12/28/18

The Deity of Jesus by Trevor Bowen

http://insearchoftruth.org/articles/jesus_deity.html

The Deity of Jesus


Introduction

Divinity relates to the quality, or state of being divine, above which exists no higher state. It is the state of infinite power, knowledge, and presence, also known as omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence. The heavenly Father is commonly recognized to be divine, to be God, but divinity of the other members of the triune Godhead is questioned by some. "Was Jesus divine?" "Was He God?" "Was He equal to the Father?"This article examines these questions, searching for answers from the pages of the Bible. This will have little significance to those, who do not truly believe that the Bible is the revealed words of God. However, for those that respect the Bible as a final authority, these thoughts are humbly offered.

Jesus is Divine

The apostle John, who wrote his gospel to generate belief in Jesus (John 20:30-31), opened his letter with these words:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. ... And the Word became 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. ... For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him. (John 1:1-18)
The conclusion of this text seems unavoidable: Jesus was the Word incarnate, Who is divine. However, there are those that would disagree with this conclusion. In fact, such belief has become the cornerstone of some modern sects. In general, arguments that are used to contest this conclusion may take two forms.

Bad Translation?

Although no reputable translation would significantly vary from the above content (taken from the NKJ version), the New World Translation contains an decidedly alternate reading, which was required to protect the cornerstone of the translators' faith:
In [the] beginning the Word was, and the Word was with God, and the Word was a god. This one was in [the] beginning with God. All things came into existence through him, and apart from him not even one thing came into existence. .... So the Word became flesh and resided among us, and we had a view of his glory, a glory such as belongs to an only-begotten son from a father; .... Because the Law was given through Moses, the undeserved kindness and the truth came to be through Jesus Christ. No man has seen God at any time; the only-begotten god who is in the bosom [position] with the Father is the one that has explained him. (John 1:1-18)
A discussion of the Greek may be the most technically accurate way to approach this argument, because no reputable Greek source would permit such a translation. Not only is the Greek article, which is translated "a", not present in the text, but additionally, the Greek verb tense for "was" (verse 1), indicates no specific beginning or end - an existence unbounded by time. Despite this, a may better approach may be to pit the above alternative interpretation against another passage that is favored by its supporters, incidentally from which they erroneously take their very name:
"YOU are my witnesses," is the utterance of Jehovah, "even my servant whom I have chosen, in order that YOU may know and have faith in me, and that YOU may understand that I am the same One. Before me there was no God formed, and after me there continued to be none. I am Jehovah, and besides me there is no savior." (Isaiah 43:10-11, New World Translation)
This is what Jehovah has said, the King of Israel and the Repurchaser of him, Jehovah of armies, "I am the first and I am the last, and besides me there is no God ... And YOU are my witnesses. Does there exist a God besides me? No, there is no Rock. I have recognized none." (Isaiah 44:6-9, New World Translation)
The context of Isaiah contains God’s challenge to the pagan gods, which Israel was determined to worship (Isaiah 43:12; 44:6-45:9). In the midst of God’s ridiculing their idolatrous concept, the above statement is made, nullifying the existence of all other gods, both from time immemorial to the last day. However, the New World translation of John 1:1 directly contradicts this cherished proof-text. How can Jesus be a god, even for a moment, if beside Jehovah there are no other Gods, either before or after Him? Either Jehovah did not know about Jesus ("I have recognized none"), or the translation is in the gravest of error.

Exception for the Flesh?

