What Does the Bible Say about Oneness with God?
Estimated reading time: 9 minutes
Introduction to Oneness in the Bible
Oneness with God is a profound and transformitive concept in today’s world. Living in this oneness is not about following a strict set of rituals but about embracing the gift of our heartfelt connection with the one true God. This post explores the foundation of oneness in the Bible, provides examples of how the man Christ Jesus lived in unity with the Father, and offers inspiration for those seeking a closer relationship with Christ.
Bible Verses on Oneness
The Body of Christ
There are many Bible verses that pertain to oneness. One of my absolute favorites in all the New Testament is the beautiful prayer that Jesus prayed in John 17. He said to His Father in verses 22-23, “I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one–I in them and you in me–so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” The Bible gives so much to unpack about oneness in this verse alone. It is actually pertaining mainly to the oneness that Christ wanted for His followers to have with each other. But it was made possible by the unity that Christ had with His Father and that He granted us also to have with Him.
Glory Shared
What a concept! To know that we have been granted unity with God that is comparable to the oneness that the Trinity embodies is mind blowing. And is it His “glory” shared that makes oneness evident? In the Old Testament, Isaiah 42:8 says that He does not share His glory with another. Yet John says He gave us His glory. So perhaps in Christ we are no longer “another” but one with Him. We can receive His glory, not to bask in pride, but to inherit and partake in true oneness, because we are “in Him.” And Jesus’ prayer asks that we then go cultivate that oneness with each other. Then the world will know the Father’s heart and the Father’s love.
Why is oneness so important? It is one of God’s deepest desires for there to no longer be any separation between Him and His children. He didn’t just want us “close.” He wanted us to be “one,” since the creation of the world. And then when His whole body is also functioning as one through the unity of the Spirit, then He can reveal His heart for the world through their unity. Oneness with God is given through salvation, yet we also grow in the reality of this through sanctification by His glory.
Christ in Us
Several other Bible verses stand out as well about oneness. 1 Corinthians 6:17 says, “But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit.” John 14:20 says, “On that day you will realize that I am in the Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.” This seems to be the way He actually fulfills the oneness of God. The Spirit of God has placed us in Him, and when we invite Him in our hearts, then He also is “in us.” The work of Christ on the cross was done with complete unity of mind with the Father on our behalf. And He made a way to be able to grant us a type of oneness that only the Trinity had ever experienced before this point.
Christ in us, the hope of glory has made oneness believable and also beautiful. And He has called us to live in this unity with the Father and with others through the bond of the Holy Spirit. This seems like a complete delight yet also a confusing dilemma as to how to go about this. What do I need to “do” in order to live mightily in this oneness? How do I live as Jesus did to where miracles become daily fruit? Is there a certain recipe to follow? A ten step plan would be nice. I noticed something, however, as I was reading in Matthew the other day.
Jesus’ Miracles
Sometimes, it’s easy for me to just accept that Jesus, the perfect man, did all those amazing miracles because He was God’s Son after all. But then sometimes, I wonder if He too had a certain formula for doing such things perfectly and powerfully. Did He spend just enough time with His Father? Did He study the scriptures a certain amount every day? Or did He just pray hard enough? However, Matthew gave me an interesting perspective on the questions I had.
Feeding the Five Thousand
Chapter 14:13-34 recounts two of His most well-known miracles. As we recall, Jesus fed the five thousand, and He walked on water to calm a storm. I did not remember, however, that right before these two things happened, Jesus had just received word that John the Baptist, His cousin, had been beheaded. He was grieving and desperately needing time with His Holy Father. But He did not get it right away. He went away for solitude, but the crowds followed Him. And more than that, they were hungry! Jesus, like anyone, could have dismissed the crowds admitting that He was not in a good place to feed them spiritually or physically.
