One as the Sum of its Parts/God is all of It (part one)

 God is All of it (part one)

All of us have a part in the process of oneness. God made his own; a whole world of us. God has plainly demonstrated his preferences. He chose a people for himself out of all the world and tested his people's character. Many failed the test, but overall, God established the model of obedience. Then, God set new rules, and called a new people from the obedient, and proved them through faith and love. The model for this new people is Christ Jesus. In Christ is demonstrated the nature of God, a spirit not outside of man, but within. The coming was proclaimed, and it falls to the faithful and obedient to that inner nature to do their part. Matthew 3:3 “For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.”

We should not only see the voice of John the Baptist out in the wilderness. Yes, he was one among many, and he played his part. Any wilderness is a place that is not straight; it needs to be prepared like a farmer works his land. Any one of us, as an individual, may play our part, but there are many of us. We are a prepared and growing body. We who are obedient and faithful are like a snowball rolling downhill, gathering speed and mass. We are no longer individual flakes, drifting around. We are a oneness calling for oneness. When we see an expression like 'the voice of one,' we may read it as the voice of oneness calling itself together in a wilderness of the unintegrated. The farmer's first furrow calls for the second, and the second calls for the third. The plowed field, once begun, calls for completion. Mark 1:3 “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.”

God is in the snowball as the forces that hold it together and move it forward. God is one; all we gather to him and hold fast. The voice of one is the voice of God. The voice of one is the voice of us who are gathered to one. We are the prepared soil in which the seed of the spirit has been planted. There is no space between the Father and the Son. There is no space between the Son and the disciple. There is no space between the voice of the one calling and those who are called. But, there is a great gulf fixed between the oneness and those who deny their inner nature. That inner nature is the same nature found in Jesus Christ. It is the seed of the father that remains in us and makes all of us one. God is one. God is the voice, not only the spirit of the message but the spirit of the messenger. All who come to the father must accept the inner spirit of the son. Father, Son, and extended family; we are one. Luke 3:4 “The voice of one crying in the wilderness.”

Look closely at the following verse. Matthew 12:6 “But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple.” It may also be read in this manner: in this place, One is greater than the temple. The temple was the center of Judaic life. Men found a deep sense of connection in the law, the temple, and the performed rites. Jesus came along and said what he said, now, Christians interpret Matthew 12:6 to mean that the Son of God is greater than the temple. We must remember that the son is one with the father. Jesus said also, I and my father are one (One.) The Father/Son oneness, then, is greater than the temple, which represents obedience as a work outside the nature of oneness. To follow that line of reasoning, we may see that the Father/Son/disciple oneness is greater than the temple. Of course, it follows that everyone brought into that oneness is greater than the temple. That oneness, that spirit, that nature, that very God is in the body whole. Nature is the key here. Neither greatness nor oneness may be found in idle words. Empty are all incantations, all invocations, all memorized prayers if the nature of One is not present. Vain is all bowing and scraping and physical gestures if the spirit of the Son of God is not predominant.

Many religions and religiously maintained non-faiths taut a similitude of solidarity in their ideology or party line. Oneness is not found there; the nature of One is absent. In a grander, more cosmic application, oneness may be likened to a dairy farm. There are many buckets of milk sitting in the barn, but the milk is not one, even though similar. What rises to the top of the milk, the best of the milk, is gathered as special. The farmer may take the milk and feed it to his children, or he may feed it to the pigs. He might sell it, give it away, or throw it away. The cream is that special essence that is found in the diversity. There are many in the world, but the many are not the one. A large number of us reject that special essence that makes us who we are. God is in all of us, but many reject that special essence within. There are buckets in the barn that have deliberately spilled their cream. They will not accept cream from another bucket. In a bigger sense of who we are, God is all in all. We are spiritual beings drawing our spiritual nature from a single source: One. Ephesians 4:6 “One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.”

God is all of it. Apart from God, there is nothing. We may choose between One and nothing. If you cut an arm or a leg away from the body, it dies. It is no longer able to partake of the health of the body, and in a very real sense, is no longer a part of the body. The severed limb grows cold and decomposes. In the end, it is nothing. The body, however, maintains its health and lives. Judaism does not, like Islam, and certain among the Christian faith, view God at the cosmic level. To those, God is reduced to an ideology or party line. For them, God is what separates them from others. Oneness and separation are opposites. Jews, Muslims, and Christians, among the many, fail to see that all of us are the same. We are spiritual beings who draw our natures from the nature of the One. We are spiritual brothers and sisters. We can no more keep the one true God to ourselves than we can hold back the rivers from joining the seas. Mark 12:29 “And Jesus answered him, the first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel, The Lord our God is one Lord.”

Let us remove God from the limited framework of exclusive groups. The spirit of oneness was always outside those limitations. Let us set free the universality of our spirits. God can not be contained in a temple or a mosque. God can not be summoned and manipulated with prayer rugs or beads. There is one God; all of us are a part of him. Judaism is a severed leg. Islam is a severed arm. The arm and the leg must be attached to the body for either of them to be viable. Do you really think your exclusive belief ensures God's reality? He is above that. If temple sacrifices failed to do the job, will prostrating on a rug succeed? Will folding your hands together do anything? Will fingering beads work? There is no disbelief that can invalidate God. There is no single exclusive religious format that will come out on top. Oneness calls to oneness, therefore, only oneness will work. Exclusivity must be stripped away from our thinking. Ephesians 4:5 “One Lord, one faith, one baptism.”

Let's think about baptism. Is it only for one religion? It is a physical token, like folding hands, or counting beads. A physical thing, by its own nature, is not a spiritual thing. Is there, then, a cleansing that is spiritual? Is there a rising up out of that really gets the job done? A true spiritual baptism is a cleansing from exclusivity. A true spiritual baptism is a rising up out of all narrow-minded worldly mindsets. Can there be a good Christian, or a good Jew, or a good Muslim when they hold themselves apart? Neither goodness nor justification may be found in separation. They are found in the union of our spirits with the nature of the Son of God. The Son of God is one with the Father. All goodness is found in One. Matthew 19:17 “And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is, God.”

The severed limb that rejected the body dies from want of nutrition. Having separated itself from the body, it may no longer draw from the health of the body. But a tick may attach itself to the body and draw from the oneness. The body whole is where the health is found. There is life in joining and death in detachment. God is One. If you are a part of that, you will share the goodness. No one is good, but God is good. God is the only one in which we may find the good that will sustain us. Mark 10:18 “And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is, God.”

An accepted mindset from early times is that it takes more than a single witness to establish the truth in a dispute. It takes two or three witnesses. In our modern courts, great effort is placed into the delivery of proof. A line of facts is established by multiple witnesses, and it is then supported by actual facts like photos, and 911 call logs, by texts and emails. As to those witnesses, there must be agreement. By that, I mean they were all there, they all saw it go down, they are all aware of and/or are part of the same event. Those elements of agreement are the foundation of a case; the facts seen in photos, texts, emails, etc., all support the agreement. Again, the foundation is found in the agreement, and by that agreement, a truth is established. 1 John 5:7 “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.”

One as the Sum of its Parts/How it Connects

 How it Connects:

There is a real connection. Let us take that fully into our hearts. I will say it again; there is a real connection. We are connected to God through Christ. That connection is not found in idle words, but in a spirit that is the same from Father to Son, the same from master to disciple. The spirit is a reality, a truth. It is found in every soul, indeed, it is what makes each body a living soul. Each of us has a pinch of the divine; it is the spirit of God, the spirit of Christ that possesses us. Every man woman and child with a mind has a piece of God living inside. That mind, that spirit, joins us and makes us one. 1 Corinthians 6:17 “But he that is joined to the Lord is one spirit.”