The second argument accepts the divinity of the Word, which existed from the beginning. However, they doubt that this divine being maintained His God-like characteristics, when He "became flesh" (John 1:14). The following passage is a common proof-text used to substantiate the idea that the Word gave up His divine nature when He became the incarnate Jesus:
Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:4-11)
Admittedly, the form of the Word did change when He took upon flesh. This verse does prove that He once enjoyed the form of God, but later accepted the form of a man; however, this verse does not mention any change to His essential nature. This verse mentions "form", "appearance", and "reputation", but there is no reference to reducing His intrinsic quality of nature. When the Word left heaven, He gave up the glory that surrounded Him there. However, just because He enjoyed no such glory on earth, that does not mean He was still not worthy of such glory and praise.
Mining the pages of Scripture reveals that Jesus, although in human form, exhibited many unique characteristics of divinity:
However, as stated previously, the Word had become flesh. Therefore, in addition to continuing to manifest the attributes of deity, Jesus also showed the traits of humanity:
Although both lists could doubtless be multiplied, these are sufficient to establish that Jesus Christ exhibited the traits of both humanity and deity. What is our conclusion? Even though Jesus clearly bore the marks of humanity, He evidently maintained His divinity. He may not have maintained the glorious position that He enjoyed in that eternal throne room, but such glory is not the essence of divinity. In fact, true divinity is best displayed in the life of Christ:
Philip said to Him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us." Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, 'Show us the Father'?" (John 14:8-9)
How had Jesus shown them the Father? Did He take them outside and point to the stars? Did He miraculously whisk them away to the ends of the universe? Did He show them power of the atom, or explain the mysteries of the quark? Maybe He transported them in time and showed them the Father speaking the universe into existence? At first we may think, "Is that not what makes God divine?" In part, yes. In essence, no. Instead, He showed them an impoverished, Jewish carpenter, wandering the land, preaching and healing all who would come to Him. Instead of inter-galactic, military might, He showed them sacrifice, a royal law, and the true meaning of love and friendship (John 13:34-35; 15:9-17). This is the essential light of deity, shining at its brightest, and it is in Jesus Christ bodily that we see it.

The Claims of Jesus

In addition to the above evidence, we have the recorded statements of Jesus, which contain His claims for divinity. Noteworthy examples include passages such as the following:
Jesus answered, "If I honor Myself, My honor is nothing. It is My Father who honors Me, of whom you say that He is your God. Yet you have not known Him, but I know Him. And if I say, 'I do not know Him,' I shall be a liar like you; but I do know Him and keep His word. Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad." Then the Jews said to Him, "You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?" Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM. Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by." (John 8:54-59)
Although the significance of Jesus’ words may not be immediately obvious to us, the Jews of His day understood exactly what Jesus said. Please notice that Jesus did not say, "before Abraham was, I was". Instead, He called Himself, "I AM". This expression, unique to deity, connotes a timeless being, having neither past nor future. Instead, deity simply exists. Its being transcends time. Furthermore, this is the root meaning of God’s revealed name, Jehovah: "to be", "being", or "existing". God is the existing, or eternal One. Jesus’ wording choice becomes even more striking, when we consider the following passage:
Then Moses said to God, "Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they say to me, 'What is His name?' what shall I say to them?" And God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM." And He said, "Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.' " (Exodus 3:13-14)
