One God

In Jesus’ name. This is Pastor Michael Lilienthal of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, Albert Lea. Together, let us meditate on and wrestle with God’s Word: 1 Corinthians 8:4-6: “Therefore…we know that…‘There is no God but one.’ For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are many ‘gods’ and many ‘lords’—yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.” God is one. His essence is not made up of component parts, and there are no other gods beside him. This is a truth that requires constant reminding. As Israel danced around a golden calf, we find our fears focused on dangers as though God were not in control, our love toward the things of this world, as though the Creator of them all couldn’t give all we need, our trust in passing things, as though the eternal God would not preserve us for eternity. If the truth of God’s oneness is not rooted deeply in our hearts, controlling all our thoughts and actions, then we are idol-worshipers. Withholding any part from him is building an idol against him. Our God knows the weakness of our flesh, and for this purpose he became one of us. Here is the mystery: the Father did not become Man or suffer, nor did the Holy Spirit, but the Son of God became man, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He rose from the dead and is our intercessor before God, having paid for all our sins. God is one of us, and in him our human flesh is granted power, glory, and divine life. Amen. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, forevermore. Amen.