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This very Jesus, aeons ago, decided to become our Saviour. "Who, being in the FORM OF GOD, thought it not robbery to be EQUAL WITH GOD: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men" (Phil.2:6-7). This same Jesus is God's Son, "whom he hath appointed heir of ALL THINGS, BY WHOM ALSO HE MADE THE WORLDS; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the EXPRESS IMAGE OF HIS PERSON, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; being made so much better than the angels, as he hath BY INHERITANCE obtained a more excellent NAME than they" -- the very name of GOD and the GOD FAMILY! (Heb.1:1-4). The Moffatt translation has this verse: "In these days at the end he has spoken to us by a Son -- a Son whom he has appointed HEIR OF THE UNIVERSE, as it was by him that he created the world. He, reflecting God's bright glory and stamped with God's own character, SUSTAINS THE UNIVERSE with his word of power; when he had secured our purification from sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high; and thus he is superior to the angels, as he has inherited a Name superior to theirs" (Heb.1:1-4). Paul goes on, describing the majesty and divinity of Jesus Christ: "For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my SON, this day have I begotten thee?
And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a SON? And again, when he bringeth in the first begotten into the world, he saith, And let all the ANGELS OF GOD WORSHIP HIM. . . . But unto the Son, he saith, THY THRONE, O GOD, IS FOR EVER AND EVER: A sceptre of righteous- ness is the sceptre of thy kingdom" (Heb.1:5-8). The Question of IDOLATRY How plain! Jesus is worthy of WORSHIP! But to worship any other than GOD IS NOTHING BUT GROSS IDOLATRY! If Jesus were not TRUE GOD, then worshipping Him would constitute IDOLATRY! God the Father would NEVER command His very own angels to commit IDOLATRY! GOD FORBID! To worship any other than the true GOD is idolatry, pure and simple. If Jesus is not "God," then worshipping Him would be an act of idolatry, a sin comparable to witchcraft (I Sam.15:23). It is against the Law of God for anything to be worshipped except God Himself! The first two commandments forbid idolatry (Exodus 20:1-6). 144 The devil told Christ he would give him all the kingdoms of the world if Jesus would only bow down and worship him. But Jesus replied, "Get thee hence, Satan! for it is written, Thou shalt worship THE LORD THY GOD, and him ONLY shalt thou serve" (Matt.4:8-10). Therefore, if Jesus is not God, it would be a SIN to "worship" Him -- and yet the Father COMMANDS His angels, and human beings, to worship Him!
This PROVES beyond any doubt or question that Jesus IS "GOD" as the Father is also GOD! If Christ were not very GOD, then worship of Him would be IDOLATRY! Those who claim He was merely a human being who "made good," therefore, are guilty of IDOLATRY if they worship Him -- and guilty of dishonoring the Son of God, if they don't! Thus they are caught in a spider's web -- a trap -- between the rock and the proverbial hard place. If they don't worship Him, they DENY Him, and He will deny them at the resurrection! And if they DO "worship" Him, while believing that He is NOT God, or Divine, they are then guilty before God of IDOLATRY! Which is it going to be? Can't they see the terrible error of their sin and their false belief? Can't they see that they are denying Christ by their modern-day superstition? In Isaiah 44:21, the LORD {YHVH] says, "Who hath told it from that time? Have not I the LORD? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a SAVIOUR; there is NONE BESIDE ME. Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else" (vs.21-22). The One speaking here is obviously the One who became CHRIST! He calls Himself the Saviour," and Christ is the ONLY "Saviour." As Peter declared, "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).
The name Jesus actually MEANS, by definition, "Saviour" (Matt.1:21). Are You a "Doubting Thomas"? In the gospel of John we read the unique experience of one of the apostles, called Thomas. Even after Jesus rose from the dead and the other apostles testified that they actually saw Him, Thomas said to them, "Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe" (John 20:25). Thomas had His doubts, too. He was very skeptical, at this point. He had seen Jesus, dying like a mere man, on the stake on Calvary. But after eight days, when the disciples were gathered together once again, Thomas with them, Jesus came among them, even though the doors were shut, and stood in their midst, and said, "Peace be unto you" (verse 26).
Then Jesus had special words for Thomas, who up to this point had not seen Him since the resurrection. "Then saith he to Thomas, 'Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing'" (v.27). 145 I cannot think of better words or better advice to all those who have doubted the divinity of Christ. To those who have been bewitched by false doctrine and subverted in their pure and simple faith, I can only say, "Be not faithless, but believing!" When Jesus uttered these momentous words to Thomas, Thomas was moved to his very innermost being. "And Thomas answered, and said unto him, 'My Lord and my God'" (v.28). Do you acknowledge Jesus Christ as YOUR "LORD" and as YOUR "GOD"? I do. I worship Him AND God the Father with all my heart, all my soul, all my strength, all my being, and all my mind, and all my spirit. Together, they are ONE GOD, and I worship them! Jesus then said to Thomas, the doubter, "Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and YET have believed" (John 20:29). What about you?
Are you still a "doubter" like Thomas? Or, having not seen, can you STILL believe? Do you still question the very essence of the divinity of Christ and His Godhood? Thomas repented of his unbelief and lack of faith, and exclaimed from his innermost soul, "My Lord AND MY GOD!" Will you also repent, and come to your senses, and acknowledge Jesus Christ not only as the Messiah, but as your GOD? The Jews were right. The Son of God IS also "God." They tried to kill Jesus for what they considered blasphemy. But He was not blaspheming. He truly was AND IS the "Son of God," and therefore very GOD! The "Firstborn of Many Brethren" In the book of Hebrews we read of God's plan concerning mankind, "What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him? Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands. Thou hast put ALL THINGS in subjection under his feet. For in that he put ALL in subjection under him, he LEFT NOTHING that is not put under him.
But now we see NOT YET all things put under him. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man" (Heb.2:6-9). Jesus, therefore has made us "ALL OF ONE" (verse 11). Therefore, He is "not ashamed to call them [us] BRETHREN" (v.12). Jesus, is the very own Son of God the Father, in the God Family -- and as such, He is the "firstborn among MANY BRETHREN" (Rom.8:29). As the apostle Paul tells us, "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the GLORY which shall be revealed IN US" (Rom.8:18). What "glory" is Paul talking about? "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that WE ARE THE CHILDREN OF GOD: And if children, then HEIRS; HEIRS OF GOD, and JOINTHEIRS WITH CHRIST; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also GLORIFIED TOGETHER!" (Rom.8:16-17).
Did you get that tremendous promise? 146 Did you understand the meaning of that awesome verse of Scripture? We also, as true Christians, as true believers in the Messiah, who follow and obey Him, and who WORSHIP HIM in "spirit and in truth" (John 4:24), are to be glorified together with Christ, who is VERY GOD -- the literal SON OF GOD! We are destined to share in His inheritance, as His "JOINT-HEIRS"! He is the "elder brother." We are the younger brothers. What is our inheritance? To be members of the very UNIVERSE-RULING GOD FAMILY! TO BECOME YAHVEH, ELOHIM, divine members of the very ALMIGHTY GOD FAMILY! What a breath-taking destiny! What an awesome future! What a mind-boggling inheritance! "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, WE SHALL BE LIKE HIM; for we shall see him as he is" (I John 3:1- 2). How great is God, our Father! And how Great is His Son, also our God, Messiah and Saviour, Jesus Christ! Praise God, forever and ever, for His most wonderful and sublime truth!
Love, Walter
And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a SON? And again, when he bringeth in the first begotten into the world, he saith, And let all the ANGELS OF GOD WORSHIP HIM. . . . But unto the Son, he saith, THY THRONE, O GOD, IS FOR EVER AND EVER: A sceptre of righteous- ness is the sceptre of thy kingdom" (Heb.1:5-8). The Question of IDOLATRY How plain! Jesus is worthy of WORSHIP! But to worship any other than GOD IS NOTHING BUT GROSS IDOLATRY! If Jesus were not TRUE GOD, then worshipping Him would constitute IDOLATRY! God the Father would NEVER command His very own angels to commit IDOLATRY! GOD FORBID! To worship any other than the true GOD is idolatry, pure and simple. If Jesus is not "God," then worshipping Him would be an act of idolatry, a sin comparable to witchcraft (I Sam.15:23). It is against the Law of God for anything to be worshipped except God Himself! The first two commandments forbid idolatry (Exodus 20:1-6). 144 The devil told Christ he would give him all the kingdoms of the world if Jesus would only bow down and worship him. But Jesus replied, "Get thee hence, Satan! for it is written, Thou shalt worship THE LORD THY GOD, and him ONLY shalt thou serve" (Matt.4:8-10). Therefore, if Jesus is not God, it would be a SIN to "worship" Him -- and yet the Father COMMANDS His angels, and human beings, to worship Him!