Jesus made Himself equivalent to Jehovah! Stoning was the penalty for any mortal, who would dare speak such blasphemy so presumptuously (Leviticus 24:16). However, it was not presumption for Jesus (Philippians 2:6). God never struck Him dead for such boasting. In fact, God continued to work miracles through Jesus, witnessing to the veracity of His claims (John 4:31-37; 14:10-11).
Other passages contains Jesus’ claim to being the "Son of God". This designation for Jesus is found abundantly through Scripture (John 20:30-31). Unfortunately, some do not understand the significance of this Hebraism, failing to grasp the significance behind the figure. We could bury up here in a study of this figurative expression, exploring its ancient relation to the kings and prophets, linking it to a shared essential nature and common glory, but instead, let us ask the Jews of Jesus’ day what it meant! Who would understand the meaning of this first century, Hebrew expression better than the Jewish scholars of the first century?
"I and My Father are one." Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him. Jesus answered them, "Many good works I have shown you from My Father. For which of those works do you stone Me?" The Jews answered Him, saying, "For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God." Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your law, 'I said, "You are gods" '? If He called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, 'You are blaspheming,' because I said, 'I am the Son of God'? If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him." Therefore they sought again to seize Him, but He escaped out of their hand. (John 10:30-39)
Please observe that Jesus’ first statement, according to the Hebrew scholars of the first century, was to be understood as equating Jesus with the Father, making Him divine! Notice even further that Jesus equates this to being "the Son of God"! Who said anything about "the Son of God"? Neither Jesus nor the Jews mentioned this phrase anywhere in the preceding context. Apparently, Jesus thought that the Jews' previous statement, "You, being a Man, make Yourself God", was equivalent to being the Son of God. He thought to be the Son of God, was to be divine. Are you a better scholar than the first century Jews? Are you a better Hebrew scholar than Jesus?
In the last week of Jesus’ earthly ministry, the best Hebrew scholars, scribes, lawyers, Pharisees, Sadducees, and Herodians, gathered to entangle Jesus in His speech (Matthew 22:15-16, 22-23, 33-35). After answering their questions, Jesus, and later Peter, used the following argument to prove that the Jews should have known the Messiah was to be more than a mere mortal:
While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, saying, "What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?" They said to Him, "The Son of David." He said to them, "How then does David in the Spirit call Him 'Lord,' saying: 'The LORD said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool" '? If David then calls Him 'Lord,' how is He his Son?" And no one was able to answer Him a word, nor from that day on did anyone dare question Him anymore. (Matthew 22:41-46, see also Acts 2:29-37)
Now we may quibble over the wording, looking for some way to avoid its import; however, if the first century, scholarly Jews, who heard these very words, could not answer the logic, how can we expect to do any better? Who knows more about Hebrew language and the ancient texts than scholars like Gamaliel, the Pharisees, the scribes, and other Hebrew teachers of the law? Surely if Jesus misused the text, they would have caught it! Any answer that challenges the original interpretation must first prove its authority over these scholars, who had the highest desire to find an answer, but they could not answer a word. Then, such an attempt must explain how Jesus could have misused Old Testament Scripture! Truly, Jesus was much more than a mere man. Neither could He have been an angel, because no man ever rightfully served nor worshiped angels (Revelation 19:10; 22:8-9). Moreover, angels were intended to serve us, not the other way around (Hebrews 1:4-14).

The Claims of Jesus’ Apostles and Prophets

In addition to Jesus’ own claims, His apostles and prophets also claimed the right of divinity for our Savior. The book of Hebrews was written to encourage persecuted, Jewish Christians not to return to the Old Law, because they had become partakers of a new, better covenant, mediated and delivered by Jesus. The writer of Hebrews introduced the greatness of Jesus this way:
God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, ... But to the Son He says: "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your Kingdom...." And: "You, LORD, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth ..." (Hebrews 1:1-10)
The Son is the "express image of His person". In Jesus, we see the very person of the Father! What does the Father have that we cannot see in Jesus? Furthermore, the writer boldly attributed Old Testament passages, addressed to God, as actually being addressed to Jesus, the Son! Therefore, Jesus must also be divine.
The apostle Paul makes similar argument is his letter to the Colossians, which teaches the preeminence of Christ:
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell. (Colossians 1:15-19)
For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power. (Colossians 2:9-10)
How many characteristics must one have before he is considered divine? A third? A half? How about all of them? All the fullness of, not just God, but the Godhead, dwells in Jesus bodily. This is not a spiritual habitation, as God dwells in all His faithful children (Ephesians 3:14-19), but this is a full, bodily dwelling. Jesus possesses all the qualities of divinity in His own body! Therefore, He must be divine.
Admittedly, Jesus being designated as "the firstborn" and "the Son of God" can be confusing to modern readers. However, as was noted earlier, this phrase was not intended to signify His time of origin or His beginning point. Please recall that Jesus has no beginning point. He is an "I AM" (John 8:58). Instead, it signifies preeminence, glory, and precedence ("All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist ... that in all things He may have the preeminence"). Again, these statements have no implication or relation to Jesus origin, because Jesus sonship was consecrated not on the day of His birth, but rather on the day of His resurrection!
"And though they found no cause for death in Him, they asked Pilate that He should be put to death. Now when they had fulfilled all that was written concerning Him, they took Him down from the tree and laid Him in a tomb. But God raised Him from the dead. He was seen for many days by those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are His witnesses to the people. And we declare to you glad tidings -- that promise which was made to the fathers. God has fulfilled this for us their children, in that He has raised up Jesus. As it is also written in the second Psalm: 'You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.' And that He raised Him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, He has spoken thus: 'I will give you the sure mercies of David.'" (Acts 13:28-34)
Approximately 33 years after his bodily birth, Jesus was begotten of God. Was He not God’s Son previously? Remember, Jesus thought He was God’s Son, well before His crucifixion and resurrection (John 9:35-38). Clearly, Christ’s sonship has nothing to do with His physical birth (Psalm 89:27). Rather, it signifies His divine essence, just as being called "the Son of Man" denoted His human essence (Matthew 26:63-66). On the day of His resurrection, all doubts to His divine claims were silenced. Jesus was justified in the sight of all. The glory due Him was restored (Philippians 2:6-11).