We've been warned. We've been shown the connection. It has not been hidden from us but set like a candle for all to see. God is the spirit that makes man sentient, that gives man life. It rises up in every one of us like a clear spring of water. It flows freely between each individual. In each of us, God is there, calling for oneness. We have been plainly told that the connection is real. We have no excuse. The words you speak to me, you speak to Christ who lives in me. The things you do to me, you do to Christ who lives in me. The spirit in each of us exists simultaneously in this world and in heaven. Each spirit is precious to God because it is a part of him. He guards and protects what is his own, giving his angels charge over them. Matthew 18:10 “Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, that in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.”

Christ was clear and precise when he spoke of the spirit. He showed us how it all connects. No man is independent of God; the body is an extension of spirit. The body is a tool that the spirit uses. It links each of us to our brothers and sisters. Mankind is like a stand of Aspen trees. A quick internet search will provide the reader with this explanation: A stand or group of aspen trees is considered a singular organism with the main life force underground in the extensive root system. ... In a single stand, each tree is a genetic replicate of the other, hence the name a “clone” of aspens is used to describe a stand. The spirit is our underground life force, and in reality, makes all of us a single entity. Matthew 18:5 “And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.”

You are called because you belong. You grow out of the same root system. While we may seem different on the surface, our sentience grows out of the same spirit. It feeds and waters each of us with a oneness that is undeniable. It matters not that some call themselves Christian, Jew, or Islam, deep down, we are all spiritual brothers. While the young are closer to the source of who we are, we all still draw from the same source. Why is Christ called the son of God? He is the example of God in man. He proves to mankind that we are possessed by the light which is God. It seems layered that the light comes first to one and then to the rest. It is like the nutrient that comes first to the root and then to the trees. Should a tree turn off the source of its nutrition, it would become withered and misshapen. Just as darkness is the absence of light, evil is the rejection of what nourishes the soul. We receive light through Christ. That light is who we are; God in man. Mark 9:37 “Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me.”

We have been shown how it connects. We have been both called and warned. A spring that rejects the water that feeds it is no spring at all. While all your rejection of light centers on yourself alone, there is still hope for redemption, healing, and regrowth. However, when you pass your darkness on to others, how can you not expect that the oneness will protect its own? How can you not see that you will be cut off and removed for the sake of the body whole? You will be deemed detrimental and removed. Matthew 25:45 “Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.”

One as the Sum of its Parts/The Joining

 The Joining:

Acts 17:27 “though he be not far from every one of us.” Another way to say this is 'he is close to every one of us.' God is close to every one of us. Christ is close to every one of us. Of course, some will accept and some will reject. The question remains, how close is he to every one of us? He is nature-close, he is identity-close, he is mind-close. How close is that? Romans 10:8 tells us that the word of God (Jesus, the message, the way, the truth, the life, the favored method) is so close that it can be found in our thoughts and communications. Again, some will accept, some will reject.

Tuning forks and the weight of the world. Many of us carry the weight of the world on our shoulders; we are not interested in the finer philosophical ruminations. We say, take what you are peddling down the road. One might speak of things important, urgent, necessary, but that heavy load some people assume leaves no room for resonance. In physics, a vibrating tuning fork will cause another nearby to resonate at the same frequency. I pulled the following from an internet search: “Striking one tuning fork will cause the other to resonate at the same frequency. When a weight is attached to one tuning fork, they are no longer identical. Thus, one will not cause the other to resonate.”

When one tuning fork is truth, then truth resonates in the other, unless 'the weight' staves it off. Communication is that way. Each of us has within us all we need to understand another person. That is because what we share in common is spiritual. With enough effort, we can understand what a person speaking a foreign language is trying to say. We tune in on body language and emotion. The pantomime gets through to us. Thoughts and concepts being spiritual, the resonance is akin to equalization, or Brownian Movement. It is like gold and silver placed together. A point will come where the silver includes gold, and the gold includes silver. John 18:37 “To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.”

We have something in our individual spirit which is identical to the spiritual makeup of all other spiritual beings. Where does it come from? What is it? It is an investiture, a connection, a real and calculated constituency. It is like the badge a Marshal gives to his deputy that places in both of their hands the facility of law. It is a resonance, a vibe, an aptitude that proves a true link. 1 John 2:20 “But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.”

Deputizing an individual is an act of authorization, as the imposition of hands, a touching and connecting. It is the investiture of approval and communion, an act of acceptance, assent, admission. In a real sense, the spiritual bond that is passed between us is a sanctification. It is easy to see. Look at two lawyers speaking to one another. They speak 'the same language.' It is an understanding identical in both parties. It is an acceptance, an approval, a communion. This is true for all individuals who are accepted into a group under the auspices of a shared bond, a communal language. The bodies are not identical, but the resonance is. Those who plant and those who reap are paid by the same landowner. Hebrews 2:11 “For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren.”

Please note the application of the expression “all of one.” Whether we accept it or not, all of us are “of one.” Those who reject the one, reject their own internal makeup. Those who accept the one, resonate at the frequency of one. Refer back to 1 John 2:20 and the “Holy One.” The “all things” that we know are the things that the One knows. It is a trickle-down process by which the Son is made one with the Father, and the disciple is made one with the Son. Each knows the truth because the truth is the one. It is that spiritual communion that exists above the nuts and bolts of the world. John 17:11 “And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me; that they may be one, as we are.”

What is “thine own name?” It is One. Oneness has the dual meaning of both parties being a part of the other. For a bag of apples, one is just as much the apples in the bag as the bag containing apples. You can look at it from either perspective and see that it is true. My brother is just as much my brother as I am his. My wife is just as much my wife as I am her husband. To be part of the body whole is to be imbued with the nature of the whole. Just as Christ is imbued with the very nature of God, the disciple is imbued with the very nature of Christ. Any distinction is moot. Are you a Christian? Then Christ is actually, believably, in you. You are Christ to the world. You are truth to the world, the way, and the life, no less than Jesus. You are the message of oneness to the world. John 17:21 “That they all may be one, as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.”

Is God the only one with glory? Is Christ the only one with glory? Now, there is a word we don't think about as much as we should. What is glory? Certainly, it is not some shiny external attribute. It is not found in our individual taste in clothing. It is not seen in a shiny Lamborghini. There is one truth, the truth of Truth. There is one glory, the glory of the One. Glory is the spiritual bond we share with God and Christ through the Holy One, knowing all things. John 17:22 “And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one.”

There are two points to be clear on. First, perfection is found in the bond. That bond accepts rather than rejects. That bond loves rather than hates. That bond unites into a single identity. Second, the world is every weighted spirit that mistakenly seeks perfection outside of the bond. Because they are outside, they exalt individualism through competition and hatred, through differences, strife, and war. They practice rejection by default. In actuality, they seek a bond, but they will never find it with others who practice being apart. They must be convinced, and they will be when they are helped to realize their true spiritual nature. John 17:23 “I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.”

I have saved the mystery of this section for last. It is found in Ephesians 4:4 “There is one body, and one spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling.” All bodies on the earth are one body. All of their individual spirits are one spirit. We are all one when we are gathered together in the light. Unfortunately, some of us are still scattered in darkness. God spared not the angels, but cast them into hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness. Earlier, I made a mysterious play on words: the truth of Truth. What is Truth? It is everything that is. Colossians 1:15-17 “Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: for by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: and he is before all things, and by him all things consist.”

Therefore, evil and the devil are the rejection of our godly nature, just as darkness is the absence of light. Many of us are gathered as one in One, as truth in Truth, and that message is for the scattered. That message goes out to all those poor souls buried under chains of darkness. We are called in one hope of our calling. What does that mean? The calling goes forth broadcast to all the bodies and spirits in the earth. The Shepherd has left the ninety and nine to seek the lost. The one hope is One. Oneness seeks oneness, the convinced, the 'whosoever will.'  

One as the Sum of its Parts/Gathered into a Whole

 Gathered into a Whole:

Consolidation; think about it. Two synonyms for consolidation are strengthening, and reinforcement. There is not a day where someone, somewhere, is not reorganizing what they have to make it better. A farmer weeds his garden and it is better. That which is pruned grows back stronger and more robust. Consolidation is a process that includes not only removal but also replacement. I used to own VHS movies and cassette tapes. When CDs and DVDs came along, I replaced the old with the new. I had everything I had before and more. I had it organized in a smaller space that allowed me to go out, buy more, and add it to my collection. In Christ's parable of the pearl of great price, we see that God uses the same process that we use. Matthew 13:46 “Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.”

It is a process of elimination. We only need what we need. More than that is, ultimately, a hindrance. The needless gets in the way. How many of us have closets filled with stuff that we are forced to move out of the way? All of us begin with much, out of which we consolidate that which best suits our needs. Think about reorganization on a spiritual scale. God filled the earth with many nations. He chose one for himself. Then he removed that which did not please him. Around that new core, God is gathering to himself much more. He picks from other nations, other tongues. He chooses people with which to build the One. The parameters of oneness are constantly shifting; old pearls are dropped while newer, greater pearls are added. One increases. Acts 17:26 “And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on the face of the earth.”

Jesus came from God to man teaching that certain men are gathered into God while others are rejected. Jesus taught the consolidation of oneness. He spoke to the new core about the increase that oneness sought. Judaism was exclusive. It did not allow for increase. The new core of Christianity allowed for increase. God sought greater pearls, and he would take them from Judaism, Islam, and the Gentiles. God seeks his own, not someone else's. If you are one of God's own, it does not matter that you began as a Jew or a Muslim. It does not matter that you began as a Buddhist, or an Atheist. If you are one of God's own, he will take you out of the general herd and add you to his private stock. John 10:16 “And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.”

It does not happen overnight, but there is a proven method by which God achieves increase. The proven method is the favored method; there is no substitute for it. The very nature of the method is the very nature of the oneness. It is not found in exclusive attitudes and behaviors. It is not seen in differentiation or rejection. The very nature of oneness is found solely in God-likeness. Jesus is Christ because he has that nature. The very nature of the method of inclusion into oneness is found solely in Christ-likeness. God's own will be gathered through and gathered by Christ. That is the favored method. As we see in black and white, it is an ongoing process both on earth and in heaven. So then, whether we are on earth or in heaven, the path forward is clear. To be one with God requires Christ-likeness. Ephesians 1:10 “That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth, even in him.”

There is not a single nation or people that may lay claim to God exclusively. The Jews may not, neither the Muslims, Buddhists, or any of the other national religions. None of them may say their God is bigger or better than the god of the others. Neither debates nor wars will settle the matter; it simply does not work at a national level. It works only at the individual level. One is either a child or one is not. A child mirrors the father in every respect. The natures are identical. That is how Jesus could say that when his disciples saw him, they saw his father. If you are a child of God, two things will be true and evident. One: your nature and God's nature will be identical – thought for thought, deed for deed. Two: your nature and Christ's nature will be identical – thought for thought, deed for deed. Think of the world, the millions and millions of souls. Somewhere among the Gentiles, among the Muslims and Jews, there are people with natures identical to the nature of Christ. If that is the case, Christ, himself, will come for you, and gather you into One. John 11:52 “And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad.”

One as the Sum of its Parts/The Flesh and the Spirit

 One as the sum of its parts:

The Flesh and the Spirit:

What man has makes mankind one; what man does with what he has tears mankind apart. Let's talk about societal ills. There are many from divorce to ethnic cleansing. The key point of all of society's ills is division. Mankind is focused on differences. Mankind has the mindset of separation, independence, individualism, unrestraint, and self. The mind of man seeks everything except unity and oneness. Why do we always look for the differences?

The basic building block of society is marriage. It is a condition of union where individuals abandon the isolation of individualism in favor of unification. Unification is defined as the process of being united or made into a whole. A whole is defined as a thing that is complete in itself. Synonyms for complete include absolute, concluded, and perfect. All of this suggests that the state of being one is whole and perfect, overlooking differences, and instead, focusing on the similarities that bind together.

The cornerstone of society, the family, is meant as a unity; a unity of blood, a unity of flesh, a unity of values. In other words, oneness is the cornerstone and building block of mankind. Again, let me remind the reader of the words of Jesus Christ: a house divided can not stand. It was his response to the scribes' claim that “by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils.” In a broader sense, it speaks of spirituality in every instance. If I portray spirituality as a mindset, we may see that opposing thoughts lead to devolvement and ruin. If I portray spirituality as a lifestyle, we may see that a focus on differences leads to dissolution and abandonment. Even as this mentality and practice seek solidarity with its own, it is an exercise doomed to greater acts of differentiation.

Oneness, on the other hand, was established early on in the very foundations of mentality and practice. You can only be one or not one, you cannot have it both ways. God directs society from the cornerstone of its initial union. Matthew 19:5 “And said, for this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh.” Mark 10:8 “And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh.” Matthew 19:6 “Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let no man put asunder.”

What the man and wife have in common makes them one. They are one mind and one flesh. That is to say, they are one body consisting of two members. They are separate and unique from other bodies, therefore, of incompatible constitutions. As flesh, they are not interchangeable. Each is sanctified to its own constitution. 1 Corinthians 15:39-41 “All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds. There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory.”

The man and wife, the family unit, has a glory all its own. Mix-and-match is dilution, a loss of glory, an abandonment of oneness. Seeking differences rather than sameness poses a real danger to oneness. Beef mixed with fish is neither beef nor fish. Pure water mixed with ink is no longer pure. In a very real sense, you are known by the company you keep. You simply cannot stand with a foot on both sides of the stream; you will actually be either in the one camp or the other, whichever you are joined to. 1 Corinthians 6:16 “What? Know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? For two, saith he, shall be one flesh.”

When we think of one, we think of the whole, the lump sum. In terms of all-or-nothing, a scattered flock is no flock at all. In terms of holding our own together, we like to keep all the little parts of us close at hand and under one rule: unanimity. The problem is this: how do we preserve our own uniqueness without focusing on differences? Even God sets parameters. God accepts his own and rejects sinners, but God does not push sinners away. Rather, God makes an open call as he gathers his own. There is a wonderful clause in God's covenant with man, it is the “whosoever will” clause. Anyone who wants to may be one with God – unless they actually want to not be one with God. Sinners push themselves away. Sinners choose oneness with some other.

God gathers his own, not someone else's. In the following verses, we see oneness maintained. As a husband gathers to himself only his wife, and as a wife gathers only her husband to herself, so we see the true nature of oneness in practice. It is not the focus on differences, but what actually belongs. It is not a labor of divisions, but a labor of integration. The man who seeks his lost sheep does not seek another man's sheep. The woman who sweeps her house seeks only that which belongs to her. Luke 15:4 “What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?” Luke 15:8 “Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it?”

