God of All
One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
ephesians 4:6 kjv
For as long as I can remember, I have loved this verse. However, I cannot sufficiently explain why. Maybe it’s the bigness of God this verse portrays. Maybe it’s the comfort reinforced in having one God and Father. I cannot say, but this verse is worth noting when meditating on the Father, who he is to and for us, and how his nature is expressed.
Ephesians 4:6 reminds me of the historical reference to the one catholic (universal) church. I love the idea of one big us. Bigger than a collective, and not quite unity. Oneness and not quite sameness. All of us who have come to saving faith in one big reality and held together by central truths that anchor us in expressing our God reality in life. Not touchy-feely or utopian even, just us.
When the discussions sprout up about the nature of the Father, there is a long list. Many come from the scripture. Many testify from personal experience to the good and perceived bad. Still many more decide by observing people of faith and drawing conclusions about God. To prove or disprove, to convince or dissuade, these discussions give rise to challenging questions. Is God to be blamed for the bad thing? Is he still good when bad things happen? Is he ever to be consulted outside of good things alone? If God is good and in control, then why does he not let us have only good times? And so on…
There is strength in affirming that we have one God and Father. He is above and over all. He is through all. He is in you all. There is unity in God. The saints at Ephesus were together encouraged to walk worthy of their callings, to be patient and humble and forgiving to one another (4:1-2). Further, the saints were told to make every effort to keep the unity in the Spirit, and to be bound together in peace (v. 3). Then the litany of one’s begin: THERE IS
- one body
- one Spirit
- one hope of your calling
- one Lord
- one faith
- one baptism
- one God and Father of all — above, through, and in you all (vv. 4-6)
ONE. Not gods. But one God. We have one Father. I think that is beautiful and source of comfort and hope for stability. One target for prayer and guidance, love and transformation — the Father. One source. One love. One hope. One Father.
If you are reading this and are divided in your heart, take courage and drop all the anchors but one. Leave one anchor for the Father. Stop searching all over and pitch your tent with the Father. He is the one. Amen.
Blogs I Follow
The Bereans' Commentary with Shaunta D. Scroggins, Ed.D. 