Conclusion

Admittedly, there are several difficult, possibly unanswerable questions that can be raised regarding the exact details and metaphysics of Jesus being both 100% divine and 100% human. Although undeniably true, Paul recognized this difficult to comprehend phenomenon in this way:
And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness:
God was manifested in the flesh,
Justified in the Spirit,
Seen by angels, 
Preached among the Gentiles, 
Believed on in the world, 
Received up in glory. (I Timothy 3:16)
Although we could spend the rest of this age discussing and arguing the finer points of this miracle, the ultimate question for you is this, "Do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God?" Jesus knows who He is. He does not need us to figure out the answer for His benefit. It is our souls that hang in the balance of this decision. The evidence is freely available, awaiting your decision (John 20:30-31). Will you believe it?
 Trevor Bowen

The Precious Word of God by Ben Fronczek

http://granvillenychurchofchrist.org/?p=1330


The Precious Word of God


by Ben Fronczek

In our society it so easy to take what we have for granted. I see kids getting so many toys, piles of toys for Christmas when they already have boxes and shelves if not a room full of toys. One more toy is just one more. I saw kids at XMAS opening their presents so fast, looking at what they got for a couple of seconds then throwing it aside so that they could open another.. As adults in America we aren’t much different. Look at the choices of food we have in the grocery store, the abundance of clothes and things that we have available to us. Some of us have so much ‘stuff’ we can’t even fit it in our homes and some have to rent storage units just to store all their stuff. We even have a smorgasbord of Christian churches we can choose from. If you don’t like one, you can pick another. In many ways we are very blessed but also very spoiled
I recently finished a book written by Wayne Cordeiro called, THE DIVINE MENTOR.  Within it he tells a true story which I would like to share with you. It goes as follows:
A few years ago I made a teaching trip to China. Twenty leaders of the house church movement from a nearby province came together for leadership training. I was told to be ready to stand up at 8:00 A.M. and teach until 6:00 P.M. – thankfully, with a short break for lunch.  We’d repeat the regiment for three days. It was fatiguing, demanding, and one of the most moving experiences of my life.                    
They endured a 13 hour train ride. Meeting at a predetermined location, they arrived alone or in twos so as not to arouse suspicion. Gathering together in a small, stifling room, they sat cross-legged on a wooden floor. Most were humble farmers. Every face was weathered with deep lines that held stories of profound trial and supernatural perseverance.
Sometimes when you speak to a large group, you hope that 20 to 25 percent (on a good day) will actually absorb what you’re saying. In this group, it was every person in the room!
The huge smiles on all the faces brightened their simple clothing. They were hungry and eager to hear from the narrators of the Bible. Their eagerness would extract the best from me. They were soaking in everything as though they would never be in such a meeting again…. Which was certainly a possibility. When they raised their hands to worship, I saw at least one man with scars from the shackles that had been his companions in prison.
Shortly after we began, to get us more acquainted, I asked them to say a little about who they were. One reported with joy that he’d just been released from serving his fifth 3 year term in jail.
His crime?  Faith in an unseen Messiah. “How many others of you have spent time in prison for your faith?” I asked. 18 of the 20 raised their hands.  “If government authorities discovered this non-registered religious meeting, what would happen?”
They answered, “Each would be given a 3 year prison sentence, and I would be deported within 24 hours.”   “Aren’t you afraid?” I inquired.   “No.” they said with a quiet confidence. “We are not afraid, and if you teach us for another day, we will stay.”
I commended them for their faith, all the while wondering why they weren’t teaching me instead of the other way around.
Since I knew that each of these veteran saints oversaw large numbers of house churches, I continued my ‘let’s–get–acquainted’ session by asking, “How many people do you oversee in all the house churches, combined?”
After a moment of quiet calculation, one spoke up.. “22 million.”            I couldn’t believe I’d heard what I just heard. “22 million?” I stammered.      “Yes,” he nodded. “22 million.”
After a few moments, I caught my breath and launched into teaching. We brought 16 Bibles to pass out, leaving a few of the leaders to share with one another. I had them turn to 2 Peter 1. As we were about to read it out loud, one elderly woman handed her Bible to another leader. I thought that a bit strange, since Bibles were so scarce, but I didn’t call attention to the matter.
After we began to read, I understood why she had willingly given up her Bible. She quoted the whole chapter from memory!  During a short break, I asked her how she memorized so much scripture.  ”I have much more memorized,” she replied through one of the interpreters.   
“But how did you memorize so much,” I asked, “when there are so few Bibles available?”      “In prison,”  she said.
Pushing back, I went on, “But if you had a Bible, wouldn’t they confiscate it right away?”   “Yes,” she answered.  “So people brought me scriptures written on pieces of paper.”
“And what if the guard found you with those?” I pressed.  “Wouldn’t they take those away as well?”   “Yes. That’s why I memorized the scriptures as quickly as I could. You see, they can take away the paper, but they cannot take away what I have already hidden in my heart.”
By the end of the two days, I had fallen in love with this part of God’s family. Realizing my own inadequacy to help them in their daunting task of reaching China, I asked them in our final session together; “How can I pray for you?”
“Pray that we may become like you,” was their immediate request.    One of my new found friends continued: “We do not have freedom of religion. We have only a few registered churches, and when the pews are filled, they turn the others away. But in your country, you can gather whenever you like.”  He concluded by saying again, “Pray that we can one day be like you.”
I shook my head sadly. “I can’t do that. I can’t pray for you in that way.”  “But why?” they asked incredulously.
