Greetings Friends!
What is the “Light of God?” The “Light of God” is the very inner celestial Being of the holy Triune God who exists in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. (Matt.28:18-20; 2 Cor.13:14). Whenever the name of Jesus or God is used in Scripture, it must be applied and understood through God’s Tri-Personal Godhead in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Later, Jesus said, “I am the Light of the World. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the Light of Life” (John 8:12).
John confirmed this eternal truth, saying, “No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him” (John 1:18, NKJV). By saying, “bosom of the Father” it makes reference to Jesus’s coeternity with God, and His intimate one-on-one, and face-to-face, relationship with the Father.
John continues, “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). This speaks of the wonderful truth of the incarnation of Jesus wherein God became human through Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the second Person of the Trinity.
Jesus spoke passionately to His listeners about His relationship with His Father, “I am not here on My own authority, but He who sent Me is true. You do not know Him, but I know Him because I am from Him and He sent Me” (John 7:28-29). So, Jesus originated from the trinitarian Godhead in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Matt.28:19; 2 Cor.13:14). Jesus further affirms this beautiful relationship of the Father and the Son, “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by Himself; He can do only what He sees His Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father Loves the Son and shows Him all He does” (John 5:19-20).
God reveals His plan for humanity through Jesus, “When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you” (John 14:20, NLB).
We had read earlier the bona fide beginning of creation (as contrasted with the traditional Genesis creation account) from John’s account, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made. In Him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:1-5). So, the passage states that Jesus is “the Light.” He is true “Life” who is an intrinsic part of the triune God.
What is this divine direction Jesus explained is the enlightened pathway to “God’s Light?” Jesus expounded it to the Pharisee Nicodemus, “You must be born anew in the Spirit” (John 3:3, 5-6). This fulfills what John the Baptist told his hearers, “I baptize you with water. But One who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Luke 3:16).
John reminded us of our ultimate destination, “This then is the message which we have heard of Him, and declare unto you, that God is Light, and in Him is no darkness at all…If we walk in the Light, as He is in the Light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanse us from all sin” (1 John 1:5, 7). This passage speaks of God through His trinitarian Being in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. (Matt.28:19; 2 Cor.13:14).
John speaks of eternal life this way, “Now this is eternal life; that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You sent” John 17:3). John attested, “For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day” (John 6:40). Yes, the Light of Life exists in the divine presence of the holy Trinity of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Recall, humanity was cut-off from access to the Holy Spirit, as illustrated by the Tree of Life, when our first parents disobeyed God. The Scripture tell us, “And the Lord God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the Tree of Life and eat, and live forever.” So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. After He drove the man out, He placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the Tree of Life” (Gen.3:22-24).
Now, with the advent of the incarnation, Jesus took our humanity upon Himself as the Immanuel, as John attests, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14; Isa.7:14; Matt.1:23). Through the incarnation, Jesus has opened the pathway for the Spirit to enter human life again as it was in Eden before the fall of Adam. (1 Cor.3:16-17).
By stating “The Word became flesh” does not mean the Word (Jesus) ceased being God; rather, the Word, who was God, also took on humanity as the Immanuel (Phi. 2:6–7; Isa7:14). The incarnation is the most remarkable event in all of human history.
On the day of Pentecost, when all the believers were gathered, the Holy Spirit was poured upon mankind. This momemtous activity inevitably inaugurated the new covenant under Christ (2 Cor.3:6; Rom.7:6; Heb10:16).
We read the following from Scripture, “When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues a as the Spirit enabled them.” What an astounding revelation of the introduction of the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Trinity, ushering in the new covenant in Christ for all humanity.
Then Peter told his listeners the unmitigated truth, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call” (Act.2:38-39). What a beautiful revelation of God’s divine nature and wondrous declaration of the third Person of the Trinity. (Matt.28:19; 2 Cor.13:14).
Through Jesus’ mediation as human Savior, He gave passage for the Holy Spirit to enter human life, as affirmed in Scripture, “Exalted to the right hand of God, He (Jesus) has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear” (Act.2:33). Yes, with Jesus’ work as mankind’s Redeemer, He has given validation for the Holy Spirit to enter the heart of human life. Paul said, “Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you?” (1 Cor.3:16).
