One and Only

Yesterday we discussed the question, "what is the central point of the Bible?" I have thought about this for 20 years. Obviously to attempt to answer a statement like this is to invite controversy. I know there may be many honestly held ideas but I have not stumbled into my understanding. I believe the center of it all..the word of God, the mission of Jesus, and of the church, and even the point of attack for the enemy is oneness. God wants us to be one with him and with each other. Below is a very brief summary of oneness and Biblical history.

-God is one (Deut. 6:4)--the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in a trinity which is simply a union or oneness of three things.
-God made mankind to be one with him illustrated by the picture of Adam and God walking in the cool of the evening in the garden in an intimate fellowship.
-God made mankind to be one with each other illustrated by the intimacy of Adam and Eve, the first people.
-The fall of man broke the intimacy between God and mankind. Adam and Eve immediately began to hide from God and each other; clearly their oneness has been ruined.
-The books of the law in the Old Testament provide a system for mankind to have partial oneness with God and each other. But this system is insufficient, temporary, and looks forward to the day when a better solution to man's loss of oneness with God and each other will be provided.
-Jesus ministry is all about restoring the oneness that has been lost in the fall of man. When asked about the greatest commandment Jesus says to love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself. That sums up exactly what God created and was lost in the Garden of Eden. Love is the action and emotion of oneness.
-And of course during Jesus' prayer in John 17 he talks about his oneness with the Father and his hope for his mission and for the people of the world to have the same oneness that he has.
-The early church became one and was used mightily to change 1000's of lives.
-And in the end we shall go to be with the father and with each other...together as one, forever in heaven. The restoration is complete... mankind is again one with his Creator and with each other.

So what does this all mean? It means that what God wants of is us to become one with him and each other. And our mission in life is to help more and more people to do the same. One and only!