Greetings Friends! I thought I would devote this post to explain a term I often use in my blog posts: “Triune Life.”

The most basic and pivotal knowledge man can have is to understand God is Trinitarian. For the Christian, the mention of the name of God, must always convey His Tri-Personal Being in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (Matt.28:18-20; 1 Pet.1:2) From the Trinitarian worldview, the human mind opens vistas of perspectives he would not otherwise comprehend in his “solitary” human worldview. This is vital because all of creation exists in an inter-connected life, meaning, nothing exists in solitary existence. In other words, creation is the reflection of the God’s own likeness in His interconnected Triune Being. Everything God creates reflects Himself in His Tri-Personal Being.

Christ came to open the consciousness of humanity to a realm unknown to man because he has been living the “solitary life” of the devil since Adam’s fall. (Gen.3:1-6) Of course, Jesus can be seen and lived from a “solitary” human realm and focus. When that happens, we deny His heritage, we put Him in a box of our human making, and we deny ourselves a glorious world that’s beyond our knowing, which only He, in His Trinitarian Being can bring to us and take us to experience.

 God is Triune In His Being as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

The second is to translate that Triune worldview so it undergirds the believer’s life, and how it can be made to manifests itself into a practical way of life. Whenever we hear the expression that God is having a hand in a person’s life, it means God’s “Triune Life” undergirds the person’s life, for God has eternally been a Tri-Personal Being.

And third, we answer the question, is it humanly possible to live this “Triune Life” of God, and the answer of course is ‘no.’ Only Jesus Christ can bring it to man, for He is Triune as much as He is indivisibly part of the Trinitarian Godhead. In other words, only by standing in Jesus life, and He in ours, can we experience the “Triune Life.” Paul emphatically says, “In Christ you have been brought to fullness. (Col.2:10). That’s to say, you are made complete in Him.

The Trinitarian Life we have in Christ, is not just a doctrine or belief we keep locked up in our heads, but it’s a hands-on, concrete, down-to-earth, way of life. Many believe in the Trinity in the intellectual sense, but haven’t a notion how to live it. Athanasius said this, “The revelation of Christ” (again, when the name of Jesus Christ is mentioned, we understand Him in His basic heritage as part of the Triune Godhead); Athanasius continues, “The revelation of Christ is addressed primarily to the will not the intellect; it’s appeal is to faith not theology.”

“So, the “Triune Life” means a life of faith lived according to the image and likeness of God. (Gen.1:26-27) It means a believer who lives the 3-dimensional life with the Triune God through Christ and in the power of the Spirit, as opposed to the ‘solitary’ 1-dimensional life man lives in himself. It means God, as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, lives and walks in you the Bulamanriver*. Man’s union with the Triune God, or “Triune Living,” is made possible by Jesus, who took our humanity into the very Being of the Triune Godhead. Hence, He is called the Immanuel, or, “God with us.” To live the “Triune Life” is the miraculous expression of the 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).

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to write 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 the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Rom.15:13). May His Spirit enliven you and make all things concerning you possible, and may all the blessing of the God who ceaselessly expresses Himself in His Triune Love be with you through the year 2016.

Kiang,

* 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 many facets of life of the Bulamanriver, go to my website www.bulamanriver.com where you can order a copy of my Book.

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

Note: 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 may Google a reliable guide for Citing Electronic Information. Thank you.

“Now may the Lord of Peace Himself give you Peace at All Times and in Every Way” (2Thess.3:16)

Greetings Friends the world over!

My topic for this post is peace! What is peace? It means different things to different people. Essentially, peace is the fruit of conciliation. It means that a state of separation exists between two parties and an act of appeasement is necessary to restore harmony and goodwill. Ever since mankind has walked this earth, there has been no peace. Instead, if anything, people have lived in dissent with each other. They have acted aggressively and taken what belongs to others by force of will – lands, riches, slaves, and seeking to be dominant over another, where we have the conqueror and the conquered. Yes, man have taken the extreme position to peace, which is hatred. Nations have engaged in wars with other nations for the same ulterior motives, but more for dominant nationalistic ends.

