From Separation to Union

The Fall of Man and the Path to True Transformation

Why Human Effort Fails and How God’s Refining Fire Permanently Unites Our Will with His

From the very beginning, humanity was designed for unity with God's will. Adam and Eve existed in a harmonious relationship with God, where their will was free but naturally inclined toward obedience, without resistance or rebellion. However, the Fall introduced a fracture, a separation of wills, where human self-awareness apart from God created self-rule, resistance, and disobedience. Since then, mankind has attempted various methods to reconcile with God, but many of these efforts fail because they are based on human strength rather than true transformation.

The process of restoration requires a permanent change, one that does not merely 'mix' human will with God's, but fully dissolves and integrates it. Jesus modeled this perfect blending of wills, demonstrating how true submission leads to full union with God. However, many resist this process because it requires deep surrender and the painful breaking down of self-will.

In this essay, we will explore the Fall and its impact on the human will, Jesus' model of complete submission, the process of true transformation through saponification, the dangers of temporary surrender through emulsification, and finally, how to achieve complete and irreversible unity with God. We will use the scientific analogy of emulsification vs. saponification to illustrate the difference between temporary human effort and permanent transformation.

The Separation of Wills

Before the Fall, Adam and Eve’s will was perfectly aligned with God’s. They did not question, resist, or struggle with obedience. They were naked and unashamed (Genesis 2:25), indicating complete openness and unity with God. However, when Satan tempted them with the desire to “be like God” (Genesis 3:5), their self-awareness apart from God was awakened. The immediate consequences of the Fall were:

• Birth of Self-Will – Instead of trusting God’s reasoning and will (Logos), humans became governed by their own desires and understanding (Proverbs 3:5-6). This self-awareness shift made human reasoning the dominant guide, leading to a separation from divine wisdom.

• Instinct to Cover and Hide – Adam and Eve’s first act after sin was to cover themselves (Genesis 3:7), which mirrors how humans instinctively protect their shame from full exposure to God and others. Their immediate reaction to sin was to hide, an attempt to shield themselves from God. This is not merely an act of guilt (‘I did something wrong’), but a manifestation of shame (‘There’s something wrong with me’, “I’m useless”). While guilt is associated with external punishment, shame is tied to an internal spiritual death and a separation from God's presence.

• The Barrier Between Man and God – Sin became a veil separating humanity from God's presence (Isaiah 59:2). This separation was not just relational but existential; mankind could no longer dwell in God’s presence without mediation.

This separation set the stage for God’s redemption plan, where His goal was not merely to forgive humanity’s sins but to restore their will back into perfect unity with His.

• Their eating of the forbidden fruit awakened self-awareness, leading to shame, fear, and separation (Genesis 3:7-10).

• The consequence was spiritual death, a break in relationship with God, and eventual physical death (Genesis 3:19). Sin became a veil separating humanity from God's presence (Isaiah 59:2). This separation was not just relational but existential; mankind could no longer dwell in God’s presence without mediation.

The Perfect Blending of Human Will with God’s Will

Jesus came as the second Adam (Romans 5:19) to demonstrate what it looks like when a human will is fully blended with God’s. Unlike Adam, Jesus chose not to act independently of the Father (John 5:30), even though He had His own will. Instead, He:

• Did Nothing on His Own – “I seek not my own will but the will of Him who sent me.” (John 5:30)

• Allowed God’s Will to Fully Guide Him – “By myself, I can do nothing.” (John 8:28)

• Submitted to Extreme Pain – “Not my will, but Yours be done.” (Luke 22:42)– Sin became a veil separating humanity from God's presence (Isaiah 59:2). This separation was not just relational but existential; mankind could no longer dwell in God’s presence without mediation.

Jesus' perfect obedience was not just about following commands; it was about completely dissolving His independent will so that there was no resistance or separation between Him and the Father. This is why he said:

"That they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one." (John 17:21-22, NKJV)

However, even though He was born with a perfectly aligned will, there was still a progression in His experience, from His early life through His baptism and into His ministry. Let’s explore how His pre-baptism life and His post-baptism transformation played out.

Even though Jesus was born without sin, He still had to grow, develop, and learn as a human (Luke 2:52).

He Had No Need for Inner Transformation, Only Growth in Experience

• Unlike fallen humans, Jesus never had to have His will 'converted' or transformed; His will was always aligned with the Father’s, without resistance or deviation. We on the other hand, need to transform before integrating our will into God’s will.

• He still had to mature and experience life as a human, growing in understanding and applying obedience in real-world situations.

"After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. And when his parents saw him, they were astonished. And his mother said to him, 'Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress.' And he said to them, 'Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?'" (Luke 2:46-49, ESV)

Hebrews 5:8 – “Although He was a son, He learned obedience through what He suffered.”

This doesn’t mean Jesus was ever disobedient to the Father; rather, it means He experienced the full weight of obedience in progressively greater ways as He grew, gaining understanding and applying obedience in real-world situations.

He Lived in Union with God, but Without Public Power

• Before baptism, Jesus was like the analogy of a “saponified soap molecule” fully capable of dissolving in water, but not yet activated into its full cleansing purpose. This doesn’t mean Jesus was ever disobedient to the Father; rather, it means He experienced the full weight of obedience in progressively greater ways as He grew, increasing in understanding and applying obedience in real-world situations.

• Jesus' will was fully capable of perfect alignment, yet He awaited the anointing of the Holy Spirit for ministry.

• This is why His baptism was a turning point, not for internal transformation but for external empowerment.

What is Saponification?

Saponification is the chemical process that permanently transforms oil into soap, making it capable of dissolving in water.

The Science Behind Saponification

• Oils (fats) are naturally hydrophobic—they repel water and will not mix with it.

• When a strong base like sodium hydroxide (NaOH, lye) is added to oil, a chemical reaction occurs.

• This reaction breaks apart the fat molecules (triglycerides) and restructures them into soap molecules (fatty acid salts).

• Unlike emulsification, where oil is temporarily mixed with water, saponification permanently alters the oil’s structure, making it fully capable of integrating with water.

The Spiritual Parallel

How Saponification Mirrors Transformation in Christ

• Before saponification, self-will (oil) is completely incompatible with God’s will (water).

• Through the refining process of God’s fire (NaOH), self-will is broken down and restructured so that it is compatible with God’s will.

• The believer becomes someone who can exist in full union with God, just as soap can now fully dissolve in water.

• However, just like soap, the believer still retains free will, capable of remaining in the water or acting separately.

• It is the believer's love for the Father that allows full integration to take place; the desire is no longer selfish.

Sodium Hydroxide - The Catalyst for Transformation

• When NaOH is mixed with water, it generates heat in an exothermic reaction (a heat-releasing reaction), just like fire.

• This heat breaks down the structure of oils (triglycerides), forcing a chemical change.

• The result is a new substance (soap) that can never return to being oil again, a permanent transformation.

• This mirrors the spiritual refining fire, which burns away self-will and transforms a person into someone fully compatible to align with God’s will.

The Refining Fire of God's Correction (NaOH as Trials & Testing)

• NaOH (Lye) is like God's Correction Through Earthly Trials

• Lye burns and dissolves, just as life's pain, stress, suffering, and trials break down our will.

• This could be loss, rejection, hardship, betrayal, or suffering, just like Job endured.

The Word (Water) Makes the Process Possible

• Without water, lye remains a solid, unable to interact.

• Without the Water of the Word (God’s reasoning and will providing instruction through the Holy Spirit), suffering is meaningless; but with it, trials become the catalyst for transformation.

Heat is Released as We Are Transformed

• When the lye solution (trials + God's will) mixes with the oils (our flesh and desires), it generates heat; this is the fire of refining.

• We feel the burning, the breaking, the reshaping.

• The more resistance (holding onto self-will), the more painful the process.

Little by Little—As Much as We Can Bear

• If too much lye is added at once, the reaction is dangerous and destructive, just as overwhelming suffering can potentially crush a person.

• But when added gradually, the transformation is effective, precise, and purposeful.

• God knows how much we can handle, just as a soap-maker carefully measures lye.

The Final Product: A Vessel of Purity & Purpose

Once the process is complete, the oils and lye can never return to their original state; they have been transformed into soap, something clean, useful, and permanently changed. Likewise, when God refines us, we are no longer who we once were, but vessels made fit for His Kingdom work on Earth (2 Timothy 2:21).

Just as Job’s suffering refined him, so too do our trials cleanse, purify, and prepare us for God’s greater purposes. The pain of transformation is not in vain; it is the process by which we are made holy, useful, and set apart for the Master’s will.

Scriptural Connections to This Process

Job’s trials: “But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I will come forth as gold.” (Job 23:10)

Refinement through suffering: “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” (2 Cor. 4:17)

God measures the intensity of our trials: “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.” (1 Cor. 10:13)

Becoming vessels of cleansing: “But if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.” (2 Tim. 2:21)

The Word, God's will, and trials together, create a purifying process that transforms us into the children He loves and calls His own. Without trials, we remain like oil—comfortable but unchanged. Without God’s will (instruction) actively communicating through the Holy Spirit in the believer, trials become meaningless suffering. But through both, God works to change our hearts, refine our character, and fulfill His purpose in us. His love guides the process, ensuring that every trial we endure is measured, purposeful, and ultimately for our good.

