IS GOD TRIUNE – A TRINITY?  By Eric C. Wheeler (1/5/22)

God Begins to Reveal Himself to a Remnant

Soon after the Flood, the world as a whole rejected the GOD of Noah – from which all of the nations on earth had descended – and chose instead to worship and believe in many gods. As the Apostle Paul described: “For since the creation of the world, GOD’s invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made – His eternal power and Godhead [Divine Nature] – so that they are without excuse, because although they knew GOD, they did not glorify Him as GOD, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible GOD into an image made like corruptible man, and birds and four-footed beasts and creeping things. Therefore, God gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves – who had exchanged the truth of GOD for a lie, and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator” (Rom. 1:20-25). Because mankind as a whole had rejected GOD and the knowing of Him, GOD hid Himself, and gave them over to vile passions to do things which are not fitting (see Rom. 1:24-32). Yet in due time, because of His great love and mercy for all of His creation, GOD chose Abraham and his descendants, through whom He would once again reveal Himself to the world, and by whom He would bless all nations and families of the earth. He chose Abraham’s descendants, now called Israel – the “least of all nations” (Deut. 7:7), and a remnant of the peoples of the world – in which to begin to once again reveal Himself. At Mt. Sinai, GOD said these words: “Hear, oh Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is One!” (Deut. 6:4).

This founding and unwavering principle of GOD’s monotheistic nature was to be the first building block and divine precept upon which GOD would reveal Himself to the world. Sadly though, over the next fifteen centuries, only a faithful remnant of these Israelites would earnestly seek to defend and protect this monotheistic revelation of GOD from the many influential, idolatrous and polytheistic religions and cultures that constantly sought to infiltrate and corrupt it. Those who succeeded in this loyal endeavor came to be known to the world as Jews. This faithful remnant of Israel successfully maintained, with the help of GOD, their identity and monotheism during five successive and opposing world-ruling empires – Assyrian, Babylonian, Persian, Greco-Macedonian, and Roman. They were considered “a faithful remnant of a remnant” who were called out of the world to begin to know and reveal the One and Only true GOD to the world.

It was during the days of the Roman Empire as we Christians believe, that GOD – known as the Word – came down from heaven and became flesh and blood, and dwelt amongst us as the man Jesus (John 1:1,14). The Jews of the first century who would (and could) accept this “new and magnified revelation of GOD” – that is, GOD coming down to us in the form of Jesus – would collectively become known as Christians. When Jesus came as GOD in the flesh, He did not replace the Jews thinking of GOD, He expanded it.  That is to say, He magnified it.  Jesus’ teachings and revelations did not contradict nor conflict with the Law of God as previously known and given, they complimented it. As was prophesied, Jesus’ revelations built upon the past foundational and elementary precepts and concepts that God had previously given to Israel in the Old Testament. As it was written:

“I will raise up for them a Prophet like you [Moses] from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him. And it shall be that whoever will not hear My words, which He speaks in My name, I will require it of him.” (Deut. 18:18-19; Acts 3:22-23).

“Behold, My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles… New things I declare; before they spring forth, I tell you of them… I will bring the blind by a way they did not know. I will lead them in paths they have not known… Hear, you deaf; and look, you blind, that you may see… The Lord is well pleased for His [Servant’s] righteousness’ sake; He will magnify the Law and make it honorable (Isa. 42:1-21).

GOD reveals Himself and His ways to us little by little, precept upon precept, and spiritual concept built upon spiritual concept. He knows that our finite human minds cannot even began to fathom the majesty, complexity, and magnitude of Who and What He is, so He has to give it to us little by little. By analogy, in many respects, it’s like trying to pour a vast ocean into a drinking glass. With man, this impossible; but with GOD, all things are possible. So, GOD, in His divine wisdom and mercy, chooses to reveal Himself slowly and methodically to us, as our minds, faith, and teachability will allow. He only reveals Himself to the humble and lowly, and those who are constantly moldable and teachable. As Scripture says:

“Whom will He teach knowledge? And whom will He make to understand the message? Those weaned from milk and those drawn from the breasts. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little… The word of the Lord is to us precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little” (Isa. 28:9-13).

“’For My thoughts are not your thoughts; nor are your ways My ways,’ says the Lord. ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts’” (Isa. 55:8-9).

“Thus says the Lord: ‘Heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool… Has not My hand made all these things, and so they came into being? But to this one I will look – to him who is humble and contrite in spirit, and who trembles at My word’” (Isa. 66:1-2).

