Greetings Friends! What are the Love-Fruits of the Holy Spirit?

The Love-Fruits of God’ Spirit speaks volumes, for it gives us a peek into the different tones of God’s Love which in turn reveal His wondrous glory. You can see the different Love-Fruits of the Spirit as itemized in appendix **** below, which is taken from  1 Corinthians 13:1-12. 

The Depth of God’s Love Reveals His Unfathomable Glory

These Love-Fruits does not reveal our human emotions, but the spiritual fervor of the divine passion and nature by which God lives intuitively and spontaneously in His Triune nature. (2 Cor.13:14; Matt.28:19). The Love-Fruits of the Spirit reveal God’s glorious divine nature.

What is the “Glory of God?” Quite simply it means who and what God is in His holy divine Being of Love (Luk.1:49). God’s holiness is immeasurable because His Love is unfathomable – that beautiful truth reveals the “Glory of God” which exists in perpetuity. (1 John 4:8; Psa.111:9).

There’s a beautiful physical flavor of “God’s glory” we see in the biblical passage, “And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb” (Rev.21:23).  

As for our human deficiency and insuffiency, the Bible tells us, “For all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God” (Romans 3:23). The Bible also gives us the only answer to imbibing and inheriting “God’s glory.”  “For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the Glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6). Yes, that is the human answer to “God’s Glory” – it is seen and experienced in the “face of Jesus Christ.” Hence, we read, “Christ in you, our hope of glory” (Col.1:27).

The “Glory of God” In The Face of Jesus Christ

At times, we think that our ‘human goodness’ are the actual likeness of “God’s Glory.” The Bible states that all good originate from God, including human goodness. (Jam. 1:17). But, His divine glory is beyond human comprehension, much less to attain through our human power or goodness. Only Jesus’ abode in human life brings “God’s Glory” to mankind, and its “Love-fruits” by extension. (1 Cor.3:16: 2 Cor.6:16; Rom.8:9).

The Spirit’s “Love-Fruits” are not legalistic demands placed upon us, which we may call human goodness. No, they reveal the ‘natural’ manner of God’s divine intuitive Love, which the Tri-Personal God (Trinity) have lived and exist by in themselves as far back as creation and beyond. Whenever we speak about God’s Love, we are revealing the truth of His mighty glory and more.

On the night of Passover before Jesus was crucified, Jesus gave His disciples His parting words, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have Loved you, so you must Love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you Love one another” (John 13:34-35). Recall that the Bible states that “God is Love” (1 John 4:16). Love is God, and God is Love, it means the same thing. By Loving our neighbors, we glorify God and each another. Jesus said, “And the glory You have gave Me I have given them; that they may be One, even as We are One: I in them, and You in Me, that they may be made perfect in One. I in them, and You in Me, that they may be made perfect in One” (John 17:22-23).

“As I Have Loved You, Love One Another”

Jesus further affirmed, “As the Father has Loved Me, so have I Loved you. Now remain in My Love. If you keep My commands, you will remain in My Love, just as I have kept My Father’s commands and remain in His love. I have told you this so that My joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have Loved you. Greater Love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are My friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know His master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from My Father I have made known to you.

“You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in My name the Father will give you. This is My command: Love each other” (John 15:9-17). When the passage speaks of “bearing fruit” in this passage, it speaks of the “Love-Fruits” of the Spirit we can read in 1 Corinthians 13:1-12, also, refer appendix **** below). Jesus told the disciples, “Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father” (John 14:9).

In speaking of God’s inspiring Love, Jesus gave an equally inspiring metaphor to make His Love command clearer. He said, “I am the true Grapevine, and my Father is the Gardener… Yes, I am the Vine; you are the Branches. Those who remain in Me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in Me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. But if you remain in Me and My words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! When you produce much fruit, you are My true disciples. This brings great glory to My Father” (John 15:1, 5-8). So, where is the Spirit’s work in this enlightening metaphor? It is shown in the fruits, or more precisely Love-Fruits, produced through the branches representing every human being.

Did you notice what John just said there, the more Love-Fruits of the Spirit a person produces, this in turn brings greater glory to God, and by extension the believer, the producer of the “Love-Fruits” through the Spirit. Jesus goes on to say, “He (the Father) cuts off every branch of Mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and He prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. Remain in Me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the Vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in Me” (John 15:2-4).

By saying, “If you remain in Me and My words remain in you… You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. Remain in Me” (John 15:7), how do we interpret the Spirit’s functionality in Jesus’ utterances (Word)? The Bible shows that the Spirit’s work is like fire, wind, water, and breadth. (Act.2:2-3; John 7:37-39; Heb.12:29; John 3:8; John 20:22-23). So Jesus’ utterances can be associated in the divine manner that’s likened to physical elements we can humanly understand.

By saying “You cannot be fruitful unless you remain in Me” in John 15:4, harmonizes with the passage quoted earlier, “Christ in you, our hope of glory” (Col.1:27). Recall, the Holy Spirit cannot enter human life without Christ first appearing to redeem humanity as Savior, thereby rescuing mankind from sin and death. (Rom.6:23; Act.2:33). When Christ was crucified upon His cross, all humanity was crucified with Him. Then, when He was resurrected, we were resurrected with Him, and in His ascension we were given new life in the Spirit of God’s power and glory.

In our fallen human state, we have inherited the enemy’s works which brings curse, incarceration, and ultimately death. However, Paul tells us this in his letter to the followers of his time, “You were dead in your sins, but God made you alive in with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having cancelled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; as He has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, He made public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross” (Col.2:13-15). Jesus guaranteed our deliverance and freedom and rendered Satan powerless through public humiliation at His cross.

So, in the act of baptism which believers undergo, they are always restating these astounding truths revealed by God our Father through His Son in fellowship with the Spirit. (Rom.6:5-7; Gal.2:20; Matt.3:16-17). The Spirit cannot enter human life without Christ mediation first (Rom.8:16). Acts 2:33 tells us that the Spirit’s ministry in humanity comes from Christ.

The Promised Holy Spirit Comes Through Christ’s Mediation as Redeemer

So, Jesus’s exaltation in heaven allows Him to continue His ministry by pouring out the Holy Spirit on humanity (John 7:39; Act.2:38; 1 Cor.3:16). The Holy Spirit is said to take up residence in the hearts of believers. According to Romans 8:16, when the Spirit of God leads a person’s life, “the Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.”

In the first place, humanity must first understand God has saved all mankind through Jesus as Savior, and appeals to us to receive Him so we can receive His Holy Spirit of power. (Act.2:38; John 3:16). Let us remind ourselves that due to Adam’s fall in Eden, the death penalty has passed down upon humanity. (Gen.3:1-6). Paul tells us, “For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive” (1 Cor.15:21-22).

By saying “In Christ all will be made alive,” actually speaks of eternal life or immortality, as John affirms, “For God so Loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). So, just as Paul affirmed to the Romans, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom.6:23). Jesus is the prophesied “Second Adam” who came to rescue humanity once for all from sin and death and bring eternal life (1 Cor.15:45-49, NLB).

The Last Adam—that is, Christ—is a Life-Giving Spirit.

So, the gospel of Jesus Christ has come a full circle and thus gave passage for the Holy Spirit to enter humanity, and making His home in the hearts of human life, “Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear” (Act.2:33; John 7:39; John 14:26; also 1 Cor.3:16) In this way, we are given the Love-Fruits of the Spirit to live and exist in the trinitarian life of God for eternity in Christ.

Yes, Christ’s sacrifice has initiated for all humanity a life of holiness by the power of the Holy Spirit, where we read the following truth, “Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God…By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Heb.10:10). Then later we read the following, “For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified” (Heb.10:14).

By using the word “sanctified” the passage refers to the meaning of living life in holiness. Now, through the move of the Spirit He brings His Love-Fruits in order that we learn to Love people well through the divine emotions through the trinitarian life in Jesus Christ.

Made Holy in Christ Through Spirit’s Fellowship

Let us close with a prayer, “Almighty God, Father of all humanity, thank You for Your infinite mercy for humanity, that though death has been our 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 in Jesus Your Son, we will find redemption and freedom for all eternity in your everlasting family and kingdom.

“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 “God’s Image” (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.

All scriptures are taken from the NIV Version 2011, unless stated otherwise. Note: All information is copy-write material. Any information obtained from this website that is used for publication should be acknowledged by citing the website address, date of acquisition and information pertinent to original authorship. For general guidelines regarding web citations see The Guide for Citing Electronic Information. Thank you.

Greetings again Friends! We saw in Part 1 on this subject on how Adam was led by his wife to eat the forbidden fruit of “The Tree of Good and Evil” (Gen.3:1-6). We know that Eve was deceived by Satan into partaking the forbidden fruit which Satan also tempted Adam to eat. (Gen.3:13) We saw the two trees pictured the two ways of life God presented to the first man and woman. There was the way fo freedom and the way of sin and death.

However, the next question we must ask and answer is what was the deception Satan placed upon Eve which made her eat the forbidden fruit? Before all this situation came to the fore, God said (including Lucifer, prior to becoming Satan) that God had planned to create another lifeform, humanity!

God said humans were to become the highest order of God’s creation. The reason humanity was the highest order of creation was because God created humans in God’s very image. Scriptures affirms this, “Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground. So, God created mankind in His own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female He created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground” (Gen.1:26-28). In other words, the destiny of the new lifeform of mankind, would be to inherit God’s likeness and become God’s eternal children as inheritors of the earth.

Now, with that background, Lucifer was commanded by God to bow down to Adam. Lucifer would rebel against God and would not bow before Adam. One of the first things we must understand about ourselves is the seed of our conception, for that determines our eternal destinies. Paul says, “People have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another and fish another. There are also heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies; but the splendor of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is another. The sun has one kind of splendor, the moon another and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor” (1 Cor.15:39-44).

Lucifer, in spite of all the many talents and wonderful gifts God had placed in him, was created an angel and thereby serves as God’s servants to minister to those who would claim salvation as humanity in accordance with their promised destiny and pedigree as determined in their seed as God’s children. (Heb.1:14). Jesus said this about humanity’s posterity and destiny, “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). The Psalms speak of Jesus prophetically as follows, “For thou hast made Him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned Him with glory and honor” (Psa.8:5).

Perhaps, Lucifer (Satan) could not fathom the thought of bowing to Adam who would be weaker today by comparison. In Jewish belief, Lucifer’s name is also known as Sammael or Angel of Death in the fifth heaven, where seven regents comprising two million angels are stationed. Be that as it may, all of creation moral, religious, and philosophical inclinations are ethically obliged by the gift of freedom make choices one way or another. As humans and angelic beings, we are bound by the pillar of Love and Freedom to choose.

Unlike animals that are given inbuilt instincts to act in one way or another, cows graze in lush green grass fields, while tigers hunt for the meat of weaker animals to be sustained. In other words, in the order of creation, humanity would stand as the highest order of God’s creation, bearing the very image of God as divine children in Christ. Humans would be higher than angels, but only now humans remain lower than angels for obvious reasons and God’s ultimate divine purpose and plans. Scripture tells us, “We do see Jesus (as Immanuel), who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because He suffered death, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone” (Heb.2:9). Humanity follow in Jesus’ footsteps. (Rom.8:29)

So, here we see the three-fold temptation Satan presented Eve. Scripture tells us Eve faced the 1) lust of the flesh, for Scripture tell us, Satan said, “You will not certainly die,” (Gen.3:4). Satan lied to Eve when God instructed clearly Eve, “‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die’” (Gen.3:3).

2) The lust of the eyes, for the Bible says, “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened” (Gen.3:5a). The lust of the eye is part of our human pride which comes from a world deceived by Satan. (Rom.5:12)

Eve also faced the 3) pride of life, for Scripture tells, Satan said, “You will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Gen.3:5b). Satan was said to be more crafty or cunning than other animals.

The Pride of Life: 1 John 2:16-17

The story of temptation is simple yet subtle. The snake only speaks twice but it manages to disrupt the trust and obedience between the man, woman, and their Creator. When Adam was given God’s mandate to rule over the earth he became the first spiritual leader in human history. His responsibilities included overseeing the Garden and subsequently the whole earth, and provide guidance to his family. Adam was expected to be a responsible caretaker of his resources and relationships but he fell short in both areas.  

You noticed that Eve’s actions were independent from Adam. It would have been wise for Eve to consult him instead of taking control. Although God commissioned Adam as her spiritual leader, Eve usurped the role of influencer. Satan was said to be crafty or cunning, which suggests a deceptive ‘wisdom.’ (guile) Adam had all the good he would have needed from God, but he wanted more. He was filled with pride and wanted to be like God – which was Satan’s original sin (Isa.14:14).

Although, they were promised to reflect the very image of God, instead they saw their unstable and weak human physical makeup and allowed their earthly pride to take over. Remember, in Eden our original parents existed in the company and presence of angels. They saw the tremendous power they exhibited in terms of intellectual and spiritual competence and capacity which God gave angelic beings as their inherent gifts. Perhaps, they wanted to be more like them, but for the time being, could not be like them according to God’s divine purpose.

Scriptures tell us humanity, although created in God’s image, were created human that’s lower than the angelic kind. (Psa.8:5) However, the same passage says in God’s time, humanity will “will be crowned with glory and honor” because of humans were created after God’s likeness. (Psa.8:5b). For now, humanity is held-in-waiting for God’s eternal crowning promise. (Gen.1:26-27; Psa.8:5).

Is this what Lucifer was vehemently jealous about when told to bow before Adam, but rebelled instead? However, Adam and Eve, in their utter foolish pride, had no vision to see beyond their unhinged pride through their limited humanity, but shortsightedly and egotistically wanted more. In their conceitedly and arrogantly utter lack and inadequacy, they allowed Satan’s pride to take hold of them as it did with him when he rebelled against God. (Isa.14:14). Remember, rebellion against God was Satan’s original sin, not Adam’s, although Adam lacked the insight to see through the devil’s deception.

Having eaten the forbidden fruit, fear seized them immediately. The man and woman hid and kept themselves hidden from the presence of the Lord God. (Gen.3:6-8) What was the reason for their fear? We saw earlier the importance of all lifeforms God has created after their kind. There are creatures and their specific kinds which always carry free moral agency where they have the freedom to choose between right from wrong, like human- “kind,” and the angelic-“kind,” and others of similar “kinds.” So, the reason for our first parent’s fear was because they were to appear before the Judge for the reason for their disobedient action. The Judge of all right and wrong is none other than God Almighty Himself. And God’s presence was only intimidating to those with guilty conscience.

We read, “Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day” (Gen.3:8). This is important for it indicates to us the usual time God came to meet our first parents – “in the cool part of the day.” Prior to their sin, Adam and Eve would have eagerly run out when they heard His voice, and welcomed His gracious presence. But their guilt plagued them and “the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” (Gen.3:9). Adam answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid. And God said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?” (Gen.3:10-11).

The man’s answer was almost a scornful echo of Genesis 2:18 – that is, humanity’s perception of God’s blessing as the root of their problem – “The woman You put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it” (Gen.3:12). When Adam was given God’s mandate to rule the earth, his responsibilities included overseeing the Garden and providing guidance to his family. Adam was expected to be a responsible caretaker of his resources and relationships, but he fell short on both areas.

Adam failed to manage God’s creation properly by eating the forbidden fruit brought by Eve. He also failed to a take stand and be proactive in managing his relationships and his wife, resulting in both of them falling morally. Being the spiritual leader is to take responsibilities, however, sometimes leaders make the same mistake as Adam by avoiding their responsibilities at home, work, church, and in the community.

It’s important to remember that Adam’s failure started at home and it quickly spread to all his responsibilities, destroyed his beautiful surroundings, and ultimately ruined the whole world by introducing death to all humanity. (Rom.6:23; Col.2:9; 2 Cor.4:6, NLT). All these shortcomings can be attributed to Adam’s lack in taking leadership.

Scripture says, “Because you have listened attentively to the voice of your wife and have eaten the forbidden fruit concerning which I have charged you, saying, ‘You do not eat of it,’ cursed [is] the ground on your account; in sorrow you eat of it [for] all days of your life, and it brings forth thorn and bramble for you, and you have eaten the herb of the field; by the sweat of your face you eat bread until your return to the ground, for you have been taken out of it, for dust you [are], and to dust you return.” For failing to take a leadership role as the manager and head of his resources and relationships (household), his disobedience has brought a curse upon humanity.

This prevailing ‘sin-condition’ clothed every human being as a result of Adam’s fall. It introduced a life of ongoing penalties and curses for all mankind. Satan had cunningly disrupted the life of trust and respect between the man, the woman, and their Creator. Whereas once they welcomed God’s gracious presence with delightful joy, now their guilt plagued them because of their disobedience. Instead they hid from God’s presence, but Scripture tells us that no human being can hide himself from God. (Jer.23:24)

Adam and Eve Expelled From Eden For For Following Satan by Eating the Forbidden Fruit

God asked the rebellious pair some questions before delivering judgement. In the end, God showed clearly the man’s lack of leadership over his resources and relationships. Adam tried to shift the blame to others (Gen.3:12). Likewise, Eve blamed Satan (Gen.3:13). Whereas the snake was crafty, now he is cursed. (Gen.3:14) Satan at first took a third of the treasonous angels who knowingly rebelled against God. (Rev.12:4, 9). They now walk amongst humankind to deceive and cause them to rebel and sin and bring death upon rebellious humanity (Gen.6:1-4; Rom.6:23). Before driving Adam and Eve from Eden for their disobedience, God placed Cherubims with a flaming sword to close off the away to the tree of life. (Gen.3:24).

