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Continued From Part 2 Is Jesus Christ Really GOD? Part 3
Jesus Christ IS Very GOD! In the book of Malachi, the YHVH of the Old Testament says, "For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed" (Malachi 3:6). In the book of Hebrews, in reference to Jesus Christ, the Messiah, we read, "Jesus Christ THE SAME, yesterday, and today, and forever" (Heb.13:8). Both the YHVH and Jesus Christ are the SAME -- CHANGE NOT -- yesterday, today and forever! This could only be said or stated of ALMIGHTY GOD HIMSELF! Therefore, Jesus Christ is very God even as the Father is very God! The Alpha and Omega John records in Revelation the words of God, saying, "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, THE ALMIGHTY" (Revelation 1:8). Who is this Person who is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the ending, who is also the Almighty God? This refers to none other than Jesus Christ, the Messiah! John records, in Revelation 22, the very promise of Jesus Christ to return to this earth quickly (verse 7). Jesus goes on, saying, "And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. I AM ALPHA AND OMEGA, THE BEGINNING AND THE END, the first and the last. . . . I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star" (Rev.22:12-16). Jesus Is CREATOR and SUSTAINER Yes, JESUS CHRIST IS VERY GOD! As Paul wrote, "In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: Who is the IMAGE of the invisible GOD, the firstborn of every creature: For by him [this same Jesus!] were all 143 things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible . . . all things were created by him, and for him:
And he is before all things, and by him all things exist. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in ALL THINGS he might have the preeminence" (Col.1:14-18). 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).
To be continued:
Walter
Jesus Christ IS Very GOD! In the book of Malachi, the YHVH of the Old Testament says, "For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed" (Malachi 3:6). In the book of Hebrews, in reference to Jesus Christ, the Messiah, we read, "Jesus Christ THE SAME, yesterday, and today, and forever" (Heb.13:8). Both the YHVH and Jesus Christ are the SAME -- CHANGE NOT -- yesterday, today and forever! This could only be said or stated of ALMIGHTY GOD HIMSELF! Therefore, Jesus Christ is very God even as the Father is very God! The Alpha and Omega John records in Revelation the words of God, saying, "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, THE ALMIGHTY" (Revelation 1:8). Who is this Person who is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the ending, who is also the Almighty God? This refers to none other than Jesus Christ, the Messiah! John records, in Revelation 22, the very promise of Jesus Christ to return to this earth quickly (verse 7). Jesus goes on, saying, "And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. I AM ALPHA AND OMEGA, THE BEGINNING AND THE END, the first and the last. . . . I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star" (Rev.22:12-16). Jesus Is CREATOR and SUSTAINER Yes, JESUS CHRIST IS VERY GOD! As Paul wrote, "In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: Who is the IMAGE of the invisible GOD, the firstborn of every creature: For by him [this same Jesus!] were all 143 things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible . . . all things were created by him, and for him:
And he is before all things, and by him all things exist. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in ALL THINGS he might have the preeminence" (Col.1:14-18). 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).
To be continued:
Walter