Ensuring Permanent Dissipation into God’s Will

To reach full and irreversible unity with God, one must:

Undergo Circumcision of the Heart

“Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and do not be stiff-necked any longer.” (Deuteronomy 10:16)

Self-will must be cut away, just as circumcision removes the flesh.

Enter the Refining Fire

“He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.” (Malachi 3:3)

Fire is painful but necessary to break down resistance.

Die to Self Completely

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” (Galatians 2:20)

This is saponification, the point where the old nature is completely dissolved.

Let the Holy Spirit Reshape the Will

“For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill His good purpose.” (Philippians 2:13)

The Word is God's will, actively involved in the believer’s heart, together with trials, create a purifying process that transforms us into the children He loves and calls His own. Without trials, we remain like oil, comfortable but unchanged. Without the Word, trials become meaningless suffering. But through both, God works to change our hearts, refine our character, and fulfill His purpose in us.

During our rebirth, His will is placed within us, but it is not yet fully integrated. As self-will is broken, His will permeates every part of us, working at creating a permanent transformation. Though man's will remains autonomous, love enables the new will to merge with the Father's will at any given moment, without hindrance. In this unity, we become vessels ready for His purpose, cleansed, transformed, and fully available for His work according to our integration.

The Illusion of Surrender Without Transformation

Humanity's Natural Tendency to Avoid Transformation

• Humanity's natural tendency is to seek comfort, fulfill desires, avoid suffering, and maintain control. This is the “milk” stage of the believer, that some never grow beyond. Rather than embracing the refining fire of transformation, people attempt to force their will to align with God's through sheer effort. This is because self-will, by nature, resists anything that threatens its autonomy.

Matthew 16:24-25 (ESV) – Denying Self and Taking Up the Cross

“Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”

This shows that human nature seeks self-preservation, avoiding the pain of transformation.

Jeremiah 17:9 (ESV) – The Deception of the Heart

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?”

This verse highlights how self-will resists surrender to God's will.

Romans 8:7 (ESV) – The Flesh Opposing God’s Will

“For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot.”

The human tendency is to resist God’s will due to self-rule.

Emulsification: The Temporary Blending Without True Transformation

Instead of yielding fully to God’s will, through obedience to His instructions, man often tries to blend his own desires with God’s in a way that preserves control while appearing obedient. This leads to an unstable state, what we call emulsification. It is a temporary and fragile attempt to mix what was never meant to be truly united without transformation. In this unity, we become vessels ready for His purpose, cleansed, transformed, and fully available for His work.

Isaiah 29:13 (ESV) – Lip Service to God Without True Change

“And the Lord said: ‘Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men…’”

People appear obedient outwardly but lack true transformation; they 'mix' with God temporarily.

Matthew 7:21-23 (ESV) – False Obedience Without True Submission

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”

Some may try to blend their will with God’s superficially but will be separated when tested.

James 1:8 (ESV) – Double-Mindedness

“He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”

Emulsification is unstable; without full surrender, the mixture (our will + God's will) eventually separates.

Judges 2:18-19 (ESV) – Israel’s Repeated Cycles of Temporary Surrender

“But whenever the judge died, they turned back and were more corrupt than their fathers, going after other gods, serving them and bowing down to them. They did not drop any of their practices or their stubborn ways.”

Israel repeatedly tried to mix their will with God’s but reverted back to self-rule.

The Perfect Analogy for Human Effort

Emulsification serves as a powerful metaphor for how humans attempt to blend their will with God’s without undergoing true transformation. It highlights the futility of temporary surrender, a mix that seems unified but inevitably returns to separation unless something deeper occurs. In this unity, we become vessels ready for His purpose, cleansed, transformed, and fully available for His work.

Emulsification as Temporary Surrender (Human Effort)

Emulsification forces oil and water to mix, but it does not change their nature.

• It requires an external emulsifier (like soap, egg yolk, or a chemical additive) to keep them together.

• Without constant effort, the oil and water will separate again; it’s not a true, lasting union.

This mirrors how humans try to submit to God

• Through discipline, religious effort, or temporary surrender, but without real inner transformation.

• Without continuous effort or external reinforcement (rules, fear, or structure), they revert to their old ways.