When Jesus came as Immanuel – “God among us” (see Matt. 1:23) – He magnified the Law and expanded what we know about GOD. He revealed that as the Word of God (John 1:1-2, 14), He was the very One who had previously spoken to our forefathers – to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to Moses and the Israelites, and to the Prophets. He was “that Rock” of the Old Testament that followed the Israelites in the desert wilderness, and from which they ate and drank (I Cor. 10:4). Before He came down from heaven to temporarily empty Himself of His glory and Godhead – thus becoming “the only begotten Son of God and His Firstborn” – He was the One who had spoken to Moses and to the Israelites from Mt. Sinai. He was “the Word of God” who came down upon the prophets and spoke to them and through them (I Pet. 1:10-11; Neh. 9:30; II Pet. 1:21; Heb. 1:1). He was the One GOD of the Old Testament known as the Word. And in due time, He came down to us in the form of a Man named Jesus to reveal the Father, as He said: No one has heard the Father’s voice at any time, nor seen His form (John 5:37). No one knows the Father except the Son, and he to whom the Son wills to reveal Him” (Matt. 11:27). “You know Me, and you know where I am from; and I have not come of Myself, but He who sent Me is true, whom you do not know. But I know Him, for I am from Him, and He sent Me.” (John 7:28-29). He proclaimed that He was in existence before Abraham (John 8:58), and that the world didn’t know the Father, but that He had come to declare Him (John 1:18; 17:25-26). He said that He and His Father were One (John 10:30).

Christians believe what Jesus came and said – after all, that is why they are called Christians. They believe that Jesus is the Son of God, sent from GOD. And more specifically, that He is GOD – part of the Godhead. Those Jews of the first century who were not offended in Him, or by Him, or by His “outrageous, heretical, and blasphemous claims” (as many Jewish dissenters viewed them), became known to the world as Christians. This yet being another example of “a faithful remnant” from an original remnant, who were teachable, and who allowed for on-going revelation from GOD, just like when previously only the tribe of Judah (called Jews) were the faithful remnant of the Twelve Tribes of Israel.  This faithful remnant of believing Jews (now called Christians) were able to receive and accept this new revelation and expansion of the original definition and understanding of Who and What GOD is under Israel’s original founding mandate: “Hear, oh Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is One!” (Deut. 6:4). They were willing and able to understand and accept that Jesus and the Father were One – the One GOD of Israel. Those Jews who couldn’t or WOULDN’T accept this newly-expanded understanding and revelation of GOD were then temporarily “cut-off” just as the other apostate Israelites had previously been, from now being considered the “faithful remnant of Israel” (see Rom. 11:7-32; Gal. 6:15-16).

GOD Always Reveals Himself to a Remnant of a Remnant, of a Remnant…

As God said, “Not all Israel, IS Israel… but only those who are of faith” (see Rom. 9:6-8; Gal. 3:7-9; Gal. 6:15-16). Only those who are willing to continually change and grow, and persevere in faith, even when they may not initially understand, will be the ones known as “the elect” – “the faithful remnant.” As Jesus said, “New wine must be put into new wineskins” (Mark 2:22). God has always operated this way. Consider what He did during the days of Gideon. A certain number (“a remnant”) of Israelites from the various tribes of Israel heard the call to arms and joined themselves to Gideon, God’s chosen general. Yet, God said that there were too many who had answered the call, so He continually culled them down from an original remnant of thirty-two thousand men to ten thousand (“a remnant of a remnant”). He then further weaned them down from ten thousand to only three hundred, saying, “The people are still too many; bring them down to the water, and I will test them for you there. Then it will be, that of whom I say to you, ‘This one shall go with you,’ the same shall go with you; and of whomever I say to you, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ the same shall not go” (Judg. 7:4). God caused an original remnant of the people of Israel to hear His call to arms under the command of His chosen servant Gideon. And then He sent them home one by one in a series of tests designed to single them out and to cull them down to a very small number – “a remnant” – in which to do His work. He always calls “a remnant of a remnant, of a remnant, of a remnant…” to ultimately be His elect.

This is the same thing that He keeps doing among His people today. For example, after the faithful remnant of believing Jews became followers of Jesus (later to be called Christians), Jesus introduced these Christians to another member of the Godhead – the Holy Spirit. He told them, “It’s to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you” (John 16:7). “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you (John 14:16-17).

This must have been VERY shocking and revolutionary to those believing Jews/Christians. First, they had to stretch their minds and their faith to believe in Jesus as being part of the Godhead; and NOW they had to believe in and accept “Another” as well?! Some would have thought and said to themselves, “Enough is enough already! This can’t be true! GOD Himself, in the form of the Holy Spirit, is going to be dwelling amongst us?? And crazier still, He’s literally going to be IN us?!? Impossible! Surely, this is blasphemy!” As Scripture records, these are some of the very same statements and phrases that many of the disbelieving Jews of the first-century said about Jesus.  They accused Him of blasphemy. They said it’s impossible that GOD is more than One! They sought to stone Jesus for claiming that He was the Son of God, thus “making Himself equal with GOD” (John 5:18; 10:33). “God is in heaven; there is no way He can be here among us,” they said and thought – “and certainly not here running around in the flesh as this Man Jesus!”