With a sigh, I explained. “You came here after riding 13 hours on a train . In America, if church is more than thirty minutes away, people won’t go. It’s too far.   You have been sitting on a wooden floor without air conditioning for three day. Where I come from, if people can’t sit on cushioned chairs and be in comfort of air conditioning, they find better things to do.   You don’t have adequate Bibles, so you memorize Scriptures from pieces of paper.  In America Christian homes have multiple Bibles per family, but we don’t always read them.  No,”   I said. “I will not pray that you become like us. But I will pray …  that we become like you!”
After telling this story in his book, the author goes on to share some observation and insights. He goes on to write,
‘Why did these Chinese leaders take such a huge risk, gathering as a group to study God’s word? Why did they value the Bible’s wisdom so much that they placed their very lives in jeopardy in order to listen to the Lord’s voice? Because they know by experience the Word’s power and truth….. The leaders understand that the Bible is like no other book in the world. They recognize its matchless authority as well as its supernatural ability through the Spirit to speak truth directly into our hearts so that we are enabled, literally, to become more like Christ. No other book compares with the Word of God!’ (The Divine Mentor pages 165-168)
Today I cannot over emphasize the importance of what is in this book. But unfortunately too often we take what we have readily available to us for granted.
As we begin this new year I want to encourage you to pick up your Bible and look at it, and treat it like it’s your most precious possession; like a great treasure, more important than any other material possession that you own…Why? Because quite frankly that’s what it is. That’s how those Chinese people treat the word of God… as something precious, and beyond value.
This book has been given to us by God. It has been divinely protected through the ages like no other book. God has protected it and it has come down to you & me for a reason; not just to put it on a shelf, or set out on a stand like some kind of decoration, but rather I believe He wants us to read it.
Even though there are many, I want to at least share with you a few reasons why you should make a practice to pick this book up and read it every day.
#1) It is where you can get to know your God, our Father. It’s one to know about someone, its quite another to really knowsomeone.  Within the pages of the Bible you can get a good idea of who He is, what He likes, what He dislikes, even what He wantsand expects of you. Within the pages of the Bible you hear God’s voice, Him speaking to you. His words cut right through the religious confusion of this world and lays the truth right out.
You can come to know the difference between what truly is, and what isn’t as far as God is concerned by reading this book.  In the past Bank tellers were trained to detect counterfeit $100 bills by putting them in a room where they were shown the real thing. They went to classes where they were taught the almost indistinguishable, almost imperceptible patterns in the real article. The tellers would smell the genuine bills, run their fingers across the fibers and ink. Then when the trainers thought the tellers were ready they tested them. They’d put the tellers in front of a conveyor belt loaded with genuine bills. The supervisor would periodically insert a counterfeit bill on the belt to test them. The tellers would immediately recognize that something was wrong with those particular bills.   How did they recognize the counterfeit bills so quickly? Was it because they studied the fakes? No, rather it was because they took a lot of time studying and examining the real thing.
There is a lot of spiritual and religious confusion in the world today. You will not have to worry about it if you spend enough time in God’s divinely preserved word. You will recognize the counterfeit teaching if you spend enough time with the real article.
#2) Another good reason you should read your Bible everyday is because you are influenced by those you spend time with.
Proverb 13:20 says, “He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.”
God has provided a host of divine mentor for you and me to spend time with. You can learn from their victories as well as from their failing. People like Joseph, Daniel, Abigail, Mary, Ruth, Joshua, Ester, David, Elijah, Solomon, Peter, John … especially from Jesus Himself.  You can save yourself from all kinds of trouble and heart ache if you learn from these people. You can even find short cuts to success and happiness if you learn from them as well.
God wants to mentor us through these people.
This will in-turn help us to make better decisions in our life.
#3)  I believe it’s important to read God’s word every day because the words within are divine and are alive and will lead to an abundant and fruitful life.
They not only show the way to salvation, they also help complete us.
Jeremiah wrote, “Your words were found and I ate them, And Your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart…”
In Psalm 1 David wrote, “Oh, the joys of those who do notfollow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. 2 But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. 3 They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.” (NLT)
God’s word will refresh you when you feel weak. His word will encourage you when you feel down or when trails come your way. God’s word will also repromand you when you start getting off track and start doing things that are bad for you. God’s word will also teach you how to live and be happy and find peace in your life.  Jesus said that God will also prune you so that you will be even more productive than you already are. God will do that as you read His word and you become convicted about certain things. God’s word will prepare you for all kinds of situations and temptations.
In Closing: I challenge you to pick a special time each day and begin reading God’s word. Do it with something else you like to do. I enjoy reading God’s word with a good cup of coffee in a quiet place in the morning, so that’s when I read. Also start writing your thought down; make a journal entry about what you read and how you can apply it. If you are like me I forget a lot of good thoughts I have after I read something good. Keeping a journal of these thoughts are a good way to help you remember them.
God’s word will change your life to the better, I promise! So read your Bible everyday!
For more lessons click on the following link: http://granvillenychurchofchrist.org/?page_id=566

