|
In The
Beginning Was the Word 
Who Jesus really is— and what that means to repentance …
to
baptism … and to your salvation.
by
Ellis W. Short
Copyright 2004 New Life
Publications
All Scriptures used are
from the Authorized King James Version
|
Dedicated to the “Seven thousand men in Israel, all the knees
which have not bowed unto Baal,
and every mouth which hath not kissed him”
—1
KINGS 19:18
and to all men of like conviction in this generation.
—ROMANS
11:4 |
|
"IN THE BEGINNING was the Word, and the Word was with God,
and
the Word was God.”
—JOHN
1:1
I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for
if ye believe not that I am he,
ye shall die in your sins.
“Then said they unto him, Who art thou?
And Jesus saith unto them, Even the same that I said unto you
from the beginning.
“They understood not that he spake to them of the Father.”
—JOHN 8:24, 25, 27 |
Introduction
1 I
And My Father Are One
2 History
of the Trinity
3 Biblical
Sin and Real Repentance
4 Original
Church Baptism
5 Ye
Must be Born Again
6
Power of the Holy Ghost
7
Come Out of Her
Introduction
THE
TRINITY
— God in three persons — is an understanding that is
generally considered basic to mainstream Christianity.
Catholics, Presbyterians, Methodists, Episcopalians, and
Lutherans, as well as most Baptists and Pentecostals, believe in
the Trinity. In fact, to believe in the Trinity has almost come
to be a primary
litmus
test to determine whether one is truly a Christian.
Among the groups who do not believe in the Trinity, such as
Unitarians, Jehovah's Witnesses, some Sabbatarians, and the
Oneness Pentecostals, etc., there is still a broad variance of
understanding as to the reasons for non-acceptance of this
doctrine. Some believe that
Christ is
divine,
while
others say that he is only a
created
being, much like the archangel Michael. But with all the
disparity, one thing seems certain: even combined, these groups
make up only a very small minority when compared to all those
who do believe in the Trinity.
And whether or not you believe in the Trinity, as some
would say, the main thing is whether or not you believe in
Jesus. Considering that the majority of Americans do believe in
Jesus Christ, or at least profess to, wouldn't it be safe to
assume that the majority are saved? As Jesus himself said, ".
. . for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your
sins" (John 8:24). Was Jesus saying that if men failed to
believe that he was Jesus, that they would die in their sins?
The answer is no, for that fact was all too obvious.
Most religious people believe that Christ at least
existed — some believe that he was born of a virgin, born the
Son of God -- but perhaps only a very small minority have
considered what it means to the life of a Christian that God was
"manifest in the flesh" (1 Timothy 3:16). The majority of
Christians honestly feel that what they believe "about" Jesus,
his words, or who he claims to be, is of little importance, as
long as they believe
in
Jesus.
According to scripture, however, the majority are often
wrong, and as a result will end up in horrible and unimaginable
destruction. As Jesus himself said, "Enter ye in at the strait
gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth
to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: because
strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto
life, and few there be that find it" (Matthew 7:13,14).
The broad way, the way of vain worship leading to
destruction, is fueled by the traditions of men—often in direct
contradiction to
the commands of God, and without the authority and approval of
the Lord Jesus Christ, who says,
"Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for
doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside
the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men,
as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like
things ye do. And he said unto them, Full well ye reject
the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own
tradition" (Mark 7:7-9).
Many will never attempt to examine the background and
origins of the broad way. Admittedly, to remain complacent is
far easier than searching scripture for yourself to learn the
teachings of Jesus. We may take great comfort in hearing that
we
today
do not make washing of pots and cups a part of our religious
ritual. We easily overlook the other part of Jesus' statement,
"and
many other such like things ye do."
Whatever our traditions are, they need to be examined by the
light of scripture. We need to ask ourselves, "Are there
traditions in
my
service to God that results in my rejecting the commandment of
God?"
Interpretations of scripture (perhaps some of your own) are
often determined by church tradition more so than the evidence
found in the Word. "Look how long we have believed this" . . .
"Look at how upsetting it would be to the leadership, or the
congregation to change" . . . or "It was good enough for Papa,
so it's good enough for me" . . . or simply, "I feel more
comfortable doing it this way." Jesus called this the "wide
gate that leadeth to destruction."
Christianity today typically feels a certain comfort in numbers
— knowing that a lot of other people believe the same doctrines
as they do. Some figure that a correct interpretation of
scripture is not that important in the first place. Others
figure that if it were so important surely the church would
already know and teach it. But truth has always claimed only a
very small percentage of the population. The scribes and
Pharisees of Jesus' day were more willing to accuse the Son of
God and to violate the commandments of God than to relinquish
their long-held traditions. They confronted Jesus with, "Why do
thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they
wash not their hands when they eat bread" (Matthew 15:2). Jesus
answered them with, "Why do ye also transgress the commandment
of God by your tradition?" (verse 3). Then he pointed out how
that they had established a tradition that circumvented their
God-given obligation to parents, as outlined in the fifth
commandment.
The danger is when our traditions and doctrines go
contrary to,
or
nullify,
the word of God. As Jesus put it, "Making the word
of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have
delivered: and many such like things ye do" (Mark 7:13). Paul
warned, "Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and
vain deceit, after the
tradition of men,
after the rudiments of the world, and
not
after Christ" (Colossians 2:8).
Paul further instructed the church, "Therefore, brethren,
stand fast, and
hold
the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or
our epistle." It is to true biblical traditions that we need to
hold fast.
That which was taught and practiced in the early New Testament
church is what we should teach and practice today.
Traditions which were not embraced by the early church should
not be embraced by the church today.
Following the Reformation, many were led to cry
"Scripture, and scripture
only!"
as the rule of faith. Others said, "As scripture speaks, we'll
teach and where scripture is silent we will be too." These, and
similar sentiments, should
still
be the heartfelt cry of every true Christian. With the
availability of scripture to virtually every man alive, in his
own native language, there is no excuse left to remain in the
darkness of paganism or third century Catholicism. Acts 17:30
states it this way: "And the times of this ignorance God winked
at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent."
Beloved, our understanding of who Jesus, the Son of God,
actually is — is vital for us to understand. Admittedly, this
small booklet may never accomplish bringing about a complete
revelation — only God can do that but, hopefully with this we
can begin. As God, through the Word of God is able to reveal
this to our hearts, our concept of God will be greatly
broadened. Our understanding of the need for (and the method
of) baptism will hopefully be much clearer. Our willingness to
be submissive and obedient to God, in all things, should grow
with each new day. Most important of all, our understanding of
who Jesus, the Word, really is, as we will learn, is absolutely
vital to salvation.
1
I And My Father Are One
JESUS
SAID
of Himself, "All power is given unto me in heaven and in
earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them
in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Ghost: teaching them to observe
all things
whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway,
even unto the end of the world. Amen" (Matthew 28:18-20).
All power was given to Jesus, not only in heaven but also
in earth, and as a consequence all nations were to be taught and
baptized into a name that was all
inclusive
of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. Later chapters will
cover more about both the "teaching" and the
mode
of baptism. This chapter is to help you understand that the
name that had now been revealed, which was the name of Jesus,
was not an "addition to" but rather a revelation
of
the Father. Neither did Jesus replace or do away with the
Father in any way. Nor did Jesus replace or eliminate any
working of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus was not saying that God was three
persons
or even three personalities.
The god in three persons doctrine, which would not be introduced
to the church until years later, has it's roots in Egyptian
mythology. Like all mythology, it was inspired by Satan, and
has as its purpose the misleading of the minds and hearts of men
away from the
TRUE
and living God.
Like all great men of warfare, Satan, the great
warmonger, knew that to conquer, you first must
divide.
Many children experience the "divide and conquer" principle with
parents at one time or another. They ask Dad if they can do
something and he says, "No." The child then goes to Mom, with
the same request, not explaining that Dad had already said no.
This child knows that this mom and dad are not in
unity
or oneness, and he can therefore appeal to the more lenient of
the two. This scenario is not possible with God the Father and
Jesus the Son (although modern theology has strongly suggested
such) because, as Jesus said, "I and my Father are
ONE."
Their thinking is
identical,
and their response is identical, because they are
one.
Through the doctrine of the trinity, and also the worship
of Mary, many have determined that this strict-versus-loving
characteristic is the case with God the Father and Jesus the
Son. And if you really want an understanding, caring and
agreeable God, you go to Mary. But the exact
opposite
is the point Jesus was making when he included in the godhead
package the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. They were one —
not only in thought and
essence
— they were one in
purpose.
Jesus stated, "I and my Father are one" (John 10:30),
and, ". . . the Father is in me, and I in him" (v 38). What's
more, they didn't just
decide
to be one — they were one from the
beginning.
Scripture plainly refers to Jesus, or the Word, as
God.
John 1:1-3 tells us, "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 [Jesus, verse 14] was not any thing made
that was made." Just as Jesus did not replace God, but rather
was God manifested in the form of flesh, the Word which was from
the
beginning,
was made flesh through the miraculous birth of the babe. "And
the word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his
glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of
grace and truth" (John 1:14).
Thomas addressed the risen Christ as "my Lord and my God"
(John 20:28). Notice that Jesus did not correct him, but rather
acknowledged his faith (v 29). Titus 2:13 and 2 Peter 1:1 refer
to Jesus as our God and Saviour. The rules of Greek grammar
indicate that both titles describe Jesus. That is especially
clear in the 2 Peter 1 reference, since the same grammatical
construction appears in verse 11, where it is obvious that the
titles there (Lord and Saviour) apply to Christ.1
Hebrews 1:8-9 records God the Father's testimony to Christ's
deity: He twice addresses the Son as God. Finally, 1 John 5:20
refers to Jesus as "the true
God
and eternal life."2
Jesus Is the I AM
Jesus himself claimed to be God. In John 10:30 he makes
the statement, "I and my Father are one." John 8:58 records a
statement that the people of his day clearly understood: a claim
for which they were ready to stone him. Jesus applied to
himself the sacred name of God from Exodus 3:14, "I AM" (Heb. YHWH,
"Jehovah," or "Yehovah"). Jesus was not merely claiming to be a
pre-existent being. If he were he would have said, "Before
Abraham was, I
was,"
instead of "I
AM."
When Jesus proclaimed, "I
and my Father are one,"
(John 10:30) the Jews took up stones again to stone him.
1 John 5:7 proclaims, "For there are three that bear
record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and
these three are one. Not three persons, or three Gods — just
simply
three.
If one insists on defining the three, then the more correct
definition should be three
ASPECTS,
or
CHARACTERISTICS,
or
manifestations,
in much the same way that a person has a body, a voice, and
emotions, and yet he is still only
ONE
person. The main difference is that with God, there are no
human
limitations.
Concerning idols, Paul confirmed, ". . . we know that an
idol is nothing in the world, and that there is
none other God but one.
For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or
in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,) but to us
there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and
we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things,
and we by him" (1 Corinthians 8:4-6).
To the Ephesians, Paul exhorts, "There is one body, and
one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
one Lord,
one faith, one baptism,
one God and Father of all,
who is above all, and through all, and
in you all"
(Ephesians 4:4-6). James wrote, "Thou believest that there is
one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble"
(James 2:19).
Which Claim is Right?
Scripture is consistent with it's claim: "Hear, O Israel:
The LORD
our God is one LORD"
(Deuteronomy 6:4; Mark 12:29). Jesus told the scribe that this
was in fact the first of all the commandments (Mark 12:29). And
the scribe said unto him, "Well, Master, thou hast said the
truth: for there is one God; and there
is none other
but he" (verse 32). Unlike the myriad of gods in the pagan
religions, which often had one for fire, one for wind, one for
water, etc., the
TRUE
God was one God and LORD
of everything.
Additionally, as part of that first commandment, Jesus
told a lawyer, who had asked basically the same question,
"...Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and
with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and
great commandment" (Matthew 22:37,38). Now if there were two or
more Gods, how could you do this? How could you love God with
all your heart, and still love Jesus? When you pray, could you
divide your prayer up into different parts, some directed to God
the Father, and some directed to God the Son, while other parts
are prayed to God the Holy Spirit?
Genesis 1:1 says, "God created the heaven and the earth."
John 1:10 says, of Christ, "...the world was made
by him..."
Isaiah 44:24 says, "...I am the LORD
that maketh all things..."
Colossians 1:16 says Christ created all things.
Psalm 78:35 says that God is the redeemer.
Galatians 3:13 says that Christ hath redeemed us.
Isaiah 43:3 says that God is the Saviour.
1 John 4:14 says that the Son was sent to be the
Saviour.
Zechariah 14:5 says that God is coming with all his saints.
1 Thessalonians 3:13 says that Jesus is coming with
all his saints.
Isaiah 41:4 says that the LORD
is the first and the last.
Revelation 22:13 says that Christ is the first and the
last.
Deuteronomy 32:4 says God is the Rock.