One: As on the same page/One Spirit, One Mind

 One Spirit, One Mind:

It is the assertion of this author that the mind is the spirit. It is the spirit that possesses the flesh to create and maintain a symbiotic relationship. It is a relationship in which both parties maintain the other. Imagine the relationship between a car and its driver. I present an extended example. We all know that a driver is responsible for maintaining his vehicle. He must make sure that all parts work in harmony. In my example, the car is also responsible for maintaining the driver, in the certainty that what works for the driver works for the car. What builds the driver builds the car. Such a relationship is found between Christ and the body of Christ. The body is Christ and Christ maintains the body, but also, the body maintains Christ. Scripture will tell us to 'magnify' the Lord. That is an important responsibility. It is like the exercise of a muscle; without exercise, the muscle is lost.

Have you ever wondered about the use of sheep in parables? On the whole, sheep stick together as a flock. In other words, they practice and maintain their 'flock-ness.' That body of sheep is a conversation that all the members understand and respond to. Philippians 1:27 “Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit.”

There is a real connection between a body and the spirit that possesses it. In its maintenance of the body, the spirit may decide that the body needs hydration. It is the spirit that deems it necessary, but it is the body that reaches for the glass of water. Both parties work together. In a sense, each party serves the other. In a group, an individual spirit may decide that another group member is worthy of encouragement, but it is the mouth of that individual that speaks. Romans 15:6 “That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

That which is held in common within a group is the spirit. I have said that the spirit within an individual is the mind. The combined (similar) minds within a group are the spirit of the group, the mind of the group. In a group of Christians, when one mind communicates the issue of 'faith' to another mind, there is a resonance between the two. They are on the same page and share a full understanding. The minds are in synch and are possessed of a singular belief. Think of a line of light bulbs connected in series. According to the series circuit analogy, the flowing current is the same in all the bulbs. I take that information from https://www.electricaltechnology.org/2012/11/series-wiring-lighting-circuits.html Interestingly, the circuit line is also known as 'live.' When minds are so linked, the same energy lights all of them. What affects one mind, good or bad, affects the others. 1 Peter 3:8 “Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous.”

To be like-minded is not simply to agree. I can agree with your right under the law to have the opinions you have, but not share them. In fact, I may be fully opposed. To be like-minded is to be fully possessed and fully synchronized. Quite simply, a group is a group for that very fact. The members of a body do not oppose one another. A house divided cannot stand. The members of a group are fully committed to each other. They fully understand one another. A member will support, and even fight for, the other members of the group. That is because the spirit of the group is equal to each member. The mind is the same. Romans 12:16 “Be of the same mind one toward another.”

In the sport of bodybuilding, one must apply oneself regularly with determination and patience. Through long hours and much personal effort, one sees the desired result. In other words, to those who have, more will be given. To be of the same mind requires work. Like-mindedness is achieved through patient application. That is to say, it will never happen unless you make it happen. Take a good hard look at the body whole. It is not a flower that blooms by chance. A loving family is achieved through patient direction and discipline. A body dedicated to mutual support and love is a body directed by the combined mind of love and support. It takes real work. It takes patience, discipline, and yes, quite a lot of self-discipline. All of the attributes listed above are derived through the spirit: the spirit of patience, the spirit of discipline, the spirit of unity. Romans 15:5 “Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus.”

One mind. One spirit. It is a goal that billions of souls have strived to achieve. It is not the gold medal, but it is the finish line. Mankind, as a historical whole, has never ceased reaching for unity. We have never ceased climbing the mountain to reach the zenith. Every body whole has its own plan for unity and singularity. It has often been mismanaged, politicized, and spoiled through conflict, but the higher aspirations of love, and integrity; honor, and righteousness are inviolable. Men and societies continue to reach for them. In the highest and most viable sense, they are perfection. There is a spirit of perfection that draws the body whole into its fullest expression. There is a spirit of peace that brings the seed into the light. There is a spirit of love that rains life upon the aspiring garden. 2 Corinthians 13:11 “Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.”

One: One as on the Same Page/ The Actions of a Single Heart and Soul

 The Actions of a Single Heart and Soul:

There is a guiding impetus in all bodies. Some may call it a mindset. When the toes wiggle, it is the brain that sends the guiding electrical impulse. The brain rules the body, but the brain is, itself, just a member of the body. What rules the brain? Long answer short, it is the mind. That being said, the mind is the spirit. All living bodies derive life and purpose from the spirit of life, the living Spirit. Without that spirit, a body only possesses basic functions, like an amoeba. By the spirit, single cells combine under the spirit of purpose, a common goal. An organ does not decide what it wants to be, or where it wants to be in the body. Guidance for such as that is derived from the spirit. It is the spirit of guidance that calls the organ into its place and purpose. In older, more poetic texts, the guiding organ is the heart. These days, we know that the heart is neither responsible for the thoughts we think, nor for the emotions we feel. The spirit of God rules, first through the mind, and then through the brain. We know that the brain is called like any other organ of the body. Colossians 3:15 “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body.”

Men differentiate between the intellectual and the emotional. In reality, both functions are centered in the mind. Men differentiate between the body and the soul. In reality, a soul is not separate from the body. In the Bible, Adam was called a living soul only after the flesh had been augmented with spirit. A soul is a thinking body. A soul is an individual capable of receiving instructions from the spirit that is one with the body. A soul is the perfect combination of vehicle and driver. The actions of a single soul are the actions of a single heart: which is the mind: which is the spirit: which is God. God is one: it therefore follows that the spirit within man is a spirit of unity and singularity. The spirit is expressed in many forms from least to most. We see the spirit of unity and singularity in a family, a race, a nationality, a religious belief, a cause. The tenets of unity and singularity are expressed in that which is held in common. One heart, one soul, one belief, one direction, one responsibility to the body whole. Acts 4:32 “And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own, but they had all things common.”

One: One as on the Same Page/One Accord

 One as on the same page:

One Accord:

In the old days, people used expressions like 'one accord.' It is much more common in our present-day to hear expressions like 'on the same page.' Either way, the synchronicity is the same. We think of the inner ear as being responsible for the balance of the whole body, but the inner ear works with one accord along with other members of the body to achieve balance. Arms, legs, spine, and even the little toe are in synchronicity. They are on the same page. In a peace accord, many nations come together and agree on one cause. Their thoughts and hopes are on the same page. They are in one accord. When the members of that accord speak, they each speak of peace. Acts 5:12 “and they were all with one accord in Solomon's porch.”

People can be lumped together and classified by the thoughts they share and the words they speak. They sound so much alike that we can immediately recognize to whom they belong. Think of the people you know, and test your knowledge of them. What are the words that most often come out of their mouths? In my life, I have found it quite common for one person to say to another, “You always say that.” Actions aside, we may say with certainty that the things a person most often says are the things that define that person. When many people, as a group, speak and assert the same things, identification is both easy and inevitable. Acts 2:1 “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.”

When people are on the same page, we may look at any number of them and compare their words and deeds with others of their group. Their words dictate their deeds because their words are an accurate expression of the thoughts of their hearts. Many things may be determined by the words that people speak in common. Foremost, if they share the same words, they share the same thoughts. Those thoughts will include the shared beliefs and desires of the group. You will not hear an Atheist champion the beliefs and desires of a Christian. The same is true for Christians, their words and deeds are not those of the Atheist mindset. You will hear the Christian speak Christian words, and you may know the Christian, in all certainty, by the words they share in common. Acts 1:14 “These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.”

Back in the days of the arcade, you could look into any arcade and see it filled with like-minded gamers, each at their favorite machine. When they spoke, they spoke in the language of games. You knew them for what they were. Likewise, surfers developed their own unique language. We could close our eyes and listen to hippies speak. Their language gave them away. Each body whole had its own clearly identifiable language. The language they shared in common was the mark of who they belonged to. Similarly, they would congregate in their own places. Gamers went to the arcades, and surfers went to the beach. It is no wonder we find Christians congregating in their own places. We find them in temples and churches. It's only natural that they would gather to share the things they hold in common. Acts 2:46 “And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple.”

Like-minded people go to the same places. Like-minded people say and think the same things for the same reasons. Language and communication, by their very fundamental natures, exist by way of what is known and shared in common. The common bond of any group is expressed in the information they receive and the messages they broadcast. Acts 4:24 “And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord.” Acts 8:6 “And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake.”

Each body whole is like a sun around which the planets find their orbits. The electromagnetic energies of the sun pierce and connect the planets so that even the outlying planets share the energies known by the closest. Those energies are the beliefs of the members. When planets send messages, they are the energies that fill them. Each planet tells the others, I believe in the sun. Similarly, each planet is orbited by a moon. That moon is desire. Belief and desire go hand in hand. The same energies that bind the planets bind the moons. All that an individual believes, an individual desires. The energies of the body whole are expressed in the members as a shared knowledge, a shared language, and a shared desire. Acts 15:25 “It seemed good unto us, being assembled with one accord.”

The furthest planet may register a sense of cool satisfaction while the closest planet may burn with joy. Therefore, satisfaction is a lesser degree of the same joy. The light of the sun may not illuminate the furthest planet the way it does the nearest, and the outlier may be tempted to dismiss the light altogether, but that accounts only for what it sees. The same energies that fill the nearest fill the furthest. There can be joy in that knowledge just as there can be faith in the light dimly seen. To be on the same page maintains both joy and faith. Philippians 2:2 “Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.”

One: On Knowing the Whole and the Member/Know Your Place in the Body Whole

 Know Your Place in the Body Whole:

None of us, by ourselves, are the whole, but each of us is a member of a whole. Which whole – i.e., good or evil, depends on what the individual opens or closes within himself. We are members of something; that is a fact. No man stands alone. Even a nonconformist is a member of nonconformity. To know the body whole to which we belong, to know our place within the whole – that is wisdom. All of us can't be the head. All of us can't be the foot. We must know there is no real spiritual distance between the head and the foot. The head can not look down on the foot, saying, 'I lead.' The foot can not look down on the head, saying, 'I carry.' If each of us are members of the same body, we are members of each other. While our functions vary, our value is equal. Romans 12:5 “So we, being many, are one in the body of Christ, and everyone members one of another.”

It may appear to a member that its function is small or menial. Our value as a small and menial member is equal in value to the member that is large and elevated. Only the functions are different. Romans 12:4 “For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office.” We can not each be the same member within the whole. Common sense tells us this truth. Equally, we are assured that the body does not consist of a single member. I have never seen a head float by. Nor have I ever seen a foot stamp by. Hands do nothing apart from the arms and all the other attached parts. 1 Corinthians 12:19 “And if they were all one member, where were the body?” We have expressions that prove the connectedness of different functions. The hands are of little effect until, as we say, we 'put our backs into it.' 1 Corinthians 12:20 “But now are they many members, yet but one body.”

Imagine a person who gets an honor in school. They are a member of the honor roll. Imagine a human pyramid in which the man on the bottom falls. The other members of that pyramid fall with him. Imagine you are a member of an ordinary crowd on the street. A car bomb or a mass shooting would affect everyone in that crowd. 1 Corinthians 12:26 “And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.” On the playing field of membership, we are all equal. In a sport with teams, it is not a single player that wins or loses, but the entire team. Also in a sport with teams, the players have a common understanding that they have one coach, and all of them, the team, are just the players. They are equal to their fellow team members. They share a sameness in the team goal. Their individual functions are supported by the functions of other team members, and in a winning team, all of the players are wise enough to know that none of them is equal to or better than the coach. Matthew 23:8 “But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.”

The smart thing to do is to know your place. Are you a Christian? You are a member of the body of Christ. While you are a part of the body, with your own function and equal value, and while you are imbued with the spirit of the whole, you are not the whole. Know your place; fulfill your function. Matthew 23:9 “And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your father, which is in heaven.” Matthew 23:10 “Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.” It is not the place of the team member to call the shots. You may not say that one member is more important than another. You may not say that one person belongs and another does not. The whole is a perfect and complete body. The body has the say, and within any complete and perfect union of parts, the part may only reiterate the truth of the whole. The truth of the body whole has mastery over all individual members, and there can be no individuals apart from the mastery of one whole or another. You can be part of this, or you can be part of that. Luke 6:40 “The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master.”

Sound advice for the members of the body of Christ follows the natural flow of humble common sense. Ephesians 4:25 “Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor: for we are members one of another.” Let Jesus call the shots; let Jesus be the coach. Lean not on your own understanding. You are imbued with the spirit of Christ; run with it. You carry forward his truth; run with it. We are supported by the framework of his body. We get our strength from his muscles. He is not a part of us; we may not assume the lead. We are a part of him; our goal is his goal. Ephesians 5:30 “For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.”

An old saying proves true on many levels. You are what you eat. You are what you incorporate. Have you incorporated the faith of Christ? You have taken that into yourself. It is now a trait you received from and share with Christ. Have you incorporated the life (bread) of Christ? It is now a trait you received from and share with Christ. Have you adopted the truth of Christ? Have you placed his goal in your heart as your own? Do you lean on his understanding? Do you get your support and strength from him? It is now a trait you received from and share with Christ. You are what you eat. 1 Corinthians 10:17 “For we being many are one bread, and one body, for we are all partakers of that one bread.”

We are a part of something greater than ourselves. We are 'partakers' of the nature of Jesus Christ. He gave it all to us. He shared it freely. But where did Jesus get his nature from? God is love. What are some other ways to say the word love? Synonyms of the word love include intimacy, attachment, devotion, inclination, passion, proclivity, and – yes – worship. Look it up. We choose the nature of Christ. We choose the nature of God. It is our possession, passed down to us as a heritage. It is our birthright, and we are identified by it. Galatians 5:14 “For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”

One: On Knowing the Whole and the Member/The Sameness Within the Body

 On Knowing the Whole and the Member:

The Sameness Within the Body:

It is true that we may know the individual by the whole to which he or she is attached. It is equally true that we may know the whole through the character of the individual. For example, a police officer will look and talk like a police officer. All members of the police whole share the traits of the whole that mark the individuals. For another example, doctors write like doctors. Our demeanor, our actions, the things that come out of our mouths, all mark us and identify us with the greater entity to which we are aligned.

We should know the whole and we should know the individual. We should know each by the other. Within the body whole, there is a sameness of members. Membership is seen in uniformity. Think of the uniformity within the military. It does not matter so much whether they are in the Navy, the Marines, the Army, or the Air Force, despite the fact that each branch has its own distinctive uniform, all of them may be identified by the wearing of a uniform. There is a sameness that identifies the whole. That whole conveys to its individual members the traits and tokens through which we may understand the whole.

Let us, now, turn our attention to spiritual traits. In Christianity, we may understand God by the traits of Christ. We may understand Christ by the traits of Christians. In the old testament, for example, a man of God was identified when he flew into a rage. Think of Samson. When Samson flew into a rage and trashed the enemies of the chosen, it was said that the spirit of God came upon Samson. God was understood by the might seen in one of his servants. Likewise, although not necessarily seen in a rage, the spirit of God came upon David, Elijah, Gideon, Saul, and Jesus. We understand the Son of God simply because we can see with our own eyes, so to speak, the nature of the Father in the son. What did Christ share with men in his teachings? He shared the nature and truth of the Father in him.

Look at the explanation of that nature as the son, himself, explained it for our benefit. John 3:8 “The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.”