The Bible says “There is none righteous, not even one…And the path of peace they have not known.  There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless. Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit. The poison of vipers is on their lips. Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know. There is no fear of God before their eyes” (Rom.3:10-18). Peace is more than the absence of conflicts and wars, neither is it a truce agreed upon between two parties. A truce is not peace, it is an agreement that’s made to be broken because of man’s fallen nature.

Many are unaware why peace seems unattainable and continues to be a distant undertaking, let alone how it can be achieved. All the unpeaceful conditions we see in our world today, as it has been in human history, arises out of one fundamental reason. Yes, all the acts of man has been inspired by the wrong use of a divine gift given at creation. Regrettably man has taken this wonderful gift and turned it into a weapon of fear, conflict, and domination. 

 Animated Peace Dove with Olive Leaf (Wiki Commons)

What is this gift the Creator gave man in the beginning, which man has turned into an instrument of aggression? This is what God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them” (Gen.1:26-27,KJV). The Psalmist said, “You made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet: All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passes through the paths of the seas. O LORD our Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth” (Psa.8:6-9, KJV 2000). I emphasize the word, “dominion,” or more precisely the gift of the “dominion mandate” God conferred upon man at creation. 

In both the above passages, it is made abundantly clear “man” is not mentioned as the object of domination in the “dominion mandate.” We see land creatures, marine life, poultry and bird life, creeping life-forms, and over planet earth, but not “man.” The Creator gave man the the gift of the “dominion spirit” because he was made in God’s likeness. Its purpose was to aid man in pursuing his God-given purpose and personal dream through rulership over this earth – a planet given as an eternal inheritance to humans. (Gen. 1:26-28; Rev.21). Why was “man” left out of the “dominion mandate?” Because man was made after God’s likeness (“God is Love”). Man was not made in the likeness of beasts, birds, fish, or creepy life-forms. Of all creation, only man is given the human mind so he may exercise his God-given “dominion mandate.”

God’s prerogative is to rule over His creation for He is Creator. He is Ruler, not a Subject to be ruled. Man was made to adopt God’s nature, and likewise rule, not be ruled. Consequently, “man” was not included in the “dominion mandate.” How can a ruler be the ruled at the same time? It’s an illogical thought which presents a contradictory and impossible state of existence. So when a ruler (human) seeks to subdue another ruler (human) friction is set off, controversy ensues, and conflict is the end result. When conflict enters the door of your life, peace is undone.

Man was mandated to rule the earth and all upon it, but precludes his fellow humans. When man tries to rule another human, he is denying responsible stewardship of the divine “dominion mandate” conferred upon him. Man’s history is littered with accounts of one revolution after another, and its underlying reason is because man has misunderstood and/or misinterpreted the gift of the “dominion mandate.” Man has abused and used his “dominion spirit” as a weapon. This is the underlying reason for the absence of peace in the world and in human relations.

God, in His Triune Being as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, exist in their inclusive Love for each other. Through their diversity they are so indivisibly interlocked in their Love for each other it is impossible to live except in unified peace with and in each other. In their Love relationship it is impossible to dominate or rule over one another. 

Depiction of God’s “Creation of the Animals” then Created Man Last to Rule Them (Genesis 1:20-25, 26-27) (Wiki Commons) 

So, how do we live with, and relate to our fellow-men? We live as God does in His Triune existence – I call it the “Triune Life.” Paul answers our question, saying, “Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to Love one another” (Rom.13:8). Love is emphatically part of the divine mandate for man was made in God’s image, “Let us make man in our (Love) image.” Yes, we live like we owe every human the debt of Love because every man, woman, and child is made in God’s likeness of Love – for “God is Love” (1 John 4:8).

The sanctity of human life is founded upon God’s Love-image in man. Where there is Love, there is freedom, not domination of one another. (Gal.5:1) To be free to make up one’s mind is the mindset of a ruler, not a slave. To live subserviently to another is to live in bondage and discord with no peace. We do not twist our “dominion mandate” into a weapon of domination by seeking to rule other humans. We fail at living up to who we are created to be when we seek to dominate the next person. Jesus said of His heavenly Father, “You have Loved Me before the creation of the world (from eternity)” (John 17:24). The Father never ruled His Son, He Loved Him without reservation.

John tells us, “No one has ever seen God; but if we Love one another, God lives in us and His Love is made complete in us” (1 John 4:12). In other words, when humans reflect God’s Love for each other, they are looking into the very face of God. We all become the reflection of God’s Love nature, as Jesus told the disciples, “Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father” (John 14:9). Jesus was the reflection of God’s Love doing good and healing all who came to Him, casting out demonic spirits, feeding the hungry, teaching His followers, raising the dead to life, and finally dying as the perfect sacrifice for human sin. (Act.10:38; John 10:25; 9:4)

We live in a world that’s fashioned in the devil’s way of life, so to live this Godly life is like swimming upriver against a strong current. Hence, we read Paul’s admonition, “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone”   (Rom.12:18). Jesus restated the true meaning of the Genesis “dominion mandate” after His own disciples argued about who was greater (dominant) and creating unrest among them. (Matt. 20:25-28). They were behaving like worldly people wanting to be more dominant than the other. He went on to say, “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one Master, and you are all brothers.” When we live in brotherly Love we care for each other’s welfare rather than seek to dominate one another. Peace is at the center of brotherly Love. Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” – or brothers and sisters. (Matt.5:9). 

Shortly before His death, Jesus washed the disciples’ feet and taught them in a direct and visible manner the right understanding of the “dominion mandate.” Their relationship was not to be based upon trying to dominate one another, but Loving each other. He taught them peace was about humility, not pride. “After washing their feet, He put on His robe again and sat down and asked, “Do you understand what I was doing? You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am. And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you. I tell you the truth, slaves are not greater than their master. Nor is the messenger more important than the one who sends the message. Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them” (John 13:12-17).

The washing of feet was a menial task assigned for servants, not a teacher, nor a Lord or Rabbi. But Jesus, who was God in the human flesh, went on His knees and washed the feet of the disciples. He gave them an example of humility to follow, for this is the way He lives in His Triune existence with the Father and the Spirit. The “dominion spirit” is a powerful force in us, and we can be easily led astray by the enemy if we are not careful. However, Jesus showed in an equally powerful way it is our Love for each other that’s the more potent force. We can’t expect God to bless us while simultaneously violating the “dominion mandate.” Jesus told the disciples, “I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have Loved you, you should Love each other” (John 13:34).

Jesus Washes Disciples’ Feet: In Servant Leadership “The Greatest Will be Your Servant” – (Wiki Commons)

Jesus tells us that in God’s “dominion mandate” the leader is the chief servant, not the domineering ruler. He said, “The greatest among you will be your servant [helper]. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled; those who humble themselves will be exalted” (Matt. 23:8-12). Yes, the essential foothold for peace in our lives is humility and submissiveness. The cause of disharmony among humans is pride and self-glorification. Above all, God wants to see people living at peace with each other, “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity (peace)!” (Psa.133:1).

Let’s be clear what the “dominion mandate” has to do with peace? Quite simply, we cannot experience peace if we fail to see the truth that the “dominion mandate” was never given to dominate our fellowmen. We cannot have peace until we believe we were made in God’s image to “Love our neighbor as ourselves” (Mar.12:31). Therefore, peace begins with each of us. 

Peace was lost in Eden when Adam and Eve followed the devil’s way of fear and domination over other humans. Peace was broken and openly seen in their sons when Cain murdered Abel, and mankind followed in the same footsteps. (Gen.4:8) But the most important peace pact that was broken was between God and man. Peace was lost when sin became the barrier between God and man. By evicting themselves from Eden through sin, our first parents chose the way of fear instead of Love, of discord and conflict instead of peace and friendship. Since then, man has never known peace on this earth. It continues to this day. (Rom.3:17)

But God’s Love is too great to leave man to his own devices under the hands of Satan. Mankind is God’s enterprise, remember, made in His likeness. He promised to send a second Adam who would come and bring peace that was man’s birthright at creation, and restore the Love relationship between God and man. (Gen.3:14-15; 1 Cor.15:45) The second Adam was Jesus Christ, the Son of God, He is called, “The Prince of Peace” (Isa.9:6). He is called the “Prince of Peace” for He came to reconcile man back to God by removing the barrier of sin, and restore the Love-relationship that is the basis of true peace. Peace is man’s birthright from Eden until the fall.

Paul makes this abundantly clear, saying, “For He Himself (Jesus) is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility (sin)…His purpose was to create in Himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which He put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household” (Eph.2:14-19). By saying “to create in Himself one new humanity” Paul was referring to Jesus’ dialog with Nicodemus of being “born again” into a new person empowered by the Spirit. (John 3:1-17)

Only through peace with God can man be at peace with himself and those around him. Then he is restored to his first estate before the fall. When Jesus was born, the angelic message to mankind rang clear, “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!… Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others – the armies of heaven – praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased'” (Luk.2:11-14). Yes, the “Prince of Peace” has brought peace on earth since Adam was evicted from Eden.

Peace Dove (Wiki Commons)

Jesus told His followers before He was taken to Calvary, “I am leaving you with a gift – peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid” (John 14:27). This world cannot give us the lasting peace the human heart longs for and desperately needs. The world does not know the way of peace – it was lost since Adam. (Rom.3:17) But God gave man back this wonderful gift of peace through His Son. Now, we can know and experience what true peace and the resulting joy it brings to our lives. 

Peace encapsulates a whole way of life that moves us to question our motives and actions whether they actually promote generosity and goodwill with our neighbors. God’s Love is responsible for that way of life. We are not to be the cause of discord among our fellow humans. The Bible says God hates the act of sowing discord among men. (Prov.16:9b)

Today, we live in a frightfully troubled world that’s badly in need of peace. But peace between peoples and nations is not achievable if peace on a personal level is non-existent? People speak of personal peace of mind; but it is actually a counterfeit peace. For every good God promises out of His abundant Love, the enemy has a counterfeit to keep man deceived. How can one have true peace eating off of the “tree of good and evil?” True peace is found only in partaking of the fruit of the “tree of life” (Holy Spirit) which only Jesus enables access. (John 14:16) He said any who believe in Him “rivers of living waters” (Spirit) will flow from within a person’s innermost being. (John 7:38-39; also Rom.5:5; Act.2:38) The prophet Isaiah said, “For this is what the LORD says: “I will extend peace to her like a river” (Isa.66:12). A river is a metaphor for the Holy Spirit.

Political peace between nations and peoples is not some abstract notion or made possible through band-aid truces. It is the state of existence of its people. Peace begins with each one of us, then it translates into a grandeur scale. And the place to start is with “The Prince of Peace” who restores us to right relationship with our Father so His Love can be at the center of our existence. (Rom.5:5; 1 John 4:20) That is how peace will enter our personal lives, and then flows into the world.  

How Will Peace Come to Our World? Man Knows He Needs It But Does Not Know How (Wiki Commons)

As we live our daily lives, the devil does not leave us alone – he will tempt us to use the “dominion spirit” to carry out his evil schemes. But God promises He will never leave us: “God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Heb.13:5). Satan tries to steal the peace we have in Jesus. And He does this through deception and temptations as he did with Adam in Eden and introduce fear, sin and depression and so dominate us. Trials come in all shapes and sizes. Trials will bring the fear of the unknown, or false realities (illusions) through the devil’s cunning and deceit. Our lack of understanding of our true reality can make us project our fears into the unknown, or trust in false realities. Our reality is Jesus, it is upon Him that we must fix our gaze who will keep us in His perfect peace and Love. Through the Spirit’s power, who lives and makes us His temple, God will perform miraculous interventions to keep His promised peace in our lives. (Psa.91; 1 Cor.6:15-20) To quote from Corrie ten Boom, “Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.” 

Paul encourages us, “Do not be anxious about anything (trials), but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Phi.4:6-7). What does a “peace which transcends understanding” mean? It means it is a peace that’s beyond our human mind can fathom. It means what we think we know about peace in our human understanding is not the true peace from God – it’s beyond our knowing! Anything that’s beyond us (human) speaks of the miraculous! Miracles happen when there’s an encounter between the divine and the mortal.