After Adam’s fall, Satan introduced his most potent weapon to keep humanity enslaved to sin: fear! By accepting the spirit of fear, Adam became a product of the devil’s evil fortification which engulfed mankind as a whole. However, with the coming of Jesus in the incarnation, He gave passage for the Holy Spirit to enter the human heart, and bring the “Love-Fruits” of the Spirit to repeal and defeat every spirit of fear of the devil in humanity. (1 Cor.13:1-12; Gal.5.22-23; Gal.5:19-21; 1 Cor.3:16; see appendix **** below).
What we are seeing here is the Tri-Personal Godhead in the Trinity, comprising the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, being united in Love for humanity through Jesus. (Act.2:38; Matt.28:19; 2 Cor.13:14; John 3:16-17). The Love of God is bound up in the Loving triune Being of the three Persons in the Trinity.
Jesus declared openly, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the Light of Life” (John 8:12). Yes, Jesus is the true Light of Life, and the true Life of the Light. Jesus openly promised the gift of the Holy Spirit from the Father, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” By this He meant the Spirit” (John 7:37-39; John 14:26; Luk.24:49; Act.2:33).
Yes, the Holy Spirit is freely available to humanity when humans abide in Jesus, and Jesus indwells mankind. For apart from Him, we remain in the dark without His Light, and we will be unfruitful, and barren. Speaking of immortality, Paul said this of the Spirit, “And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of His Spirit who lives in you” (Rom.8:11).
So, to come back to our first question about the “Light of God” – “God’s Light” is found nowhere except in the divine glorious Love and Light of the absolute trinitarian presence of God of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. As humans, we enter the life of the Trinity through Christ who is the very image of the Light of God.
Let us close in prayer: “Almighty God, Father of all humanity, thank You for Your infinite mercy for humanity, that though death has been our tragic lot because of Adam’s fall in Eden, You prepared the Second Adam in your Son Jesus Christ, to enter our temporary existence and redeem and save us from sin and death. (Rom.6:23). Thank you that through Your Son, Jesus, You have shone Your divine Light upon humanity. Thank You that Jesus has brought humanity out of our darkness into the marvelous “Light of God.”
“Grant Your promised celestial life in Your Son through Your Holy Spirit, and open our eyes to the wondrous gifts You have conferred upon us all so we may serve one another in Your Love, we praise and glorify You in your Son, Amen.”
Prayer is A Solemn One-On-One Spiritual Love Dialogue Between a Person and God the Father.
I welcome you into the celestial life of Love in God’s holy, eternal Family. (1 Tim.6:19) Then keep in touch with God’s Word for you by reading and studying your Bible, and visiting this blog and website and look at various subjects that may be relevant for your situation – go to: http://bulamanriver.net. You can email me with your questions at the address shown below.
Blessing: Until we meet again in my next post, may the blessings of the God who ceaselessly expresses Himself in His dependable Triune Love, be with you always. May the Spirit enliven your spirit and make all things concerning you possible as you live the “Triune Life” of God. Be strong in the Lord’s joy.
In Love, farewell for now!
Kiang, (Your Servant in Christ)
*Triune Life: “Triune Life” speaks of the process of theosis or deification of humanity. What is theosis or deification? “It refers to apotheosis, meaning “making divine.” Theosis or deification is a transformative process whose aim is likeness to or union with God (as taught by the Eastern Orthodox Church and Eastern Catholic Church).” (Wikipedia.org)
The belief in the process of ‘deification’ is understood in accordance with Jesus’ teaching, when He said, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I have said you are “gods” ’? If He called them ‘gods,’ to whom the Word of God came—and Scripture cannot be set aside (cannot be broken)” (John 10:34-35; Psa.82:6). (You can read about the Triune Life at: http://bulamanriver.net/9199, and other posts)
The Human Resurrection to Immortality Through Jesus
“The Empty Tomb” – Persuasive Imagery of Jesus’ Own Resurrection to Immortality and the Promised Deification of Humanity in Christ Who Directly Reflects the “Image of God” (Col.1:15; Rom.8:29; Gen.1:27; John 11:25)
Adam was solitary and incomplete until God made Eve. He said, “It is not good for the man to be alone (solitary). I will make a helper suitable for him” (Gen.2:18, italics mine). So, God gave Adam a family to raise composed of a father, mother, and offspring, to reflect Himself in His plural Being. The Bible states that the Church’s or humanity’s destiny is to marry Christ, the second Person of the Triune Godhead, in the new age to come which will be an everlasting divine relationship. (2 Cor.11:2; Eph.5:23-27, 32; Rev.19:7) The Bible is abundantly clear about God’s nature and declaration of Himself in His relational Triune Being from the past, the present, and the future. God has never lived as a solitary Being, but a Tri-Personal Being.