However, in God’s final judgment upon them, He uttered the most important promise about the Messiah who would come to save humanity from sin and give us a second chance at the salvation God has promised Adam, “I put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He bruises your head, and you bruise His heel” (Gen.3:14-15; Gen.1:26-27). Thank God for His unbound mercy in this awe inspiring promise of the Messiah.

In this one holy act, God has shown His incomprehensive compassion and mercy for humanity as a whole, saying through Paul, “But God demonstrates His own Love for us in this: “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom.5:8). Majestically, God had set the stage for the next phase of His plan of sending His Son in Jesus Christ as humanity’s Savior and Mediator. (John 3:16-17; 1 Tim.2:5).

Yes, now we await the next glorious step in God’s plan when He brings about the birth of His Son through the virgin Mary. In God’s time, the prophet Isaiah prophesied, “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a Son, and will call Him Immanuel” (Isa.7:14).

“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a Son, and will call Him Immanuel” (Isa.7:14).

The Scripture records the angel Gabriel who was sent to announce to Mary of God’s calling in her life and the birth of Jesus, the Son of God. “God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

“Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a Son, and you are to call Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of his father David, and He will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; His kingdom will never end.” “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin? The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the Holy One to be born will be called the Son of God.”

“Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.” “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her” (Luk.1:26-38).

What we have just read shows God’s act of mercy upon humanity by restituting the dominion mandate given to Adam at creation over the earth, and subsequently usurped by Satan the devil when Adam ate the forbidden fruit. Jesus Christ is the Second Adam, chosen by God to be the architect to restitute God’s divine plan on earth and in the universe (1 Cor.15:45).

As the apostle Peter admonished the people of his day, “Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, whom heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began” (Act.3:19-21; Gen.1:26-28).

As the Second Adam, Jesus was assigned a unique name which shows He is the God of creation who became human to rescue humanity from sin. That name is Immanuel which when translated means, “God is with us” (Matt.1:23). Jesus is mankind’s Savior and eternal Mediator (John 3:16-17; 1 Tim.2:5).

So, with Jesus coming as humankind’s Savior, the stage has been set, for God’s plan of salvation for all humanity. Jesus lived a perfect sinless human life when He came. (2 Cor.5:21) He overcame Satan in the temptation where the first Adam had failed. (Luk.4:1-13). Then through false charges brought by those in authority, He was crucified upon Calvary where His blood was spilled upon His cross. (Mar.14:55-56; John 19:34). Then after three days God resurrected Him from the dead. (Mar.8:31; 1 Cor.15:3-4). After spending many days with His disciples and friends, Jesus ascended back to His Father in heaven. (Act.1:3).

Jesus, Appointed By God High Priest Forever: Heb.7:23-24

Through an oath by the Father, Jesus was appointed humanity’s High Priest forever. We read this text from the Book of Hebrews, “There were many priests under the old system, for death prevented them from remaining in office. But because Jesus lives forever, His priesthood lasts forever. Therefore, He is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through Him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf” (Heb.7:23-25). The text continues, “God appointed His Son with an oath, and His Son has been made the perfect High Priest forever” (Heb.7:28).

Before He ascended, Jesus reiterated the Father’s promise to send the Holy Spirit in order to empower and help His followers carry out Christ’s great commission, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Act.1:4; Matt.28:18-20).

Yes, with Jesus’ mediation enabling the Holy Spirit to enter humanity again, we read Paul said this, “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?” (1 Cor3:16). Yet again, Paul affirmed this astounding truth of the union of the Holy Spirit and humanity, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own.” (1 Cor.6:19). So, the path has been set to move forward as the Spirit making His home in the heart of mankind guiding us onward in Christ.

The Great Commission Text: Matthew 28:18-20

Let us close with a prayer, “Almighty God, Father of all humanity, thank You for Your infinite mercy for humanity, that though death has been our 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 the two trees of Eden tell us Your story of freedom and bondage for mankind whom You created in your likeness. (Gen.1:26-28) Thank You that in Jesus Your Son, we will find redemption and freedom for all eternity in your everlasting family and kingdom. 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.

Welcome to 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 “God’s Image” (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.

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.

All scriptures are taken from the NIV Version 2011, unless stated otherwise. Note: All information is copy-write material. Any information obtained from this website that is used for publication should be acknowledged by citing the website address, date of acquisition and information pertinent to original authorship. For general guidelines regarding web citations see The Guide for Citing Electronic Information. Thank you.

Greetings Friends! The story of the two trees of the Garden of Eden carries vital living recipient principles given to humanity at the creation of Adam. God gave Adam and Eve the two trees to show humanity the way live in freedom, as opposed to living in bondage. These are the two pathways of life – the way of freedom or the way of bondage, which our Creator has set before humans at the initial creation of humanity.

However, more often than not, humanity at times complicates God’s simple instruction by adding many ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’ and making His teaching of no effect. The Scripture has warned us about ‘not adding to’ nor ‘taking away from’ what God has commanded. In Deuteronomy 4:2, God says, “Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it” (also, Rev.22;18-19).

In the Garden of Eden, there was the “Tree of Life” with its fruit, which leads to life and blessings – or freedom. The second tree, the “Tree of Good and Evil” with its fruit, leads to a life of sin and death – or bondage. Paul reminds us in his letter to the Romans, “For the wages of sin is death,” but he adds, “But the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom.6:23). So, the promise of the first “Tree of Life” carries with it, eternal life for humanity…if we make the right choice of following Jesus. (John 3:16-17)

God is Spirit and His one main objective is to look towards our spiritual welfare first before all else. So, when Adam ate from the “Tree of Good and Evil” humanity inherited death from his first act of disobedience in Eden. So, what did Adam gave us spiritually? Death! Or eternal bondage. The Scriptures tells us, “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive” (1 Cor.15:22). Here, Paul takes us back to Eden and making refence to the two trees, “as in Adam all humanity is given the death sentence spiritually,” …“even so in Christ humanity is given new life in Christ.”

Many years later, God reminded Israel about this wonderful “second chance” opportunity for humanity, despite Adam’s decision to clothe mankind with the death sentence. (Rom.6:23) Yes, God our Loving Father is giving humanity through His Son, Jesus, a “second chance” at life, in fact “eternal life” as He promised through John, “For God so Loved the world that he gave His One and Only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

Listen to what Scriptues tell us, “Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!” Deut.30:19). Yes, what is heaven, and what is earth to God today? Answer, “Heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool. Where is the house you will build for Me?” (Isa.66:1-2). He wagered His heavenly kingdom/domain and His earthly footstool, in other words God’s entire existence as the Tri-Personal God. (Matt.28:27-30).

So, God has His hands outstretched and saying, “Choose Life!” And “Life” means life everlasting. (Rom.6:23; John 3:16). Today, for all humanity, this “second chance” at true life is no different, God is calling out to us to “Choose His Son” and choose eternal life. (John 3:16-17).

Please share a prayer with me as we pray to God our Loving Father in heaven, Prayer: “Almighty God, Father of all humanity, forgive me of all my sins, and the death it has brought us, for forsaking Your precious Love. I receive Your Son, Jesus, as my personal Savior, and the “second chance” at life through Him. In Your incalculable grace, thank You for recuing me and my loved ones, and all humanity, from the enemy’s fearful and destructive waters, and bringing us home into the life-giving waters of your Ocean of Love.

“Grant Your promised celestial life in Your Son through Your Holy Spirit, and open my eyes to the wondrous gifts You have conferred upon me and all believers as we embark into the “second chance” You have blessed us with, and we may serve one another in Your Love. May Your Love guide and protect me and my loved ones always, and bring us all into Your beloved and divine Kingdom. I will praise and thank You always, Amen.”

Prayer is A Solemn One-On-One Spiritual Love Dialogue Between a Person and God the Father

The “Tree of Life” Symbol of the New Life We have In Christ (2 Cor.5:17)

Welcome to 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 Empty Tomb” – Persuasive Imagery of Jesus’ Own Resurrection to Immortality and the Promised Deification of Humanity in Christ Who Directly Reflects “God’s Image” (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

*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.

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.

All scriptures are taken from the NIV Version 2011, unless stated otherwise. Note: All information is copy-write material. Any information obtained from this website that is used for publication should be acknowledged by citing the website address, date of acquisition and information pertinent to original authorship. For general guidelines regarding web citations see The Guide for Citing Electronic Information. Thank you.

Greetings Friends!

God’s nature, and the motivations for all His actions through His creation has always been Trinitarian in every way, shape and form. Although humans may not have understood God in His infallible triune expression, and even if man conceptualize God in forms other than Trinitarian, He nevertheless cannot deviate from who He truly is in His spontaneous Loving Trinitarian Being. He inhabits eternity in His triunity of Love – without beginning of days nor end, as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (Matt.28:18-20; 1 John 4:8)

God is not human to live in physical structures. The Bible states He already has a physical temple – the whole of creation is His physical temple. The prophet states, “Heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool. Where is the house you will build for Me?” (Isa.66:1-2).

We could not build anything close to what He has already created. We have heard people having visited many natural phenomenon that takes their breadth away and holds them spellbound because of their sheer wonder like the river Cano Cristales in Colombia with waters which appear like rainbow, as example (see picture below). There are waterfalls, tropical beaches, and many unknown and untold natural wonders to experience the celestial presence of God. In our humanity, we fail to appreciate how God has gifted us with the natural beauty of His creation to dwell with Him upon His earthly temple.

The Rainbow River of Cano Cristales in Colombia.

“Heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool. Where is the house you will build for Me?” (Isa.66:1-2).

Why did God reveal Himself as the God who is Love by nature? (1 John 4:8; 16) He is not made of Love; He is Love. Love is God and God is Love – there is no distinction between the two. God by nature is unquestionably holy because His Love is unfathomably beyond reach. God and Love are one and the same substance. Now consider this revelation of God in relation to man’s concept of a solitary God. Is it possible for Love (God) to exist in isolation, in solitude, – unaccompanied, secludeds, alone in self-absorbed existence? Jesus Himself declared to His disciple, Philip, “Have I been with you for so long a time, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? The one who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?” (John 14:9, NAS). God is a Tri-Personal Being. (Matt.28:18-20)

Rublev’s famous icon of Holy Trinity (Wiki Commons)

If God were One solitary “Person,” with no one to Love and share His divine Being, then His affirmation that “God is Love” would have no meaning. (1 John 4:8) Can Love cannot exist in solitary mode and isolation? Only the opposite, fear, can thrive in such a condition. So, right off the bat, and unhesitatingly, we encounter two philosophies of life which define God, and His antithesis – Love and fear. One is Trinitarian and collaborative (Love), while the opposite is solitary and alone (fear)!

Love exist and thrive exclusively in relationships and collaboration. Love and relationship are inseparably one. Fear and solitude are bedfellows. Therefore, Love cannot be compatible with the image of a Loving God who declares Himself as solitary! but it’s completely viable with a God whose nature is Trinitarian or Tri-Personal. (Matt.28:17-20). The Psalmist points to the importance of knowing God by Name, that is, His Name which portray His Tri-Personal Being, “I will rescue him; I will set him on high, because he has known My Name. He will call upon Me and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him” (Psa.91:14-15).

“God Is Love” 1 John 4:8

The Scriptures affirms us this … picture of God Himself, “Perfect Love (God) cast out fear” (1 John 4:18a).” There is no place for fearful existence (fear) in a life that is committed to a relationship of Love. Be that as it may, the Bible speaks of a “proper fear” that can exist within the Love of God. It does not make us afraid of God, but instills a deep reverence of everything God is and stands for. But highest of all, that God took upon Himself our human form as the “Immanuel,” lived a perfect and sinless life and sacrificed Himself to become humanity’s Savior and High Priest. (see Phi.2:4-8; Isa.7:14; Matt.1:23) Hence, we hold a deep reverential fear for God. Then there is the fear that is the antithesis of Love, for John said, this “fear hath torment, and he that fears is not made perfect in Love” (1 John 4:18b). Torment is contrary to God’s Love and living in joyful vitality.

One of the most important and overlooked aspects of Jesus’ mission was He came to reveal to humanity the true Trinitarian nature of God. Throughout His mission, Jesus made reference to God as His Father (John 17, 1:1-5, 14-8). John attests to this Father/Son relationship, quoting Jesus as saying, “No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is Himself God and is the closest relationship with the Father, has made Him known” (John 1:18). Jesus also mentions another personage in the unified Godhead – the Holy Spirit (John 14:15-18, 25-26; 15:26-27; 16:7-15; Matt. 28:18-20). Jesus came to reveal the true nature of God by revealing the Father, the Son, and the Spirit, and to show that God is Triune in His nature, not solitary nor reclusive.

God’s Perfect Love is Outgoing and Collaborative

Our God exists in ONE Triunity. In his book, “The Trinity and Human Personality,” author Jon T. Murphree, said, “In the Trinity, Each Person “occupies” the Others’ personalities. Each of the thee Persons becomes a “home” for the other Two. One is Host and the Others are Guests. As Each inhabits the Others, Each is a Host to the other Two, and Each is a Guest to the other Two. It is so reciprocal that each One feels more ‘at home’ with the Others’ personalities than His own. Trinitarian Persons do not exist in isolation, they live in and through One another, which makes their personalities relational and collaborative” and unified. (Page 135).

So, the Gospels makes clear to us that one of Jesus’ multifaceted earthly missions was to declare openly to the world that God is a Father to all mankind. By declaring the Fatherhood of God, He discredits all arguments that God is individualistic, much less solitary. A Father begets and nurtures children. Jesus declares Himself as the Son of God. He was born as the “Immanuel” (“God with us”) God who became one of us. (Matt.1:23).

Fear has Torment and is Self-centered and Exists in Solitude

Paul in his letter to the Philippians said this, “Though He (Jesus) was God, did not consider equality with God as something to be used for His own advantage. Instead, He emptied Himself by assuming the form of a slave, taking on the likeness of men. And when He had come as a man in His external form, (“Immanuel”) He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death — even to death on a cross. For this reason, God highly exalted Him and gave Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow — of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth — and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phi.2:6-11).

In the model prayer Jesus taught the disciples to pray, He begins with the words, “Our Father who art in heaven” (Matt.6:9). So, all of humanity are God’s children. Jesus was not declaring the Fatherhood of God to please the people or His followers, or to be controversial. He declared it because this is what Love does – Love tells the truth, Love cannot lie. By proclaiming God is His Father, and our Father, Jesus affirmed God is triune in His intrinsic divine nature.

“Jesus’ crucifixion to atone for mankind’s sin is the ultimate expression of God’s Love who knows no other way to live but through His inherent Loving relationship (John 3:16-17). Jesus’ sacrifice was the ultimate act of Love for He was both God and man or “Immanuel” (Matt.1:23). This is the key to the miraculous life humanity is privileged to live through Christ in the power of God’s Spirit.

“There they crucified Him, and with Him two Others” (John 19:18) The 3 Crosses Picture God in His Full Trinitarian Godhead, Surrendered and Died for All Humanity.

What then determines the proper concept of God’s divine nature? It starts with our belief as Jesus said – “Let it be done for you according to your faith!” (Matt.9:29). In other words, your life will be vocalized in accordance with the substance and anatomy of your faith about God’s divine nature.

As we have read earlier, Love and relationships are inseparably one because Love exists and thrives inherently in God’s collaborative nature: “God is Love” (1 John 4:8). Miracles are divine supernatural acts birthed out of God’s Love for His creation. Love and miracles cannot survive in solitary existence, but only through relationship for “God is Love” (1 John 4:16). God’s Loving relationship with humanity is what brought many miracles through the hands of Jesus. God has existed in His triune relationship from eternity through His Love as expressed and enunciated by Paul in his letter to the Corinthians. (1 Cor.13:1-12; see appendix below *The “Love-Fruits of the Holy Spirit:” ) Through Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension, He transported and brought humanity into fellowship with the very “Love-nature” of the triune God.

Because the triune God is of one substance (Greek, homoousios – “of one substance”) the act of one is the act of all three, making it singular and unified in the triune Godhead. God is the union of three Persons in one Triune Godhead. Man has not experienced this kind of integrated and collaborative life with the triune God ever since Eden, prior to Adam’s fall. And God created Adam and Eve and by extension all humanity, to reflect Him in His Love. (Gen.1:27; 1 John 4:8; John 17: 20-23)

God is not alone; He is not individualistic; He is not isolated or reclusive. Each Person in the Trinity “occupies” the others’ personalities, and become “home” for the other two. And God desires to bring man into the Loving fellowship of the Father, Son, and Spirit. The “fruits of Love” as Paul explained to the Corinthians, is the hallmark of the conduct they have lived and continue to live from eternity. (1 Cor.13:1-12). Here is where the miracle life humanity experiences and is birthed in God’s Love where it takes its stand.

Throughout history humanity has always tried to put God in a box to appeal to their short-sighted mindset. Yet, God tells us, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. 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).

How vital that we let the Spirit inspire and energize us in His Trinitarian nature to nullify our natural “solitary” attitude. We can do good things in a “solitary” mode and it will take us only thus far (Jer. 17:9). We see plenty of this in the world today. But by connecting to the triune God through His Spirit, His love will lead us in the way true life was intented to be lived. (Gen.1:27) He instructs us to choose His triune life, not our solitary life (Deut. 30:19). In other words, we will commune with a relational God, not a private God. God is not solitary and intolerant as many have assumed.

