Our Father who art in Heaven, Jesus ascended from earth to the right hand of the Father, and the Spirit was sent to the earth when Jesus returned to heaven - where He is now. I think the scripture shows a seperation but also a unity that one day we will know experientially. "that they be one as we are one' Jesus prayed. Such deep things for the earthly man to understand! we can only know it by the spirit, its not good trying to rationalise higher truth with the mind. "The carnal man cannot perceive the things of the spirit, they are foolishness to him" - this is not just talking about a man that has never received Christ but also the part of us that is flesh as we have dual natures.
'That they may be one
as we are one.'
I personally believe this proves that when Jesus says he and His Father are one, this shows that Jesus is not God the Father.
How can we as believers be one? Only in the Spirit. We cannot be one person, we remain individuals, but can be one in the Spirit.
That they may be one as we are one.
Therefore surely that is how Jesus and His Father are one, in the Spirit,
Of course Jesus and His Father are far closer than we are as believers.
The Father is Spirit and unseen. The Father's Spirit exhibit's in His Son, but this does not make Jesus the Father. Hard to understand? Definately. I don't believe anyone will fully until we reach Heaven.
The Holy Spirit in the NT is said to be the Spirit of the Father, and the Spirit of the Son.
Therefore, to me we have a oneness if you like of Father, Son and Holy Spirit that is one in the Spirit of God the Father. But within that you have three distinct members of that oneness.
And I for one do not profess to understand the working out of the Trinity. But for me this is the best way to bring scripture together.
What I can say is with assurance, if anyone says Jesus is God the Father, they are ignoring, or going against much plainly written scripture, this is indisputable. I do not see how anyone who would call themselves 'fundamentalist can do this, as my understanding is that the fundamentalist belief would have to adhere strictly to what the Bible says.