Study Guide
The Mystery of One
1,147 words, about 6 min read
It was in that part of the day when the sun found its way down to hide behind the mountains to the West. It was at that time the Lord spoke to me, while writing this book. He led me to the scripture below.
Exodus 3:14
And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. I AM THAT [which] I AM.
In other words, there are no variations of God. He is that which He claims to be. Regardless of location, i.e. whether in Heaven or on earth,
He is the same. For I am the LORD, I change not… Malachi 3:6
ONE LORD . . .
Deuteronomy 6:4-5
4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:
5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
OUR GOD IS ONE . . . ONE means ONLY.
When Moses wrote this passage, God was the only one of His kind. There were no others likened unto Him. However, today with the begetting of sons the same is true. The sons of God, or the Church, are the holy habitation of God. Each of us is the dwelling place or temple of God. The body belongs to Him. Therefore, when you have seen a son, you have seen the Father. The sons are God incarnate in the flesh. They are not separate from the Father in any manner of speaking. They are of God. He is in them and they are in Him. Our brother Paul is very bold in his exposition on the sons.
2 Corinthians 3:18
But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
Note that Paul begins this section making reference to Moses and the veil that was placed over his face after having glimpsed the hind parts of God.
Exodus 34:29-35
29 And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses’ hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him.
30 And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him.
31 And Moses called unto them; and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned unto him: and Moses talked with them.
32 And afterward all the children of Israel came nigh: and he gave them in commandment all that the LORD had spoken with him in mount Sinai.
33 And till Moses had done speaking with them, he put a vail on his face.
34 But when Moses went in before the LORD to speak with him, he took the vail off, until he came out. And he came out, and spake unto the children of Israel that which he was commanded.
35 And the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face shone: and Moses put the vail upon his face again, until he went in to speak with him.
The administration of the Law was so glorious until the children of Israel could not look upon the face of Moses; whose countenance showed forth the glory of having been in the presence of God when he received the Commandments. Therefore, they placed a veil over his face. That glory, however brilliant, was to be done away with. But Paul goes on to say, “If that which was to be done away with was glorious, how much more is that which shall remain.” In this he refers to the administration of the Holy Spirit. In other words, if the giving of the Law, which placed Moses in the presence of God, caused a great light to shine from his face; how much greater glory is it for God to actually inhabit the vessel.
We all, (the Church), with open face, (meaning unveiled face or having no veil), behold the image of Christ as we look into the Word. The veil of ignorance was taken away at our conversion. We can see Christ. We are as one who has been brought face to face with Jesus our Lord. As we look into the Word of God, we see more perfectly the personage of Jesus Christ. But more importantly, we are able to see ourselves. It is the image of Christ that we see and what we have become.
We have come to know ourselves as a reflection of Christ. For great is this glory of the Spirit, for by it we are changed into the same image as our Lord. Nevertheless, James gives warning to the sons.
James 1:23-25
23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
It is evident that if we do not obey the Word, there remains a possibility of our forgetting that we were created in the image of Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins (2 Peter 1:9). We have received the Spirit of God which has afforded us a degree of glory. But the day will come when we shall be changed even more, for this mortal must be changed to immortality. For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body…(Philippians 3:20-21).