It’s noteworthy to understand that Eve was not created an individual creation from the dust of the earth as was Adam. She was not created apart from Adam as an individualized separate human being, instead, she was taken out from Adam’s side to show she was biologically one and indivisibly part of Adam, like God is in His Tri-Personal Being of the Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit. Eve was not detached (solitary) from Adam, but intrinsically inseparable from Adam’s innermost humanity, as God is in His divine triunity. When Adam saw Eve, he said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man” (Gen.2:21-23) God created humanity to reflect Himself in His unified Tri-Personal Being (Trinity)
Rublev’s Icon of The Trinity (Wiki Commons)
Each one of us was created as an indivisible relational human being incubated and given birth from Adam’s mold as one species, for God created humanity to reflect the eternal likeness in His triunity. We are born for relationships with the divine triune Love as our guiding principle. All this show that humans were created to be indivisibly one to reflect God’s Tri-Personal image of Oneness (Trinity), not solitary separateness.
When God sent Jesus His eternal Son, He became human in order to unify humanity spiritually to the Triune Being of God through Christ once for all time. Hence, when the prophet Isaiah proclaimed Jesus’ coming, He was given the prophetic name, Immanuel (Isa.7:14). The name means “God with us” (Matt.1:23). Humanity is ‘organically’ one with the Triune God through Christ, just as humanity is one with Adam who was created in God’s image and likeness. (Gen.1:26-27)
Most religions believe God as some solitary being. The true God is not solitary by any means, He is the one Triunity in His Tri-Personal Being. God consist of three Persons in One divine triune Godhead. (Matt.28:18-20) They exist in One “homoousion” meaning consisting in one substance, or “consubstantiality.” The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit exist in One hypostatic union, One substance, like Eve was biologically part of and never physically separate, but of one substance from Adam, for she came out of Adam. Likewise, humanity is made of one spiritual substance with the triune God through Jesus Christ who took our humanity upon Himself and joined it to the divine triune existence forever.
The three-dimensional Triune Life/Love is opposed to living the one-dimensional solitary life of the fallen humanity inherited from Satan through Adam’s rebellion. For additional information about the Triune Life: http://bulamanriver.net/?p=8036. Also at: http://bulamanriver.net/9092.
**Bulamanriver: is the metaphor describing the union of man with the Love of the Triune God flowing in humans, making possible the “Triune Life” – the source of the miraculous life in man. To read the different facets of the life of the Bulamanriver, you may obtain a copy of my book, “Bula Man-River,” from Amazon.com; xulonpress.com, barnesandnoble.com, and other online book stores. All proceeds will go towards furthering the work of Gospel of Jesus Christ around the world.
“Bulamanriver” Book Cover
***Mission Statement: Read the Triune Love Mission, Vision, and Value statements at: http://bulamanriver.net/8664.
Mission, Vision, Value, Statements
****The “Love-Fruits of the Holy Spirit:” *the fruit of patience, *the fruit of kindness, *the fruit of contentedness, *the fruit of modesty (unboastful), *the fruit of humility, *the fruit of honor, *the fruit of unselfishness, *the fruit of calmness and dignity, *the fruit of forgiveness and compassion, *the fruit of delighting in good and shunning evil, *the fruit of tolerance, *the fruit of responsibility, *the fruit of enduring hope, *the fruit of steadfast perseverance, *the fruit of joy, *the fruit of peace, *the fruit of goodness, *the fruit of faith, *the fruit of gentleness, *the fruit of self-control, *the fruit of zeal and spiritual fervor, *the fruit of friendship, *the fruit of sharing and generosity, *the fruit of prayerfulness, *the fruit of hospitality, etc. (1 Cor.13; also Gal. 5:22-23; Rom. 12:9-21).
These attributes may seem ordinary and mundane, but when empowered and propelled in the Spirit’s power, they are transformed into divine elements of transformation.
The “Love-Fruits” of the Holy Spirit:
These Love-fruits speaks volumes and gives us a peek into the different tones of God’s Love. They are not rules to live by as if they are legalistic requirements to follow. They tell us how God in His Tri-Personal Being in the Father, Son, and Spirit, have lived in One unified shared Love-experience from eternity as God, and desires to share His “Triune Life” with believers. They reveal the holy emotions of the Tri-Personal Being of God. These are not human emotions, they reveal the divine passion and desire of how God lives “naturally” in an intuitive and spontaneous fashion amongst Them.
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