1 Corinthians 10:4 says that Rock was Christ.
Isaiah 40:10,11 "...the LORD God will feed his flock like
a shepherd."
John 10:11 says Jesus is the shepherd.
Isaiah 43:15 says the LORD
God is King.
Revelation 19:16 says Christ is KING of KINGS.
Isaiah 44:6 says of the LORD,
"...beside me there is no God."
John 1:1 says that the Word was God.
And on and on continue the claims: both claiming the same
things. Is one a
fraud,
or are they
both
speaking truth? In order for both to be right, Jehovah and
Christ must
both
be
one and the same.
(For a complete listing of these dual-claim scriptures, request
a copy of And The Word Was God, Study #43, from New Life
Publications.) God said. "Is there a God beside me? yea, there
is no God;
I know not any" (Isaiah 44:8). To believe that there are three
persons,
or three
Gods,
is to defy God's own words of himself.
A Self-Imposed Limitation
The fact remains, Jesus, the Son of God, clothed in
flesh, did have limitations, whereas God is without limitation.
Christ ascended into heaven, and yet scripture tells us that
flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven. Jesus
suffered, bled, and died. God cannot die. Jesus prayed to the
Father. Jesus was subject to the Father. Jesus admitted that
there were some things only the Father knew. How can this be if
they are both the same God?
I will not say that it is simple, for the things of God
are not always clear to our mortal minds. In a way we are much
like a child who cannot comprehend how birds can fly, or why
fish don't drown. But failure to
comprehend
in no way changes the fact. As adults, most of us do not really
understand how radio and television signals travel through the
air, and are picked up by a simple antenna to be heard in our
home, or a car traveling down the highway. These things are not
above being understood however—they are merely above
our
understanding.
Yet, in one way, for God to manifest himself in flesh is
rather easy to understand, though perhaps not with the carnal
mind. God manifested himself in the burning bush. God
manifested himself as the pillar of fire by night, and the cloud
by day. As he manifest himself in flesh, he simply
PLACED UPON HIMSELF
the usual limitations of
humanity.
It was a self- imposed "handicap," if you will. And I
personally think God did this, not so he could finally
understand our feelings and infirmities, but so that
WE
would know that
he
understands
our
feelings and infirmities. In Paul's epistle to the Hebrews, he
writes of the risen and glorified Christ, "For we have
not
an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of
our
infirmities;
but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we
may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need"
(Hebrews 4:15,16).
Additionally, Paul says, "Let this mind be in you, which
was also in Christ Jesus: 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: and being found in fashion as a
man, he
humbled himself,
and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name
which is above every name: that
at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the
earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is
Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:5-11).
If, as the flesh, he could not have failed, where would
be the significance of his life and death? If he were not also
truly
FLESH,
how could we really appreciate what God was doing? But still,
with all that considered, how magnanimous would God have been to
send his son, if in fact it was not he
himself
who was willing to suffer?
Truly there is but
one
God, and this one is not of wood and stone, or of men's
imagination, but rather the only true and living God who truly
understands you and me.
----------------------
References
1. Grace
to You, Art.
How Can I Prove From the Bible That Jesus is God?,
Vol. 11, #4, 1988
2.
Ibid.
2
History Of The Trinity
THE
DOCTRINE
of the trinity has been developing for several millennia.
Alexander Hislop in his book
The Two Babylons,
traces various mythologies and church practices back to a common
heritage.1
The concept of the trinity developed,
not
with the New Testament church, as many have been taught, but
rather with the ancient nations of the world. Hislop reveals
the antiquity of the theological concept of the trinity by
giving examples of pagan trinities in ancient (pre-Christian)
Babylon, Siberia, Japan, India, etc.2
An early version of the trinity, or three gods in one,
was the triad of gods. One such triad in India consisted of
Varona
(moon god),
Mitra
(a fertility god), and
Aryaman
(god of the heavens). Though the names might be changed from
country to country, the belief in a
divine triad
continued. A noted Aryan triad was
Vayu
(god of the wind),
Agni
(god of fire and messenger god), and
Sorya
(god of the sun).3
The Indian triad later included
Indra
(storm god who carried thunderbolts) and
Vishnu
(a "savior" god, intermediary between gods and men).
