Through All

One Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

Ephesians 4: 5, 6

How is God the Father, ‘through all?’  We may consider this in the way that Paul sets it forth by referring first to God as being ‘above all,’ that is transcendent; then ‘through all,’ that is immanent; and ‘in you all,’ that is, actively present.  This underscores our vital union with God in multiple ways.  That He is ‘above all’ is of great encouragement to us because, as the Sovereign God, He oversees all things, including all who believe.  That He is ‘through all’ is of great encouragement because He is the God Who is near, and not far removed from us.  That He is ‘in you all’ is encouraging, because He is not just with us, but in us in a vital way.  We understand that the Holy Spirit is the Agent of this Divine Presence, and that as He is, He reveals the Father to us by showing us Christ.  Hence, Christ could make the statement to His disciples, ‘he that has seen me, has seen the Father.’ Because Christ is the same in essence as the Father, the Father has set Him forth as all there is to see of the Trinity.  We are content then with this relationship with the Father Who is ‘above all and through all and in you all.’  He is the transcendent and immanent God.

Our Father and Our God,
we rejoice that You are above all and through all
and in us all.
We praise You that what You have shown us of Yourself
we see clearly in Christ.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning