiritual instrument to attain holiness, to attain singularity with God. Psalm 24: 3-5 cries out: ” Who may ascend the mountain of the LORD? Who may stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully. They will receive the LORD’s blessing and have a right relationship with God, their saviour.” If we want to be God’s treasure, to attain singularity with Him, His holiness and His purpose, we must come with equity to a Holy LORD and we will receive His blessings, a restoration of His glory and a partaking of His divine nature and we will have a right relationship with Him.
