Monday, November 13, 2017

Whom Say Ye That I Am?

When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi,
 He asked His disciples, saying, Whom do men say 
that I the Son of man am? And they said, Some 
say that thou are John the Baptist: some, Elias; 
and others Jeremias, or one of the prophets. 
He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
 And Simon Peter answered and said, 
Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
 And Jesus answered and said unto him, 
Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh 
and blood hath not revealed it unto thee,
 by my Father which is in heaven.
Matthew 16:13-17 

     Who do you say that Jesus is? What is your attitude towards Him? Was Jesus just another magician, a charlatan, one who pretends to have special knowledge? Was this Jesus just another prophet like Mohammed, Buddha, maybe a forerunner of Ghandi, or maybe as some suggest He was just a figment of an overzealous imagination, a phantom as some say, maybe He is for you a great example, or a good man. Some say that He was a created being, a god (as do the Jehovah Witness, Arian in belief), or as the Mormons say He is a god much like the Jehovah Witness: " Mormon leaders have taught that Jesus’ incarnation was the result of a physical relationship between God the Father and Mary (Journal of Discourses, vol. 8, p. 115; Mormon Doctrine, p. 547). Mormons believe Jesus is a god, but that any human can also become a god (Doctrine and Covenants 132:20; Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 345–354). Mormonism teaches that salvation can be earned by a combination of faith and good works (LDS Bible Dictionary, p. 697) (italics mine for emphasis). Are these theories, opinions, to be taken as truth, that which is revealed in Scripture? Your attitude will be a driving force as to how you pragmatically apply to your daily living. If you believe in Jesus as represented to us in the Bible then you have read that He is the Messiah, the Redeemer, the Son of God, the Only Begotten Son of God. All those who claim to be of Christianity believe what the Bible says about Him, that is, His humanity on earth, and that He is said to be the creator of the world, the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. All those claiming to be Christian see Jesus as our example as how to live, at least in most things while there are certain differences, as the Mormons have a view on marriage (although some changes had to be made due to the Government warning that they would be considered to have wrongful marriages and be disbanded), or about practices in temples. It is our view and attitude as to who Jesus is due to the teaching in the Bible that only by Him, our belief in Him, can a person have eternal life, so our eternal destiny is wrapped in Him, our understanding of Him.
     Jesus is more than just His humanity! Jesus as Authentic  Christians regard Him to be is that He is a supernatural Person. This conception of Jesus runs throughout the New Testament. Yes, Jesus was a Man on earth, He had to be if was to be the propitiation for sin, but for His propitiation for sin to have eternal affect He had to be more than just a created being, or that He had to be created so differently from the angels, and from man but also had to have, that is if He was to be "real" one who had free will. Was this not a problem for Lucifer? Yes! Lucifer had free will and fell from grace and became an opposer to God. Would God make this mistake and not give to a created being the right to have free will? The probability factor is low, if not existent. God is not in the business of making mistakes. So how could God ensure salvation? There is only one way to make sure that man could be saved and have an eternal propitiation for their sins, and to be redeemed: He had to come Himself into our world, live as a man, manifest His being God (Miracles), so now all who call on the name of Jesus, repent of their sins and place their faith on Jesus could have assurance that they are save, that God will give to them eternal life. 
     Is Jesus just a 'good' example, or was He just a created being? What did Jesus say: "Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am (The Greek words used here are "ἐγὼ  (first person I, or I am, εἰμί" (I exist, or I am, together then it is "I am that I am), therefore they took up stone so cast at Him:...." (John 8:58-59a). Why did the Pharisees want to kill Him? Was this not what God said to Moses, "tell them that I Am that I Am that sent you? Yes! The Pharisees knew that Jesus was saying that He was God. John 1:1 makes this very clear, not as Jehovah Witnesses do, they put the letter "a" saying "a god" because, which the Greek does not allow, so that their doctrine and belief that Jesus was created would have proof. 
     God did not have physical relations, intercourse with Mary, no, the Holy Spirit came upon her and God introduced into her womb to join with her ovum Himself, the creator of DNA, so that He would join her ovum with His DNA, it is DNA that defines a thing that is living. I am not saying that God is a being, rather that God who created all things from nothing could do the supernatural and place His essence into the ovum of Mary and become a Man to be our Redeemer. God brings about supernatural events so that we have recorded throughout the New Testament that Jesus is God. 
      Is your attitude towards Jesus that He is God? If so then you will live according to His principles, commands, precepts, and when you have failed against our Holy God, you will ask for forgiveness, and God will forgive, and then by your faith put Him first in your life and turn around from you sins and allow God to continue your sanctification. 
     The Providence of God is at work and He will carry out His will to have a people for His name so that you by faith in the truth as to who He is, who Jesus is, God, then you will have assurance that this Jesus is not some prophet, some phantom, just some example, not just as a guide, rather that He is God and being God you can be ensured that you will be saved, no matter what happens in your life. Believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved, the true Jesus of the Bible.

Behold, the Lord God will come with 
     strong hand, and His arm shall rule
for Him: behold, His reward is with Him, 
     and His work before Him.
                       Isaiah 40:10

Is your attitude that Jesus is God?

Richard L. Crumb  

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