God in Three Persons is clear from John's Gospel, John's First Epistle, etc.
Why the cross actually saves
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My dear friend, I have been discussing this and praying about this and studying this for a great many years. My only answer from God is that when and if I need to know this thing more precisely He will give it to me.
The vision that we must necessarily have in order not to perish comes from God alone. I do not believe that embracing a trinity is a part of that vision for I do have a vision although admittedly with Paul it is as through a glass darkly.
God alone gives any worthwhile increase. I have no problem believing in the Father and the Son as separate. What I cannot see is the Holy Spirit as other than something special from the Father or even as the Father Himself. The Father is most certainly a Spirit and He most certainly is Holy [set apart]. To insist that the Father and His Spirit are two persons in one is a necessity I cannot see. Believe in it if you must, but if you wish me to seriously consider it you must explain to me why the two persons [Father and Holy Spirit] are necessary. I have been given all of the scriptures and have studied them myself over the years. Because others believe it and possibly even the majority of Christians believers believe it is not an acceptable reason. The opinions or beliefs of the majority has never to my understanding been a determining factor.
Please understand that I do not deny the existence of a trinity in God, because I do not understand His nature. I lean in a certain direction but I will not embrace even the way I lead much less the way of the majority.
Jesus said, he who has seen me has seen the Father.
The reality is that God descended and took on a nature of human flesh; but that God Himself is a Spirit. No one has seen His form or shape at any time.
But the human body that God added to Himself is visible; and if anyone looks at this human form, they see the Father by extension.
Just like when believers show forth the love of the Lord and when people see that love in action; by extension they are seeing God Himself.
To @amadeus;
It should be clear that the Holy Ghost is distinct from the Father in that He has lived a human life and then was released back to the Father; while both continue to be the one eternal Spirit. The Holy Ghost has the added perspective of having been human; and therefore He is able to make intercession for the saints through us. Scripture: Luke 23:46. The Holy Ghost is the Spirit of Jesus and He is the Father (John 4:23-24, John 14:7-11); but He is also a distinct Person from the Father; while they are the same Person.
It should be clear that the Holy Ghost is distinct from the Father in that He has lived a human life and then was released back to the Father; while both continue to be the one eternal Spirit. The Holy Ghost has the added perspective of having been human; and therefore He is able to make intercession for the saints through us. Scripture: Luke 23:46. The Holy Ghost is the Spirit of Jesus and He is the Father (John 4:23-24, John 14:7-11); but He is also a distinct Person from the Father; while they are the same Person.
God is a Person and He is one Lord (Ephesians 4:5, 1 Corinthians 8:6). The Father is that Lord (Matthew 11:25, Luke 10:21). No one can say that Jesus is that Lord except by the Holy Ghost (1 Corinthians 12:3).
There is one God (Deuteronomy 6:4 (kjv), Mark 12:29 (kjv)); and I would say that He is a Person. He is one Lord.
And yes, He exists as three distinct individuals within the Godhead.
Also, I do not believe that God exists in modes.
There is one God (Deuteronomy 6:4 (kjv), Mark 12:29 (kjv)); and I would say that He is a Person. He is one Lord.
And yes, He exists as three distinct individuals within the Godhead.
Also, I do not believe that God exists in modes.
I am just cautioning you. You say that God was not tempted. Yet we can read For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.[Hebrews 4:15] This is why we have to compare scripture with scripture, not pit it against itself. We can also read Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone.[James 1:13] The only logical conclusions that can be made by comparing these two verses is 1) the Christ is not God, 2) God in James 1:13 is referring to God the Father, or 3) either the writer of Hebrews or James is off in their writing.
When we read He said, “Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.”[Genesis 22:12] The reason I bring this verse into the discussion is open theists use this verse to say God does not know things until they unfold before Him. However, the saying 'now I know' is the same as A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;[Isaiah 53:3] What was meant by this is that God became acquainted with grief the same way Abraham was as he was drawing the knife back to sacrifice his own son. The Christ was tempted the same exact way we are, and He became acquainted with our own temptations. The same word used for 'know' is the same word used for 'acquainted'. Its the Hebrew word yada which has a wide semantic range.
So, God the Son was tempted, but God the Father was not. That is why understanding there is a Triune God is imperative to understanding things like these.
It was God the Son, the second Person in the Triune Godhead, who became flesh. The Holy Spirit did not become a man and live as the Christ. God the Son became a man and lived as Jesus.
For that to be true, God the Son would have to not be God; for God cannot be tempted with evil.
God is clearly one Lord (Mark 12:29 (kjv), Ephesians 4:5). The Father is that Lord (Matthew 11:25, Luke 10:21). But no one can say that Jesus is that Lord except by the Holy Ghost (1 Corinthians 12:3).
The Spirit of Jesus dwelt in Jesus while He walked the earth; and was released back to the Father in Luke 23:46. I would ask you if you believe that Jesus was a Spirit, had a soul, and lived in a body? God is a Spirit (John 4:24); so if Jesus was/is not a Spirit, He was/is not God. Yes He is come in the flesh: He is the eternal Spirit with an added nature of humanity. In descending and ascending back to be outside of time, there are now two Spirits dwelling side-by-side in eternity who are one and the same Spirit, one the pre-incarnate Christ, and the other the after-incarnate Christ. And then there is Jesus as He exists in His human body as well; who also would ascend. But the Holy Ghost being released back to the Father and ascending to be outside of time (see Isaiah 57:15) at the moment of Jesus' statement in Luke 23:46.
And, btw, it was not 1/3 of God, neither a 2nd God, who descended to become a Man; but it was God: see Isaiah 9:6.
Jesus of Nazareth was ONE PERSON -- fully God and fully sinless Man at one and the same time. So you cannot split Him as you have done.
Temptations are EXTERNAL. Yielding to temptation is INTERNAL. Therefore the temptations of Christ by Satan were all very real and totally external. But since Christ did not have an indwelling sin nature (being sinless Man) He could not, and would not, and did not, yield to any temptations. And that is exactly what Scripture says -- "without sin" or apart from from sin.
Jesus completely paid for our sins. In the sense we cannot be held liable. It is as though God executed us for them in Christ and we cannot be tried for the same crime twice. This includes the sin of unbelief and rejecting him. So unless you limit the atonement to the elect, which the bible does, all will be saved.
Then you have God being tempted...because Jesus is God.
But if the only temptable part of Jesus was His humanity, then God was not tempted; but it was only the human part of Jesus.
Now in the hypostatic union Jesus is 100% God and 100% Man...but I do not see anything in that doctrine that says that the human part of Jesus and the divine part of Jesus are absolutely one, so that if He is tempted in His humanity He must also be tempted in His Deity.
But if it be the case, I would say that the Lord God can be tempted...for it is written so in Matthew 4:7...but I would say that it is only possible inasmuch as the Lord God has taken on human flesh...therefore the Son can be tempted in His humanity; and if it is also necessarily in His Deity then it was also possible for God to sin, and we are back to square one.
But one thing we know....that Jesus Christ before He descended...the Father who inhabiteth eternity...it is impossible for Him to sin and He cannot be tempted with evil.
Now God cannot change...Malachi 3:6, Hebrews 13:8...and therefore when He took on flesh, the Spirit of Him did not suddenly become able to sin or be tempted...however He did take on a new nature of humanity, and this humanity was able to be tempted and to sin.
I think that we must all agree that Jesus Christ is the holy God...yet He was tempted in all things just as we are, and yet without sin. I consider that in His humanity He was temptable; but that in His Deity He was safeguarded against succumbing to the temptations presented to Him. When He was hungry after 40 days of fasting, He was tempted in His humanity...the God-aspect of Him was not tempted but He was tempted in His flesh...but the God-aspect of Him would have made Him immune to actually giving in to something that would have compromised the unchangeable character of God within Him. To the extent that His divine nature would have been compromised, His divine aspect could not even consider succumbing to what was laid before Him...His consideration of doing what would have changed His immutable nature (in His Deity) was entirely in the humanity of His person.
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