As was stated earlier, those Jews who couldn’t accept Jesus as God coming in the flesh quit walking with GOD. They were no longer pliable and teachable, and wouldn’t go on with Him any further.  They had closed their minds to any further revelation from GOD of Who and What He is. They spiritually died that day, and as it says, they “walked with Him no more” (John 6:66). Those Jews who COULD accept this truth and “new expansion and revelation” were further introduced three and a half years later to “Another Member” of the Godhead, the Holy Spirit – also referred to in Scripture, as the Spirit of Truth (John 14:17; 16:13), Another Helper (John 14:16, 26; 16:7), the Spirit of Christ (Rom. 8:9; I Pet. 1:11; Gal. 4:6), and God’s holy Seed (I John 3:9). Some fifty days later after Jesus first mentioned and revealed the existence of “Another,” those faithful disciples who had stayed with Him would actually get to meet this One – this “Another” – on the day of Pentecost as He entered each one of them (see Acts 1:4-8; 2:1-4, 33). Notice that it says “Another Helper” and not “the Other Helper.” This is important to note because Jesus wasn’t introducing them to the “Other” member of the Godhead (thus implying there was only One more to be revealed), He was introducing them to “Another” member of the Godhead (thus implying there existed more). By comparison, it’s like saying, “Let me introduce you to another board member,” instead of saying, “Let me introduce you to the other board member.”

Here is where most Christians today can’t go any further in their walks with God. They close the door of their thinking. Their current faith and paradigm won’t allow them to go any further.  Just like many of the first-century Jews of Jesus’ day who couldn’t accept Jesus as GOD (thereby allowing for there to exist “Two” in the One Godhead), and just as some of Jesus’ faithful followers were surprised to find out there existed “Another” (thus now allowing for at least “Three” in the Godhead), so too, many today can’t even imagine there could possibly be more to be revealed later. Therefore, in their minds and in their theology, they too, have closed the circle – or should I say, the triangle.  They have closed the Godhead. THEY have labeled GOD a Triangle! A Triune God. A Trinity.

GOD Never Calls Himself a Trinity

Even though the Bible never uses the word “Trinity,” or even figurative “triune” language as such to describe GOD, most Christians have erroneously and blasphemously decided to label GOD “a Trinity.” Nowhere in Scripture does GOD ever reveal Himself in such terms*. To use such descriptive language for GOD is to limit GOD, and to try and define Him in terms in which He doesn’t define Himself. Using human and man-made terms like “Trinity” and “Triune” is misleading and places GOD in a box. It limits Who and What GOD is – as He Himself chooses to reveal Himself to us. From the beginning, GOD has methodically and meticulously been revealing Himself down through the ages to His people as He sees fit. He is very careful and precise about revealing Himself to all of humanity – lest we get the wrong idea and begin to create our own image of Him; lest we erroneously begin to “make Him into something He’s not” – which is clearly referred to in the Bible as idolatry. Slowly, over time, GOD has methodically revealed Himself as Creator, Lord, I AM, Consuming Fire, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Jealousy, Savior, Provider, God of all flesh, Father, Son, Eternal One, Judge, Holy Spirit, Life-giving Spirit, and the Father of spirits, as well as many other majestic names, titles, characteristics, and qualities. Yet, nowhere in the Bible does God ever refer to Himself or reveal Himself as a Trinity, or as a Triune God. This is man’s creation which is idolatry. To mold GOD into what our image is of Him – that is, in terms in which He doesn’t specifically define or reveal Himself – is the very definition of idolatry. This is the very same mistake and sin that the original Israelites made when they came out of Egypt. They were trying to picture GOD and represent Him in forms they could identify with (that is, in terms in which He didn’t specifically reveal Himself) and that is why He was angry with them.  They were creating Him into THEIR image or what THEY THOUGHT He was and is.

When the Lord first began to show me these things, needless to say, I too, was shocked. I didn’t realize that we Christians were doing this – putting GOD in a box (or more accurately, in a triangle), and defining Him in terms in which He doesn’t describe or reveal Himself. In fact, He sternly once said to me, “Can anyone define Me!? I AM GOD. To define Me is to set boundaries on Me. This is what ‘to define’ means – to set the boundaries of something and to set its limits. Isn’t this what you men are doing when you define a piece of property? You are setting its boundaries and establishing its limits. Who can define and limit Me!? Is it not written that that is what ancient Israel was wickedly doing – “limiting the Holy One of Israel?” (Psa. 78:41). Needless to say, I was very afraid when He said this to me. I learned from that day on to NEVER describe GOD in terms in which He doesn’t describe Himself, and to NEVER ascribe characteristics or attributes to Him that He Himself doesn’t give us in the Bible – to do so is idolatry.  We are not allowed to add anything or to subtract anything from GOD that He reveals about Himself in the Bible (Deut. 4:2; 12:32; Prov. 30:5-6; Rev. 22:18-19).

