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Is Jesus God--What Does the Scripture Say?
by william kovacic While I would not argue that we as born-again Christians worship one God, I realize that we worship Him in three persons. In Deuteronomy 6:4 we read, "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD." I take Scripture at face value. I may not understand everything, but if the Bible says it, that settles it for me. The best example I can give (and it is a poor example) of how God exists as three-in-one is myself. I am a husband to my wife. She sees me as such. I am a father to my children. They see me as such. I am a pastor to my congregation. They see me as such--one person with three distinct roles and responsibilities. I will use the King James Bible for Scripture references. Many of the newer versions remove Christ's claims to deity. I also will not argue Scripture. It is what it is. I do not try to make Scripture fit my philosophy, but rather allow Scripture to be my philosophy. My goal is not to preach, but rather to let the Word of God through the Holy Spirit speak. Isaiah 9:6 says,"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." Clearly Jesus the Son is the mighty God, The everlasting Father. Isaiah 44:6 goes on to say, "Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God." Jesus shares those same words in Revelation 1:17--"Fear not; I am the first and the last." Jesus is the redeemer the LORD of hosts. We know that God created the worlds--" In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth (Genesis 1:1). Colossians 1:16, 17 says this in reference to Christ, "For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist." Colossians 1:15 talks of Jesus as being the [visible] image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature." The word firstborn here has to do with being first in time and place, not in a creation sense. This is connected to the thought in verse 17 as we see that Jesus was before all things. What about Mathew 28:19--"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations,baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Notice that it is the name, not names. Even though there are different responsibilities, there is One name. Notice that Jesus also said in verse 18, "...All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth." All power belongs to Jesus. If Jesus is not God, then at least He is more powerful than God...that is absurd. The writer of Hebrews links Jesus the Son to the Godhead. " But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever...." The Son is God? That is what it says. What are we to do with John 14:,7, 9? " If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him...Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father. To know Christ is to know the Father. The apostle John nails it on the head when he says in I John 5:20, "And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life". This is where my wife was coming from in her testimony. She has been given an understanding to know the very Son of God, Jesus Christ, who is the true God and eternal life. The apostle continues in his Gospel, John 1:1-3--"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made." Just a side note here--to be in the beginning one must be before the beginning and He is the creator of all things. The Apostle Paul mentions this in reference to Christ in Philippians 2:6, " Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God..." Matthew gives us this account of the Lord's temptation in Matthew 4:5-7--"Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee:and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God." Acts 20:28 tells that God bought His church with His own blood--"Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood." Titus speaks of the equality of Jesus with God as well. Titus 1:3--"But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour."; Titus 2:13--"Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ."; Titus 3:4--"But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us..." Salvation can only come through Jesus Christ, God in the flesh. God with us. "Behold, a virgin shall be with child,and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is,God with us." (Matthew 1:23). This same Jesus is coming back for His own--"...this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven (Acts 1:11)." What does it mean to be one of His own? To have a right standing before this God-man Jesus Christ. Hebrews 9:22 tells us, "without shedding of blood is no remission [forgiveness]. A blood offering is required for the atonement of sin. Jesus offered His blood once for all. God became human flesh to identify with us as a sheep led to the slaughter (Acts 8:32). He and He alone paid your price. You can know Him personally. You can have a right relationship with the God of Heaven. Come to Him today before it may be forever too late. "If ye had known me,ye should have known my Father also...he that hath seen me hath seen the Father..." (John 14:7, 9). I have been the pastor of Lifegate Baptist Church in Bellefonte, PA for the past ten years. I have always had a heart for revival. In the last year God called me to head up The Great American Fast, a national day of prayer and fasting for our country. See more at www.thegreatamericanfast.org Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |