The Paradox of Unity and Separation

Original Version:
The Necessity of Separation within the Oneness of God
By, Thomas Lee Abshier, ND
1/14/2025

There is an intimate relationship between the existence of God and His creation. Unless God used another source of building material, then he and the universe are connected inherently and eternally. But, the separation between God and the universe is the obvious impression of casual introspection. But deeper examination  (what some call the enlightenment experience), reveals the error of the first impression as obviously false.

This issue, whether God is united with the substance of the universe or separate from His creation, is the central paradox of God’s simultaneous oneness and the necessity of His separation from the world for genuine relationship and love to exist. If God is simply an undifferentiated oneness, with no distinction between Himself and all that exists, then genuine connection and communion would be impossible. But God’s creation of “other” – separate beings with free will – allows for meaningful interaction, choice, and the fulfillment of love.

Thus, separation of some type must exist between God and His creation. Still, this separation cannot be absolute/total if the physical universe’s existence originates in His being. In short, if God is the source and sustainer of all that is, there can be no actual/substantive division between the Creator and His creation. Thus, the paradox cannot be resolved by forcing a simplistic either/or paradigm upon the relationship between the creation and God. Instead, resolution comes by recognizing the multifaceted nature of reality where mutually exclusive facts are true, but only when each is viewed from its own perspective, and the whole is seen to encompass both.

The question of God’s and creation’s unity is useful in considering the meaning of life. I postulate that God created the universe to fulfill His sense of loneliness. If He is the only consciousness, then He is, by definition and fact of reality, without other independent consciousness with which to relate. If God’s nature is love, then He cannot satisfy that nature without the existence of other independent consciousness to relate. For this reason, God created man, gave him free will, and gave him the option of pleasing or displeasing Him. Thus, the temptation to displease God was placed in the center of the Garden of Eden. The temptation offered the opportunity for man to choose to separate from Him. Succumbing to the temptation initiated the dance of God and man, the dance of love which allowed man to be in a relationship with Him and satisfy His need for love.

Man acquiring the knowledge of good and evil was the turning point in the evolution of the relationship between God and man. The state and era of the Garden of Eden was the prototypical example of innocence, a place and time where there was unity with the spirit of God, where God and man dwelt together in the Kingdom of God.

With eyes open, available to choose all options of life, both good and evil, we must return to the Garden. Such is the goal of life. But we cannot return to the Garden by excising, rejecting, or denying our knowledge of good and evil. Instead, we must return to that primeval state as fully mature and wise souls. We must embrace Godliness and eschew the animalistic hunger of the flesh. Such a return is a rebirth, a renaissance of the innocence and joy of fellowship with God in the Garden.

Humanity once existed in an innocent and guileless oneness with the divine. There was no separation on the level of hearts in our ignorance of good and evil. While the idyllic/Edenic state is desirable, we cannot return to it by rejecting the knowledge of good and evil. Our eyes have been opened. That awakening may have been by intention, trickery, rebellion, or ignorance. Regardless, we are now in a state of knowledge and must correctly discriminate between good and evil, with our soul’s fate at stake. By studying, immersion in the Word, choosing goodness/righteousness/Godliness in the face of temptation, making mistakes, confessing, repenting, and then trying again, we mature one step at a time. We must return to the Garden, and that return is advanced by choosing the goodness and joys of childlike simplicity from a place of wise/knowing maturity and conscious choice of Godliness.

The transformation from the inherent oneness of the universe with God to the individuated separateness of humanity was the fundamental innovation of God’s creation that allowed the appearance of the experience of fulfilling adult love by both God and man. The fall, the disobedience, and the becoming aware of good and evil were not mistakes of man unanticipated by God. Instead, this yielding to temptation was an unavoidable step in the evolution of a universe that evolved from the simplicity of the oneness of God to the maturity of man from a child to an adult with a character that mirrors God’s perfection of moral judgment. Only through the introduction of the knowledge of duality (good and evil) and the existence of light and darkness of the spiritual forces could the potential for true wisdom mature and thus satisfy God’s desire for freely given love to arise.

This theme of rebirth and returning to the garden-like state of innocence and openness is central to the vision and mission of the “Renaissance Ministries.” The restoration/rebirth is not to the undifferentiated oneness of God in His initial stages of creation but to a mature, conscious union with the moral principles, way of being, and living in a way pleasing to the nature of God. Such wisdom is forged through the crucible of experience, falling prey to temptation, feeding on the Word, and listening to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Character is hard-won. It requires a daily battle against the internal demons of the flesh that pull us away from choosing His way in each moment.

The rebirth of man into the primal state of the Garden requires a deep understanding of God’s way and the practice of holiness, which is the name and state of our separation from evil. Holiness is not merely separation from the profane but a state of consciously and habitually choosing Godliness as a way of being. That consistent practice of rejecting the temptations of the flesh becomes one’s character, which is the treasure we lay in heaven.

God’s purpose in creating life is living in a relationship with man in a way that fulfills His need/desire for love. Love from the heavenly perspective can only be satisfied through a freely chosen relationship with Him and our fellow man. As the one who is all, He experiences the joy of our righteous/Godly relationships and the pain/repulsion in our violation of His way of being. We must have the free will to choose between worshiping other/false gods (following the passions of the flesh and violating His way) or aligning ourselves with and acting out the will and way of our Creator. Giving our will in submission to the Creator is foundational to our choices and actions having significance.

The foundation of creation, perhaps its greatest miracle, was God’s creation of the substantive appearance that the universe is a reality other than the substance of Himself. The appearance of an actual separation between the Oneness of all creation and man’s experience of the creation was necessary to produce free will and meaningful otherness. This context is the foundation for the experience of meaning and purpose. Meaning arises as man struggles to choose oneness with God’s nature/His way as the substance of our relationship with Him. While the fundamental fact of all creation is its unity, the more profound miracle is that God created a universe where He appears separate and that we can sincerely rationalize the worship of other Gods. We can choose to worship other gods (by acting out the desires of the flesh) and follow the voices of other spirits (listen and act on the temptations), but the satisfaction is short-lived, and the long-term pain is great. True joy and fulfillment come as we choose the delayed gratification and long-term pleasure of living in unity with God’s way.

 

The Paradox of Unity and Separation:
Understanding Our Relationship with God
AI rewrite of essay by, Thomas Lee Abshier, ND
1/15/2025

The relationship between God and His creation presents a profound paradox: the simultaneous existence of divine unity and necessary separation. This tension lies at the heart of understanding both God’s nature and humanity’s purpose.

The fundamental question emerges: If God created the universe from His own being, how can there be true separation between Creator and creation? Yet, this very separation appears essential for genuine relationship and love to exist. Without distinction between God and His creation, meaningful communion would be impossible.

The Garden of Eden story illuminates this paradox. Initially, humanity existed in innocent unity with God, but the introduction of choice – symbolized by the tree of knowledge of good and evil – created the potential for separation. This separation wasn’t a divine oversight but rather a purposeful design enabling genuine love through free will.

God’s motivation for creation may be understood as addressing divine solitude. As the sole consciousness, God’s nature of love required other independent beings capable of choosing relationship. The fall from innocence, while appearing as disobedience, actually initiated the dance of love between God and humanity – a dance requiring both parties to move freely.

However, our goal isn’t to return to naive innocence but to achieve mature wisdom. Having gained knowledge of good and evil, we must consciously choose righteousness. This journey involves studying scripture, facing temptation, learning from mistakes, and growing through repentance. The destination isn’t the unconscious unity of Eden but a conscious, chosen alignment with God’s nature.

This transformation from undifferentiated oneness to individuated consciousness represents God’s innovative solution for enabling genuine love. The apparent separation allows for meaningful choice, while the underlying unity ensures ultimate purpose and connection. Character development through this process – choosing good despite the availability of evil – creates the possibility for authentic relationship with God.

The practice of holiness – consciously choosing God’s way over worldly temptations – builds the character that bridges separation while maintaining distinction. This dynamic balance allows for both individual identity and divine communion, fulfilling God’s desire for freely given love.

The universe’s greatest miracle may be this very illusion of separation within ultimate unity. It creates the context for meaningful choice and genuine relationship, allowing humanity to experience both the consequences of separation and the joy of chosen reunion with divine nature.

In conclusion, the paradox of unity and separation in our relationship with God isn’t a contradiction to be resolved but a dynamic tension to be embraced. It enables the very purpose of creation: the possibility of genuine, freely chosen love between Creator and created.