Sometimes, playing with a single idea leads to marvelous insights.The Binary Principal
1+1=1 is a valid spiritual function; go figure. A binary can be a subject or object made of two things or parts. The distinction is in science and mathematics, 1=1=1 is more or less a function, and in the spirit, it is more or less a relationship. Functions and relationships tend to bleed over on each other. The Bible says that when a man marries a woman, they become one. It also states when a man sleeps with a prostitute, they become joined…yes, one. Relationships of all kinds and complex levels can exhibit binary properties; one person belonging to a group would be an example. There are good things and bad things shared across the bond, perpetrators and innocents alike. Leaders can cause the whole group to succeed or fail, and everyone shares in the outcome, good or bad.
For the scientists in the audience, one could say that the binary principle is a spiritual concept applied to the physical universe. The math/science function operates in simplicity and complexity, much like the spiritual equivalent. Now, for the regular people reading this, the simplest binary operation is addition or subtraction resulting in something different. One man + one woman = one couple. If there is true unity, a true binary function, then the outcome is quite different than the singular elements.
“So, they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, let no one separate.” Matthew 19:6 (NIV)
The Spiritual Binary
Now then, the spiritual binary does not have the simplistic and arbitrary outcome that science/mathematics does. There is an art to spiritual unity. Give and take, humble submission and balanced expectations are the paint, brushes, and canvas of a vibrant, dynamic relationship. A spiritual binary is internal and has an outward display. The manifestation can be good or bad and the truth can be hidden only for a finite amount of time, usually a short amount of time.
A complex spiritual binary would be the Church. Each person is a singular component of a singular whole, the corporate body. Each singular person is a member of a singular body. Backgrounds, experiences, education, and traditions all contribute to the complexity of single elements and their contribution to the comprehensive unit. The binary outcome (1+1=1) rests on a rock-solid foundation.
“There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” Galatians 3:28 (NIV)
Jesus is the chief cornerstone, the sure foundation. The Church becomes the corporate body, even the Bride of Christ, through the life of Christ, His teachings, His promises, and the acknowledgment of the members of the binary function. The slave becomes one with the master, and the student becomes one with the university professor. Just think: The Son of God left His father so He could become one with His Bride, the Church. Now that is an incredible binary relationship.
So often, the Bible is cherry-picked for blessings, promises, and power. The thing is, there are also valid warnings, consequences, and punitive outcomes. It is essential to be aware of this good/bad binary that resides in the Bible. For example, one very subtle issue today in the spirit is an old and prestigious Christian sect normalizing a most egregious sin. The Bible states people engaging in this sin have no inheritance in the Kingdom of God. The sect in question is ordaining leaders and ministers and performing ceremonies under the banner of Christianity. The message being sent is, “It must be ok to practice this sin.”
Consequently, many people miss a chance at the riches in the Kingdom of God. A hidden reality is that those in leadership are held accountable, complicit, and culpable. The punitive outcome is the same for those who practice and those who approve. At best, rank-and-file members have been placed in a position where their eternal inheritance is at risk.
God is not binary, although He presides over binaries. He is Lord over good and bad, but God is good. God is unique in that He is One; however, a trinity. Three in one, He really can’t be defined by math or science. Just think, God didn’t decide one day to be the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; He has existed that way from eternity past.
Even so the Father and Holy Spirit are the same yesterday, today and forever.
Now, the extraordinary binary relationship is Immanuel. The spiritual being, the Son, transitioned the divide between the spiritual and physical universes and walked with us. He was binary with respect to being both God and man. He had a human nature and a divine nature. He knew the Glory of God and the frailty of a creature. Jesus was even conscious of the time He was with the Father in eternity past, as recorded in John 17:5 (NIV).
“And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.”
Consider the great binary operation, the union of God with regular people, 1+1=1. It is described as a new birth. There is no science to it; it is a spiritual undertaking and a miracle. God, in His great foresight, provided a means by which the life of God could become one with the life of a creature; it is not something earned or worked for, but a gift (see 1 Peter 1:3). Likewise, the corporate body, The Church, becomes part of the holy binary by marriage as the Bride of Christ. The function of the Holy Binary did bleed over onto a relationship between God and men, making a standing peace in the relationship forevermore. Nothing but the Blood of Jesus.
Feature image: Bigstock.com | Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