Peace moves into our lives when God miraculously orchestrates our circumstances for our peace. It is a peace that’s eternal which resides in the Being of God. It means true peace has to do with the understanding of our reality with Jesus in heaven, “the Prince of Peace.” He is our defense against all enemies. (2 Thess.3:3) He is the Source of all blessings we desire in life. (Psa.37:4) He will guide us throughout life to our dreams and destiny. (Psa.23) God’s promise of peace to believers is as follows, “You (God) will keep in perfect peace all who trust in You, all whose thoughts are fixed on You!” (Isa.26:3). Peace is our human birthright.

Peace is not some theory, abstract notion, a band-aid truce, or some human endeavor we imagine will produce it. No, peace is the embodiment of a Person who calls Himself the “Prince of Peace,” and in whose Love-image we were made to live and exercise our dominion on earth. (1 John 4:8; Gen.1:26-27; Rom.8:29) As a bumper sticker aptly states, “No Jesus, no peace. Know Jesus, know peace!”

Every single human is given equal and shared dominion over the earth under the Creator (Psa. 24:1). God has made the earth sufficient for peoples of different color, language, and culture to exercise dominion over the earth in responsible stewardship. If anything, we are to help our fellowmen in their dominion, rather than seeking to dominate and coveting what is divinely bestowed upon others. God gave each human the “ministry of reconciliation” to maintain peace by introducing God’s Love in our relationship with others. (2 Cor.5:18). Peace starts with us when we resolve to keep the truth of the “dominion mandate” and never seek to dominate our fellowmen in any way, shape, and form. Jesus said, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must Love one another” (John 13:34).    

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to write me in the space provided below, or email me on bulamanriver@gmail.com. If you wish to have a copy of this post in booklet form, please email the address you want it sent. 

Until we meet again in my next post, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Rom.15:13). May His Spirit enliven you and make all things concerning you possible, and may all the blessing of the God who ceaselessly expresses Himself in His Triune Love be with you through the year 2016.  

Kiang,

* 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 many facets of life of the Bulamanriver, go to my website www.bulamanriver.com where you can order a copy of my Book.

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

Note: 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 may Google a reliable guide for Citing Electronic Information.

“There is no fear in Love. But perfect Love drives out fear” (1 John 4:18).

Greetings friends, and a Happy New Year to you!

According to a recent study by The University of Scranton, a whopping 92% of New Year resolutions fail. One of the things that can impact your life negatively in 2016 is… fear! Fear brings many a resolution to a screeching halt. Fear comes in all shapes and sizes. It’s cunning and disguises itself, thus, justifying our excuse and reasoning for falling short. Fear lives in plain sight in our excuses. Admitting your fears is not easy, it’s difficult. We live in a fearful world because of ever present dangers which threaten us unlike any other time. Fear is not bad; common sense fear helps us sense and evade clear dangers. But inordinate and unhealthy fears can paralyze us so we cannot fulfill our dreams, or, at least fails us at taking calculated steps toward our dreams. The Bible admonishes us to fear God. That’s a healthy fear, for it has to do with Love (“God is Love”). The Bible also says fear has the power to torment or bring distress. That’s unhealthy fear. So, there’s good fear, and bad fear.

Fear messes up our lives, but the Bible gives the answers to our fears. The Scripture says plainly and unequivocally, “There is no (bad) fear in Love. But perfect Love drives out (bad) fears” (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 plague. 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. Wherever there’s chaos and mess, Love thrives and brings order. Once you have the answer, then fear will dissipate as quickly as it comes.

 I have always shown and explained through my blog there are only two ways of life to live: the “solitary life,” and what many of my readers have to come see me write, the “Triune Life.” The “solitary life” is the condition which produces bad fear and is its basic motivation. The “Triune Life” is the condition where Love is the driving force, and produces healthy fear. Fear (bad) and Love are opposite conditions we freely choose and elect to live by – in other words, fear is a choice. So, let’s answer what are these two broad ways of life.