MARRIED TO CHRIST by Alfred Shannon Jr.

https://biblicalproof.wordpress.com/2011/07/

MARRIED TO CHRIST

When we become a Christian, we are married to Christ. Hearing the Word of God is our courtship with Jesus. During this time we decide whether or not we are willing to be joined to our Savior. Believing in Jesus is us deciding to be married to Him, for our heart believes He is the very Christ. This is the moment our love for Christ begins. Repenting of our sins is us forsaking all others. We reject our love for this world, and turn from our sins, giving all of our allegiance to Christ. Confessing that Jesus is the Christ is us announcing to the world our faith and love for him, and we are now ready to be married to Him. Being baptized is the moment we are united with­ Christ. This is the moment we officially say “I Do” to Christ, and walk in the path of the Lord.  Remaining faithful till death is us not straying from our Lord, by being chaste keepers of His Word.
The rest of our life is us devoted to learning how to please our husband. We grow in the knowledge of the Lord, and learn how to defend his doctrine. We bear fruit for our Lord by teaching His Word to others, that children might be born to Him. The analogy of us being married in the flesh is in perfect correlation of Christ being married to us. We said “I Do” to become married, and we must continue Doing whether richer or poorer, for better or worse,  in sickness and in health, till death Do us part. If we become unfaithful to the Lord, we have the avenue of repentance. However, if we die in this condition, and are not reconciled with Christ, we shall be given a bill of divorcement. In that day we shall hear the words of our groom:”Depart from me, you that work of iniquity.” Strive to be a good wife unto the Lord, submitting yourself to His Word, and obeying Him in all things. In that great and faithful day, we shall shall hear the words of our Lord, “Good and faithful servant, you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you rulers over many.”
Eph 5:21-31; Rom 7:1-6; 1 Cor 15:1-4; Rom 10:17; Rom 10:10; Acts 2:38; Rev 2:10; Mt 7:23; Mt 25:21

Peter Was Grieved by T. Pierce Brown

http://www.oldpaths.com/Archive/Brown/T/Pierce/1923/grieved.html

Peter Was Grieved

In John 21:17 we read, "He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep."
Many years ago I wrote an article entitled, "I Love You, but I Don't Like You." At that time I had never seen an article that dealt with the difference in the words translated "love" in this passage. I feel sure that most of my readers now know that Jesus asked, "Lovest thou me (agapas me) more than these?" Peter answered, "Thou knowest that I love thee (philo se)." So Peter did not answer the question Jesus asked. To phrase the question and answer in a reasonably fair English rendition, it would be, "Peter, do you love me in a way that would allow you to give of all that you are and have for my welfare or pleasure?" Peter replied, "Lord, you know that I have a great deal of affection for you."
There are some scholars who take the position that the words "agapao" and "phileo" are synonyms, for they sometimes are apparently used interchangeably, but they are not synonyms. I may say to my wife, "I love (agapao) you" or "I like (phileo) you and have a tender affection for you" and one may assume that because I may use one or both expressions about or to the same person, or in the same context that they are therefore synonyms, but that is not the case. 
But my point in this article is to raise a question about why Peter was grieved? Most of my early life when I knew less about either English or Greek than I do now, I assumed he was grieved because Jesus asked him the same question three times. That is not the case, although in English it may seem to be. In John 21:17, quoted above, it says, "He said unto him the third time," so it might seem that he asked him the same question three times. However, "the third time" simply refers to the third time he asked a question, not the third time he asked the same specific question. 
My conclusion is that Peter was not grieved simply because Jesus asked him something three times. My opinion is that he was grieved because when Jesus asked him the third time, it was as if he was saying, "Peter, I have asked you twice if you had a sacrificial love for me, and you refused to answer, saying that you had a real affection for me. Do you really have the proper feeling of affection for me? If so, why did you not answer my question?" Peter had previously avowed his sacrificial love for Christ in Mt. 26:35, and demonstrated it when he drew his sword and struck off the ear of a man. He had then failed to demonstrate it when he denied that he even knew Christ. So he seemed unwilling to "go out on the limb" again and affirm his "agape," but was willing to affirm his "philos." However, Jesus questioned that in John 21:17, and that grieved Peter. 
Part of my point in this article is to emphasize that Jesus on no occasion told his disciples that they should have "philos" toward him or toward God. We may have a great feeling of affection for persons, but not be willing to sacrifice of what we are and have for their will, or lay down our lives for them. This is what God demands, and we have too few preachers who are emphasizing that. We often make it sound as if about all you need to do is come to the front, confess something and be baptized. The real reason we are not retaining more of our "converts" is that they were never properly motivated to love (agape) the Lord with all the heart, soul, strength and mind. They were motivated to "obey the gospel" or go through the steps of what we call the conversion process in order to get their sins removed and have some hope of eternal life. But we have miserably failed in many cases to so present Christ and him crucified (1 Cor. 2:2) that those who heard were constrained by his love for us to love him and surrender their lives to him as Lord. Paul said in 2 Cor. 5:14, "For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead." If you will examine much of the preaching you have done or heard, you will discover that it dealt primarily with what was wrong with some doctrine or person, or even how to worship God properly. We need to know that, but one of the first things an alien sinner needs to know is that Christ loves him and died for him, and only as he responds in love to that love can he be saved by grace, through faith. Until and unless we focus on that, we will continue to have many who come to hear a sermon (or at least to occupy a pew), and who refuse to stay for Bible study or come back Sunday night or Wednesday night. Fussing at them and criticizing them for their lack of faith will solve very little. If they are not somehow motivated to love Christ with an agape-love, they will never function adequately as Christians. Also, if they never find out the difference in a mere feeling of affection for Christ, and the kind of love that Christ wanted from Peter, they will never be what they should be. It may never have occurred to you, but one of the fatal mistakes of the denominational world (and many connected to the Lord's church) is that they can get all stirred up emotionally and feel good about Christ without loving him enough to live or die for him. To take him as Lord is more than feeling an affection for him. He died for you? Will you live for him?
T. Pierce Brown