It is shown clearly and may be understood without mistake, that the spirit of the Father did not stop when it was shared with the son. The son shared that same spirit with his followers, thus adding to them a sameness, a token by which they may be identified with the greater entity. John 13:34 “A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.” Don't overlook the verse that immediately follows. John 13:35 “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” The uniform a disciple wears is his love for one another. To see that identifying mark tells us two things at once; first, it tells us that the individual is a disciple of the son of God, and second, it tells us that the trait of the member, love for one another, is the shared nature of the whole. God is love.

Sameness within the whole is the same thing as unity. Synonyms for the word unity include union, integration, amalgamation. I speak of oneness, the whole. It is the kind of oneness that mathematicians speak of when they say that both sides of an equation are equal. There is an equation expressed in the following verse, and both sides of it are the same. 1 Corinthians 3:8 “Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one.”

In Wikipedia, the definition of a peace treaty is this. A peace treaty is an agreement between two or more hostile parties. There is a peace treaty between God and his chosen. Basically, the victor states, I will stand for you as long as you abide by the terms of the treaty. Historically, that has been a roller-coaster ride. To be the chosen or to be the not chosen, each side wears its identifying uniform. In the old covenant, the uniform was a strict adherence to the letter of the law. Well, that did not work out so good. In the new covenant, the uniform is the adoption of the nature of the victor.

When we speak of the difference between a winner and a loser, we may speak in terms of a wall that separates the two. We may point to God and mankind being separated, or we may point to a man and a man being separated. When you can finally reach the last apple and add it to the bag, what we have is the whole plus one, which is the same thing as saying the whole. What kept the last apple from being reached? It was not accessible. It was in another place. Perhaps there was enmity. When two family members disagree, there is no peace. The family is broken. When peace returns, it is because the disagreement has formally been put aside. The following verses explain an important truth for all who believe in God, and some who do not. Ephesians 2:14 “For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us.” Ephesians 2:15 “Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace.” Ephesians 2:16 “And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby.”

Those verses in the book of Ephesians are about a peace treaty between opposing camps. They can indicate the Christian who opposes himself, as in the case of the Apostle Paul's lament that his spirit and his flesh were at war with each other. Equally, those verses can point to the conversion of Jews to Christianity, as in the argument about faith vs works. They can also speak of the inclusion of the lost tribes of Israel back into the fold, as in “other sheep have I that are not of this fold.” And of course, the one body by the cross is the body of Christ who is the new peace treaty between God and mankind.

We see men as different, but the word of God paints a picture of an underlying sameness. There is one God, and every man, woman, and child with a spirit has a piece of God inside. All the differences in mankind are of our own making. In God's eyes, we are the same. There is actually only one difference; either you give your spirit over to God and become one with him, or you withhold your spirit and stand apart. According to the author of the book of Romans, there is one God, one faith, and one justification for both the chosen people of God and the Gentiles. Romans 3:30 “Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.”

How many races do we have in this world? How many religious beliefs and non-beliefs do we know of. How many types of people can we name? God has an overview. God is a spirit, as Jesus explained, and God sees your spirit, the part of you that is Him. Galatians 3:28 “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.”

Just look what we have done to ourselves! What a mess we have made! Yet, God holds out that any one of us can not only be one with God but one with each other. The new covenant in Christ makes that a possibility for the Christian, the Jew, the Muslim, the Atheist. Faith is all it takes. Once we look at ourselves the way God looks at us, we know that the spirit inside us is more the determining factor than anything of our outward fiction. Romans 2:28 “For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh.” Romans 2:29 “But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.”

An old expression states that we are what we eat. We may extend that to include what we drink. When we drink water, we are hydrated. The spirit we have in us, despite opinions to the contrary, comes from God. The spirit we accept is like water, it fits our present form as surely as water fits the cup it is poured into. The Bible expresses the spirit as fluid, something that flows forward, something that spills over. If we incorporate the flesh of Christ, we are Christ. If we incorporate the blood of Christ, we are Christ. And Christ is one with God. Another way to say the above is, when we drink the spirit of Christ, we are Christ. And Christ is God, the whole. Is your leg your body? It is as much your body as your arm or head. The whole includes the members and imbues the members with the whole. 1 Corinthians 12:13 “For by one spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one spirit.”

If two balloons are each filled with helium, then both are helium balloons. They are one. If a Jew and a Gentile both turn to and believe in Christ, then both are one through the shared spirit of faith in Christ, which, by extension, is faith in God. Why? We have followed an example. Jesus was that example of God in man. For any of us to be a man of God, that is to have the spirit of the living God living in us, we must incorporate the spirit of Christ. When Jesus said that he was the way, what we must understand is this; in order to go where Jesus went, we must be Jesus, by which I mean, we must be God in man. Ephesians 2:18 “For through him we both have access by one spirit unto the Father.”

We cannot afford to see Christ only as that one man who died on the cross and came back to life. Christ is a whole that includes many individuals of the same spirit. Think about spirit for a moment. What is spirit? Spirit is what we get from God. It is the part of us that is not the flesh. It is the part of us that makes us living, thinking individuals. Do not make the mistake to think that the spirit of faith in Christ is different from the spirit of Christ. If you have faith, it is because Christ has faith. His spirit in you is his faith in you. Christ has faith because God has faith. The nature of God is passed to us through his son. Can you be one with Christ apart from Christ? That is an impossibility. You have the spirit of the one who said, I and my Father are one. 1 Corinthians 12:12 “For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.”

I wrote earlier that when we drink water, we are hydrated. The human body, according to science is seventy percent water. That is like saying that when we drink water, we are one with the water and the water is one with us. The water can be found in each member of the body. That pretty much says that the water is both the body and the member. Is any part of that formula out of place? I think not. 1 Corinthians 12:18 “But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.”

One: One as a member of the body whole/a recognized member of the body

One as a member of the body whole:

A Recognized Member of the Body:

A body is recognized by its members. We have words that lead our thoughts in such recognitions; words like he, she, it, they, them. The common and everyday application of the word one in the Bible points to the body as identified by its member. In the following verse, the word 'them' does not identify the whole but the members of the whole. Use of the expression 'every one of them' informs us that the unnamed whole consists of many members. Luke 4:40 “and he laid his hands on every one of them.”

In the following verse, what we see is a named whole and an unnamed member. It is the same thing in that the whole is identified by a member. The word, multitude, again shows us that the whole has many members. Mark 9:17 “And one of the multitude answered and said.”

So, we see in the common application a common mode of thought. We identify the whole by the member, and we identify the member by the whole. We have been thinking like that for centuries, and across different cultures, because it is common. It is not a mode of thought exclusive to the Bible; it is just the way we think. Mark 14:20 “And he answered and said unto them, it is one of the twelve.”

This thought mode will inevitably identify in one of three manners. Either both the member and the whole are named or unnamed; that is the first two of the three. The third manner involves one or the other, either the member or the whole, being named alone. Matthew 26:14 “Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot.” Mark 14:10 “And Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve.” Mark 14:43 “And immediately, while he yet spake, cometh Judas, one of the twelve.”

A whole can be identified as a mixed bag, as in a multitude. A whole can also be identified as a grouping of contemporary members who are in concert with one another. One may think of such a group as an organ. Biologically speaking, cells come before organs. When those cells organize themselves by purpose and congregate exclusively, we call those cells an organ. We give our biological organs names for the sake of identification. Likewise, the identity of any named whole is about the synchronous congregation of members. That is to say, all the members of a group are on the same page. They think alike and gather around the same cause. Therefore, we see in the Bible, identification of groups by name.