“Solitary Life” – 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 harmful fear in humans. The self-centered “solitary life” is synonymous with everything uncreative, corrupt and deathly in fallen man. 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 unhealthy 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 living the “Triune Life.” It’s no fault of theirs if they had not been shown 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.

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

“Triune Life” – the True Self

The word Triune means consisting of three in one – as in the Trinity. It conveys the Tri-Personal Being of God in the Father, Son (Jesus), 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, mankind has been consigned to living this self-centered “solitary life” of fear and death, metaphorically speaking as eating from the “tree of good and evil.” (Gen.2:17) The Bible speaks of Jesus as the second Adam who would come and right the wrong of the first Adam. “As in Adam all die (life of fear), so in Christ all will be made alive (life of divine Love)” (1 Cor. 15:22; 1 Cor.15:45). Jesus comes and introduces the “Triune Life” to man by revealing the Father and the Spirit. 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.

Not Unlike the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Classic, Man Has to Change (Born Again) from the “Solitary Life” in the Self to the “Triune Life” In Christ (Pic: Wiki Commons)

Thus, the “Triune Life” is made a reality in the life of man by a spiritual rebirth through man’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). Further, He said, “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” (John 14:10). By His statements He disenfranchises Himself from the “solitary life.” 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, makes this clear,  “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” without Fear Comes to Man By Entering the Life of the Trinity – the “Triune Life” (Rublev’s Famous Icon of the Trinity: Wiki Commons)

As I said, many were told to “receive Jesus” but were never taught the true cost of becoming His follower. Very simply, the “cost” is giving up the “solitary life,” and embracing the “Triune Life.” 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 us to the “Triune Life.” 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.

The Scriptures declared how Jesus would live in healthy fear, “He (Jesus) will delight in the fear of the Lord” (Isa.11:3). Yes, proper fear of God (Love) evokes and fosters divine joy where doing God’s purpose in one’s life becomes a delight. By receiving Jesus as Savior, the believer is translated into the same life of living this collaborative, interdependent, unified, joyful and Loving, “Triune Life” in Christ, where we seek “to do the will of the Father.”

It is not a relationship based upon legalism (law), but on Love for each other. For in doing this, the believer finds his ‘true self’ in Christ, not in himself. God placed gifts upon us which the Spirit enunciates in life. Thus we read Paul’s words, “We are complete in 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. 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, 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. 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, and in the power of Herald the Spirit who lives in us as His temple. To live the “Triune Life” is the miraculous expression of the 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 commands are not grievous, “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? Fear has torment, Love dispels fear.

Gentle Dove, Symbol of The Holy Spirit and Power of God’s Love (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 him the heart of Love. In becoming a mortal human, Jesus incarnately assumed man’s sinful life, including his fears, in His perfect Loving Being. In doing so, He destroyed fear and replaced it with God’s Love. For, “As in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive” (1 Cor. 15:22). Finally, man can reciprocate with the same Love with which God Loves man. This is “perfect Love” which drives out fear.

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 through His Son Jesus, when we receive Him 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) To live the “Triune Life” is to enter into the miraculous realm of God Himself. God is Spirit, and man is mortal, when the two come into relationship of Love, miracles happen. The Psalmist said, “Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust… You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day… For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways… ” (Psa.91:1-2,5,11. You may read all of Psalm 91) This Psalm reveals what God does for us when we live the “Triune Life” in Christ.

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. Christianity as a religion has turn man back upon himself by saying that his salvation is “his 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 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. Salvation is all grace and freely given to man. God has not abdicated your salvation by placing it in your own hands, nor the hands of another, least of all 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, let alone 50%.

Fear is Driven Away By Embracing the “Perfect Love” in the “Triune Life”  (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 life. 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 the blessing of the God who ceaselessly expresses Himself in His dependable Triune Love, be with you through the year 2016. May the Spirit enliven you and make all things concerning you possible in Triune Living as a Bulamanriver.**

Kiang,

*Herald is the name I have come to personalize the Holy Spirit in my life. He is Friend, Helper, Intercessor, and Miracle-Worker, to each and every believer.

** 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 many facets of life of the Bulamanriver, go to my website www.bulamanriver.com where you can order a copy of my Book.

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

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