Published in The Old Paths Archive
(http://www.oldpaths.com)

And the TRUTH IS... by Gary Rose


Our country is changing. There is a dramatic shift from truth to error; from God’s word to human ideas. There are those who would reinforce their own misconceptions of “truth” by simply redefining it. Change the words and change the truth is their motto. Examples of this abound: bad is now good, sex outside of marriage is no longer fornication, it’s just sex, sin is now being misguided or sickness and those who speak anything from God’s word that interferes a person’s sinful behavior is now called “Hate speech”.

In reality, though, TRUTH DOES NOT CHANGE! Truth is genuine reality and begins and ends with God almighty. His standards are the only ones that will determine eternal life and Jesus spoke the Father’s truth and was hated for it. Consider this exchange between Jesus and the “religious leaders” of the first century…


John 8 (World English Bible)
  30  As he spoke these things, many believed in him.  31 Jesus therefore said to those Jews who had believed him, “If you remain in my word, then you are truly my disciples.   32  You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” 

  33  They answered him, “We are Abraham’s seed, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How do you say, ‘You will be made free’ ?” 

  34  Jesus answered them, “Most certainly I tell you, everyone who commits sin is the bondservant of sin.   35  A bondservant doesn’t live in the house forever. A son remains forever.   36  If therefore the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.   37  I know that you are Abraham’s seed, yet you seek to kill me, because my word finds no place in you.   38  I say the things which I have seen with my Father; and you also do the things which you have seen with your father.” 

  39  They answered him, “Our father is Abraham.” 

Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham.   40  But now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth, which I heard from God. Abraham didn’t do this.


Jesus was hated because he revealed sin for the evil that it truly is. More than that he showed people exactly who they were deep down in the recesses of their heart. His words would have been understood as “hate speech” because he used God’s standards to define sin and not the vogue of the day.

He showed them the path to truth and they did not take it. People are still rejecting him today, we just don’t call them Pharisees. Call them liberals, humanists, free thinkers or politically correct, they all have one thing in common- they hate what God wants them to change in their lives.


Now, I know that some people will not like all this, but these things are true and if taken to heart, can change your life for the better. I guess the only thing left to say is: Will you listen to what God has to say to you or will you remain in the sin of disbelief? 

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)