Humanity exists in an attitude of isolation, in solitude, unaccompanied, secluded, alone in self-absorbed existence, due to Adam’s sin in Eden when he chose to follow Satan instead of God by eating the forbidden fruit. That is our human short coming. The last thing that humans can do is attempt to put God in a box of their own making. It is totally wrong for fallen humans to try to paint God with our corrupt human frame of reference.

By declaring the Father’s Trinitarian nature, we continue to affirm His Fatherhood as founded in Love, first amongst the three Persons of the Trinity, and then with all humanity God has created in His image and likeness. (Gen.1:27; John 17:20-23; 25-26). And that is what the ‘Second Adam’ or Jesus Christ came to bring humanity new life enabled in the Spirit’s power. (Gal.2:20; 1 Cor.15:45).

Matthew 28:19 – The Great Commission

Though a person may claim to believe in the Trinity, if he still lives the solitary and self-inclusive life in himself, he still lives apart from Christ and the triune life of God. This tells us that many Christians fail to know how to live the Triune Life in Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. Paul said this, “But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him” (Rom.8:9). By taking the name of Jesus as Christians, we automatically receive God in His divine spiritual name in the Triune Godhead. (Matt.28:19) That is presumed to be a truthful affirmation. (John 17:20-23)

Jesus spoke of the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Trinity, in this way, “But when He, the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on His own, He will speak only what He hears, and He will tell you what is to come. He will glorify Me for it is from Me that He will receive what He will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is Mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from Me what He will make known to you” (John 16:13-15).

“When Pentecost Came They Were Together In One Place…” (Act.2:1)

I sincerely hope that just as we have celebrated the day of Pentecost (refer my previous post), a day which pictures the birth of the new covenant church, we will embark on this journey in our earthly pilgrimage with a new mindset about God’s divine Loving triune nature. In addition, God through Jesus invites us into this fresh new way of life we have been called to take into our lives and mindset and make it part of our mode of living. Remember, whenever the name of God is mentioned, it always portrays Him as a Trinity with His Son and His Spirit in One Trinitarian Godhead. (Matt.28:27-30)

God is calling out to all of humanity to come swim with everlasting joy in the river of His Love – eat freely from the food He has prepared for our true well-being.” Jesus openly declared, “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; also Isa.55:1-2). 

Jesus prayed this prayer for the disciples before He was taken to be crucified, “I do not pray for these (disciples) alone, but also those who will 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, that the world may believe that You have sent Me. 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” (John 17: 20-23, emphasis added). Jesus told His disciples, “On that day you will realize that I am in the Father, and you are in Me, and I am in you” (John 14:20). Every word is uttered in its Trinitarian context in who God is in His Tri-Personal nature of Love. (Matt.28:19-20)

Jesus’ parting words to His disciples before He ascended to heaven was: “Go and tell the world about this wonderful Gospel, and unify (baptize) them into the name of the Triune God of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit” (Matt.28:19; 1 John 4:8,16).

Please share a prayer with me as we pray to God our Loving Father in heaven, Prayer: “Almighty God, Father of all humanity, forgive me of all my sins for forsaking your precious Love. I receive Your Son, Jesus, as my personal Savior. In Your incalculable grace, thank you for recuing me and my loved ones, and all humanity, from the enemy’s fearful and destructive waters, and bringing us home into the life-giving waters of your Ocean of Love.

“Forgive me if I possessed an inaccurate view of Your divine triune nature. Thank You that I stand before you, the Tri-Personal God in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, who works in our lives to bring us salvation in Christ. Scripture tells us, “God is Love, and all who live in Love live in God, and God lives in them” (1 John 4:16).

“Grant Your promised celestial life in Your Son through Your Holy Spirit, and open my eyes to the wondrous gifts You have conferred upon me and all believers so we may serve one another in Your Love. May Your Love guide and protect me and my loved ones always, and bring us all into Your beloved and divine Kingdom. I will praise and thank You always, Amen.”

Prayer is A Solemn One-On-One Spiritual Love Dialogue Between a Person and God the Father

Welcome to 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 Resurrection to Immortality and Deification of Humanity Created In God’s Image

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

*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.

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.

All scriptures are taken from the NIV Version 2011, unless stated otherwise.

Note: All information is copy-write material. Any information obtained from this website that is used for publication should be acknowledged by citing the website address, date of acquisition and information pertinent to original authorship. For general guidelines regarding web citations see The Guide for Citing Electronic Information. Thank you.

Greetings friends! The season of spring is upon us. One of the best parts of spring is that beautiful flowers begin to bloom again. It’s wildflower season in many places. You’ll notice new growth on the trees around you, signaling the change in season. The animals who took a much-needed nap over winter and those who flew south for warmer climates are finally back. Hearing the happy chirps of birds or catching the first glimpse of your local wildlife are certainly reasons to love spring.

For humanity, it is also a time for renewal and regeneration. Paul gives us the negative fruits of the flesh which affects us unkindly and injure us. Paul said, “Now the practices of the sinful nature are clearly evident: they are sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality (total irresponsibility, lack of self-control), idolatry, sorcery, hostility, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions [that promote heresies], envy, drunkenness, riotous behavior, and other things like these. I warn you beforehand, just as I did previously, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Gal.5:19-21, Amplified Bible).

One of the negative emotions that cripple a person is the destructive reinforcement of the mantle of fear and sin which cloak us as fallen humans beings from Adam’s sin of disobedience in Eden. Much of what Paul catalogs in Galatians finds it basis in the feeling of fear which provokes these negative reactions. Are there fears in your life you are struggling with?

Many lives have been crippled by this innate gut feeling of fear – both real and imagined. Let’s discuss this important topic. I hope by the end of this blog post, you will have found the only way to eradicate our fears which elevate these negative practices which overwhelms us as Paul states.

The Bible gives the answers to our fears. The Scripture says plainly and unequivocally, “There is no fear in Love. But perfect Love drives out fear” (1 John 4:18). Many believers have seen this passage, even tried to live by it as best as they know how, but regrettably their fears continue to pursue them like a plaque. Why? Quite simply, they have not known how to apply this passage. You have to ask and answer what is “Perfect Love.” That is the key to overcoming our fear. Once you have the answer, then fear will dissipate as quickly as it comes. 

As we enter the season of Pentecost which comemmorates the birth of the New Testament Church, let us stop to reflect upon this vital topic, for which we are given the gift of the Holy Spirit to combat vehemently with His perfect divine Love. For as much as Scripture tells us, after preached a Spirit-Inspired message from God that memorable Pentecost day, “The people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” Peter replied, “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.” With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day” (Act.2:37-41).

“Perfect Love” – What Does That Mean? (Wiki Commons)

I have always shown and explained through my blog there are only two ways of life to live: the “solitary life” verses the “Triune Life**” The “solitary life” is the condition in which fear is the motivation beginning with Adam’s fall in Eden. The “Triune Life” is the condition where Love is the driving force. The “Triune Life” finds its basis in Scripture where Jesus, prior to His ascension into heaven, said this, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matt.28:18-20).

The ”Triune Life” speaks of the Life of the Trinity, in the Father, the Son (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit. Fear and Love are opposite conditions we freely choose and elect to live by. So, let’s answer what are these two broad conditions or ways of life.

“Solitary Life” – In the ‘False Self’

Living the “solitary life” means a life that’s lived in oneself apart from Jesus Christ. We are all born into the self-centered “solitary life” as a consequence of Adam’s fall. Paul said, “If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ” (Rom.8:9). Christ is the second Adam. The Bible says the Spirit is the personification of God’s Love in us, and thereby empowers the “Triune Life”:  Paul asserts, “God’s Love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit” (Rom.5:5b).

The “solitary life” is life that’s lived under the influence of the devil, the instigator of human sin, pain, and suffering which breeds fear in humanity. The self-centered “solitary life” is synonymous with everything uncreative, corrupt and deathly in fallen humanity. Some of my readers may not have heard of these two terms. The “good” man does, God calls “filthy rags” because they are self-righteous acts which does not breed Love but promotes fear. (Isa.64:6) It’s the underlying motive of our hearts which counts. (1 Sam.16:7b) The “solitary life” in turn shapes the ‘false self’ who lives by fear, not Love.

Many call themselves Christians but still live the “solitary life” which is a paradox, for the essence of following Jesus is to live the “Triune Life.” It’s no fault of theirs if they had not been taught how to live it. They were told to “receive Christ” but were never shown how to follow Him. They may have been taught different terms which are ambiguous, and downright misleading, as we’ll see. I hope I can make this as simple to understand so you too can live the blessed life God has called us to in His perfect Love – the Love which drives out fear from us.

“Triune Life” Means the “True You”

The word Triune means consisting of three Persons in one Trinitarian Godhead. It conveys the Tri-Personal Being of God (Trinity) in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Therefore, “Triune Life” means a life that’s lived in and under the influence of the divine Love of the Trinitarian God in heaven. However, all people since Adam have not known, let alone lived the “Triune Life.”

Because of Adam’s fall in Eden, mankind has been consigned to living this self-centered “solitary life.” The Bible speaks of Jesus as the “Second Adam” who would come and right the wrong of the first fallen Adam. As Paul said, “As in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive” (1 Cor. 15:22; 1 Cor.15:45).

Jesus comes and introduces the “Triune Life” of Love to humanity by revealing the Father and Himself as the Son with our eternal Friend, the Holy Spirit (Matt.28:17-20). He said, “I and My Father are One,” and, “I will ask the Father and He will give you another Advocate (Spirit) to help you and be with you forever… He will glorify Me.” (John 10:30; john 14:16; 16:14). That is one of the pillar objectives of His coming to earth, besides others, to reveal God is Triune – to show God is our Father, Jesus our Brother, and Herald* (Spirit) is our ever-present Friend and Miracle-Worker.

Humans Has to Change (“Born Again”) from the “Solitary Life” in the self to the “Triune Life” in Christ through the Power of His Spirit.

Thus, the “Triune Life” is born and made a reality in the life of humanity through humanity’s Savior, Jesus. The basic tenet of living the “Triune Life” is revealed by Jesus in His words, “By Myself I can do nothing” (John 5:30). By saying that, He disqualifies Himself from the way of life of the “solitary life” in the devil. In other words, He never does things solitarily on His own; the way He thinks, feels, and acts, is done in complete collaboration with the Father and the Spirit. How can He, when Jesus, the Father, and the Spirit, are of one substance and reality in the Triune Godhead. Even if He wants to, He cannot, so the act of One is always the act of all Three Persons in the Trinity, and the act of Three is the act of One.

Jon P. Murhpree, in his book , “The Trinity and Human Personality,” says this, “Each one (of the three Persons of the Trinity) transposes Himself into the others without confusing His own personality with the others. Through Love, diversity and unity are so inextricably interwoven that the Father, Son, and Spirit do not exist as Persons alongside each other as much as they exist in and through each other. Each One constantly has perfect access to the others complete thought and feelings.” (pg.29) So when we follow Christ, we live the same “Triune Life” in the Spirit’s power.

“Perfect Love” Comes to Man By Entering the Life of the Trinity – the “Triune Life”** (Wiki Commons)

As I said, many have been told to “receive Jesus” but were never taught the true cost of becoming His follower. Very simply, the “cost” involves giving up the fallen “solitary life” from Adam, and embracing the “Triune Life” in Christ. Jesus makes plain that it is possible to say one is Christian, but be none of His: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” (Matt.7:20-21).

By saying, “only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven,” Jesus was pointing a person to the “Triune Life” in the Trinity. God is trinitarian and indivisibly ONE in their Triune Love for each other. Each Person in the Trinity find completeness in their Love for each other, not in their individual selves. By receiving Jesus as Savior, the believer is translated into the same life where he lives this collaborative, interdependent, unified, and Loving, “Triune Life” in Christ, where we seek “to do the will of the Father.”

It is not based upon legalism and justification by law, as Paul tells us, “Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law” (Gal.2:16).

Rather it is a relationship of Love for each other as in the Life of Love within the Trinity. For in doing this, the believer must find his/her ‘true self’ in Christ, not in his or her ‘false self.’ God placed gifts upon us which the Spirit enunciates them (gifts) in life. Thus we read Paul’s words, “We are complete through Christ” (Col.2:10).

To think and live trinitarianly is to dwell and live in each other’s Love for each other, not in one’s own solitary self-centered self-will by being withdrawn in one self. In other words, you find your ‘true self’ only by discovering fulfillment in Loving one another. This is how fear is driven away when we cease to be self-conscious and be other-conscious, not self-conscious, just like God is in His Loving Triune nature.

“Perfect Love” found Only in the “Triune Life”**

The purpose of the “Triune life” is essentially to protect the believer from the inconsistencies and ravages of the “solitary life” which brings fear, suffering, heartaches, and ultimately physical and spiritual death. (Rom.6:23) We’re not living in the emotional juggernaut of the moment through the ‘false self’ who generates fear (intuitively), in all its manifestation and its dire consequences. Hence the “Perfect Love” which drives out fear from our lives is found only when we are living the “Triune Life” in heaven with the Father, through Jesus’ continuous mediation as our glorified divine/human High Priest, through the power of Herald the Spirit who lives is us as His temple. (1 Cor.3:16; 1 Cor.6:19)

To live the “Triune Life” is the miraculous expression of God’s Spirit in us. The miraculous life is the promise of the New Covenant, “I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you shall keep My ordinances, and do them” (Ezek.36:27). And His command are not grevious, “In fact, this is Love for God: to keep His commands. And His commands are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3). How can something which dispels and removes fear from your life be burdensome?

Gentle Dove, Symbol of The Holy Spirit at Pentecost (Wiki Commons)

From Fear to Love

God’s covenant promise to man is to give him a new heart to end his suffering from living a “solitary life” through a newborn “unified (Triune) life” in His Son (Ezek. 11:19; Heb. 8:10, 10:22). He will remove the heart of fear and give us the heart of Love to Love Him. In becoming a mortal human, Jesus vicariously assumed man’s sinful life, including his fears, in His perfect Being. In doing so, He destroyed fear and replaced it with God’s love. For, “As in Adam all die, so in Christ (Immanuel) all will be made alive” (1 Cor. 15:22). Finally man can reciprocate with the same Love with which God Loves man. This is the “perfect Love” which drives out fear of fallen humans and the devil.

How to Enter the “Triune Life”

Let me now state briefly how man enters the “Triune Life” of God, so you too can live it and defeat all your fears. It begins when God calls you out of your self-centered “solitary life” of fear and embrace the “Triune Life” of Love through the finished work of His Son. Jesus said, “No one comes to the Father, except through Me. I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). In other words, we enter the “Triune Life” of God the Father when we accept His Son Jesus, as personal Savior who cleanses all sins of the ‘false self’ who has lived the ”solitary life” of the devil. The promised Holy Spirit inaugurates the “Triune Life” by bringing the ‘true self’ fashioned in the image of Jesus, the Son of God. (John 14:16; Rom.8:29)

We leave behind the ‘false self’ and everything to do with the “solitary life,” and embrace our ‘true self’ in the Spirit. We call this the gift of repentance and forgiveness, and the process of conversion of the new birth from the ‘false self’ to the ‘true self.’ (John 3:7) The Father’s promise of the gift of the Holy Spirit is the personification of His divine Love in us. (Rom.5:5) We become the temple of the Spirit: “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you” (1 Cor. 3:16). Fear, which is part and parcel of the ‘false self,’ has once for all lost its grip and has no power over us. John said this of the devil, “the evil one cannot touch you” (1 John 5:18b).

Christianity and Religion

Here is the main issue of Christianity when it is practiced as a ‘religion’ instead of a way of life. Christianity as a religion has turn man back upon himself/hersef by saying that his/her salvation is the “human responsibility.” They say Christ has done His part, now man must play his part to earn it, as if salvation is a 50/50 proposition. If Christ is a partial Savior, then the Gospel is incomplete and not true. This is the devil’s deception at its very core because man carries on living the “solitary life,” and Jesus and the “Triune Life” is left out of the picture altogether. Jesus is not a 50/50 Savior. Jesus is 101% humanity’s Savior, period. As John declares, “And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world” (1 John 4:14). And Paul affirms, “In Him (Jesus) we live and move and have our being” (Act.17:28). Again, Paul continues in his letter to the Colossians “You are complete through your union with Christ” (Col.2:10).

Salvation is all grace and freely given to humanity by God. As Paul makes this point abundantly clear, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Eph.2:8-10).

God has not abdicated your salvation by placing it in your own hands, least of all nor the hands of another, and most likely in the hands if ‘religion,’ for that matter. If salvation is a free gift which comes from the free grace of God, it is impossible for man to earn it, much less 50%? It is totally 100% God’s.

Fear is Driven Out By Embracing the “Perfect Love” in the Spirit’s Love-Power (Rom.5:5)  (Wiji Commons)

Our most difficult task is to learn to step out of the way, for the ‘false self’ is always tempted to dictate his solitary expressions in our human lives. Instead, we must step back and see the wonder of His hands at work – perhaps, for once in our life. God says, “Stand still, and see My salvation which I will show you. I will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace” (Exo.14:13-14, emphasis mine). Salvation is all God’s doing in Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit. For the Gospel tells us He is our complete Savior. (Col.2:10; Acts 4:11-12). Our part is simply to “hide in Christ” like the waters cover  the riverbed (man), and let the Spirit live His life fully (overflowing) in man as “living waters” (John 7:37-39; Psa.32:7).