• It is not true unity with God’s will but rather a forced, short-lived blend that eventually breaks apart. Only through true transformation, where self-will is broken and restructured, do we become vessels ready for His purpose: cleansed, transformed, and fully available for His work. Otherwise, it’s not work by the Kingdom, but fruitless work by man.

Biblical Parallel: Israel’s Repeated Cycles of Emulsification

Israel repeatedly attempted to “mix” their will with God’s but never fully dissolved into His will. This led to a cycle of failure and separation.

Judges 2:18-19 – Israel would repent temporarily and follow God when He intervened, but they always reverted back to self-rule.

Psalm 78:36-37 – “But they flattered Him with their mouths; they lied to Him with their tongues. Their hearts were not loyal to Him, they were not faithful to His covenant.”

Hosea 6:4 – “Your love is like the morning mist, like the early dew that disappears.”

Their obedience was not a permanent transformation but an unstable mixture, just like an emulsion that eventually separates.

The Danger of Trying to Emulsify Our Will with God’s

Many believers live in an "emulsified state," where they:

• Try to blend their will with God’s without fully surrendering.

• Rely on external effort (discipline, religious acts, temporary submission) to keep their will mixed with God’s.

• Find themselves separating again, because their nature was never truly changed.

• They can’t understand why sin has its way and they don’t do what they know they should do.

This is why legalism, moral striving, and surface-level obedience never result in lasting transformation. As long as the will remains unchanged, it will always revert back to self-rule when pressure comes—just as oil and water separate when the emulsifier is removed.

Example: The Rich Young Ruler

The Rich Young Ruler approached Jesus, asking: “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Mark 10:17) Jesus responded by listing some of the commandments. The man proudly declared, “All these I have kept from my youth.” (Mark 10:20)

At this point, the ruler appeared to be mixed with God’s will—he obeyed the law, sought Jesus, and desired eternal life.

But then Jesus tested whether his will was truly surrendered: “One thing you lack: Go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” (Mark 10:21) The man went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. (Mark 10:22)

Why This Is an Example of Emulsification

• He wanted to follow God but on his own terms.

• He followed external religious rules but had not undergone true heart transformation.

• He tried to blend his will with God’s, but when pressure came, the separation became evident.

• Like an emulsion breaking apart under stress, his self-will resurfaced; he could not let go of his wealth.

Contrast With Saponification: The Apostles' Transformation

A contrasting example of saponification (permanent transformation) is seen in the disciples, especially Peter after Pentecost. Unlike the Rich Young Ruler, the disciples left everything to follow Jesus (Luke 5:11, Matthew 19:27).

• Before Pentecost, Peter waivered, denying Jesus three times.

• After Pentecost, Peter was transformed permanently, boldly proclaiming Christ even when threatened with death.

Whereas the Rich Young Ruler separated from God's will under pressure, Peter became permanently aligned with it through the refining work of the Logos, trials by fire, and the Holy Spirit.

Temporary vs. Permanent Surrender

• Many believers, like the Rich Young Ruler, live in an emulsified state, wanting to follow God but refusing to fully yield.

• True transformation (saponification) happens when we surrender everything: our desires, possessions, and self-will, so that God's will becomes our own. When we no longer fight the trials we experience and recognize that transformation is happening, we can look forward to a deeper union with God, greater spiritual maturity, and the fulfillment of His purpose in our lives.

Emulsification vs. Saponification

• Human effort emulsifies but never truly blends our will with God’s.

• God’s refining fire saponifies, permanently transforming our will into something that can fully dissolve into His.

• The goal is not to constantly struggle to stay mixed with God’s will, but to become one with it, a completely new creation that can never be separated again.

The Call to Transformation

Instead of merely trying to keep ourselves obedient through effort, we must yield to God’s refining process so that our nature itself is changed. When we allow saponification, the permanent internal transformation of our will, we no longer fight to stay mixed with God. Instead, we dissolve into His purpose effortlessly, becoming a vessel of His will, fully aligned with Him. In this unity, we become vessels ready for His purpose, cleansed, transformed, and fully available for His work.

Becoming One with God’s Will

The Fall fractured man’s will, leading to self-rule, struggle, and separation. Since then, humans have tried to emulsify their will with God’s, but these efforts always fail. The only way to permanently unify with God is through saponification—where self-will is broken down (chemically like an analogy) and fully restructured into His will.

Jesus demonstrated what it means to be fully dissolved into God. Through His perfect submission, He opened the way for all believers to follow the same path, not mixing our will with God’s but fully disappearing into it. In this unity, we become vessels ready for His purpose, cleansed, transformed, and fully available for His work.