The Sumerians, thought by some historians to be the
earliest civilization (c.3500-c.1500 B.C.) paid homage to a
triad of
El-lil
(god or lord of the storm),
Ea
(water deity of Eridu), and
Anu
(sun god of Ur-uk.)4
El-lil,
sometimes known as
En-lil,
was called the "father of summer," "chief of the gods," "creator
and sustainer of life." The universe was apparently divided up
among these three "pre-eminent" deities, with El-lil in charge
of earth,
Anu
in charge of heaven, and
Ea
in charge of water.
Later, these deities supposedly entrusted the practical
direction of the earth to the patron deity of Babylon,
Marduk,
the firstborn of
Ea.
Marduk later became known as
Bel,
or
Baal.
References to Baal are found in Numbers 22:41, Judges 2:13,
Judges 6:25, 1 Kings 16:31, etc.
It is interesting that
Ashur,
the god of the Assyrian capital, challenged the patron deity of
Babylon, Marduk. Ashur was basically a
sun god,
and his consort wife was
Ishtar
(also called Semiramis), the great mother goddess of Nineveh, a
city founded by
Ninus,
or Nimrod.5
Ishtar,
Ashtoreth
to the Phoenicians, and
Astart
to the Greeks, was often portrayed riding a lion. She was
called the daughter of the
moon,
and identified in astrology as the Roman
Venus.
She was also known as
Nana,
or Madonna (Lady). Belief in the mother goddess was quite
common throughout the Middle East, and then brought from Asia
Minor to Rome.
Astoreth is referred to in scripture as another of the
false gods that caused Israel to go astray. (See Judges 2:13, 1
Samuel 7:3, 1 Kings 11:5 & 33, 2 Kings 23:13, etc.) The
"groves" mentioned repeatedly in Kings and Chronicles are
statues to the mother goddess (Strong's #842=Astarte, or images
of her). Some of the good kings, Hezekiah, Josiah, Asa and
Jehoshaphat, tore them down (2 Kings 18:4, 23:14; 2 Chronicles
14:3, 17:5, et.al.).
Ishtar (called Semiramis in Babylon) has a bloody history
as a goddess. She was reputedly the murderess of her consort
(son/husband)
Tammuz,
variously known as Bel, Adonis, the Egyptian
Osiris,
the Greek
Bacchus,
or simply Nimrod. Semiramis later is said to have brought forth
an illegitimate son, which she claimed was Nimrod resurrected.
He was called
El-Bar,
or "God
the Son,"
the "Branch
of Cush."6
Thus was formulated one of the ancient family
triadic
patterns of "father, mother, son."
An early triadic pattern of the trinity is noted in
connection with the construction of the Tower of Babel.
Diodorus Siculus, in his
Bibliotheca,
relates that in the uppermost story of the tower there stood
three images
of the great divinities of Babylon; and one of these was a woman
grasping a serpent's head. As time wore away, and the facts of
Semiramis's history became obscured, her son's birth was boldly
declared to be miraculous: and therefore she was called "Alma
Mater,"
the "Virgin
Mother."7
Triad gods, under various names, as well as the influence
of the Babylonian priesthood, spread throughout the ancient
world upon the destruction of Babel and the confusion of the
languages (Genesis 11:9).8
The Egyptian triad of the sun god was
one god expressed in three persons:
Ra,
the noonday sun,
Tum,
the evening sun, and
Khepera,
the dawning sun.9
The sun god was being worshipped in Ezekiel's time (see Ezekiel
8:15,16) and continued as a pagan form of worship which led
eventually to the establishment of a day of worship
named
after the sun.10
The idea of a personified, secondary Logos-god, a key
element in the Trinity doctrine, is also pre-Christian and
pagan. The Greek philosophers, from which the
Catholic fathers obtained the skeletal framework of the
doctrine, apparently appropriated the idea and the term from the
oriental religions.11
Ishtar was identified as the
Logos
of the god El-lil. She was said to have exclaimed, "Of the lord
(El-lil), his Word (Logos) am I."12
From the
New Catholic Encyclopedia
article "Holy Trinity," comes this admission: ". . .
when one does speak of an unqualified Trinitarianism, one has
moved from the period of Christian origins, say, to the last
quadrant of the fourth century. It was only then that what
might be called the definitive Trinitarian dogma `One God in
three Persons' became thoroughly assimilated into Christian life
and thought : it was the product of three centuries of doctrinal
development."
