One: single; just one as opposed to any more or to none at all. There is only one God, only one Creator, only one Father, only one I AM, only one first and only one last. Isaiah 45:5 tells us, “I am the Lord, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God.” The Book of Revelation states at the beginning, “’I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord, ‘who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.’” Revelation 1:8. Near the end it reminds us, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.” Revelation 22:13.
There is only one Son, only one Savior, only one Redeemer, only one Messiah, only one Holy One of Israel, only one Prince of Peace, only one King of Kings. There is only one Immanuel (God with us). There is only one Lamb of God, only one Judge, only one Author and Finisher of Our Faith. There is only one Good Shepherd, only one Word Made Flesh. There is only one Bridegroom, only one Lion of Judah, only one Christ, only one Jesus. There is only one path to salvation and only one resurrection. John 3:16 famously declares, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” And later in John’s gospel he declares, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6.
The is only one man who lived without sin. “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:21.
Jesus said, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” Mathew 7:13-14.
There is only one Spirit that dwells within us. “For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body – whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free – and we were all given one Spirit to drink.” 1 Corinthians 12:13. Paul also reminds us in Ephesians 4:4-6, “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all” There is only one purpose, and that is to glorify the Lord and spread his love.
God is omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient. He is infinite and incomprehensible, so it is not surprising that many struggle with the concept of the Trinity. Paul informs us in Colossians 2:9, “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form,” and Jesus commissioned the disciples, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Mathew 28:18. He didn’t say names, but name, three in one.
Additionally, God’s ability to manifest himself as a man is documented in Genesis 18 when the Lord informed Abraham that he was about to destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. While Abraham was sitting at the entrance to his tent he looked up and saw three men, one of which was God. They ate with Abraham and God told Abraham he would have a son the next year (Genesis 18:10).
Another instance where God manifested himself as a man is recorded in Joshua 5:13-15. “Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, ‘Are you for us or for our enemies?’
‘Neither,’ he replied, ‘but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.’ Then Joshua fell face down to the ground in reverence, and asked him, ‘What message does my Lord have for his servant?’
The commander of the Lord’s army replied, ‘Take off your sandals, for the place you are standing is holy.’ And Joshua did so,” We can ascertain that this is indeed God who stood before Joshua from the his wording which he also spoke to Moses in Exodus 3:5 at the burning bush, “’Do not come any closer,’ God said. ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.’” Undoubtedly when Joshua heard these same words, he connected the dots and realized who was standing before him near Jericho (Joshua would have been intimately familiar with the event at the burning bush due to his contemporaneous relationship with Moses). Furthermore, as ruler of the universe God would automatically be commander in chief over his army.
There is only one Word, there is only one truth, only one true gospel. There is only one plan for humanity, only one rescue, only one redemption, one life and one chance and it is revealed in the pages of the Bible. 1 Timothy 2:5 reveals, “For there is only one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Jesus Christ,” Romans 1:17 says, “For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed – a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith.’”
There is only one who can forgive sins, there is only one atonement, only one sacrifice that saves, once for all. This mystery is elaborated upon in Hebrews 9:24-28, “For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence. Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgement, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.”
There is only one first fruits and there is only one eternal life. Jesus said to Martha in John 11:25-26, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.”
There is only one heaven, there is only one kingdom that will last forever. It is priceless, of immeasurable value and worth more than all earthly treasures combined. Jesus put it this way, “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid again, and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.” Mathew 13:44-46.
There is only one conqueror who will come to destroy the wicked. John wrote in Revelation 19:11-16, “I saw heaven standing open and before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. ‘He will rule them with an iron scepter.’ He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:
KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.”
Mankind has grown arrogant, ignorant and narcissistic, believing we can solve our own problems and bring about a utopian society where all people are valued and respected. We have by and large forgotten God and teach our children that there is no God, through education systems that propagate evolutionary theory as fact, the implausible big bang theory, and the erroneous dating of the earth as billions of years old based upon conjecture to support the mythical evolution of nature.
The apostle Paul eloquently yet bluntly informs us all in Romans 1:18-20, “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God has been made plain to them. For since the beginning of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.”
The power of one will prevail. The power of one who is coming on a white horse to make his enemies a footstool for his feet. The power of one who loves us so much that he sent his one and only Son to pay for our sins on the cross of Calvary. The power of one who will wipe away every tear and put an end to death, mourning, crying and pain (Revelation 21:4). Praise him!