No part of the believer (riverbed) is seen or heard, as he is completely and overwhelmingly covered and hidden in Christ in the “living waters” of the Spirit. All our fears which lead to deprivation and want are overpowered by the overwhelming Love of Jesus just as the “living waters” cover the riverbed engulfs us completely (1 John 4:8). The riverbed (man) and the “living waters” (Spirit) the metaphor for the “Triune Life.”

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to write me in the space provided below, or email me on bulamanriver@gmail.com.

Blessing: Until we meet again in my next post, may God bless you with the faith of Jesus His Son and 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” as a Bulamanriver.*  Be strong in the Lord’s joy.

Kiang, (Your Servant in Christ)

**”Triune Life”: Relationship with God has no meaning without Love. By its very nature, Love cannot endure in solitary existence. So, when God said “Let US make man in OUR image, after OUR likeness…” He was revealing Himself as existing in His trinitarian existence. That is, His Tri-Personal Being as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (Gen.1:26; Matt.28:19; John 14:10, 16; 16:7) The Hebrew word for ‘God’ in the creation account is “Elohim.” It describes God in His plurality, as the Trinity – the Tri-Personal Godhead, which other scriptures attests. (Matt.28:18-20; 1 Pet.1:2; 2 Thess.2:13; 2 Cor.13:14) So, God is Trinitarian in His Love nature. He is also clothed in Freedom. For the three Persons of the Trinity are three distinct and free Persons in the triune Godhead. Love and Freedom by nature is relational as God is in His Tri-Personal Being. Hence, a human being was created a relational being possessing freedom.

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. (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

*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.

All scriptures are taken from the NIV Version 2011, unless stated otherwise.

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Greetings Friends everywhere!

I hope you will find this site a place where you can obtain rest and peace from a stressful and sometimes excessively demanding world out there.

I found the title for my post, “The Power of Human Thought” somewhat exhaustive if not encyclopedic to say the least. Our human thought and lifestyle are described as culture. Thoughts refers to the norms and societal ways of a given time. Society interacts with one another, and culture shapes the way we work and play, and it makes a difference in how we view ourselves and others. It also affects our values, which are what we consider right and wrong, and how these values influence our choices. Our choices can also influence others and ultimately help shape our society for the greater good.

I would argue your thoughts are vital and has much to do with how we will live a meaningful life. To put it another way, it’s your thoughts that count! Let’s talk about the true value of our thoughts and how they affect our future and that of our loved ones.

The Human Mind – Having the Divine Spark Which Gives Human Intelligence (Wiki Commons)

Paul sternly warns us about this mechanism behind the human thought process. He said, “We demolish arguments (thoughts) and every pretension (attitude) that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient (in Love) to Christ.” (2 Cor.10:5). This passage tells us we are to reject bad thoughts, while trying to keep the good ones. Jesus gives us the right words and thoughts for living. He said, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matt.11:29) By saying, “Learn from Me,” Jesus is talking about being reeducated in our thinking process.

Sometimes, it is hard to shut out the world around us and be able to spend some quality time with God and imbibe on His Word and His thoughts. The reason for this is obvious – our minds and thoughts are still locked into the sway of this malevolent world with all its hectic pace and insidious manipulation. As a result, our thoughts involuntarily and habitually have a negative impact upon us in more ways than one. So, let’s talk about an important Godly attribute humans has been given that can help us find rest and peace in our lives – through our thoughts and thinking process – not only for us, but our neighbors.

It was wise King Solomon who said, you are what you think, saying, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he (Prov. 23:7a). James Allen, author of the book, “As a Man Thinketh,” writes that “…humanity surges with uncontrolled passion, is tumultuous with ungoverned grief, is blown about by anxiety and doubt. It’s the wise man, it’s he whose thoughts are controlled and purified, that makes the wind and storm of the soul obey him.” The life that’s mixed with malevolence seeks competition, domination, and rivalry whose mind is generated by inconsistent and incomplete thinking and comes at the behest of humanity’s “lone wolf” thinking. Remember, our thoughts lead us into action.

Thirty Thousand Thoughts a Day

Dr. Caroline Leaf, in her book, “Who Switched Off My Brain,” said the average person has over thirty thousand thoughts a day. Thoughts are words in muted rather than spoken form. Words forms the picture of life we will live in our real-life realities. Thoughts are actions in muted form. That’s why your words and actions which originate in your thoughts are important for they form the foundation of your reality. Our actions, behavior, and cognition are the three fundamental pillars of the human thought process. Rather than running separately, they blend with each other, enabling us to perceive the world around us, listen to our conscious and subconscious desires, and respond accordingly. Thus, humans can be regarded as active consumers of all the human sensory impressions.

Thirty Thousand Thoughts a Day

Of all the species of life God has created upon our earth, only humans are replicated in God’s likeness with the divine capacity to think and act upon his thoughts. (Gen.1:26-27; Prov.23:7) Animals and other created species don’t think thoughts like humans do. They were created by God to have and ‘behave’ according to their inborn instincts. They ‘behave’ in a fixed and predictable manner. The cattle will always graze upon grass and not hunt for game like a lion. As for humanity, the Psalmist informs us, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psa.119:105).

However, the function of the human mind is fundamentally spiritual in its outlook and activity, rather than a purely physical and cerebral brain function. Thoughts are unseen and exist in the realm of the spiritual. As we saw human action, behavior, and cognition, are the fundamental pillars of our thought process from which we create mental ‘visions’ to act upon. Again the Psalmist tell us, “Send out Your light and Your truth; let them guide me. Let them lead me to Your holy mountain, to the place where You live” (Psa.43:3)

Jesus is the foundation and source of all wholesome and cleansing knowledge. Jesus, the Personified Word of God, is the Instructor, as His Word the Bible, is the instruction manual that comes with God’s ‘product’ called human beings. However, we are not robots, we are His children who been given freedom of choice, and God deeply Loves each one of us, so much so He did not spare His Son in order to save us. Presently, Jesus is humanity’s High Priest in heaven who mediates for us day and night, so we may remain true to God’s purpose for us.

Paul reminds us of the beautiful truth about Jesus mediation on our behalf in heaven before the Father, “As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God. God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made Him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; He made us pure and holy, and He freed us from sin. Therefore, as the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the LORD”” (1 Cor.1:29-31).

If God made us in His image to have a mind like His, and the fund of knowledge of His Son to tell us how live, then He is as near to us as the many thoughts we think with our God-given minds. All we have to do is utilize our freedoms and choose the right thoughts which reflect Him. And yes, there are also false and destructive thoughts that can dominate our minds if we choose to allow this.

Thoughts Create Forms and Visions

Yes, freedom is divine and originate with God and is the flip-side of His Love. We use it to make deliberate and wise decisions – and even bad ones if we so choose. This in itself is a miraculous activity we live through each day without fully appreciating His unseen Loving hand upon us. The ability to think and reason and exercise our liberties then be conscious of our actions is proof of the presence of God and the Spirit in our lives. Our thoughts underlie all our actions and interactions with each other.

The purpose of the human mind is to be a “factory” for thoughts to create visions and ideas which conform to the image of Christ. (Rom.8:29; 2 Cor.10:5) They can be good and bad thoughts, happy and sad ones, loving and fearful, living and deathly ones. The Spirit of God is the life-energy which envelopes our universe and all life forms upon this earth. Nothing can exist outside of God’s life-giving energy. The Spirit is the ‘divine spark’ which give the mind of humanity his intellectual and spiritual faculties.

Thoughts Create Forms to be Acted On

Of all the thoughts the mind receives through internal and external stimuli, enters the factory of the mind which processes them to create concepts and ideas to be decided and acted upon. The work of transformation begins with the flow of Jesus’ Person in His Triunity with the Father and the Spirit, and His Words (the Bible) in man’s thought processes. The Bible compares man to a riverbed with the Spirit as its “living waters” which cover him and so help control his thought process. (John 7:37-39)

Jesus Alone Brings Humanity True Freedom

There’s “living waters” as there is “deathly waters.” Where the Unbeliever (Bulumanriver**- see appendix ) has “deathly waters” of the devil flowing through him, he process thoughts through the spirit of fear, self-interest and independence. The Believer (Bulamanriver* – see appendix for explanatory notes) has “living waters” of the Spirit flowing through him. His thoughts are processed by Love, self-giving and interdependence. The “deadly waters” (Bulumanriver**) of the river of fear produce one result – lack and deprivation, and ultimately death. The “living waters” of the Spirit give us the power to channel our thoughts and actions in Love, with one result: to live creatively and abundantly, both now and into eternity with God.

The Thought behind the Thought

So how do we take these many conscious thoughts that enter and influence our minds at a rate that boggles the mind and make sense of them? It’s not as hard as one might imagine. The human mind is first and foremost a filtering device. Everyone possesses two mindsets: one manages the conscious thought, all 30,000 of them, while the second the subconscious thought, filters them according to our sponsoring thought. Our subconscious mind is associated with and inspires the human conscience. That is how God made the mind to function, and it is well researched in scientific circles.

The subconscious mind is the underlying thought process which governs the mind’s conscious thoughts. So, what a person is thinking in his conscious thoughts is automatically filtered through his subconscious mind. The subconscious mind is the sponsoring thought that governs his conscious thoughts. It’s the ‘factory’ that collects all your thought data and creates “form” out of them to be acted upon.

Believer (Bulamanriver) vs Unbeliever (Bulumanriver)!

It’s not uncommon to find the conscious and subconscious thoughts encounter disagreement. This happens because the subconscious is filtering the conscious thoughts based upon what it believes to be true and secures everything about him/her. When differences occur, the conscious thought always loses the battle to the subconscious mind.

Book Cover: “Bulamanriver”

For example, the Unbeliever (Bulumanriver**) with the river of fear flowing in person, will have his/her subconscious mind (sponsoring thought) lead inevitably to create actions that produce self-centeredness, greed, anxiety and ultimately lack and death. No matter how many “good intentions” his conscious thought might have, the subconscious mind will not allow him to achieve them in a true lasting way that produces genuine good. It will always invent a negative form upon which to base his choices. The subconscious mind consistently champions the day for it governs the thirty thousand thoughts that enter our head.

As G. K. Chesterton said, “It isn’t that they can’t see the solution. It is that they can’t see the problem.” Albert Einstein said no problem gets resolved by ignoring what created it in the first place – the heart of man. (Jer.17:9) Consequently, your outer life (conscious) reflects your inner beliefs (subconscious) about you. (Matt.15:16-20)

G K Chesterton

Subconscious Like ‘Gravity’

Think about the law of gravity. We grow up discovering how to compensate for it as we learn to live within the limitations it allows us. All our acts and movements are done to compensate for it, so much so we give it no second thought. We live with the force which produces gravity without giving conscious thought to it. We take gravity for granted, and becomes second nature to us. When we are up on a high elevation, we automatically find something to hang onto for we are well aware what gravity is capable of doing to us.

In a real sense, our mind has its own “gravity” – it’s our subconscious mind. Our conscious thoughts, all thirty thousand of them, have to compensate for this “gravitational” pull of our subconscious mind and what it is telling us to do with our conscious thoughts. It happens in our minds involuntarily like we have grown accustomed to physical gravity. We gravitate to our subconscious-sponsored thought unconsciously – that’s why we sometimes wonder why our plans don’t turn out the way we imagined. In other words, if there is a clash of thoughts between the conscious and the subconscious, the subconscious will win every time.

Money?

For example, a person may have a long-held belief that it is wrong to be rich. Perhaps his idea of money stems from his mistaken understanding of a passage from the Bible which states, “For the love of money is a (not ‘the’) root of all kinds of evil; for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves with many sorrows” (1 Tim. 6:10, NKJV). His belief and idea about money is soldered into his subconscious mind – ‘money is evil.’ That’s how the Unbeliever’s thought in his fear-based thought process. It is the person’s sponsoring (subconscious) mindset.

Yet, in his conscious thoughts, he plans many lavish and grand things for him and his family for which money is its conduit and means? However, in order to achieve those ambitions, he needs money without money he cannot achieve his/her goals. The person’s subconscious (sponsoring) mindset is telling him it will be something ill-gotten, due to his/her sponsoring beliefs about money.

I’m not saying the Unbeliever (Bulumanriver**) will not achieve his aims, he can, but he does it battling his conscience, and he will not acquire them in a good faith, much less in a truly abundant way. His conscience is seared and only the Spirit can change him through repentance and forgiveness. I will not meddle with the stress and anxiety that accompanies the person. But, O the joy that could have accompanied him, if only! I hope we have our own bearings about money focused in the proper way – through the Believer’s (Bulamanriver*). This happens not only with money, but every other aspect of a person’s livelihood.

God is the richest Person in the universe, He declares, “The gold is Mine, and the silver is Mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills, the fowls and the wild beasts are Mine, the earth and its fullness and all that dwell in it” (Hag. 2:8; Ps. 24:1; Ps. 50:10-11). Yet He is Spirit and does not need to be defined by them to prove His super-abundance. He declares Himself super abundant in His Love – in His Triune Being of Love. So, if riches are not evil because they are God’s creation, our thoughts about money and riches ought to change with holy thoughts. If we fail to control our thoughts and channel them in a constructive way, then our fear-based environment will control us. It’s that simple.

Money is not Evil, A Person’s Heart Is!

Money is not evil by itself – it’s the wrong use money for evil. It starts in out thought process. The bottom line on money is this: if money is a defense, and it is, and Jesus is our true defense, then money and Jesus are one and the same. (Psa.118:14) Money becomes something virtuous for it is used to reflect Jesus, not our fallen self in Adam. (Gen.3:1-6)

Money and riches are there to reflect Him in us in a self-giving rather than self-centered way. He is reflected in us through the right thoughts of money through our subconscious mind. We don’t adore money but Jesus, our true defense (Eccl. 7:11-12). It would be pointless to have as much money as you would like if it cannot protect or defend you. True defense comes from Jesus, not money.

Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” (Matt.6:24) Therefore, money and all material things are supposed to help attract us to Christ, not extricate us away from Him. He must sit on the throne of our lives, not any material stuff, most of all, not money. Ultimately, Love is the true source of all abundance. (1 John 4:16).

Of what use are material riches and things in the spiritual realm and regime of God? One day all material riches will be of no value, because the only valuable thing that will remain is God’s Love in His spiritual kingdom. God’s Love is another word for super abundance. (1 John 4:8, 16)

Think about it, how did money or riches came to our consciousness? It was created by man’s thoughts. Man created the economic system of goods and service with currencies (money) to keep it turning. Who gave man his thoughts? It is fashioned after the mind of God to make choices about how man will live life. (Gen.1:26-27) So, the ability to think and make choices is the gift of God’s Love. He calls us to amend our ways out from a self-centered orbit, to His Love-centered universe. All material riches of the earth was created by God who is Love.

God’s Love – The Human Spiritual Gravitational Force!

Let me now share how the believer controls his thought process. For the Believer (Bulamanriver*), Love is the spiritual “gravity” in our thought environment. We don’t learn to live within Love’s spiritual gravity as quickly as we do with our physical gravity. Living within Love’s spiritual gravity is a process of thought and thought forms. On the physical level, we learn very quickly that we need a chair to break our fall when we sit, but fail to equate the Spirit’s Love as the ‘chair’ in our hearts that will break our spiritual gravity when we need God to help us succeed.

Love Is the Champion of The Divine Subconscious Mind!

The Believer’s (Bulamanriver’s*) sponsoring (subconscious) thought is God’s Love. Love is the subconscious mindset that should govern all our thoughts. Love is the super-abundant thought-process – it is the factory where all our conscious thoughts are the raw material which create forms for decision-making and acted upon. Therefore, the sponsoring thought through which all our 360,000 conscious thoughts are sifted always ends with joy, peace, abundance and Love.

Jesus warns us, “Those who have – more will be given; those who don’t – what they have will be taken” (Matt. 13:12 emphasis added). He is speaking of our underlying philosophy about life that’s welded to our subconscious mind. In other words, abundance (Love) breeds plenty, while lack (fear) breeds scarcity.

The subconscious-sponsoring thought of God’s divine Love is the sieve that filters all our conscious thoughts to produce one inevitable form – abundance (Love). The subconscious (Love) mindset determines if your thoughts (seeds) fall on “good and rich ground” or “stony and poor ground.” Love is to our subconscious thought environment what gravity is to our physical environment. No matter how high we aim, our foot will rest ultimately on the ground of our sponsoring thought (subconscious mind – Love).

Like a Jig-Saw Puzzle

It’s like a jigsaw puzzle where you have seen the picture of the end from the beginning as shown on the image of the jig-saw box. The picture symbolizes your subconscious mind – it’s the picture of God’s Love, and His personal gift and calling in your life. (Read my blog titled, “Gifts, Abilities, Destinies, posted at: http://bulamanriver.net/2185; and http://bulamanriver.net/3145

Life is like a Jig Saw Puzzle with Many Thoughts to Sieve Through

When you pick the right pieces (thoughts), they fall magically into place and the picture of God’s Love comes through. Unlike a jigsaw puzzle which has all the correct pieces in the box, we have all kinds of thoughts including ones that don’t fit the picture, enter our minds. Our subconscious mind assists us by filtering our thoughts to find the right pieces that fit the picture of Love. When we have the right picture (subconscious mind enveloped in God’s Love), your brain is always on autopilot, picking the right pieces which fit the Love-picture.

As I said earlier, it’s not as daunting as the number of thoughts that bombard our conscious minds each day, all 30,000 of them. Love puts your subconscious mind on autopilot to sieve through them. It happens at lighting speed so we are not even conscious of how this awesome miracle of the mind works.

The question is what mind picture do you possess? That’s the key! You must get the picture (subconscious Love mindset) right first. When your picture is Jesus, you will use only the right thoughts (jigsaw pieces) that fit into the picture, with the help of the Spirit (Love). Then you form Godly decisions to be acted on based upon the process of His Love. Jesus said, “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness (Love), and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matt.6:33).

Six Human Senses Are Tools for Raw Material of Thought!

Love-forms are the result of “creative thinking” which leads to “creative action” and materializes into “creative works” (Eph. 2:10). So, forms or visions materialize as plans and goals birthed in our thoughts. We perceive form through the six human senses – sight, smell, ears, tongue, skin for feeling, and might I add a sixth sense – emotional response from the mind and heart of a person. The senses do not create form. Only thoughts do, through the subconscious mindset that’s motivated by the Spirit’s Love. The five senses are tools of the mind factory, and thoughts (all 30,000 of them) are raw material you use to help create Love-forms to enable you to live positive realities in life.

Do We Live Through Our Senses?

Do we live principally through our human senses? Some do, however, many of us do not, or seldom, live that way. That’s to say, we let our senses do our thinking and create forms for us. In other words, we can allow others to influence our thought processes through our human senses.

If we do that, then we have allowed our inquisitiveness and imagination to be taken over by the glamour and appeal of others like the latest scandal, public frenzy, the captivating drama on our television – whether real or fiction, or the entertainment element plastered all over our media. Have we given our minds to other mediums such that we cannot think for ourselves?

Our six senses ought to be restrained so as to follow where our Love-thoughts lead us, not the other way round. The senses are supposed to live in joyous excitement of the creative thought activity of the subconscious mind dominated by Love. (1 John 4:16) Perhaps inadvertently or through ignorance we have become prisoners of our own making by letting our human sensory perception lead us, instead of allowing our creative thinking through Love dominate our lives.

The Word – Our Foundation

God thinks Trinitarianly and shares His Triune thought process with the Son and the Spirit, and with us by saying He knows our thoughts before we think them. (Psa.139:2) The Spirit’s thoughts of Love show us how we are to think and live as Believers (1 Cor.13; Rom.12 & 13; Gal. 5; Col.3 & 4). It’s a way of living that produces creative forms on a consistent basis and never fails you because you are a river and the ecology of the “living waters” (Spirit) makes fertile and rich whatever, wherever, and whoever you come into contact with. The Scriptures tell us, “Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not” (Lam.3:22).

And the river (Spirit in humans) does this consistently every single day. The river (humanity) comes as a new beginning each day—consistently. That is abundance as defined in the life of the Believer (Bulamanriver*)  (1Cor.13:8, 13; John 7:37-39). If the Bible can be defined in one word, it is Love. (Matt.22:37-40). God’s Spirit is the divine Love deposited in believing humans. “God’s Love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” (Rom.5:5)

Rivers of “Living Waters” – Holy Spirit

Therefore, the Bible is the groundwork of Love from which we create forms of thought that lead to greater benefits, and they come to us without apology because they are founded on the principles of God’s Love. The Bible says we should pay heed to the foundation upon which we build our lives – whether it is on shifting sand or on the solid Rock, Jesus Himself. (Matt.7:24-27) The foundation determines whether the structure will stand the test of time and remain secure well into the future.

The Bible is the foundation of our thoughts for creating plans, desires, goals, and objectives – in one word, basic form of the Love of God. The Bible brings form and stability to our lives as long as Love is in our subconscious mindset and shapes our thought processes. Love is “creative action” because it is deliberately formed in the thought and acted out.

To think like a Believer (Bulamanriver*) is to have the thoughts of God. To think like God is to think Love in all its manifestation (1Cor.13:1-13; Rom.12 & 13; Gal.5; Col.3 & 4). Then we are to maintain this sound mind that comes consistently from the Spirit to keep our thoughts motivated by Love’s fruits. (2 Tim.1:7; 1 Cor.13:1-12)

Make Rich the “Valleys”

The river (Spirit in human) exists to make the valleys fertile for the sustenance of all who depend on them. (John 7:37-39) For the Believer (Bulamanriver*), the valleys represent the community of people with whom you come in contact daily. There is your family valley. Then there is your church valley. There is your neighbor, community, and village, valleys. Furthermore, there is your work or occupation valleys. Then there is your school valley, your national valley, and so forth. Each of these valleys requires different responses from you.

Here is the crossover: we have a mind to think good thoughts that form “abundance” (Love), or to think damaging thoughts that form “lack” (fear). To think super “abundant” thoughts is our inheritance given us by the Creator, who is Love by nature. Lack is the place of fear, and to think in “lack” is to live in the river of fear, strife, rebellion, and greed—the Unbeliever.

We are called with our divinely bestowed gifts to make rich our valleys we come in contact with. When we do, we likewise become rich too. The Bible says, “He who waters others will himself be watered.” (Prov.11:25, NASB) Whoever refreshes others will be refreshed himself. That’s how the law of Love works.

The Bible tells us “be you transformed by the renewing of your mind (your thoughts.)” (Rom. 12:2) Your subconscious thought is the key. Your thought is to be harmonized with the literal Word of God, and the Personified Word of God, Jesus. The Personified Word (Jesus) manifest Himself by living in us in the Spirit’s power, and His literal Word, the Bible, guides us with the Spirit’s inspiration.

God miraculously creates circumstances for those who believe in the promises of His Word. Your actions will always follow the forms your thoughts create – whether for good or bad. You are to first “think abundantly good.” You have to “grow” to be abundant. You have to “increase” to be abundant. That’s Love. Love is abundance. Jesus said, “Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you.” (Matt.5:48, The Message)

Fight the Good Fight

Paul said, “The weapons we fight with are not weapons of the world. On the contrary, we have divine power to cast down imaginations [demolish evil thoughts and arguments] and every pretension [posturing thought] that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we bring captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Cor. 10:4-6 emphasis added).

So, Paul reveals an enemy who wants to change us from the Believer with the Spirit’s “living waters” and take us back to the Unbeliever, the river of fear and want that we have renounced, disowned, and left behind upon the cross of Jesus. (Gal.2:20) He says the battle lines have been drawn, and the enemy has been identified, so we have no doubt or misgivings about how, when, why, and where this battle is going to be fought – in our minds, for the controls of our thoughts!

I will close with this fitting quote, “Whether you think you can, or whether you think you can’t, either way you are right!” (Henry Ford) I certainly hope you will never undervalue your thoughts for pennies. That’s all for now! If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to write me in the space provided below, or email me on bulamanriver@gmail.com. I invite you to visit my web site, www.bulamanriver.com for more resources.

Just as God is faithful to go out from Himself in Love, may the Church in its communion and reliance on the Triune God, go out in Love as well, fully cognizant of its role as true masters of our own thoughts in Christ. (2 Cor.10:5)

Until we meet again in my next post, may God bless you with the faith of Jesus His Son and may the blessings of the God who ceaselessly expresses Himself in His dependable Triune Love, be with you always. O God our heavenly Father, please feel the hearts of those who need Your help and be strong for them and keep them safe. May the Spirit enliven your spirit and make you a master of your thoughts in every way, make all things concerning you possible as you live the “Triune Life” as a Bulamanriver.* Be strong in the Lord’s joy.

Blessing

Kiang                                                                                                                                                          (Your Servant in Christ)

* The “Bulamanriver” is the metaphor describing the believer who is 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. “Bula” is a Fijian word which means “life.” To read the many facets of life of the Bulamanriver,* go to my website www.bulamanriver.com where you can order a copy of my Book.

** The “Bulumanriver” is metaphor for a non-believer. “Bulu” is Fijian word which means “burial” or “death.” This river produces want and death in the person. Bulumanriver is the union of man with his fallen, unsaved self who lives under the deception and sway of the devil. You can also read my blog post titled “Who is The Bulamanriver?”

*** 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.

**** “Triune Life”: Relationship with God has no meaning without Love. By its very nature, Love cannot endure in solitary existence. So, when God said “Let US make man in OUR image, after OUR likeness…” He was revealing Himself as existing in His trinitarian existence. That is, His Tri-Personal Being as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (Gen.1:26; Matt.28:19; John 14:10, 16; 16:7) The Hebrew word for ‘God’ in the creation account is “Elohim.” It describes God in His plurality, as the Trinity – the Tri-Personal Godhead, which other scriptures attests. (Matt.28:18-20; 1 Pet.1:2; 2 Thess.2:13; 2 Cor.13:14) So, God is Trinitarian in His Love nature. He is also clothed in Freedom. For the three Persons of the Trinity are three distinct and free Persons in the triune Godhead. Love and Freedom by nature is relational as God is in His Tri-Personal Being. Hence, a human being was created a relational being possessing freedom.

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. (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

All scriptures are taken from the NIV Version 2011, unless stated otherwise.

Note: All information is copy-write material. Any information obtained from this website that is used for publication should be acknowledged by citing the website address, date of acquisition and information pertinent to original authorship. For general guidelines regarding web citations see The Guide for Citing Electronic Information. Thank you.

Greetings Friends wherever you are! My hope is my post will find you filled with the Lord’s joy!

The Christian faith is founded upon our God who is a Trinity, not a solitary God. God is One hypostatic (unified) Godhead in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (Matt.28:18-20) As a verb, faith speaks of articulating our statement of beliefs in our daily lives. As a noun faith identifies who God is, for scripture tell us, “God is Love” (1 john 4:8, 16). So, faith as a verb can be utilized various ways, in this post I would like to share two fundamental meanings of faith and its application. There’s an interesting point about faith that’s worthy of note in Luke 17. Let’s read it…

“The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” (verb) He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you. Suppose one of you has a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Will he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, ‘Come along now and sit down to eat’? Won’t he rather say, ‘Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink’? Will he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty’” (Luk.17:5-10). The parable of the mustard seed appears in parallel passages in other Gospels, but Luke’s account is unique in that it interfaces the disciples’ question about faith with the account of the master and the servant.

Faith as a Grain – Quality not Quantity

The disciples asked for faith in the sense of quantifying faith! By saying, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed,” Jesus is talking about the quality of faith, rather than the quantity of faith. We will see what I mean by “quality” a little later. In this passage from Luke, your Bible has a pause between Verse 5-6 and Verse 7-10 to indicate two unrelated topics. Verse 5-6 is about faith, and Verse 7-10 tells us about the parable about the Master and Servant. But the Bible in its original format had no verse or chapter breaks we see in today’s version. Verses and chapters were introduced to help readers navigate through different parts of the Bible.

But it has its pros and cons, and one weakness is we can be blinded by missing the context. Reading a small part is not always helpful when the author intended a passage to be read through to the end. So, this passage speaks about a single topic, not two unrelated issues. It is about faith and reads from verse 5 to 10. The parable was simply Jesus way of explaining the meaning of the “mustard seed faith.” So, what has faith to do with the “master/servant” relationship?

Jesus Teaching Disciples the Mustard Seed Faith (By James Tissot, Brooklyn Museum, Wiki Commons)

Two Faiths:

Jesus explains the ‘mustard seed faith’ in the context of the “Master/Servant” faith (verb), because it is distinct from but essentially part of the believer’s “Father/Offspring” (Son/Daughter) faith. The faith we express in terms of the “Father/Offspring” relationship has to do with our adoption into God’s eternal family through Jesus. One is foundational and unmoved (“Father/Child”), while the other is functional and mobile (“Master/Servant”). By ‘functional’ I mean something that is mobile and changes with time according to God’s move in the believer’s life, yet it has eternal ramification. (Matt.25:23) In one, God is our Father, while He is Master in the other.

What we see in our lives is identical with Jesus own life where His faith is applied in two contextual realities: the foundational “Father/Son” relationship He had with His Father from eternity, and the functional “Master/Servant” relationship in His role as Savior and Redeemer. So, Jesus possessed both faiths: the foundational “Father/Son relationship” in His role as the only Son of God; and in a “Master/Servant relationship” in His role as the Savior and Redeemer of humanity.

From here I will attempt to share the two faiths as Jesus stated in His parable about the important subject of faith in Luke 17:5-10. Firstly, the “Father/Offspring Faith,” and secondly, the “Master/Servant Faith.”

1. Father/Offspring Faith “The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith! He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you” (Luke 17:5-6).  
2. Master/Servant Faith “Suppose one of you has a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Will he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, ‘Come along now and sit down to eat’? Won’t he rather say, ‘Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink’? Will he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty’” (Luke 17:7-10).  

Following are the explanatory notes:

1) Father/Offspring Faith: The commonly quoted passage from John says, “For God so Loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him” (John 3:16-17). This is the foundation upon which the “Father/Offspring Faith” is grounded.

2) Master/Servant Faith: Paul gave us these immortal servanthood passage about Jesus, “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, He made Himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!” (Phil.2:6-8). I stress the words of Paul, “Being in very nature God…He (Jesus) made Himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant...And being found in the appearance of a man, He humbled Himself by being obedient to death – even death on a cross” (Phil.2:7-8).

And again in Hebrews, we read, “During the days of Jesus’ life on earth… because of His reverent submission. A Son though He was, He learned obedience from what He suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek” (Heb.5:7-10). Note the words, “He (Jesus) learned obedience from what He suffered and once made perfect,” are words designated for a servant. And because of Jesus’ obedience and loyalty He was made humanity’s High Priest of God in heaven forever.

For us as humans, the faith we express in the “Master/Servant” relationship is no different, but this time it has to do with God’s Work, principally as it relates to the work of the Gospel. (Mat.28:18-20) God’s Work involves His labor of Love to save humanity from sin and eternal death called the ministry of reconciliation which we are given. (2 Cor.5:18)

Jesus Christ possessed both faiths. So, as followers of Jesus, we too must take on both faiths as He did. Jesus said, “Teach them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matt.28:20).

In this passage from Luke 17, your Bible has a pause between Verses 5-6, and Verses 7-10, presumably indicating two unrelated topics. Verses 5-6 speaks about faith as a mustard seed, and Verses 7-10 is a parable about the Master and Servant. But the Bible in its original format had no verse or chapter breaks we see in today’s Bible version. Verses and chapters were introduced to help readers navigate through different parts of the Bible. But it has its pros and cons, and one weakness is we can be blinded by missing the subject or context of the passage in question altogether. Reading a small part is not always helpful when the author intended a passage to be read through to the end as one subject. So, this passage speaks about a single topic, not two unrelated issues. It is all about faith and reads from Luke 17 Verse 5 to 10. The parable was simply Jesus’ way of explaining the meaning of the faith from two realities.

2 Cor. 5:18

So, let’s start with the second point of Jesus’ teaching about faith – what has faith to do with the “Master/Servant” relationship as shown in Luke 17:7-10? Jesus explains the faith in the context of the “Master/Servant faith” is distinct from but essentially part of the believer’s “Father/Offspring faith.” The faith we express in terms of the “Father/Offspring faith” is the relationship that has to do with our adoption into God’s eternal family through Jesus. John wrote the memorable text, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son” (John 3:16-18).

One faith is foundational and unmoved (“Father/Offspring Faith”), while the other is functional and mobile (“Master/Servant Faith”). By ‘functional’ I mean something that is mobile and can change according to circumstance and time in line with God’s move in the believer’s life, yet it has eternal ramification. (Matt.25:23) In one, God is our Father, while He is Master in the other.

What we see in our lives is identical with Jesus own life where His faith is applied in two contextual realities: the foundational “Father/Son Faith” (relationship) He had with His Father from eternity, and the functional “Master/Servant Faith” (relationship) in His role as Savior and Redeemer. The faith we express in the “Master/Servant Faith” or relationship is no different and has to do with God’s Work, principally as it relates to the work of the dispensation of the Gospel of Jesus as Redeemer of humanity. (Mat.28:18-20)

The Great Commission

God’s Work involves His labor of Love to save humanity from sin and eternal death called the ministry of reconciliation which we are given. (2 Cor.5:18) The oft-quoted passage from John we read earlier from John 3:16-19 says everything we desire to know about the Father’s Love for humanity as a whole. That in a nutshell, is the very heart and soul of God’s Work. So, there are two faiths working interchangeably where one is built on top of the other and mutually dependent. One is expressed in form of a noun (“Father/Son” relationship), and the other is a verb (“Master/Servant” relationship).

Life As Seen Through The Triune Lense of The Trinity

As we dig deeper into this passage in Luke 17, we do so wearing God’s Triune lens and perspective. God exists in Three Personal realities of “the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit” (Matt.28:18-20). By looking at human life through God’s Triune lens and perspective we can arrive at the right explanation of faith, or for that matter any other topic in the Bible. Jesus brings each of us into the picture of this “Master/Servant Faith”: God is Master and we are His servants. God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are always interweaving and interpenetrating each other, are pure oneness in thought, purpose, and action, and are perfection and beauty-one God in three Persons eternally in Loving relationship.