Catholic theologians admit that the current concept of
"one God in three persons" was not taught by the
early
Christians. Indeed, the early Christians were taught that they
"should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered
unto the saints" (Jude v 3). And rather than being willing to
follow century after century of modified traditions — spawned by
paganism and propelled by Romanism — should we not today return
to Paul's admonition, "Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold
the traditions which ye have been [past
tense]
taught, whether by word or our epistle" (2 Thess. 2:15)?
Ancient relics which picture three-headed gods, or gods
that are in some way "three in one," have been found and
preserved by archaeologists. Interestingly, some of the same
relics, or similar ones are used by the Roman Catholic church.
To take the evidence of Holy Scripture, in its original
meaning, and without the pollution of paganism, Greek
philosophers, and the Catholic fathers, one would most likely
conclude that God is
ONE.
God has manifested himself in many ways and has various
attributes
(the burning bush, pillar of fire, having seven Spirits, etc.) Nevertheless,
they are all
one.
One in purpose, one in thought . . . Jesus the Son,
not replacing
but rather
revealing
to us who God really is. God the Father, not stepping aside or
backing down, as it were, but rather revealing Himself to us
through the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Perhaps the single most devastating outcome of the
Trinity doctrine, even among those who purport to disagree with
it, is the effect it has had on the breakdown of God's
words.
In one way or another many honest Christians believe that Jesus,
bringing a more loving approach to man, disagreed with,
disregarded, and did away with the commands of the Father. And,
in fact, this belief is only possible if you believe that Jesus
and God are separate persons, having separate personalities.
The word
trinity
is nowhere even mentioned in the Bible. The term, from the
Latin trinitas, was first used by Tertullian of Carthage, one of
the Latin church fathers, to describe the Being of God (about
A.D. 207).13
The formulation of Trinitarian doctrine began with the contact
between Christianity and the Hellenistic philosophies, which
attempted to explain Christianity in terms of metaphysics.14
In the same sense that "God
and
the Father" (Ephesians 5:20) are referring not to two different
Persons, but to one God, so also references to Father, Son, and
Holy Ghost (Matthew 28:19) are referring to one God. From
Deuteronomy 6:4, "Hear, O Israel: The LORD
our God is
one
LORD
. . ." to James 2:19, "Thou believest that there is
one
God; thou doest well: the devils also believe and tremble," the
statement is clear — there is only one, and there has been only
one from the
beginning.
Jesus (the Word) was
with
God,
was
God, and was the Creator at the creation of the world (John
1:1-3). Numerous scriptures, similar to those in Chapter 1,
make the same statements about God as are made for Jesus, for
example:
God is saviour
(Isaiah 43:11, 1 Timothy 2:3) and
Jesus is saviour
(1 John 4:14).
Beloved, don't be deluded by the strength of tradition.
Jesus said that if we "believe not that I am He," we would die
in our sins! Recall that Jesus was making reference to the
Father.
----------------------------------
References:
1.
Alexander Hislop,
The Two Babylons
(Neptune, NJ: Loizeau Bros., 1959), Ch. 2, Trinity in
Unity.
2.
Ibid, pg 17-18.
3.
Veronica Ions,
Indian Mythology
(London: Pam Hamlyn Ltd., 1967), pp 13,14.
4.
Morris Jastrow,
Aspects of Religious Belief and Practice in Babylonia
and As syria (New York: G.P. Putnam's Son), pp 37-40.
5.
Ibid, pp 40,93.
6.
Hislop, op. cit., p 73.
7.
Ibid, p 75,76.
8.
William B. Chalfant, Art., "The Origin of the Trinity," 1986
Symposium on Oneness Pentecostalism, (Hazelwood, MO: United
Pentecostal Church International).
9.
Ibid, p 83.
10.
E.W. Short,
Remember the Sabbath Day
(Wister, OK: New Life Publications, 1991), pp 48-52.
11.
Chalfant, op. cit., p 86.
12 .
Lewis R. Farnell,
Greece and Babylon,
(Edinburgh: T & T Clark, 1911), .
13.
The University Society Encyclopedia, (Midland Pk, NJ,
Excelsior Trading Corporation) Art. "Trinity," Vol. 18, p 244.
14.
Ibid, p 245.
3
Biblical Sin
And
Real Repentance
POPES,
evangelists, and pastors alike have all attempted to describe,
in fairly specific detail, what sin really is. Pontifical
decrees and evangelical edicts have done their fair share of
defining sin. But for the most part, all seem to have obscured
the biblical definition. In attempting to assist the new
convert, churches have come up with a myriad of "regulations
against sin," some of which are in direct contrast to the
teachings of the Bible itself. And then there are those
leaders, even among pastors, who prefer not to mention sin at
all, for fear of "discouraging" the poor struggling sinner.