Just because GOD has thus far revealed Himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, doesn’t mean that that is all He is. We have to be – and REMAIN – teachable, ever-growing, and spiritually pliable. If we become hard-hearted, stagnant, and prideful in what knowledge of GOD we have learned, attained, and received so far, we will stop growing in our knowledge of Him; and consequently, God will then let us spiritually die at that point, because we are stubbornly refusing to be taught by Him, and to continue in our walks with Him – just like many of the Jews of the first-century sadly did – as it was written: “From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more” (John 6:66). We must always be reachable, and teachable, and ever-open to ON-GOING revelation from Him as the Holy Spirit of God continues to lead and guide us into all truth of Who and What GOD is (John 16:13-15).

GOD is a Family, not a Trinity

Although it is stated in the Bible, most people don’t realize that GOD is a Family, not a Trinity. Paul clearly states this. He writes, “For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from Whom the whole Family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant to you… to be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height… that you may be filled with all the fullness of God (Eph. 3:14-19). This is the same GOD who at the beginning of our human creation, said, “Let Us make man[kind] in Our own image, according to Our likeness… so GOD created man[kind] in His own image; in the image of GOD, He created him; male and female He created them” (Gen. 1:26-27). Our destiny is to be born into the Family of GOD. This thinking is not heresy. It is clearly revealed in the Bible. Notice all of these verses:

“For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption [decay] into the glorious freedom of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. And not only the creation, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption – the redemption of our body. For we were saved in this hope… For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He [Jesus] might be the Firstborn among many brothers [and sisters] (Rom. 8:18-29).

“For it was fitting for Him, for Whom are all things and by Whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the Captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of One, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brothers [and sisters] (Heb. 2:10-11).

Notice this same verse above in two other translations which make it even more clear:

In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for Whom and through Whom everything exists, should make the Author of their salvation perfect through suffering. Both the One who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same Family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers (Heb. 2:10-11, NIV).

“For it was an act worthy (of God) and fitting (to the divine nature) that He, for Whose sake and by Whom all things have their existence, in bringing many sons into glory, should make the Pioneer of their salvation perfect (that is, should bring to maturity the human experience necessary for a perfect equipment for His office as High Priest), through suffering. For both He Who sanctifies – making men holy – and those who are sanctified all have one (Father). For this reason, He is not ashamed to call them brethren (Heb. 2:10-11, Amplified Version).

Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore, the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He really is” (I John 3:1-2).

“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God; and if children, then heirs – heirs of GOD and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together” (Rom. 8:14-17).

For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Gal. 3:26-27).

“A slave does not abide in the House forever, but a son abides [in the House] forever(John 8:35).

“At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you… If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him; and We will come to him and make Our home with him (John 14:20-23).

“Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was… I have revealed Your Name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours. You gave them to Me… All Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them. Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your Name those whom You have given Me, that they may be One as We… I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who believe in Me through their word; that they all may be One, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be One in Us… And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be One just as We are One – I in them, and You in Me, that they may be made perfect in One, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me (John 17:5-23).

“God both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His power. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ?… He who is joined to the Lord is One Spirit with Him (I Cor. 6:14-17).

“By this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us(I John 3:24).

“Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God… As He is, so are we in this world (I John 4:15-17).

“For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ our life appears [is revealed], then you also will appear with Him in glory (Col. 3:3-4).

“Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that GOD may be all in all (I Cor. 15:28).

As Jesus Is, so are We

Just as Jesus was “a son of man” – a son of Adam – in this world, so are we. And just as Jesus was a Son of God hidden in this world, so are we – if indeed we have the Spirit of God and of Christ dwelling in us. This is why Scripture says, “The first man Adam became a living being. The last Adam became a life-giving Spirit. The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. The first man was of the dust of the earth; the second Man from heaven. As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the Man from heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we also bear the likeness of the Man from heaven” (I Cor. 15:45-49). This is why we, as Christians, are literally referred to as “Sons of God hidden in this world,” (see Rom. 8:18-19; Col. 3:3-4; I John 3:1-2). As Scripture says, “As He is, so are we in this world” (I John 4:17) – if indeed we have the Spirit of God and of Christ dwelling in us. And this is also why Jesus is called only the “Firstborn” of many Sons and Daughters of God “which shall be brought to glory” – shall be revealed to the world in due time (Rom. 8:18-19, 29; Heb. 1:6). Why is this SO hard for us as Christians to understand and accept? We are called and destined to literally be Children of God – actual members of the GOD Family – the Family of GOD. This is what the expression Kingdom of GOD in the Bible literally means. It means the Godly Kingdom – the Godly Realm – the Realm of GOD. Let me explain.

We humans are currently part of the “human kingdom” or human realm. Animals are part of the “animal kingdom,” the animal realm. And plants are part of the “plant kingdom,” the plant realm. When mankind was first created, he was “made a little lower than the angels” – inferior to the angelic realm – yet superior to the animal and plant kingdoms/realms (see Heb. 2:6-8; Psa. 8:3-8; Gen. 1:27-29). But our destiny in Christ is to be changed (transformed and translated) from our human earthly realm, kingdom and nature, and re-born into the Kingdom and Family of God having a divine nature. As Jesus said, “That which is born of the flesh IS flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit IS Spirit” (John 3:6). And, “Unless one is born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God… Most assuredly, unless one is born of water [through water baptism] and the Spirit [Spirit baptism], he cannot enter the Kingdom of God” (John 3:3-5). Water baptism pictures and symbolizes being put to death with Christ (buried with Christ in death – see Rom. 6:3-4; Col. 2:12), and becoming spiritually dead and crucified to this world (Gal. 2:20; 6:14); and Spirit baptism represents the Seed of God (the Holy Spirit) joining with our human spirit to bring forth a “new creation, a new life” – just like when a father’s sperm/seed unites with the mother’s egg in order to produce a baby. This is why the apostle Peter says, “Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth… having been born again, not of corruptible seed, but incorruptible, through the Word of God which lives and abides forever… As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the Word that you may grow thereby” (I Pet. 1:22-23 – 2:2). As it says, “He [Jesus] came to His own [people], and His own did not receive Him. But as many as did receive Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man [human fathers], but of God (John 1:11-13). For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world – our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” (I John 5:4-5). “Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His Seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God (I John 3:9). “We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God keeps [guards] himself, and the wicked one does not touch him. We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one. And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true GOD and eternal life (I John 5:18-20). For Jesus said, “This is eternal life – that they may know You, the only true GOD, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent” (John 17:3). As the Bible clearly explains “to know someone” is to be intimate with them – they are in you, and you are in them (“Adam knew his wife Eve,” etc.). To KNOW God means that He is in you, and you are in Him – that you and He are One. That is why Jesus said that He will one day say to many, “Depart from Me, I never knew you” even though they had called Him “Lord” and had done many mighty works and wonders in His name. They weren’t IN Him, and He wasn’t IN them (Matt. 7:22-23)! To be part of the Family of GOD, you have to have the Spirit of God (also known as the Spirit of Christ) in you. As it is written: “You are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His… But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of His Spirit who dwells in you (Rom. 8:9-11).

Some people don’t realize that where the Spirit of God is, there is GOD. The Bible is very clear on this. For GOD is One Spirit. He is not divided. He is One. We Christians need to realize that GOD is not “triune, or a trinity” – but that He is a Spirit which will one day inhabit all things, so that “God may be all in all” (I Cor. 15:28). Right now, we who are in Him and He in us, are One. We are in the Family of GOD now. It has just not been revealed openly to the world yet Who and What We are (I John 3:1-2). Remember, Jesus too, was hidden amongst the world as “the Son of Man” for thirty years until He “began to manifest His glory” to His disciples and to the world as “the Son of God” at age thirty (John 2:11; Luke 3:23). Jesus even made reference to this concealment and revealing of the Sons of God when He said, “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit… Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know, and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness. If I have told you earthly things and you did not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?” (John 3:8-12). These very verses – where Jesus refers to those who have the Spirit of God dwelling in them – as being in the plural, should be a clue as to the plurality of GOD hidden amongst the people right now, and yet the people are not recognizing it.

As the book of Hebrews explains, “We do not yet now see [recognize] all things put under him [mankind]. But we see Jesus, who was made for a little while lower than the angels, for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor, that He by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting for Him, for Whom are all things and by Whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the author of their salvation [Jesus] perfect through sufferings. For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all One, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying… ‘I will declare Your Name to My brethren’ and ‘Here am I and the children whom God has given Me” (Heb. 2:8-13). Jesus was sent as a forerunner before us, to show us the Way; to be the righteousness of GOD in us; and to make atonement for our sins which has cut us off from fellowship, from being One with GOD (the Family) who is holy. He came to reconcile us to GOD (II Cor. 5:18-19), and to restore a familial (Family) relationship with Him. As it is written: For whom He foreknew, He also predestined – conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified” (Rom. 8:29-30). As the Psalmist said, “Oh Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. You comprehend my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word on my tongue, but behold, O Lord, You know it altogether. You have hedged me behind and before, and laid Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain it. Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence…. For You have formed my inward parts; You have woven me in my mother’s womb… My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book, they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them (Psa. 139:1-16). As David declared in this psalm, by the prompting of the Holy Spirit, God has already preordained and mapped out all of our days before He ever even formed us in the womb and brought us into existence – before we had yet even lived one of our days. Just as GOD told Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you; Before you were born, I sanctified you” (Jer. 1:5).  Our destiny, brothers and sisters, is to literally be members of the GOD Family. His KINGDOM is not closed. It is, and forever will be, ever expanding (Isa. 9:7; Dan. 2:44).

