THREE TRUTHS FROM ONE TRUTH

Hosea 11:9

Pastor Rick Jackson

I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger, I will not return to destroy Ephraim: for I am God, and not man; the Holy One in the midst of thee: and I will not enter into the city.

 

1. THERE IS ONLY 1 GOD

Dt. 4:35 Unto thee it was shewed, that thou mightest know that the LORD he is God; there is none else beside him

Dt. 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:

Is. 43:10 Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.

Is. 44:6 Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.

Mk. 12:29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:

 

2. THIS 1 GOD IS IN 3 PERSONS

The word "one" in these verses speaks of a compound unity (more than one in the one). Sometimes people come to the Scriptures with preconceived ideas, and they try to bend the Scriptures (or "wrest" them as Peter says) to fit their ideas. We should always be open to the Scriptures and let them mold our thoughts and ideas. People sometimes get upset with the preacher for not following their little narrow view when the truth is right there in the Scriptures. Some Bible examples of the number one being a compound unity at times:

Gn. 2:24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

Gn. 11:6 And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.

Jn. 17:22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:

Gal. 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.

 

3. GOD IS ESSENTIALLY ONE AND ALSO IS THREE

God often uses plural pronouns or designations about Himself. We do as well – “One nation under God”

Gn. 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

Is. 6:8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?

Jn. 1:1-2 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God.

Jn. 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

God is infinite and we are finite. He is not limited as we are.

He has given us the physical example of water (vapor, liquid, solid) to help illustrate the truth of 3 in 1 and 1 in 3 (Father, Son & Holy Spirit).