What's it mean to be "one with God"?
It's a common spiritual question, with a staggering biblical answer
We hear a lot in popular culture about being “one with God.” The expression evokes feelings of peace and transcendence, even if we don’t know exactly what it means. Does this oneness suggest that can essentially disappear into God, like a drop of water in the ocean? Is that a good thing? Do we even care?
More importantly, is being “one with God” something we look forward to after death, or are there implications and experiences right now that shape us to this divine mystery?
Jesus’s Prayer
The Bible has unique answers to these questions. Jesus even prayed that we might be “one” with God (John 17:11, 21), so it must be important. In fact, the trinitarian logic is staggering when you think about it. God (the Son) asked God (the Father) by God (the Spirit) that we might be one with them. If God talks to himself about something, we should listen in. For Jesus to pray this, oneness with God must be pretty high on the priority list for God’s people.
But what exactly is Jesus asking for? In my forthcoming book, One with God, I explain this as a “oneness of fellowship.” I won’t get into great detail, but here’s what that means.
We can be one with God and yet still be fully us. We aren’t drops of water disappearing into an ocean. In fact, in order to be one with God, we need to remain distinct persons, unique individuals. Being one with God doesn’t mean not being yourself anymore. It means being the greatest version of yourself that God could fathom.
We won’t become God; we’ll be with God. Jesus’s prayer was a call for deep, personal communion. When we’re one with God, we don’t become divine; we’re simply bound by the power and grace of God in ceaseless relationship. Oneness with God is the gift of God’s presence—always.
Being one with God matters right now. Oneness with God isn’t an experience with God we’re meant to chase after, only to reach it after death. Jesus prayed for oneness for his disciples on earth as he was about to be crucified. It mattered for their everyday life. In fact, being one with God tells us who we are (creatures made for communion), why we’re here (to witness to the truth of God), and where we’re going (eternal fellowship with him).
Oneness with God has everything to do with everything.
Being one with God doesn’t mean not being yourself anymore. It means being the greatest version of yourself that God could fathom.
More Than a Feeling
In this sense, being one with God isn’t a feeling we chase after; it’s a relationship we live out. Yes, there will come a day when our oneness with God will be perfect and eternal. But the relationship begins the moment we put our faith in Christ. It’s in communion with God through Christ that we begin understanding who we are and how we’re called to live right now.
Being one with God isn’t a vague spiritual sensation of peace. It’s a concrete, day-to-day dialogue with the living God. It brings us hope, purpose, and freedom all at once. And it’s the only thing worth living for.
Coming June 20th . . .