This PROVES beyond any doubt or question that Jesus IS "GOD" as the Father is also GOD! If Christ were not very GOD, then worship of Him would be IDOLATRY! Those who claim He was merely a human being who "made good," therefore, are guilty of IDOLATRY if they worship Him -- and guilty of dishonoring the Son of God, if they don't! Thus they are caught in a spider's web -- a trap -- between the rock and the proverbial hard place. If they don't worship Him, they DENY Him, and He will deny them at the resurrection! And if they DO "worship" Him, while believing that He is NOT God, or Divine, they are then guilty before God of IDOLATRY! Which is it going to be? Can't they see the terrible error of their sin and their false belief? Can't they see that they are denying Christ by their modern-day superstition? In Isaiah 44:21, the LORD {YHVH] says, "Who hath told it from that time? Have not I the LORD? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a SAVIOUR; there is NONE BESIDE ME. Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else" (vs.21-22). The One speaking here is obviously the One who became CHRIST! He calls Himself the Saviour," and Christ is the ONLY "Saviour." As Peter declared, "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).
The name Jesus actually MEANS, by definition, "Saviour" (Matt.1:21). Are You a "Doubting Thomas"? In the gospel of John we read the unique experience of one of the apostles, called Thomas. Even after Jesus rose from the dead and the other apostles testified that they actually saw Him, Thomas said to them, "Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe" (John 20:25). Thomas had His doubts, too. He was very skeptical, at this point. He had seen Jesus, dying like a mere man, on the stake on Calvary. But after eight days, when the disciples were gathered together once again, Thomas with them, Jesus came among them, even though the doors were shut, and stood in their midst, and said, "Peace be unto you" (verse 26).
Then Jesus had special words for Thomas, who up to this point had not seen Him since the resurrection. "Then saith he to Thomas, 'Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing'" (v.27). 145 I cannot think of better words or better advice to all those who have doubted the divinity of Christ. To those who have been bewitched by false doctrine and subverted in their pure and simple faith, I can only say, "Be not faithless, but believing!" When Jesus uttered these momentous words to Thomas, Thomas was moved to his very innermost being. "And Thomas answered, and said unto him, 'My Lord and my God'" (v.28). Do you acknowledge Jesus Christ as YOUR "LORD" and as YOUR "GOD"? I do. I worship Him AND God the Father with all my heart, all my soul, all my strength, all my being, and all my mind, and all my spirit. Together, they are ONE GOD, and I worship them! Jesus then said to Thomas, the doubter, "Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and YET have believed" (John 20:29). What about you?
Are you still a "doubter" like Thomas? Or, having not seen, can you STILL believe? Do you still question the very essence of the divinity of Christ and His Godhood? Thomas repented of his unbelief and lack of faith, and exclaimed from his innermost soul, "My Lord AND MY GOD!" Will you also repent, and come to your senses, and acknowledge Jesus Christ not only as the Messiah, but as your GOD? The Jews were right. The Son of God IS also "God." They tried to kill Jesus for what they considered blasphemy. But He was not blaspheming. He truly was AND IS the "Son of God," and therefore very GOD! The "Firstborn of Many Brethren" In the book of Hebrews we read of God's plan concerning mankind, "What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him? Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands. Thou hast put ALL THINGS in subjection under his feet. For in that he put ALL in subjection under him, he LEFT NOTHING that is not put under him.
But now we see NOT YET all things put under him. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man" (Heb.2:6-9). Jesus, therefore has made us "ALL OF ONE" (verse 11). Therefore, He is "not ashamed to call them [us] BRETHREN" (v.12). Jesus, is the very own Son of God the Father, in the God Family -- and as such, He is the "firstborn among MANY BRETHREN" (Rom.8:29). As the apostle Paul tells us, "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the GLORY which shall be revealed IN US" (Rom.8:18). What "glory" is Paul talking about? "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that WE ARE THE CHILDREN OF GOD: And if children, then HEIRS; HEIRS OF GOD, and JOINTHEIRS WITH CHRIST; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also GLORIFIED TOGETHER!" (Rom.8:16-17).
Did you get that tremendous promise? 146 Did you understand the meaning of that awesome verse of Scripture? We also, as true Christians, as true believers in the Messiah, who follow and obey Him, and who WORSHIP HIM in "spirit and in truth" (John 4:24), are to be glorified together with Christ, who is VERY GOD -- the literal SON OF GOD! We are destined to share in His inheritance, as His "JOINT-HEIRS"! He is the "elder brother." We are the younger brothers. What is our inheritance? To be members of the very UNIVERSE-RULING GOD FAMILY! TO BECOME YAHVEH, ELOHIM, divine members of the very ALMIGHTY GOD FAMILY! What a breath-taking destiny! What an awesome future! What a mind-boggling inheritance! "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, WE SHALL BE LIKE HIM; for we shall see him as he is" (I John 3:1- 2). How great is God, our Father! And how Great is His Son, also our God, Messiah and Saviour, Jesus Christ! Praise God, forever and ever, for His most wonderful and sublime truth!
Love, Walter