Please understand as you read this and contemplate its deep prophetic meanings and concepts, that God always “calls things that are not [in the present] as though they are” (Rom. 4:17). Understand that because He exists “outside of time and space” – that is, that He is not within linear time, but is outside of it – seeing the past, present, and future collectively as one, that He speaks about future things (to us) as though they are reality now! We Sons and Daughters of God have not yet been “glorified” as it states in Romans 8:30, where it speaks of it in the past tense, saying: “Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.” Just as the writer of Hebrews also communicates this same point: “We do not yet see all things put under man’s feet… but we see Jesus” as the Forerunner going before us – as the Captain and Firstborn – of all these things that were prophetically written about in the Bible, and which I am speaking of here. This is why, even though it says, “Those who have been born of God do not sin, and cannot sin,” (I John 3:9), yet we find that we do still sin being in these present fleshly bodies; it’s because, as Paul said, our bodies of sin have not yet been done away with. For God has not yet redeemed them in the fullest sense (see Rom. 7:15-25; 8:22-23). He is still changing and converting our “inner man” first. As Jesus said, “First wash the inside of the cup, and the outside will become clean also” (Matt. 23:26). It’s a process. When a baby is first developing and growing inside of its mother’s womb, it doesn’t initially bear the image of its father and mother. It doesn’t look anything like them at all. Yet as the days, and weeks, and months progress, it gradually and slowly begins to transform and to change, taking on the form and appearance of its parents. So likewise, once we have been impregnated with the Seed of our Heavenly Father – the Holy Spirit in us – we too begin to grow and change in the womb of the Church (“the spiritual Jerusalem and mother of us all” – see Gal. 4:26); and as each day passes, we begin to look more and more like our Heavenly Father, taking on the image and character of our elder brother and Savior Jesus Christ – thereby being “conformed to the image of God’s Son, that He [Jesus] might be the Firstborn among many brothers and sisters” (Rom. 8:29). As Paul said, “In my inner man, and with my mind, I serve the Law of God; but in my flesh, the law of sin. Oh, wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God, through Jesus Christ our Lord” – that He will deliver me, and give me a new, redeemed, and resurrected body – a spiritual heavenly body – truly befitting my spiritual mind which has been faithfully serving and loving God since having first received His Holy Spirit (see Rom. 7:22-25; I Cor. 15:42-54).

Man’s Destiny is to be Part of the Family of GOD

As the Bible reveals, mankind as a whole “was made for a little while lower than the angels” (Heb. 2:6-8); but his collective destiny is to one day rule over the angels and to be their judges. Notice these Scriptures:

Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life?” (I Cor. 6:2-3)

For it is not to angels that He has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking. But there is a place were someone has testified: ‘What is man[kind] that you are mindful of him; the son of man that you care for him? You made him for a little while lower than the angels. You crowned him with glory and honor, and put everything under his feet.’ In putting everything under him, God left nothing that is not subject to him. But now we do not yet see all things subjected to him. But we see Jesus [as the Forerunner] who was made for a little while lower than the angels… For in bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God… should make the Author of their salvation perfect through sufferings. Both the One who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same Family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers. (Heb. 2:5-13).

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God; and if children, then heirs – heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.” (Rom. 8:14-17).

For to which of the angels did God ever say, ‘You are My son; today I have become your Father’? Or again, ‘I will be his Father, and he will be My son’? And again, when God brings His Firstborn into the world, He says, ‘Let all God’s angels worship him!’…. Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation? (Heb. 1:5-14).

“For surely it is not angels He helps, but Abraham’s descendants. For this reason, He had to be made like His brothers in every way…” (Heb. 2:16-17).

“And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. Now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, does not differ at all from a slave, though he is master of all, but is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the Father. Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world. But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, ‘Abba, Father!’ Therefore, you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God” (Gal. 3:29 – 4:1-7).