Then Jesus asks, if we had a hired house servant, would we regard him as master and treat him with all the courtesies of a master in a role reversal? Is it okay that the master perform the work he has paid a servant to do? Is that how this faith works? Of course not! But what was Jesus getting at?

He desired to know if we are we true servants, or do we sometimes regard God like a servant and we are masters? That would be an unthinkable thought to consider let alone believe. In the “Father/Offspring Faith” (relationship) we know our place as offspring and children and don’t have an identity crisis here. But not so with the “Master/Servant Faith” (relationship) where the tendency to switch the roles are real. If we have initiated a role reversal in our relationship with God, whether inadvertently or ignorantly, then the faith which keeps the “Master/Servant Faith” (relationship) functioning properly has been compromised and made powerless and vulnerable if not incapacitated. But if this “Master/Servant Faith” is functioning correctly, even though it is small as a mustard seed, it will be powerful. And Jesus lived both faiths as a Son (offspring), and as a truthful and loyal servant of God the Father.

As we are now entering the period of Easter and Passover (2024), it s imperative and vital that we understand how we apply the two faiths. Intuitively, we tend to overemphasize God’s role as a caring Father who provides for His children. Yet, what about as our Master who wants us to participate in His saving and redemptive Work of dispensing the saving message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. (John 3:16; Matt.28:17-20) Humans are creatures of comfort and habit with the tendency to follow the path of least resistance. So, we are more inclined towards God’s Fatherly qualities, than His Masterly attributes and values.

As a Father we tend to ask Him for our many mundane needs, but do we express the same enthusiasm for His role as Master and faithfully responding as servants in His Work of the Gospel. We mistakenly assume we are entitled to a life without obstacles and setbacks as children, and we become perplexed not understanding the ground (faith) we are standing upon in life’s calling and circumstance as a dedicated and loyal servant of Jesus.

The modern-day so-called prosperity gospel is one such instance of inverting the priority and regarding God as servant who is the source for all our wants and desires, minimizing or entirely failing at the servanthood role. Do we see the Christian life like a vacation cruise and God’s part is to indulge us with the blessed life of plenty? We exploit passages out of context like, “Faith is the evidence of things not seen,” where the “unseen things” are cravings for the material and sensual? (Heb.11:1). We just made God a servant for our selfish appetites and ambitions, and have become masters in the process, and made God a servant…albeit inadvertently?

The Prosperity Gospel – Inverting The Priority of the Master/Servant Faith

When that happens, what we are seeing is the human version of faith which makes this role reversal a reality. But as we keep our pair of “Triune Life” lens firmly in place, we’ll find that it is an altogether different faith which keeps the “Master/Servant” relationship healthy between God and the Christian. But though this role reversal may convey the outward appearance of the material and sensual, its underlying stimulus is spiritual self-righteousness (“solitary life”) due to deficiency of the Holy Spirit by living God’s whole Tri-Personal Being as the Triune God. (Eph.5:18; 2 Thess.2:13).

Servanthood Faith   

The “Master/Servant” faith starts small like a mustard seed because servanthood is something which grows from a seed to a fruitful tree for the benefit of others. In the parable of the mustard seed, Jesus taught, “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.” (Matt.13:31-32).

As we keep the Easter/Passover in 2024, the “Master/Servant Faith” seed (Jesus’ Personal Faith) maybe minuscule, but as long as it is a genuine article, the seed has the quality and character in its nature to do great things. Yes, Jesus was the greatest Servant of all even though He was a Son. He is called the “Suffering Servant” (Isa.53). As a Servant, Paul said of Jesus, “Although He was a Son, He learned obedience (servanthood) from the things which He suffered (as the Messiah)” (Heb.5:8, NASB, emphasis mine).

Jesus – The “Suffering Servant”

A servant’s life usually takes effort, production, and brings successful outcomes in harmony with the divine will. At times, coupled with courage, humility, and unshakable determination, it can be different by comparison to living the sheltered life of a son or daughter (“Father/Offspring Faith”). We live the abundant life as children enveloped in God’s incomprehensible Love. In response, children take responsibility for their Father’s Love by becoming Love themselves as He is Love. John makes this point clear for God’s children, “But anyone who does not Love does not know God, for God is Love…We know how much God Loves us, and we have put our trust in His Love. God is Love, and all who live in Love live in God, and God lives in them” (1 John 4:8,16; also 1 Cor.13; Gal.5:16-26). This speaks of our faith as children in the “Father/Offspring Faith” relationship.

God Is Love

However, as a servant in the “Master/Servant Faith” (relationship), we may suffer hardships in the moment, but this is considered negligible when compared to the glorious future our Master has in store  for us. (Rom.8:18) Jesus came as a “Suffering Servant,” and in His final moments at the cross, He cried to His Father, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matt.27:46). Yes, as a servant we may feel seemingly forsaken at times, but we have His sure promise, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Heb.13:5b).

Before His death, Jesus taught His disciples the attitude of a servant by washing the disciples’ feet. On the third day after His death by crucifixion upon His cross, it was impossible for death to keep Him to hold Him, for He was the second Person of the Tri-Personal God as Acts 2:24 states. (also Matt.28:17-20) Jesus rose from the dead and forever secured humanity’s eternal destiny and faith for all eternity. (1 Cor.15:17) As a loyal Servant, Jesus fulfilled His Father’s work of redeeming mankind from sin, and endowing humanity with His Spirit of Love to assure immortality in His eternal kingdom. (John 3:16; Tit.2:13-14; Rom.8:11)

The faith based upon the “Father/Offspring” relationship is the rock foundation upon which the “Master/Servant” relationship is built. (Matt.7:24-27) However, the major portion of our lives will be lived out in the “Master/Servant” environment – the structure above ground which rests upon the foundation of the “Father/Offspring Faith.” The foundation is “unseen” but sure, and the structure upon it gives meaning, purpose, and destiny, is clearly “seen” in the believer’s life. This structure through the “Master/Servant Faith” relationship puts substance and structure to the family responsibility by which we will be judged and rewarded as this passage show at a future time of judgment, “His Master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your Master’s happiness!’” (Matt.25:23). Those are memorable words we must take with us as we observe the solemn occasion of Easter and Passover.

Life’s Strong Foundation

So, it goes without saying how vital this faith will be for us all, minuscule it may be from the outset (“mustard seed”). Our occupations and professions come under the umbrella of the “Master/Servant” relationship, founded upon the anchor and cornerstone of the “Father/Offspring Faith.” Paul said, “Work with enthusiasm, as though you were Working for the Lord rather than for people” (Eph.6:7). Your whole life is a platform for the Work of the Servant of the Lord and His Gospel. As we observe this Easter/Passover season, remember you are the living, walking, talking, Gospel of Jesus Christ. Peter tells us how to use our platform, “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord (Master)” (1 Pet.3:15).

Peter continues, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect” (1 Pet.3:15). So, we see how God takes our every-day reality and weave it into His plan for us to be both loving offspring (children) and loyal servants. A cautionary note, we ought to be careful about not turning our profession (servants with unique gifts) for mere material/financial benefits solely for this mundane human life and all its reciprocal appendages. Jesus said, “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need (for this physical life)” (Mat.6:33, also 1 Cor.15:19).

Jesus – Still Serving Humanity as High Priest

For the most part, while we are God’s children, the greater and best chunk of oue lives is about being a servant. Therefore, it is imperative we have the prerequisite faith to help us live the role of a true and loyal servant. The servanthood life is the extension of Jesus’ own life as the ultimate Servant of His Father and Master. Let’s keep in mind this Easter/Passover that Jesus’ role as Savior did not end at the cross, that was just the beginning. He continues to perform His role as Savior today as humanity’s eternal High Priest in heaven interceding on mankind’s behalf for all of humanity’s faults and transgressions and bringing us to salvation as the Father had planned. (John 3:16-17)

So, He continues to serve mankind in heaven and through us as His servants and temple on earth, as a ultimate and loyal Servant of God. (Heb.4:14-15; Eph.3:16-19; 1 Cor.3:16) Servanthood begins with faith – the servanthood faith is the engine of the “Master/Servant Faith” and relationship. It is initially given in its minutest form (mustard seed) upon our conversion and grows into a fruitful tree where people come to it for rest and nourishment. (John 15:16; Gal.5:22-23; Tit.3:14)

Growing the “Mustard Seed Faith” in “Good Soil”

The “Faith of Jesus”

How do we deal with our “mustard seed faith” and make it grow? With our “Triune Life” lens and focus firmly in place, let’s see the first and most worthy thing we can do: we sow our “mustard seed faith” on good soil so it will bring forth a bountiful harvest. What is the good soil? Jesus gave another parable about the sower where the seeds fell on four different soil types (Matt.13:1-23). Jesus explains the sower is God the Father, the seed (faith) is God’s Word (Jesus), the four soil types represent people and how they respond to God’s Word/seed (faith) represent the fruits of God’s Love-Fruits of the Holy Spirit. (1 Cor.13:1-12; also see Appendix below)

Three seed types (human interaction with God) did not have it in them to sustain any growth, so the seeds perished. But it is only the “good seed” which fell upon and received by the “good soil” which brought forth fruit as Matthew records, “Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop–a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown” (Matt.13:8). The “good soil” represents the work of the Holy Spirit in preparing the soil (humanity) to receive the “good seed” (God’s Word – Jesus’ Personal living, dynamic Faith). This Easter/Passover, we ought to remember that the Holy Spirit is working in our lives to make us dedicated, loyal, and true servants (the good soil) of Almghty God to receive His Son’s living Faith as Savior and Redeemer.

Now, according to this parable, your “faith seed” (Jesus/Word of God) is actually Jesus’ own Personal faith, not our weak human faith. He is the Personification of God’s Word – the “mustard seed faith.” That explains why it can move a mountain, despite the fact it is small as a mustard seed. (Matt.17:20) Paul affirms how we take ownership of the only workable faith a true servant can have to do His Master’s work, saying, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me” (Gal.2:20, KJV). In another passage Paul reminds us, “Even the righteousness of God which is by the faith of Jesus Christ to all and on all them that believe.” (Rom.3:22, AKJV)

There is a difference between the faith in Jesus, and the faith of Jesus. When you say you have faith in Jesus it fundamentally speaks of the use of a person’s weak human faith in someone. However, when a person speaks of the faith of Jesus then it refers to a faith of Someone else, not you or your weak human faith – in other words, Jesus’ living, dynamic servanthood faith. It is important to keep this important difference of the use of prepositions in mind that indicate relationships between words.

Mustard Seed – The Faith of Jesus

So, the “mustard seed faith” in Luke 17 is the faith of Jesus sown in you, the “good soil” prepared by the Holy Spirit. A pertinent word about perception and mindset, the “good soil” is not conveying the goodness of the human heart – that is what a deceived person wearing the devil’s “solitary life” lens would see and like to believe. If anything, the human heart is rotten to the core through and through. (see Jer.17:9; Mar.7:20-23) Why is that? Because humanity has been spiritually ‘dead’ in sin since the fall of Adam in Eden, awaiting the coming of the ‘Second Adam’ – Jesus Christ. (1 Cor.15:45; Rom.6:23). But rather the “good soil” (you) is the work of preparation done by the Holy Spirit since He was given on Pentecost. (Act.2:38) He supplies the “living waters,” and prepares the “good soil” (you) to receive the “good seed” (Jesus’ Faith/Word) from the Father. (John 7: 37-39; Gal.2:20).

If there is any “good” in humanity, it rests upon the fact that God made humans in His image with a divine destiny to become Love as “God is Love.” (Gen.1:26-27; 1 John 4:16). God’s plan is to bring to reality His destiny in humanity, and the “good soil,” the Spirit in you, is an intrinsic part of it. (1 Cor.3:16). In keeping with the solemn Easter/Passover season, let us recall what we are to be contrite and distressed about – our fallen nature inherited from Adam’s first sin in Eden, and to now receive the Second Adam in Christ and accepting the new life in and through God’s Spirit. (2 Cor.15:45; Rom.8:1-2, NLT)  

The Human Heart is Desperately Wicked- Jer.17:9

By having the “Triune Life” lens (mindset), we are always asking how each individual Person of the Tri-Personal God is involved with our lives and salvation. The Father and Son cannot work on their own without the Spirit for the Three Persons of the Triune God acting as One substance and act as One Being in the Triune Godhead. The “Master/Servant Faith” (mustard seed) is always Jesus’ own living faith. The “good soil” (humanity) is always showing the work of sanctification of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, only the Spirit (good soil/human) can receive Jesus’ faith (mustard seed) and give growth and true life and move mountains. For there is no other way for the “Master/Servant Faith” relationship to germinate and grow in humans except within God’s “Triune Life.” (Matt.28:18-20)

So, when we come back to the disciples’ question about faith in Luke 17, rather than quantifying faith, Luke qualifies faith by personifying it as Jesus’ own powerful living faith existing in you through the Spirit’s life. (1 Cor.3:16; Heb.3:4-6) In all of this, we see God’s “Triune Life” in motion: The Father sows the seed of His Son’s faith in the good soil (humanity) which the Spirit has prepared through spiritual watering or sanctification. (1 Pet.1:2,5; 2 Thes.2:13)

Human Faith Vs Jesus’ Faith

Many Christians today do not know how to live “Master/Servant Faith” and relationship. If they are, they are trying to do it on their terms with their human faith, and it can never be done. And this is the crux of the problem as to why many believers say their faith is weak. It is weak because it is still our human faith and unsuited for the task of a true offspring and loyal servant of God. The believer is still viewing life through the lens of his human “solitary life and faith.” He must replace his “solitary life” lens with God’s “Triune Life” lens. (Read more about Jesus’ faith and the human faith at http://bulamanriver.net/?p=2811).

This is what Jesus meant when He commissioned His followers to make disciples, “Baptize (induct) them in (into the life of) the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit” (Matt.28:19, emphasis mine). This is foundational truth of our understanding of God who exists in His Love as the Trinity! Being baptized means to be “immersed” into God’s “Triune Life” in a literal and real spiritual sense. If we do not get it right at this elementary level, then the “Master/Servant Faith” structure being built on the foundation of the “Father/Offspring Faith” is flawed and will be found wanting. (Matt.7:24)

We will find out soon enough our human faith is weak and inadequate to do God’s Work. It is going to be the Faith of Jesus, and nothing more or less. It must be remembered that it is the human faith which inverts the priority and regards God as servant and humans as master. (Luke 17:7-10) It is man’s self-centered ego that is trying to execute what only the Holy Spirit can do in humanity.

The Faith of Jesus

Faith Turns to Gift and Calling

Jesus’ own Faith (mustard seed) is made reality in man by the gift of the Holy Spirit, who in turn makes us His dwelling (temple/humanity) so He can always keep us as “good soil” for Jesus’ living servanthood Faith/seed. (John 16:13-15; 1 Cor.3:16; 6:19) The Spirit empowers each believer to embrace his/her calling with the accompanying God-given gift to do the Work of the Gospel. Paul clarifies the connection between grace, faith and gift, saying, “Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to each of us…in proportion to our faith, let us use them” (Rom. 12:6). You can read more about man’s calling (gift/faith) to do God’s Work in a post I wrote at: http://bulamanriver.net/?p=3145   

On the eve of Jesus’ departure from the earth as He was about to be taken into heaven by an angelic host, He commissioned His followers the highest work they will do in their “Master/Servant” relationship with Jesus, His Father, and the Spirit, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matt.28:18-20). Always be cognizant of God’s sovereignty and take hope that His purpose is absolute.  

At the end of the day, Luke tells us to reflect upon God’s grace of gifting us with the faith of His Son, and respond with humility, “I have done everything I was told to do, I am an unworthy servant, and I have only done my duty” (Luk.17:10).

Just as God is faithful to go out from Himself in Love, may the church in its communion and reliance on the Triune God, go out in Love as well, fully cognizant of its role as offspring and servant in the work of God.

If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to write to me in the space provided below, or email me on bulamanriver@gmail.com. Thank you for visiting.

Blessing:

Until we meet again in my next post, may God bless you with the faith of Jesus His Son and 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” as a Bulamanriver.*  Be strong in the Lord’s joy.

Kiang, (Your Servant in Christ)

Appendix: *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.

**”Triune Life”: Relationship with God has no meaning without Love. By its very nature, Love cannot endure in solitary existence. So, when God said “Let US make man in OUR image, after OUR likeness…” He was revealing Himself as existing in His trinitarian existence. That is, His Tri-Personal Being as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (Gen.1:26; Matt.28:19; John 14:10, 16; 16:7) The Hebrew word for ‘God’ in the creation account is “Elohim.” It describes God in His plurality, as the Trinity – the Tri-Personal Godhead, which other scriptures attests. (Matt.28:18-20; 1 Pet.1:2; 2 Thess.2:13; 2 Cor.13:14) So, God is Trinitarian in His Love nature. He is also clothed in Freedom. For the three Persons of the Trinity are three distinct and free Persons in the triune Godhead. Love and Freedom by nature is relational as God is in His Tri-Personal Being. Hence, a human being was created a relational being possessing freedom.

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. (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

All scriptures are taken from the NIV Version 2011, unless stated otherwise.

Note: All information is copy-write material. Any information obtained from this website that is used for publication should be acknowledged by citing the website address, date of acquisition and information pertinent to original authorship. For general guidelines regarding web citations see The Guide for Citing Electronic Information. Thank you.