He could have doubted how He might help the people based on His emotions. But instead, His tender heart felt great compassion for them. He knew that the Father still had a powerful plan in place. Jesus didn’t run from the moment because He was grieving, He simply gave the moment to His Father, and God showed up! Jesus knew that God could do miraculous things despite hard circumstances. And while the Bible clarifies He did in fact live a perfect life, it was His oneness with the Father, not perfect actions, that allowed Him to be the vessel He needed to be. Jesus didn’t doubt the possibility for miracles if He didn’t get enough time with the Father. He trusted in the unchanging oneness that they had possessed from the very beginning.
Calming the Storm
After Jesus fed the five thousand, He did spend time alone with His Father while His disciples faced a great storm on the lake. One could assume that He might have been in a much more capable place to perform this miracle. And He certainly did amaze the disciples when He came to them walking on water. But this too was not because of the time He had just spent alone with God. It was because a Savior was needed in that moment, and God moved through His Son to calm the storm. Jesus was already one in spirit with God, and no lack of time with Him was going to change that. He wanted to spend time with God “because” of Their oneness, not so that He could “attain” that oneness.
Living in Intimacy
The Son of Man lived powerfully as a result of unified intimacy, yet He always craved more when it came to relationship with the everlasting Father. This is a perfect balance. Jesus rightfully longed every day on earth for more time with God. Yet He knew His amount of time with the Father didn’t determine the status of their relationship or the strength of the miracle. The Bible shows He simply lived in His oneness, and changed the world. Because of the doctrine of the trinity, He became the manifest image of the invisible God, and He revealed the mystery of godliness to those who opened their hearts to Him.
We can do likewise. We certainly need time to call on the name of the Father. But quiet time does not “make” us one with Him or “keep” us one with Him… He does! Time with the Father in His Word or in prayer can certainly grow and mature us as His followers, but it does not determine our oneness with Him. That is our gift. These two miracles of Jesus were the same in wonder because they weren’t based on the performance of the vessel. They were based upon the unchanging oneness that produced beautiful demonstrations of love shown from a wonderful Father to a willing Son.
The Promise and the Process
Oneness with God is both a gift and a journey. While it is something we never could have attained with the mighty God, He gave us all of Himself, the whole fullness of deity, at salvation. Yet we still mature daily in the fullness of this reality. As we grow spiritually, our resistance to God’s Spirit diminishes, leading to a deeper realization of our unity with Christ. This process, described in Philippians 1:21, “For me to live is Christ,” highlights the transformative power of divine union. Paul had such a life changing revelation when he met God’s Son Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus. Everything he had ever valued in life became like rubbish to him, and he recognized that life itself was Christ and nothing else.
To be one with the anointed One was the reason we were created. And like Christ, we can bear great fruit when we embrace this gift. We are called to make disciples of all nations, and while there are many different ways to go about this, our oneness with the God of love provides the catalyst for sharing eternal life with others. The unity of the faith and the bond of peace bring about perfect harmony and a humble mind, reflecting the nature of God.
The Vine and the Branches
So if there ever needed to be a “how to” in this process, then it would be found in John 15. Verse 5 says, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me, you can do nothing.” How do we live in oneness? ABIDE. That’s it. You’re already “in Him,” as the branch is in the vine. You don’t have to live out a formula to attain oneness with Him. You ARE one! Now remain. Stay. Abide and live. Drink deeply from the wellspring of the Vine. His resources are endless.
Conclusion to Oneness in the Bible
Yes…Jesus lived out the faith of the gospel humbly and perfectly. Yet this was only the result of a unified relationship. And it was the relationship itself between the Father, Son and Holy Ghost that opened the door to the miraculous. As we seek to bear fruit in oneness, may we be inspired by Jesus’ example in the Bible and trust in the power of relationship with a faithful Father.
The fullness of God, the word of His power, the radiance of the glory of God, and the exact imprint of His nature are made manifest in the lives of believers who walk confidently in the gift of oneness with Him.
About the Author
Celeste Claborn
Hi! I’m Celeste! I am a mother, a wife, and a writer! I have the joy of raising 5 kids, one of which is my husband, John. When we’re not writing, we enjoy the great outdoors, traveling or playing outside with the neighbors. I hope you find joy in my writing, as well as impactful articles that lead you closer to freedom and adventure in Jesus.
