When God gives us this beautiful gift of oneness by the blood of Jesus Christ, He expects us to partner with Him in the restoration process of becoming more and more like Jesus. The Bible calls this sanctification. Since we usually never think in terms of being one within our soul, I am using oneness to teach us what Jesus called our greatest challenge in Matthew 6:24, to serve one master.
The reason He says we fail to live out the Sermon on the Mount lifestyle is because we are inwardly divided, trying to serve two masters. We were created to serve one master only, God. Sin fractured of our soul, including our minds, but God has begun to make us whole by the work of the Holy Spirit.
Remember, God is one. “Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God. The Lord is one!” (Deut. 6:4). Jesus prayed in John 17:20-26 that we would be one as the Father and Jesus are one. Sin has corrupted the image of God in us; we have lost any understanding of this oneness in the world.
Even creation reflects the oneness of God. The ecosystem is so interconnected it flourishes as one with the flora and fauna. Of course, the perfection of this wondrous system of life has also been corrupted and lost its perfection. It groans for the day it will be restored in the new heaven and new earth of Revelation 21 and 22.
When I do premarital counseling, I share with these wonderful couples the concept of love represented by a beautiful garden. God’s gift of their love is like a flourishing garden. Yet, like any garden, this love needs to be taken care of with hard work and creative effort. If the garden is left alone to continue in its beauty, it will soon be overrun by weeds, bugs and corruption.
The same metaphor applies to the oneness God has given us in our soul through Jesus Christ. Oneness of our soul, which includes our mind, is our great defense against the attacks of Satan, his demons, our flesh and the world system. Unless we partner with the Holy Spirit, Jesus and the Father, who are one, our oneness will become more and more fractured. Our minds will become a minefield of battle and danger.
We have been given a tank in Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. Our enemies have rifles at best. Yet, if we allow the tank to go unrepaired and fail to refresh our ammo, the soldiers of Satan will seduce us into bondage in our thought life. These habits of sin will bring destruction and death into our lives. So, how do we tend our garden and keep our tank functioning to protect our oneness in the image of God in our soul? I have seven biblical steps that will keep us on the path to oneness and greatness in this life. Listen to this episode of Awaken with Blake Lorenz on the Charisma Podcast Network called Oneness to learn more.
Tune into the podcast Awaken with Blake Lorenz three times a week at cpnshows.com to explore the wonders of Jesus’ teachings on His return and how we can live a life of hope, love and joy as we apply the principles He has given us for this special season. {eoa}
Once a professional baseball player with the Chicago Cubs Organization, Blake Lorenz was called to Asbury Seminary after a radical encounter with Jesus, where he received his master’s degree. He has pastored in the Orlando area for 33 years and has been blessed with the opportunity to evangelize globally, visiting five continents and preaching the gospel to tens of thousands. Blake has also helped plant 500 churches. He has been working in Israel for the past 20 years, includes serving on the board of the Jerusalem Prayer Breakfast in connection with the Knesset. In 2020, blakelorenzministries.com and the Awaken podcast launched to teach and challenge others to join him on a journey of anticipating the return of Jesus. He has used the three books he’s written in his seminars and conferences. He and his wife, Beverly, share three children and six grandchildren.
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