Have you heard of the theological term 'monergism'? It's a word built from the Greek "ergon" (work) with the prefix "mono." It means to work alone, as in God alone works salvation, etc.
But I say God never works alone. The very first verse of the bible introduces us to God as "Elohim." The "im" is a plural suffix like our letter 's.' In fact, Elohim in Hebrew speaks of at least three. Yet, whenever the Person Elohim acts, the verbs are written in the singular tense. We don't have as much of that in English, but I know you can easily recognize the mistake in, "three men runs to the gym." Ironically, we say one man runs but several run. Hebrew has much more of that than English.
So, the bible opens by telling us of the "plurality" in God Who does things singularly. That is synergism, not monergism.
We Christians, of course, are more precise about God. We say He is the Trinity, Three Persons in one Godhead. This is why I say it isn't mere semantics to say God never does anything alone. For instance, God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself. Jesus insisted that all He did and said was as the Father was in Him, doing and saying.
So, long before we Christians were called to loving fellowship with each other, the Trinity was Perfect Koinonia. Long before Peter spoke as the Eleven stood behind him in unison with him, God was Perfect Koinonia. The Three worked in perfect unison long before we were sent out two-by-two. The True God is Perfect Synergism, not monergism.
So, this isn't a side issue. John 17 records what is virtually Jesus' dying prayer to the Father. In it, He asks that we might be one with them – He in us and the Father in Him. He speaks there of the glory of God being seen in this. Christ Himself fully embraces this truth. That's why, when He confronted Saul of Tarsus, He said, "I am Jesus Whom you are persecuting." Yet, Paul was persecuting the church. But to attack the Church is to attack Christ. (Let's remember that the next time a quarrel arises.)
But His troops will be willing in the day of His power: Just as no one can love God whom he doesn't see if he can't love the neighbor he does see, so we show our fitness for union with God by leaning into loving union in a fellowship of believers. Since Christ is in His Church, one vital way we can be one with Him today is by flowing with and submitting to a local body. Yes, He comes to us individually, but He comes to US, too. After all, The Singular One isn't going to marry me or you, He will join with a many-membered bride.
Now, I am aware that merely belonging to a local body does not necessarily mean I am joined to Christ. But I am also aware that it is next to impossible to be joined to Christ apart from being in dear fellowship with a local body. That is especially true if I resist joining a local body, if I refuse to join a local body. We gauge the weather outside by the barometer on the wall. So also, we can gauge our relationship with Him by assessing our relationship with the brethren.
We are called to a high calling in Christ – loving union with the Triune God, through Christ Jesus our Lord. We are invited to join and flow with our Synergistic God. So. let's look to the Spirit of Christ to help us flow with Christ now, with Him as Lord of each individual life, and with Him in His many-membered body to which we are joined.
-Matt Schilling
| Contact Us | < To Next Entry | To Previous Entry > |