Greetings Friends! Jesus used many parables to try to make His listeners understand God’s Kingdom of Love. Today, I would like to share a parable of God’s Love as represented by the ocean of earth’s seven seas.

Let me elaborate. The water in the ocean is the ‘enabling condition’ which empowers marine life to go about living with other marine species, each fulfilling their individual role in the overall marine ecosystem. So likewise, the waters of the ocean is analogized as God’s Love which enables humans (marine life) to be sustained in His spiritual ecosystem and live out their divinely conferred gifts and purposes for the eternal destiny of God’s Kingdom.

I likened the ‘ocean’ to the life-force of God’s Love as ‘condition’ because inherent in its oceanic makeup is the power which enables humans to live under God’s purpose for all its inhabitants. The ocean of God’s Love-force immerses humans in the way of life that’s monopolized by God’s Love, and the fruits of His Love. (1 Cor.13)

There is another ocean, one of fear and trepidation, that exists in contrast to God’s Love. This is the ocean where the enemy of God, Satan, is its master. Its waters are murky and therefore hard people must be wary and watchful when we navigate. As Peter said, “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour” (1 Pet.5:8). Yes, it has many predatory marine species which lay in wait to devour helpless marine life – see picture below.

The Ocean of Fear and Sin of the Enemy of God, Satan, Who Seeks to Destroy Humanity with Predatory Species. Sharks and seemingly dangerous creatures of the deep are not usually menacing as they appear unless threatened (Unsplash).

The people who now live in the ocean of God’s Love were once inhabitants of this fearful and dreadful ocean. In fact, because of Adam’s fall when he and his wife succumbed to the Satan’s temptation in Eden, all humanity were fated to become unfortunate and inescapable inhabitants of this dreadful and destructive ocean. (Gen.3:1-6, 21-24) Just as our fist parents were banished from Eden, so humanity has grown in the fearful and destructive ocean. (Gen.3:21-24) We were born and raised in it. We see its effects upon humanity every day are caught “in the snare of the devil” (2 Tim.2:26). But for those who respond to God’s call, they have been given to be extracted out of and saved from this ocean’s deathly and deadly waters and now placed in and inhabit and swim in the ocean of God’s divine Love-force. Here is God’s promise to those who respond positively to His call: “I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes” (Jer.29:12-13; Psa.40:5). It is the fear-generating spirit of the enemy’s “sin-condition” that is the living force of Satan’s ocean which ensnares people to the way of rebellion and “sin-force” waters of the evil one.

Sin-Generating Fear -“The Snare of the Devil”- The Evil Force in the Ocean of the Enemy Who Seeks to destroy Humanity

How do people enter into and live in the peaceful, productive, and fulfilling life in the ocean of God’s Love? And how do humans find the way to extract themselves out of the ocean of fear and sin? It is obvious the marine life like fish, turtles, and other species cannot extract themselves out from one ocean into the next. So, it has to take the owner of the respective oceans to let their inhabitants or citizenry in and out at their voluntary free will. God is the owner of the ocean of Love. The devil is the owner of the ocean of fear and sin.

God is calling out to all of humanity to come swim with everlasting joy in the river of His Love – eat freely from the food He has prepared for our true well-being.” Listen…

“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you without money, come, buy, and eat!  Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost! Why spend money on that which is not bread, and your labor on that which does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of foods” (Isa.55:1-2). God is freely reaching out to lavish upon humanity His food that will last for eternity. Take it and be ever grateful for His Love.

Jesus openly declared, “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). Yes, the Holy Spirit is freely available for those who desires to follow God and has an open invitation for all humanity.

God is the Creator who rules supreme over all, including Satan. (Isa.45:5; Deut.32:39) The devil exists under His divine sovereign rule. Therefore, only God can rescue the people imperiled in the hazardous ocean of fear and sin. And God can execute a rescue plan for humanity, so to speak. And this He has already done by appointing and sending His Son, Jesus Christ, as master and owner of the ocean of Love. (John 3:16; Heb.1:2; 2:8) This is the ‘miraculous life’ that is our human heritage and preordained to live because mankind was created in God’s Love image – you can read more about the ‘miraculous life’ at: http://bulamanriver.net/22961, where I share my own personal miraculous story as testimony.

Yes, the enemy must first be defeated, so he is made powerless to hold people captive in his ocean of sin-generating fear and rebellion. Through Jesus’ victory, people are released from their captivity so they may enter the ocean of Love in the Spirit. Jesus has done exactly that by defeating Satan in His temptation, lived a perfect sinless life, was crucified upon His cross for human sins, resurrected and ascended to heaven and made humanity’s High Priest, forever mediating for mankind. (Matt.4:1-11; 27:32-56; 1 Pet.1:3; Act.1:6-11; Heb.4:14-16) The Bible attests through Paul, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not be encumbered once more by a yoke of slavery” (Gal.6:1). Yes, Jesus has set humanity free from the “sin-force” waters of fear and rebellion of the enemy.

God Unites Himself With Humanity Through His Heart, Mind, and Human Life

Paul further states “For He has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness (sin-generating Ocean) and transferred us into the Kingdom of His dear Son (Love-generating Ocean)” (Col.1:13, italics mine). John said, “There is no fear in Love. But perfect Love drives out fear” (1 John 4:18). Here, we see the Bible disclose to us the identity of the two metaphysical oceanic conditions: Love and sin (fear).      

Paul explains and makes plain for us what God did through His Son, and provides the answer between the distinction of the two supernatural oceanic conditions as the “law of sin and death,” and the “law of the Spirit (Love)”: “For in Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life has set you free from the law of sin and death” (Rom.8:2). Note, the “law of the Spirit of life” frees us from the “law of sin.”  The “law of sin” is the ocean that empowers the “sin-force” from which the destructive way of life of the enemy emanates. And the “law of the Spirit” is the power that inspires the Love-condition” and Love-force in the ocean of God’s Love, and generates righteous and uplifting living.

Jesus Gave Himself as the Sacrificial Lamb to Save Humanity From The deathly Waters of the Ocean of fear and Sin, and Bring Humanity Home into The Ocean of God’s Love (Holy Spirit).

Jesus gives us the mechanics of how a person is taken out of the murky deadly waters of the devil, and be installed and live in the Love-force (waters) of the Holy Spirit. He said, “You must be born again of water and the Spirit” (John 3:5-8). Let me paraphrase the passage as it relates to our topic today, “You must be born again into the waters of the Spirit’s Love-condition.” This is a spiritual birth, as Jesus made plain to Nicodemus. (John 3:3-7) You see, the waters which flow in the ocean of Love is empowered by the Holy Spirit Himself. He is the very personification of the Love-force in God’s oceanic environment.

Jesus made this clear when the Bible states, “On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, ‘Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’” (When He said “living water,” He was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in Him. But the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet entered into His glory.)” (John 7:37-39).

So, we see that the waters of the ocean of Love is the Spirit of God, the third Person of the Triune Godhead, empowering and enabling humans to swim in God’s ocean of Love. Paul said this to the Romans, “God’s Love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us” (Rom.5:5). Yes, the Holy Spirit is likened to the cleansing waters which flows in humanity. (John 4:14; 1 Cor.12:13; Rev.21:6; 22:1-2, 17)

So, all the various life forms that exist in the ocean of the devil’s “sin-force” waters, has to depend upon God who overpowers its evil owner, pluck humanity out, and resettle them in the life-giving ocean of Love. This is mankind’s true home, it is the home of their birthright. (Gen.1:226-27; Eph.4:20-24; Gen.5:1) It is the ocean where the words of the Psalms is brought to life where human live the celestial life in the Spirit, “One thing I ask from the LORD, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and to seek Him in His temple. For in the day of trouble He will keep me safe in His dwelling” (Psa.27:4-5).

Yes, in God’s ocean humans are in God’s Love-temple, and vice versa. Let us be clear, the ‘house of the Lord,’ ‘His temple,’ is very much the life and heart of humanity, for Paul affirms this, saying, “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). Yes, the Psalmist is referring to the true temple of God – the very heart and innermost being of believers who now swim and exist in the ocean of God’s Love.

Paul asserted that the Father chose us in Christ before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight in Love. We are the focus of the Father’s Love, and it is in the environment of the Spirit’s transcendent oceanic Love-force where we are renewed, transformed, and abundantly blessed. (Eph.1:3-4) We recall and remind ourselves of God’s trinitarian divine nature of Love in the Father, Son, and Spirit, into which humanity has been inducted. (Matt.28:18-20; 2 Cor.13:14) In their Loving union, they act as one for they are indivisibly One Triune God – so, the act of one is always the act of all three, and the act of three is always the act of one. Since God is a Tri-Personal divine Being, thereby Jesus is very much part and personification of the spiritual oceanic Love-condition in which humans exist and swim.

Jesus said, the Spirit’s role in our lives is to manifest Christ in each of us. Jesus said, “He (Holy Spirit) will glorify Me because it is from Me that He will receive what He will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is Mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from Me what He will make known to you” (John 16:14-15). Paul makes this plain, “For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Cor.3:17). In the supernatural ocean of God’s Love-force, humanity is always existing in the inner sanctum of God’s Love-Being, for John affirms, “All who live in Love live in God, and God lives in them” (1 John 4:16).

Paul goes further, “For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God” (Col.3:3). By saying, “For you died in this life,” Paul means the old life we lived in the enemy’s deathly ocean is gone forever, for Christ has paid the ransom to free humanity from the devil’s deathly waters and bring us to God’s living waters. (1 Tim.2:6; John 4:14; Rev.21:6) Yes, the ocean of God’s Love-force in the Spirit immerses and embrace us so that Jesus through the Spirit is by our side, He is over us and in us, so our every action and impulse are wrapped in the mysteries of God’s Love by which the Triune God reveals Himself to and in humanity. Yes, the scriptures reveal God’s triune nature in the Father, Son, and Spirit, acting as One in their Love for humanity. (Matt.28:18-20; 1 Pet.1:2; 2 Thess.2:13; 2 Cor.13:14)

Rublev’s Icon of the Trinitarian God (Wiki Commons)

The ceremony of baptism was inaugurated in the Christian faith to show in a visible form how humans are inducted into the new life in the ocean of God’s Love – notice, “For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body–whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free–and we were all given the one Spirit to drink” (1 Cor.12:13; Matt.28:18-20). Yes, we are drinking from the same Spirit of God’s Love who unites us to Christ and the Father. Peter affirms this process where God, through His Son, brings humanity out of the prison of fear and sin, and inducts them into the ocean of God’s Love, “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” (Act.2:37-38).

Depiction of Jesus’ Baptism by John in the Jordan River

In short, living in the ocean of God’s Love (Spirit) in Christ is what the whole purpose of life means. Paul goes further, saying, “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (Eph.4:22-24).

Let us not forget, that in addition to saving humanity from the raging waters of death of the devil, Jesus also handed people gifts so they may live their lives with genuine divine purpose. Note, “That is why the Scriptures say, “When He (Jesus) ascended to the heights, He led a crowd of captives and gave gifts to His people” (Eph.4:8, also, Eph.4:10-13, NLB). Yes, Jesus opened the eyes of the people He saved with the gifts God conferred in His living ocean of Love.

It is within the sovereignty of His empowering Love veiled within His spiritual oceanic environment that all the good, both spiritual and physical, that God has promised in His Word is made possible and brought to reality for all humanity. The inherent and substantive value of human life is all about living a free-flowing metamorphized life through the oceanic currents of the Spirit’s Love-force, so through our gifts He may carry each of us to our respective divine destinies. (You can read of the Promises God gave mankind out of His great Love at: http://bulamanriver.net/15209).

On the other hand, the enemy’s ocean of fear and sin exists for the purpose of establishing false and damaging motivations and activities which opposes God and neutralize His awesome Promises. The entrapped people in this destructive ocean live a life of deception where they are given the false and the dubious aspirations by following self-made promises influenced by the devil. It is a life where people aspire and pursue their own brand of success and are blinded from seeing and realizing their divinely-ordained gift and dream-life intended for them.

Human Baptism – The Sign of Rebirth Into God’s Ocean Of Grace and Love

First and foremost, among God’s numerous awesome Promises is the promise of eternal life, while the devil’s lot has been determined as the very harbinger of destruction and death. (John 3:16; Rom.3:23, 6:23; Rev.20:10). Then, this is what He Promised concerning our human sojourn upon this earth, “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope” (Jer.29:11, NLB). The context of this verse means that God’s plans are always good for us, provided we do not seek our own plans that’s really influenced by the enemy. The Psalmist tell us, “Those who trust in the LORD will lack no good thing” (Psa.34:20). Also, we are admonished to, “Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord” (Psa.27:14, NLB). Those who willingly follow the devil in his “sin-forced” oceanic environment, will finally meet God’s judgement, as the Bible states, “Then the devil, who had deceived them, was thrown into the fiery lake of burning sulfur, joining the beast and the false prophet. There they will be tormented day and night forever and ever” (Rev.20:10, 15).

Dove, Symbol of The Holy Spirit and The Source of the Life-Giving Divine Love-Force, Rom.5:5.

The Peaceful and Hopeful Environment of God’s Love-Force (Unsplash)

To read more about God’s Promise or Covenant of Love for humanity, and how a person is taken from the spiritually deathly oceanic environment to the Loving environment of God’s Love, go to: http://bulamanriver.net/17484.

Petition: Friends, the month of February is considered the month of Love. As I close my post, I customarily give our readers the opportunity to give their lives to our Maker, who has declared Himself as, “God is Love” (1 John 4:8, 16). I thank you for investing your precious time with me in the sharing of the good news of Jesus who has enabled us to live the Triune Life* through Tripersonal God or Trinity. Jesus is alive today as our High Priest in heaven seated at His Father’s side, and ceaselessly mediating for us. I hope that in your heart of heart you will receive Him as your personal Savior, receive God’s Spirit and Love, and be part of living this glorious humanity made children of God forever. You can privately and quietly pray the prayer below in your heart. I am asking you to pray this prayer as a human being Christ died for, regardless of your background. All are inducted into the one mankind Jesus saved, not into any religious sect or denomination – into the glorious humanity that Christ is preparing as the holy temple for God’s dwelling:

Prayer: “Almighty God, Father of all humanity, forgive me of all my sins for forsaking your precious Love. I receive Your Son, Jesus, as my personal Savior. In Your incalculable grace, thank you for recuing me and my loved ones, and all humanity, from the enemy’s fearful and destructive waters, and bringing us home into the life-giving waters of your Ocean of Love. Grant Your promised celestial life in Your Son through Your Holy Spirit, and open my eyes to the wondrous gifts you have conferred upon us all so we may serve one another in your Love. May Your Love guide and protect me and my Loved ones always, and bring us all into Your beloved and divine Kingdom. I praise and thank You, Amen.”

Prayer is A Solemn One-On-One Spiritual Love Dialogue Between a Person and God the Father (Wiki Commons)

Welcome to 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” as a  Bulamanriver.*  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 Resurrection to Immortality and Deification of Humanity

Created In God’s Image (Wiki Commons)

I have written about this subject of ‘deification’ in my blogs under the theme ‘substitution’ and ‘attribution’ (see, http://bulamanriver.net/564), where I showed how Jesus came as God incarnate (Immanuel) to assume our sinful humanity in order to save mankind from sin and death for the express purpose of human deification. (Matt.1:23; Rom.3:10-12, 18, 23; John 3:16; 1 Cor.15:50-55; Rom.8:29) Further, we read the following, “As a process of transformation, theosis is brought about by the effects of catharsis (purification of mind and body) and theoria (‘illumination’ with the ‘vision’ of God). According to Eastern Christian teaching, theosis is very much the purpose of human life. It is considered achievable only through a synergy (or cooperation) between human activity and God’s uncreated energies.” (Wikipedia.org)

So, the “Triune Life” reveals the intersection of human life and activity and the uncreated divine energy flowing from the Tri-Personal Being of God of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It is a way of life which explains that process of theosis whereby humans are transformed in body, mind, and spirit by the Love of God. God’s uncreated energy is His Love. So, the foundational tenet of the “Triune Life” is based upon the Love of God, for “God is Love” (1 John 4:8, 16). Thereby, it can also be called aptly, the “Triune Love.”

Rublev’s Icon of the Trinity (Wiki Commons)

I had coined the term “Triune Love” and “Triune Life,” to refer to a person who lives the three-dimensional life within the Tri-Personal Godhead of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. (Matt.28:19) This is opposed to the one-dimensional human way of life influenced by the devil. We see God’s Tri-Personal Love move in an inward, outward, and upward trajectory, in this process of theosis which I have called the ‘three ascents.’ The three ascents are three steps which dovetails into one another showing how all three Persons of the Godhead are in the relationship of Love with humanity – where God reveals the fullness of Himself to humanity, both individually and collectively. (2 Cor.13:14; 1 Pet.1:1-2) That’s to say, the act of one is the act of all three, and the act of three is the act of one, making them unified in Love. (Mar.12:29; Deut.6:4)

Every aspect of human living follows this three-step format revealing the three-dimensional aspect of how the Tri-Personal Being of God in the Father, Son, and Spirit, directly and collectively involved in the life of human believers, individually and collectively to bring humanity to salvation. These three steps move in an ascending order, so I will call them ‘ascents.’ Each ‘ascent’ dovetails into the next and finally reveals the ‘manifestation’ of the topic, which we will call the fourth step, in this case, Love!