As was mentioned earlier, at this present time we do not yet see all things placed under our feet. But we see our elder brother, Jesus, the Forerunner and Captain of our salvation, who has gone on before us to show us the way – Himself being the Way – being the “Firstfruits of the firstfruits of God” redeemed unto GOD from the earth (see I Cor. 15:20-23; Rom. 8:23; Jam. 1:18; Rev. 14:4). We are to be co-heirs with Him, glorified together, as heirs of God, members of one Household, and partakers of the Divine Nature – which the King James Bible translates as “the Godhead” in the Bible.  This destiny was NEVER offered to the angels!  This is why we will be their judges.  Let me further explain.

In Ephesians, the Apostle Paul explains that it was revealed to him supernaturally, that “the Gentiles were to be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel” (Eph. 3:6). Up to this point in history, it was thought that only the Israelites – the physical descendants of Abraham – were given this promised destiny. In fact, Paul even states that it was his responsibility “to make all people see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ” (Eph. 3:9). He goes on to state that it was God’s “intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the Church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places [spiritual realms], according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Eph. 3:10-11). What is this purpose that GOD wants to use the Church to show the angelic and demonic realms? That here are His people (the Church) who have never seen Him (mankind was created in spiritual darkness, per se); who have never known Him (been in His Presence, as the angels have); have never been in the spirit realm or been able to look into it; and have never been a part of the invisible world nor have we even tasted it. Yet we have believed God, and followed Him, and have obeyed Him, simply through blind faith here on earth. We have trusted His Word, and have sacrificially followed Him – with all that we have – and have not loved our lives even unto death, taking GOD and His promises at His word, and merely following Him by faith and not by sight. Yet the angelic realms and spirit beings have seen Him, been up and down on His Holy Mountain, have plainly and openly known Him, and have talked with Him, and have continually heard His voice and His clear instructions to them; yet some of them – 1/3 of them to be exact – have not obeyed GOD, and have rebelled against Him (Rev. 12:4; II Pet. 2:4). Therefore, we will be their judges! If you’ll notice in Scripture, these are the very same words and sentiments that Jesus said to those Jews who were opposing and rejecting Him during His human time and ministry on earth!  He said that the Ninevites of Jonah’s day, and the Queen of Sheba of Solomon’s day, would rise up in the resurrection and condemn His contemporary opposers (see Matt. 12:41-42; Luke 11:31-32).

The angelic realm is spiritual, not physical. They are spirit beings inhabiting spiritual domains. They stand in the Presence of God day and night, answering to Him. They are ministering spirits, serving God and His creation. They are part of the invisible world from which the visible world was created (Heb. 11:3). They were created as immortal beings who report to God. Humans, on the other hand, are mortal – we can die (physically, as well as spiritually) – that is, permanently we can cease to exist. Being spirit beings, they see God. We human beings cannot, and do not, see God. They hear Him, personally interact with Him, and have a literal direct relationship with Him. Our relationship with GOD is based on faith. A blind faith, at that. As it is written: “We walk by faith, and not by sight” (II Cor. 5:7). For we know and believe that “the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal” (II Cor. 4:18). Like our father Abraham, and the rest of the faithful patriarchs and matriarchs, we too, “see these things afar off and are fully persuaded of them” even though we haven’t yet received them, nor seen them manifested yet in the natural (Heb. 11:13). Therefore, like Abraham, our faith too, is attributed to us as righteousness to God – because we believe Him – though we have not seen Him. This is why, when we are raised up in Him, being made like Him as He is (I John 3:2) – elevated to the higher GOD realm, over and above the angels – we will judge them. Because we overcame, not having been given anything like the angelic realms got to see and have, and yet we believed and obeyed God. This is why Satan tries so hard to “accuse us day and night before God” (Rev. 12:10), because our perseverance, endurance and faith are going to put him and his demonic hosts (fallen angels) to shame. They are all going to be without excuse before God. That is why Paul writes: “Now, through the Church, the manifold wisdom of God [will] be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms… For this reason, I kneel before the Father, from Whom His whole Family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of GOD (Eph. 3:10-19).

Wherever God is, is Holy!

As was mentioned above, where the Holy Spirit is, there is GOD. And that place and/or vessel is holy – because GOD is there. After all, isn’t this what was revealed to Moses when God was in the burning bush? The Lord declared, “Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground” (Exod. 3:5). The burning bush itself wasn’t holy. Yet because God was inhabiting that particular bush and land at that moment, His Presence made it holy. Likewise, the Temple that Solomon built wasn’t holy until God’s Shekinah (His Glory and Presence) was in it. When this occurred, it then became known as God’s Holy Temple and His Holy House. And similarly, when God appeared to our father Jacob in a dream, he woke up realizing that “the Lord surely is in this place! And I didn’t know it.” Afraid, he said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the House of God, and this is the gate of heaven!” He built an altar there and called the name of that place Bethel, which means “House of God” (Gen. 28:10-19). These are all Old Covenant examples given to us that we might learn to properly fear and respect where GOD is. Now we are under the New Covenant, and God no longer “dwells in temples made by human hands” nor resides in physical locations and places (Acts 7:48; John 4:21). Instead, He is now literally residing in His people! And the consequences of defiling, mistreating, and desecrating these Living Temples is much more serious. Let me explain.

As the prophets foretold, GOD does not permanently dwell in physical places nor in inanimate objects. His intention from the beginning is to permanently dwell in His people – the pinnacle of His creation, those who are made in His image – not in buildings or in places. This was (and still is) His plan and ultimate purpose in creating us. Physical death does not, and will not, stop His Plan. In fact, this is clearly demonstrated in the life of the prophet Elisha. Elisha, being a prophetic forerunner and type of Christ, was given a “double portion” of God’s Holy Spirit. He succeeded Elijah, who had been a prophetic type and forerunner of John the Baptist. One day, as Elisha was walking along, a group of young men began mocking and dishonoring him. Suddenly, two bears came out of the woods and severely mauled forty-two of them (II Kings 2:23-24). This was because the Spirit of God was in Elisha, and these young men were thereby actually mocking God. In fact, to demonstrate the permanency of Elisha’s in-dwelling of the Holy Spirit – as a type of Christ (“a son of God”) – after Elisha had died, his bones literally brought a dead man back to life when that man’s corpse touched Elisha’s bones as it was placed in Elisha’s grave (II Kings 13:21)! Here God clearly showing that His sons and daughters are permanent residences of His Holy Spirit – i.e., members of the Living GOD.

The apostle Paul, when he was Saul, had to humbly learn this valuable lesson as well. When he was persecuting Christians, Jesus blinded him for a few days, telling him that he was actually persecuting Jesus Himself who was in His brethren, the Christians. Just as He had said: “Whoever does anything to the least of these, My brethren, is doing it to Me!” (Matt. 25:40). Similarly, Ananias and Sapphira had to learn this hard truth too – literally at the cost of their physical lives. They didn’t realize that in lying to Peter, they were actually lying to GOD who was in Peter. Notice this: “Peter said, ‘Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit?… You have not lied to men but to GOD’” (Acts 5:3-4). And to Ananias’ wife, Sapphira, Peter said, “How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord?” (Acts 5:9). The point is, God is in His people now – and where God is, there is GOD. The world better know this, because very soon, He is going to reveal Himself in His Sons and Daughters who are currently hidden on the earth. As it is written: “Arise, shine; for your Light has come! And the Glory [Shekinah] of the Lord is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; but the Lord will arise over you, and His Glory [Shekinah] will be seen upon you. The Gentiles shall come to your Light, and kings to the brightness of your rising” (Isa. 60:1-3). “In those days, ten men from every language of the nations shall grasp the sleeve of a Jewish man [a true Christian, see Rev. 2:9; 3:9] saying, ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you’” (Zech. 8:23).

Please don’t misunderstand, I am NOT saying that we should revere or worship any man! No, not at all. Even Peter didn’t allow Cornelius to bow down to him (Acts 10:25-26). The point I am making is that the hidden “Sons and Daughters of God” are here on the earth now; and soon they will be revealed to the world.  Christ/the Spirit of God is in them – as it is written: “Your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory (Col. 3:3-4). “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be. But we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as He is pure” (I John 3:1-3). Although, these Children are not yet fully born into the Kingdom and Family of God, in the fullness of the sense of the word, but rather are “spiritual embryos and zygotes” per se, waiting for their actual birth – to be brought forth in glory – they are nonetheless, Children of God now. To do them harm as they are growing in the womb of the Church (the collective Body of Christ – His Bride) is to do harm to the Father Himself. Just as GOD expressed in precepts to Israel: “If a man causes a pregnant woman to deliver her baby prematurely or to miscarry, he is to make restitution to her husband and the father of the child, up to and including life for a life, eye for an eye, and tooth for a tooth” (Exod. 21:22-24).  God is expanding His Family – His Deity – His Kingdom – His Divinity. God hasn’t closed off access to His Family – the Godhead (which means the Divine Nature) – He is instead increasing and multiplying it! This Godhead and Family is not some exclusive Trinity and/or closed triangle. Children of God are Members of GOD – part of His actual Family – blessed “partakers of the Divine Nature” (II Pet. 1:4), and “heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ” (Rom. 8:16-17). Let us all rejoice therefore, and join His Great Family!

 

*Some try to say that I John 5:6-8 affirms that there is a Trinity. However, scholars agree that these verses were added to the English translation of the Bible during the 1500’s, and are not found in any Greek manuscript or New Testament translation prior to the sixteenth century. Most modern translations have since corrected the problem, and properly translate these verses as follows: “This is the one who came by water and blood – Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. For there are three that testify: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three are in agreement.” (I John 5:6-8)

 

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