The Bible Definition
Simply put, disobedience toward God is sin, and sin is
that which alienates mankind from God — and results in death.
Adam and Eve sinned when they disobeyed the instructions of God,
after which they were separated from the presence of God. Cain
sinned when he slew his brother, after which the ground was
cursed and he became a vagabond and a wanderer. James 4:17
says, "Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it
not, to him it is sin." But what
constitutes
disobedience, or sin, and how is one to
know
what is good in the eyes of God?
Scripture relates the answer in a way that makes it
doubly clear, stating, "Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth
also the law: for sin
is
the
transgression of the law"
(1 John 3:4). Obedience to the commands of God is the
biblical
way to avoid sinning. And the penalty for sinning, as well as
the reward for obedience, is also clearly stated. Paul, in
writing to the Romans (and to you and I) said, "For the wages of
sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life" (Romans
6:23).
Ezekiel, in proclaiming the justice and fairness of the LORD,
revealed, ". . . the soul that sinneth, it shall die" (Ezekiel
18:4 & 18:20). Then in verse 21 God illustrated his fairness,
"But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath
committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful
and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die." In the New
Testament we are admonished to "sin not" (1 John 2:1) and warned
"He that committeth sin is of the devil" (1 John 3:8). "All
unrighteousness" (that which is not
right
in God's eyes), we are informed, "is sin" (1 John 5:17).
Like many others, you may have heard it preached that
Jesus came to "do away" with the law. Actually, nothing could
be farther from the truth. The scriptures equating sin with
transgressing (breaking, violating) the law of God, is a New
Testament principle as well as Old Testament. The only thing
that is done away with (and only then if we are willing to
stop sinning)
is the penalty — the well deserved verdict of
death in the lake of fire.
Jesus, a sinless and perfect sacrifice, became the recipient of
our sentence, and set us free from the bondage of sin — but not
so that we should simply re-enter by continuing to violate his
law.
The "handwriting of ordinances that was against us,"
which was "contrary
to us",
which Christ took "out of the way, nailing it to his cross"
(Colossians 2:14), is in
no
way referring to the law of God, as is commonly taught, but
rather to the "handwritten record" of our
transgressions
of God's law. Jesus said, "Think not that I am come to
destroy
the law, or the prophets; I am not come to destroy, but to
fulfil.
For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot
or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be
fulfilled" (Matthew 5:17, 18). He then went on to warn against
breaking, and teaching others to break, God's commandments.
Modern religion, in general, has failed to realize that
God's
commandments are actually
Jesus'
commandments because Jesus and the Father are truly one and the
same: "I and my Father are one" (John 10:30). When Jesus said,
"If ye love me, keep my commandments" (John 14:15) he understood
that the commandments spoken of were one-and-the-same as the
Father's. As the Son of God clarified, "If ye keep my
commandments, ye shall abide in my love;
even as I have kept my Father's commandments,
and abide in his love" (John 15:10). Additionally Jesus
declared, ". . . When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then
shall ye know that I am he [God,
from above,
see vs 14-27], and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father
hath taught me, I speak these things. And he that sent me is
with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always
those things that please him" (John 8:28,29).
No, Jesus certainly never intended to do away with any of
the commandments — not even a small one (if there were such a
thing) — not even a "jot" or a "tittle." The reason is simple —
they are Christ's commandments.
In fact, the willingness to keep God's (or Christ's)
commandments is the sure sign of knowing him — and vice-versa.
Regardless of the various modifications and deletions attempted,
the Bible still plainly states, "And
hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments"
(1 John 2:3. For those who claim to know Jesus, but who refuse
to submit to God's authority, he says in the following verse,
"He that saith, I know him, and keepeth
not
his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him" (v
4).1
A lawyer once asked, "Master, which is the great
commandment in the law?" Jesus said unto him, "Thou shalt love
the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and
with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.
And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as
thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the
prophets" (Matthew 22:36-40). Then in John, Jesus gave what he
called a "new commandment" — with which some have thereby
claimed that he revoked all the previous ones. He said, "A new
commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have
loved you, that ye also love one another" (John 13:34). But,
even in this, there should be no misunderstanding, for John also
wrote, "By
this
we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and
keep his commandments.