Hence, all my articles are framed within this three-step format, or ascents. The subject of the article dovetails into each ascent and spontaneously lead to the manifestation of the divine Love and reveals how humanity is enlightened by God, and cleansed in mind, body, and spirit. The ascents reveal three doors one must enter to attain the manifestation of God’s Love relationship with humanity. The ascents are not to be misconstrued as some ‘secret knowledge’ or mystical activity. Rather, each ascent represents the relationship of Love a human enjoys with the Triune God in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, throughout a person’s life.

In fact, the ascents are actually three Love relationships the believer encounters with the Tri-Personal God. This three-way relationship is what I have called by the term, “Triune Life” or “Triune Love.” These ascents represent the movement of God’s Love in an inward, outward, and upward, trajectory to bring God’s enlightenment in a person. The fourth step reveals how the article is made to manifest in the life of the person, both individually and then collectively in humanity.

Man’s union with the Triune God, or “Triune Living/Loving,” is made possible by Jesus, who Himself, is one in substance and reality with the Triune Godhead. (John 1:1-2) He took our humanity into the very Being of the Triune Godhead by cleansing it of all sin and rebellion. To live the “Triune Love (Life)” is the miraculous expression of the Spirit (Love) in humans. (Rom.5:5) The miraculous life is the promise of the New Covenant, “I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you shall keep My ordinances, and do them” (Ezek.36:27).

The Bible states, “He (God) does great things that we cannot understand and miracles that we cannot count” (Job 5:9; 37:5). If God acts in ways that cannot be fathomed and is beyond human comprehension, then the miraculous life where humans are privileged recipients, cannot be deciphered by the human mind to its grandest manifestation. But we understand its meaning through divine revelation in that God reveals Himself as Love, and His miraculous activities are enveloped in His Love. (Jer.29:11)

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: 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.

Book Cover of Living The “Triune Life” By Author

Mission Statement: Read the Triune Love Mission, Vision, and Value statements at: http://bulamanriver.net/8664

All scriptures are taken from the NIV Version 2011, unless stated otherwise.

Note: All information is copy-write material. Any information obtained from this website that is used for publication should be acknowledged by citing the website address, date of acquisition and information pertinent to original authorship. For general guidelines regarding web citations see The Guide for Citing Electronic Information. Thank you.

Greetings Friends around the world. I take this opportunity to wish you all a happy and favorable new year, 2024.

What is the baffling “mystery” of God’s Gospel of Jesus Christ? It was so vital to God that after Jesus had ascended back to God, the Scripture tells us, in two passages of Scripture I will quote:

1) “Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of His body, which is the church. I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the Word of God in its fullness— the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. He is the One we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me” (Col.1:24-29).

2) The second is taken from Ephesians: “To make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. His (God’s) intent was that now, through the Church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the Rulers and Authorities in the heavenly realms, according to His eternal purpose that He (God the Father) accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. In Him (Christ) we may approach God with confidence” (Eph.3:7-12).

And what was this perplexing mystery that God announced first to the Rulers and Authorities in the heavenly realms, then to the Church, and the whole world. Paul gives his unambiguous utterance to this perplexing mystery in Col.3:3: “Your life is now hidden with Christ in God” (Col.3:3). In other words, every saved human life is now hidden with Christ within God’s very Trinitarian Being. That is the mystery of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the One who transports humanity into the very Being of God’s holy Loving triune nature. Paul told the Ephesians, “For He (Father) chose us in Him (Christ) before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight” (Eph.1:4).

How does God make this possible – to unite a God who is entirely holy unite Himself with humanity? You see, with God true life in found in His Spirit – it is the Spirit-Life. He tells us, “Give ear and come to Me; listen, that you may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you…Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the Lord, and He will have mercy on them, and to our God, for He will freely pardon. For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts” (Isa.55:3, 6-9).

God, by declaring His Almighty, holy and all-righteous Divine Self as follows, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts,” He was revealing indirectly that true life exudes from His Spirit. (Isa.55:8-9). Physical man became a living human life when God created Adam from the dust of the earth. (Gen.2:7) Although made from the dust of the earth, Adam was created in God’s image and likeness. That is, he was created with all the necessary genes and DNA to maintain the divine specimen having the revered attributes of God. God’s purpose was to clothe humanity in His Spirit, and make mankind His children forever. (John 3:16)

Humans may live to 120 years if God so permits. (Gen.6:3) When Adam and Eve disobeyed God in Garden of Eden and ate the forbidden fruit, they sinned against God and instantly brought the death penalty upon all their children and all humanity. Paul told the Romans, “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom.6:23). Yes, sin brings true death upon humanity. But at the same time, the verse continues with God’s promise to impart immortality through Jesus Christ. Immortality means to possess divine Spirit-Life in Jesus. This is the exact copy of the promise God made to Adam and Eve in Eden after the fall when they disobeyed. After our first parent’s fall into sin, God promised the coming of the Messiah to save us from our sins and fallen being. After questioning Adam and Eve about their sinful act, Eve told God, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

Listen, this is the promise made to our first parents, God told Satan, “Because you have done this… I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; He will crush your head, and you will strike His heel” (Gen.3:14-15). Thus, the promise of the Messiah was uttered by God to our first parents and to Satan, humanity’s archdeceiver. Satan’s fate was sealed at the beginning when he dared to step into God’s divine plan for humanity. The principle of the victory of the kingdom of God over the kingdom of darkness was established from the beginning.

When Adam and Eve failed to obey God, He did not exterminate them (which would have served justice), but instead revealed His covenant of grace to them by promising a Savior (Gen. 3:15).

Remember this remarkable truth of God’s nature, “For everyone belongs to Me, the parent as well as the child—both alike belong to Me. The one who sins is the one who will die” (Ezek.18:4). God asks, “Will such a man live? (read the detestable ways this man lived in Ezekiel Verses 10-13) He will not! Because he has done all these detestable things, he is to be put to death; his blood will be on his own head” (Ezek.18:13; Rom.6:23).

Yes, God promised the coming Messiah. And what would be the role of the Messiah? The apostle John answers, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Yes, it was out of the depth the Father’s overwhelming Love for humanity that God surrendered His Son Jesus to give us His true Spirit-Life -eternal life- in God’s Spirit which was lost in Eden.

As history has recorded in the Gospels, the Messiah came and lived the perfect human life. Jesus voluntarily surrendered His life in Love for our restitution and restoration. Then on the third day He was resurrected to divine/human immortality. He paved the way for human immortality in and through Himself. Before His ascension to the Father’s right hand, Jesus reminded the disciples, “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift (of the Holy Spirit) My Father promised, which you have heard Me speak about” (Act.1:4). With the gift of the Spirit, God now unites Himself in His whole Triune Being with humanity in Love. (Matt.28:18-20)

Pentecost – The Birthday Of The Church When God’s Spirit-Life Was Given

When the day of Pentecost came, God poured the Holy Spirit upon those who were gathered as Jesus instructed. (Act.2:1-4) On that day, Peter, empowered by the Holy Spirit, spoke to the people and essentially gave them the divine mechanics by which humans are made holy through the Spirit-Life God promised long ago in Eden. (Gen.3:14-15). Peter told his listeners, “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” (Act.2:38).

Thus, the gift of the Holy Spirit, the very Personification of God’s spiritual nature of Love, came and brought true Spirit-Life upon all humanity who followed Peter’s instruction. Thus, we see the activity of the Triune God through the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, working together to bring humanity to true salvation. (Matt.28:18-20).

Paul reminded the Corinthians, “Do you not know that you yourselves are God’s temple, and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?” (1 Cor.3:16). God’s temple, the human body and mind, is the very temple where God comes and fellowship with His people. Again, Paul reminded the people of Corinth, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own” (1 Cor.6:19). Yes, it is this very essence of God’s nature in the Holy Spirit which sows the true Life of God Himself in humanity.

The Human Body and Mind – God’s Temple Where His Spirit Dwells

Paul, speaking of this divine mystery of God, said, “I, Paul, have become its servant by the commission God gave me to fully proclaim to you the Word of God, the mystery that was hidden for ages and generations but is now revealed to His saints. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. We proclaim Him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. To this end I also labor, striving with all His energy working powerfully within me” (Col.1:25-29).

For it is the Spirit who gives us the power of this divine joy to rejoice despite the circumstances and environment which depresses people to no end. The Spirit is the deposit of God’s Love and its fruits in humans. (Rom.5:5)

Paul, The Apostle of God’s Mystery in Christ

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 and your loved ones always. May the Spirit enliven your spirit and make all things concerning you possible as you live the “Triune Life”**  Be strong in the Lord’s joy.

Kiang (Your Servant in Christ)

Appendix: *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.

**”Triune Life”: Relationship with God has no meaning without Love. By its very nature, Love cannot endure in solitary existence. So, when God said “Let US make man in OUR image, after OUR likeness…” He was revealing Himself as existing in His trinitarian existence. That is, His Tri-Personal Being as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (Gen.1:26; Matt.28:19; John 14:10, 16; 16:7) The Hebrew word for ‘God’ in the creation account is “Elohim.” It describes God in His plurality, as the Trinity – the Tri-Personal Godhead, which other scriptures attests. (Matt.28:18-20; 1 Pet.1:2; 2 Thess.2:13; 2 Cor.13:14) So, God is Trinitarian in His Love nature. He is also clothed in Freedom. For the three Persons of the Trinity are three distinct and free Persons in the triune Godhead. Love and Freedom by nature is relational as God is in His Tri-Personal Being. Hence, a human being was created a relational being possessing freedom.

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.

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: 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

All scriptures are taken from the NIV Version 2011, unless stated otherwise.

Note: All information is copy-write material. Any information obtained from this website that is used for publication should be acknowledged by citing the website address, date of acquisition and information pertinent to original authorship. For general guidelines regarding web citations see The Guide for Citing Electronic Information. Thank you.

Greetings friends around the world! A very happy Christmas and a blessed New Year!

I would like to share scriptural references about the ultimate purpose of Jesus, which gives us the whole reason for His birth. We would not properly understand the story of Christmas if we are oblivious to the story of man itself! So the beautiful story of humanity comes to us by answering the questions of why, what, and how, of the story of Christmas. The story of Christmas is God’s own story about all humanity.

First, let us begin with this passage from John 14.  

Thomas had inquired about the Father’s presence, and Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. If you really know Me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know Him and have seen Him. Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” Jesus answered: “Don’t you know Me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in Me? The words I say to you I do not speak on My own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in Me, who is doing His work. Believe Me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me” (John 14:6-11).

Rublev’s Icon of the Trinity

Now, this passage obtains its origin from Matt.28:18-20, when Jesus uttered the most important passage of God’s trinitarian nature when He said, “Then all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matt.28:18-20).

Here, Jesus reveals His true identity – Jesus is the Second Person in the Triune Godhead. Jesus is repeating His prior statement, “Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in Me? The Words I say to you I do not speak on My own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in Me” (John 14:10). So, Jesus’ finds His origin in the Triune God. He emanates from God and is Himself God. As John stated, “In the beginning was the Word (Jesus), and the Word (Jesus) was with God, and the Word (Jesus) 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). This passage tells us that Jesus was the very Creator who brought the universe into existence, material and otherwise.

Paul affirms this wonderous truth, saying this, “The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in Him (Jesus Christ) all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together” (Col.1:15-17, also 1 Cor.8:6).

Here, we have established two facts about God Himself. He is trinitarian in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. (Matt.28:18-20) Second, that Jesus’ own roots is founded in God Himself as the Second Person of the Triune Godhead. On His human side, when Jesus was born, His familial ancestry finds its roots through David and Abraham to reveal His human origin, as the Scripture states through Isaiah the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a Son, and they will call Him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”) (Matt.1:23; 1-17). The two facts unite to reveal both of Jesus paternal (or Fatherly) and maternal (or motherly) origins, hence, He is called, Immanuel which means “God with us” (Matt.1:23; Matt.1:20-25).

In John we read God the Father’s purpose of giving Jesus as the human Savior, “For God (Father) so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16; also, John 1:18; John 3:18). So, the Father’s reason for surrendering His Son was motivated by Love and eternal life in God’s spiritual realm. All through Scripture we will read about God’s Love for His human children and their celestial destiny.

In Paul’s letter to the Colossians, He said something marvelous about God’s Love for humanity, “Your life is now hidden with Christ in God” (Col.3:3). Then Paul reiterates what the Father decreed earlier, “When Christ, who is your life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory (resurrection)” (Col.3:4; John 3:16). Yes, God’s Love dictates that your life is now hidden in Christ. The Psalmist expounds this further, “You (Christ) are my hiding place; You (Christ) will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with My Loving eye on you. Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you” (Psa.32:7-8). Here, we see the Father further expounds about His Love for humanity. (John 3:16)

But let’s not stop here, for the Scripture promotes God’s Love to a more acute sense of human realization with these awe-inspiring words. You see, we’re living in the in the divine Love-force of Almighty God, our Father and His Son. Listen carefully, “God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made Him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; He made us pure and holy, and He freed us from sin” (1 Cor.1:30). God has made Christ become our “divine wisdom.” What does that mean? Paul answers as follows, “Christ made us right with God; He made us pure and holy, and He freed us from sin” (1 Cor.1:30). That is the “divine wisdom” of God, the divine Love-force conferred upon us in and through Christ.

Yes, finally in the end we can justly conclude, “‘For in Him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are His offspring.’” (Act.17:28). We “live and move and have our being” in Him.” Can you live without Him, can you move without Him, can you exist (have our being) without Him? In that one verse we have said everything that needs to be said about human life – to live, move, and exist as a human being is to do so in Christ. It is on the basis of these Scriptures and many more I have not shared with you today, that we turn to the Bible to read of Jesus’ birth.

One final word, “For every child of God defeats this evil world (of Satan), and we achieve this victory through our faith” (1 John 5:4). Satan has always been at work to defeat God’s work in you and me – but his evil deeds cannot defeat the “faith of Jesus” residing in us. Just as Paul said, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me” (Gal.2:20, KJV).  Yes, “The life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me.” Paul told the Ephesians, “I pray that Christ will make His home in your hearts through faith” (Eph.3:17). You have heard some of the beautiful truths about why God gave up His Son for us. Do you believe? Faith is like a plant you have to water and look after to make it grow.

There is no other way to come before the presence of the holy God, our heavenly Father, except through the faith of Jesus. Faith is the very lifeblood of the Christian life. Each of our place in God’s presence was initiated by Jesus Himself when He took our fallen humanity upon Himself as the Immanuel, rescued it by living the perfect human life, then sacrificing Himself for our redemption and restitution.

Finally, now turn with me to Luke 2:1-20 in respect of the Birth of Jesus: “In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.  (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.)  And everyone went to his own town to register.  So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.  He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.  While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.  And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.  An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.  But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord.  This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”  Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests.”

The Birth Of Jesus in Bethlehem

“When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”  So, they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.  But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.  The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.” (Luke 2:1-20) What a marvelous record of Jesus’ birth through the Gospel of Luke.

Jesus lived the perfect human life, was called to surrender His life for our restitution, and on the third day was resurrected to divine/human immortality. Before His ascension to the Father’s right hand, Jesus reminded the disciples, “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift (of the Holy Spirit) my Father promised, which you have heard Me speak about” (Act.1:4, italics mine). With the gift of the Spirit, God now unites Himself in His whole Triune Being with humanity.

Then the day of Pentecost came, God poured the Holy Spirit upon those who were gathered as Jesus instructed. (Act.2:1-4) On that day, Peter was empowered by the Holy Spirit, spoke to the people and essentially gave them the divine mechanics by which humans are made holy, “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” (Act.2:38). Thus, we see the activity of the Triune God through the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, working together to bring humanity to salvation.

Finally, I will conclude with this passage from Revelation, (Rev.21:3) “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, (recall where this loud booming voice was coming from? The throne of God) “Look God’s dwelling place is now among the people (with humanity), and He will dwell with them.  They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God” (Rev.21:3).

Blessing:

Until we meet again in my next post, may the blessings of Christmas be with you and your loved ones. Be strong in the Lord’s joy.

Kiang (Your Servant in Christ) 

Appendix: *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 transformative elements of divine change in human life. As Paul affirms, “And this is my prayer: that your Love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God” (Phi.1:9-11).

**”Triune Life”: Relationship with God has no meaning without Love. By its very nature, Love cannot endure in solitary existence. So, when God said “Let US make man in OUR image, after OUR likeness…” He was revealing Himself as existing in His trinitarian existence. That is, His Tri-Personal Being as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (Gen.1:26; Matt.28:19; John 14:10, 16; 16:7) The Hebrew word for ‘God’ in the creation account is “Elohim.” It describes God in His plurality, as the Trinity – the Tri-Personal Godhead, which other scriptures attests. (Matt.28:18-20; 1 Pet.1:2; 2 Thess.2:13; 2 Cor.13:14) So, God is Trinitarian in His Love nature. He is also clothed in Freedom. For the three Persons of the Trinity are three distinct and free Persons in the triune Godhead. Love and Freedom by nature is relational as God is in His Tri-Personal Being. Hence, a human being was created a relational being possessing freedom.

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.

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: 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

All scriptures are taken from the NIV Version 2011, unless stated otherwise.

Note: All information is copy-write material. Any information obtained from this website that is used for publication should be acknowledged by citing the website address, date of acquisition and information pertinent to original authorship. For general guidelines regarding web citations see The Guide for Citing Electronic Information. Thank you.