Even when a name is not given, a name is implied. In the following verse, we know the maid is identifying Peter as one of the disciples of Christ. Mark 14:69 “And a maid saw him again, and began to say to them that stood by, This is one of them.” Then, in a verse that identifies the member by name, the whole is identified circuitously. Mark 14:70 “they that stood by said again to Peter, Surely thou art one of them.” In that case, the identification of Peter is not by the marker of his name, but more likely by the marker of his bearing as a Galilean.

Previously, the disciples of Christ were identified as the whole through such named members as Judas and Peter. Other groups are also identified. The members remain unidentified, they are 'one of' a whole such as Pharisees, lawyers, servants, debtors. Luke 7:36 “And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him.” Luke 11:45 “Then answered one of the lawyers.” Luke 15:26 “And he called one of the servants” Luke 16:5 “So he called every one of his Lord's debtors unto him.”

People have a lazy manner of speech. We do not always want to go to the trouble of naming the member or naming the whole. The employees will speak of the employers and say 'them.' Citizens often call elected officials 'they' and 'them.' All of law enforcement is loosely referred to as 'the man.' We identify using easy shortcuts. We not only identify others by such mechanisms of thought and language, we identify ourselves as aligned to a body whole using terms such as 'we,' 'us,' and 'ourselves.' The mechanisms of thought and language are the same in the Bible. Luke 17:15 “And one of them, when he saw he was healed, turned back.”

Nicodemus was one of 'them.' Caiaphas was one of 'them.' We know that Caiaphas was the high priest; that is how he was identified, but high priest is not the whole. The Sanhedrin was the group of which Caiaphas was high priest. We identify Nicodemus as being of the same whole because that was the body he addressed in defense of Jesus. He is also identified as a secret disciple by the portion of the verse that is in parentheses. John 7:50 “Nicodemus saith unto them, (he that came to Jesus by night, being one of them.)” John 11:49 “And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year.”

There is the member and there is the body whole. Either may be identified by the other. We saw it in biology, we see it in mathematics. One plus one plus one equals one. It is easy to see a clear connection between the individual and the group. The member is 'one' and the whole is 'one.' For being a lazy application of language, 'one of them' is pretty specific when it comes to identification. John 12:2 “There they made him a supper, and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him.” Acts 21:8 “Philip the evangelist, which was one of the seven.” Revelation 17:13 “And one of the elders answered.”

We may look at a single object and be impressed by its singularity, its solitude, its separation. When we take a bunch of single objects and put all of them in a bag, the solitude is gone. They are one. When we see many cells combine around the same function, we no longer identify separate cells, we identify an organ. When people join in the same thinking, the same hope, the same cause, the same purpose and power, humble individuals are transformed into something far greater. They are transformed from one, the least, into one, the most. 

One: a topical Bible study/One as a specific point of fact/Purity and Singularity of the Whole

Purity and Singularity of the Whole:

The body whole may be viewed as a glass of water, complete and contained. Do you drink it or throw it out? If there are no contaminants, the water is one thing. If that one thing is only water, drink it. If someone should put a drop of ink in the water, it is no longer just one thing. Throw it out. Purity, or singularity, is precious. Purity holds a special place in our estimation of value and worth. If we filter out the drop of ink from the pure water, the water may be salvaged. Even if we could only save half of the water, we could incorporate that half and not be forced to discard the whole. Many lives have been spared by the amputation of a damaged or corrupt part. Diabetics are often faced with the prospect of amputation. In other words, cast off the bad part and save the rest.

This has a spiritual application. Cast off the part that corrupts the whole. Down through the ages, people have been told to repent because a part of their nature and behavior is corrupting all the rest. If you, as a member of a society, spread disease to others, society at large might ask you to change your behavior. Should that plea fall on deaf ears, society might rise up and destroy you. Cancers are destroyed, tumors are removed. The thought behind such actions is to save what can be saved. Such actions presume that the corruption has gone too far. Enough is enough. The concept of save what you can is clearly seen in Matthew 18:9 “And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.” See also Mark 9:47 “And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.”

I want to bring up the language of these two verses. There is 'life' and its opposite and there is 'the kingdom of God' and its opposite. Both opposites are the same. Comparatively, life and the kingdom of God are the same. Life may not be found exclusively in the body as the body dies. Therefore, life must be seen as an entity that continues past the termination of flesh. Life is spiritual. All of us possess spiritual life before our bodies perish. In our attempt to save what may be saved, we cast out spiritual corruption. It is not the physical eye that is offensive, it is the mind's eye that offends and corrupts when it turns from what is evidently right to accept what is clearly wrong.

In our life experience, we are aware that the whole consists of both right and wrong, both good and bad. In society, there are good and bad people. The good have subscribed to the body whole. They treasure what is right and reject what is wrong. They are sheep that listen to the Shepherd's voice. The bad people have been asked to change their behavior, but that plea has fallen on deaf ears. Therefore, what awaits the bad people, as a corrupt and unwanted part of the body whole, is the moment when the body whole rises up to destroy them. The following Bible verses lay out this truth plainly and should be compared to the verses about the offensive eye. Matthew 24:40 “Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.” Matthew 24:41 “Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.”

Those two verses were written in the context of war. Those two verses do not describe a 'rapture.' People are not taken up into the air. The 'taken' in those two verses are people who are killed during war. The descriptions of double efforts in the fields and women gathered in essential labors are reminiscent of wartime occupations. We find in Luke 17:34 what may be a reference to prisoners in a concentration camp. “I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.”

There is another verse that may be compared to the verses about the offensive eye that must be taken out. Matthew 25:29 “For unto every one that hath shall be given, he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken even that which he hath.” Matthew 25:29 is a verse that obliquely references that time when society will rise up to amputate from its body those members that corrupt. I would give the warning, “people, listen!” But, the people that I would warn already refuse to hear.

The body whole has its language, and the adherents speak the message. That message is continuity, completion, purity, singularity. Despite having deaf ears, the other lot, the corruptive members, also have a message, and they speak it loudly. That message is “MY WILL! MY CHOICE!” Clearly, there is a winner and a loser in the battle of the messengers. It is plainly laid out in Matthew 5:19 “Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” 

One: a topical Bible study/one as a specific point of fact/Continuity and Completion within the Whole

 Continuity and Completion within the Whole:

Our choices are connections. Connections reach completely between points. Completion is continuity. If you jump off a cliff, there is continuity in the fall. You don't stop halfway down; you fall to the bottom. Continuity is found in the right order of things, and, really, that is what we should look for. It was gravity that assured continuity in the fall. On the other hand, if you jump into the sky, gravity will be of no use as you are trying to do something contrary to the right order of things. You will not go to the top.

There is a natural order to everything in life. Sailing ships go where the wind takes them. Sun-dependent plants follow the course of the sun. Rivers run out of the mountains and find the sea. Day follows night and night follows day. Those who ask receive. We see continuity in symmetry. We have two feet so that we may put one before the other and get where we want to go. Common sense guides us through much of our daily struggle, but not all. We naturally expect the good to follow our efforts, but continuity demands that the bad also follow through.

Continuity is completion. Few appreciate the bitter cold of winter, but winter is necessary for the completion of the year. The rules of everything we know are already set to reach completion. The pendulum of life experience will include both sides. Therefore, if the bad, like the good, is geared toward continuity, and if the mechanics of all natural outcomes strives toward completion, then we are wise to allow matters to run their course. This may be understood from Luke 6:29 “And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other”

One" a Topical Bible Study/One as a specific point of fact/Prioritization within the whole

 Prioritization within the Whole:

When I use a word such as amputate, I refer to the choices an individual makes. Choices are parts of the body whole. They are clear and bright connections that all may see and recognize. It was individual choice that placed men on one side or the other in the Civil War. My great great grandfather was a Confederate soldier wounded during the battle of Antietam. It was a personal choice that made him a member of the Confederacy, a member of the wounded. Choices will lead us into one camp or another. They are connections that make us a part of something.

What choices have you made? What are you a part of? In the story of a meal, Mary chose to sit and listen to Jesus, leaving her sister to do all the work of preparation. When Martha complained to Jesus, he gave the following response in Luke 10:42 “One thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part.”

We are recognized by our choices as being a part of this or that. If you are recognized as a member of the group who earns something, you are also recognized as a member of the group who worked for it. See Luke 11:10 “For every one that asketh receiveth.” All of us, naturally, prioritize. If you are thirsty, your first choice is to drink. If you are hungry, eating is top on your list. Our choices are priorities that place us here or there. Where are you? What have you chosen to be a part of?

One: Topical Bible study/The Whole and the Part

 One as a specific point of fact:

The Whole and the Part:

There is the body whole and there are the parts that belong to it. We may turn our eyes to any part of our experience, any part of our reality, and see this fact. In the previous sentence, for example, common knowledge dictates that our whole experience, our whole reality, is known by its parts. Our home life is but a part of our whole experience and reality. We may also see our childhood as a part, our place in the neighborhood and local society as a part, our extended place in society as a whole, including our work lives, free time, and responsibilities under the law. We know ourselves as only a part, and not as the whole.

We see ourselves, not as a part alone, but as a part that has far-reaching connections. My wife, for example, has family connections in Mexico, California, Oregon, Illinois, Iowa, and overseas. When I look at my family tree, I see connections that reach far back through history. None of us are blind to our connections. In that we are able to recognize that we are part of this, or part of that, we also recognize the whole that we are part of. Others know us by the whole we are a part of. When we see a pot-bellied old man riding a miniature motorcycle in a parade, and wearing a Fez, we instantly recognize him as a Shriner. When you see a member of your social circle, you instantly recognize a friend. Sometimes far, sometimes close, we see the member and know the body whole.

A clear example of this is found in Luke 17:24 “For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven.” Our connections shine forth. They can not be mistaken. Even when some people amputate parts of their connecting identities, the subconscious eye still sees the light.

One: a topical Bible study

One

by DL Herring

(c) 2021

Author's Note

My earnest studies into the scriptures began in the 80s. At that time, I did not make notes on my studies. I was neither Catholic nor Protestant, and I was certainly not Jewish. However, I endeavored to observe the Sabbath on Saturdays, albeit after my own fashion. I also fasted on Saturdays while I studied. My study method has always been to pray first for the Holy Spirit to be with me, and second, to trust the thoughts he gives me.

It was later that I took notes of my studies. The notes became my first book, The Great Reflection. It can be found on Amazon, but one must search for it. They keep it on a dusty back shelf. Through the years, I have written other books based on my studies. After the scriptures, I looked into some of the apocryphal books from the Nag Hammadi Library. In all, I have tried to dig beneath the surface and pry loose the hidden truths. I have sought those things that many people miss for one reason or another. I believe one must stop and pay close attention to the details. The truth, I think, is ordered in such a way that each generation may draw from it the things that are applicable to their day and age.

The language of the truth is not a neon sign. There are no bells and whistles, no big red arrows pointing to a particular truth. One must not only read the things that are written, but also the words that are left out. One must constantly ask why. Why did Jesus call secretly for Mary? Why did the angels speak as if they were God? Why did God say the same thing to Adam and Noah? I have benefited personally from my studies, and I have immensely enjoyed all of the discoveries throughout my journey. Now, I find myself once again in the pursuit of truth. I think it will reveal something big.

Many people limit themselves to the cold hard facts. It is a form of amputation. They cut away the parts of themselves they find troubling. Why does God allow suffering? Why did the church perpetrate such atrocities? The obvious answer for them is to delete God from their view of reality. Unknowing and uncaring that their own minds are bits of implanted God, they sever the connection to God by cutting away parts of themselves.

We are so much more than meets the eye. Facts and figures and neat little measurements are but a small part of the overall reality. I do not write books for people who insist on self-mutilation. As I have said before, the truth is a path open only to those who are open to that path. People who close their eyes to truth higher than facts and figures end up with very practiced eyelids. They will never be convinced; they will not allow it. If my books may be of service to anyone, it will be to the seekers of higher truth. It will be to those who know there is something more. People who practice seeking truth will become strong in the practice. Their treasure hunt will be a joy, and their reward will be the connection to God that the world rejects.

Introduction

One word: One. What is the most consistent definition of the word as used by Christ and reflected in the writing of the apostles? What is the most applicable understanding that we may derive from a topical study of that one word? Join me as I pull together the Bible verses that deal with oneness, for I believe we will be rewarded with a life-changing view of who we really are.

We find the word 'one' used in the King James Bible exactly 1, 990 times. Interestingly, if we add across (reducing as we go) we get this: 1+9=10, 10+9=19, 19+0=19, 1+9=10, 1+0=1. All of those numbers, all 1,990 of them, are included in the number one.

There may be one side to an issue. That one is always half of the whole. There may be one apple, the individual one. Then, there is the one bag of apples. Each individual is a part of the whole. In this writing, I use the term 'body whole.' By that, I mean the bag of apples. The body of a man has a lot of stuff tucked away inside, and things hanging from the corners, but it is a body. It is considered whole. In the mental image of a bag of apples, we may add multiple ones to get the sum of one.

Our experience with life repeatedly proves to us that individuals are members of something bigger. They may be members of a family. If so, they are recognized as such. Within a family, there is a family resemblance that few members are able to escape. They may be members of a group or fraternity and are highly recognizable by the hat or helmet they wear. They may be members of a political party. They are recognized by the party line. Members of a Catholic church are recognizable as distinct and different from members of a Protestant church. Atheists may be known for their opinions and rhetoric being different from those of believers. Clearly, the Jewish faith is easily recognized by the curls men wear. As well, members of the Muslim faith are known by their language, appearance, and beliefs.

A single fact may be considered as one. However, there is no getting around the connection that one side of a coin has to the other side. Connection, in a sense, is membership. Most of us have quite a lot of connections. It is how we know we belong. I, for example, am a menagerie of single but connecting facts. I am a man, I am a Christian, I am a senior citizen, I am an American. I am a lot of things, and each fact connects me to someone or something other than myself. Seeing the difference between the part and the whole will be the beginning of this study. Then, parts must necessarily be prioritized within the whole. Throughout, we will see that a collection of parts fulfills the definition of continuity, and works toward completion. Finally, the completed whole, the body whole, may be viewed in the light of singularity and purity.

The point of this study is to see the connection between individual men and the unified whole within the parameters of God. Oneness is made possible by sameness. That has been the work all along. Our development has been toward sameness, like-mindedness, with the end result being inclusion. The evidence of our sameness sets us distinctly apart as a body whole unto itself. We will be recognized as those who love rather than hate, as those who rise above and persevere rather than settle for less. If we are known as Christians, that recognition exists in opposition to wholes such as Atheists, Jews, Muslims, etc. We are known for who we are, by which I mean the individual in regard to his or her connection to the body whole.

Table of Contents

One as a specific point of fact

The Whole and the Part

Prioritization within the Whole

Continuity and Completion within the Whole

Purity and Singularity of the Whole

One as a member of the body whole

A Recognized Member of the Body

On Knowing the Whole and the Member

The Sameness Within the Body

Know Your Place in the Body Whole

One as on the same page

One Accord

The Actions of a Single Heart and Soul

One Spirit, One Mind

One as the sum of its parts

The Flesh and the Spirit

Gathered into a Whole

The Joining

How it Connects

God is All of it