For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and
his commandments are not grievous" (1 John 5:2, 3). The first
four of the commandments outline how we are to show love for the
Creator, and the last six outline how we are to show love for
our fellow man.
True Repentance
"I came not to call the righteous," said Jesus, "but
sinners to repentance" (Luke 5:32). True repentance is a
welcomed event in heaven, bringing great joy in the presence of
the angels of God over one sinner that repents (see Luke
15:10). To
repent
means to change one's mind for better and heartily to amend with
abhorrence of one's past sins. It's a willingness to see your
own wrong ways, and to
change direction.
True repentance is not based on the precepts of men, but rather
on the precepts of scripture.
In Matthew 26:28, Jesus, at the Passover meal with his
disciples, said, "For this is my blood of the new testament,
which is shed for many, for the remission of sins." Remission
of sins means not only pardon and forgiveness, but also a
removal of the
penalty.
Modern religion would have God doing the repenting —
taking back some, or all, of his commandments. "His
commandments were just too
harsh,
so God sent his son to nail them to the cross, and
do away with them,"
say the theologians. But in truth, that's not what God actually
did. In Numbers it is recorded, "God is not a man, that he
should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent . . ."
(23:19). "And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor
repent: for he is not a man that he should repent" (1 Samuel
15:29).
No, God is not going to repent of giving mankind the
mandate of obedience. It is
man
who is going to have to repent of breaking all the laws of God.
The only sense in which God will repent, is of the evil (harm)
he has planned for the disobedient, and only
then
after the disobedient have
repented of their disobedience.
For a more thorough understanding of this principle, take a
moment to read Jeremiah 18:8-10; Jeremiah 26:2-3, 13; and
Ezekiel 14:6, 24:14.
The prophet Joel, in warning about the great and terrible
day of the LORD,
says, "Therefore also now, saith the LORD,
turn ye even to me with
all your heart,
and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: and rend
your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD
your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of
great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil" (Joel 2:12,13).
The New Testament continues with
exactly
the same message for mankind—
repent!
John the Baptist preached, "Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven
is at hand" (Matthew 3:2). When John saw the hearts of the
false repentant of his day, he referred to them as a "generation
of vipers" (v 7) and demanded that they "bring forth therefore
fruits meet for repentance" (v 8). Many today "confess" or
"profess" Christ, or "accept Christ as Saviour," but never
really
repent of sin.
Some, because of so much church rhetoric, fail to understand
what sin is. How can you weep and rend your heart in repentance
if you fail to realize that you have sinned against God?
Some people seem to think they are doing God, or maybe
the church, a big favor if they "accept Christ." To accept
Christ however, begins with repentance — and true repentance
requires
belief.
Jesus said, ". . . repent ye, and
believe the gospel"
(Mark 1:15): believe not only that Jesus existed, but that he
IS,
and that he is a rewarder of them that
diligently seek him.
Repentance requires a change of heart, a willingness to make
restitution, and a determination to live the opposite way of
sin. The word of the LORD
spoken to Ezekiel put it this way, "Again, when the wicked man
turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and
doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul
alive. Because he considereth, and turneth away from all his
transgressions [against God's law] that he hath committed, he
shall surely live, he shall not die" (Ezekiel 18:27,28).
To him that knoweth to do good and doeth it not — to him
it is sin. All unrighteousness is sin, says 1 John 5:17. Sin
is the transgression of God's law — his commandments. And even
though God manifested himself in the form of flesh, he is still
the
same God
and maintains the sovereign right to establish the rules. Man's
choice is not which of God's commandments, or which New
Testament principle, to observe but simply whether or not to be
obedient to
all of them.
Even in the holy city, new Jerusalem (Revelation 21:1,2),
John was shown once again the validity and portent of the
one-ness of God and Christ. The continuing and unchanged
message of He who spoke the world into existence, is, "I am
Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the
last" (Revelation 22:13). He then continued with the message
consistent throughout the ages, "Blessed are they that
do
his commandments, that they may have
right
to the tree of life . . ." (v 14).
Earlier, God had warned the angel of the church of
Ephesus (Revelation 2) to, "Remember therefore from whence thou
art fallen, and repent, and do the first works . . ." (v 5).
In the church of Thyatira, God acknowledged their faith,
their patience, and their works, but, because they had allowed
the self-proclaimed prophetess, Jezebel, to teach doctrines
contrary to scripture, they faced the wrath of the almighty God.
This " |