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Equal with God
In one of my recent hubs, my wife shared her testimony and how she came to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Someone left the comment that now that she knows Jesus, she needs to get to know God. I can understand the confusion that surrounds this issue, but clearly Scripture teaches that God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are equal in every way.
While I would not argue that we as born-again Christians worship one God, I realize that we worship Him in three persons. Deuteronomy 6:4 points this out. I take Scripture at face value. I may not understand everything, but if the Bible says it, that settles it for me. The best example I can give of how God exists as three-in-one is myself. I am a husband to my wife. She sees me as such. I am a father to my children. They see me as such. I am a pastor to my congregation. They see me as such--one person with three distinct roles and responsibilities. I admit that this is a poor illustration. The doctrine of the Trinity teaches there is one God existing in three distinct persons, not three distinct roles .I know of no person or church that can adequately explain the Trinity
If you can, get a copy of the King James Bible to look up the following verses. Many of the newer versions remove Christ's claims to deity. I also will not argue Scripture. It is what it is. I do not try to make Scripture fit my philosophy, but rather allow Scripture to be my philosophy. My goal is not to preach, but rather to let the Word of God through the Holy Spirit speak.
Isaiah 9:6 says clearly that Jesus the Son is the mighty God, as well as the everlasting Father.
Isaiah 44:6 goes on to say the LORD the King of Israel, is equal to His redeemer the LORD of hosts; Isaiah mentions the fact that God is the first, and he is the last; Jesus shares those same words in Revelation 1:17.He is the first and the last. Jesus is the redeemer the LORD of hosts.
We know that God created the worlds.This is pointed out in the first verse of the Bible, Genesis 1:1. Colossians 1:16, 17 says in reference to Christ that all things were made by Jesus. Colossians 1:15 talks of Jesus as being the visible image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature. The word firstborn here has to do with being first in time and place, not in a creation sense. This is connected to the thought in verse 17 as we see that Jesus was before all things.
What about Mathew 28:19? Notice that it is the name, not names of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.. Even though there are different responsibilities, there is One name. Notice that Jesus also said in verse 18 that all power is given unto Him. All power belongs to Jesus. If Jesus is not God, then at least He is more powerful than God...that is absurd.
The writer of Hebrews links Jesus the Son to the Godhead as the Son is clearly referred to as God. The Son is God? That is what it says.
What are we to do with John 14:,7, 9?. Philip asks to see God to which Jesus replies, if you have seen me you have seen God the Father. To know Christ is to know the Father.
The apostle John nails it on the head when he says in I John 5:20 that Jesus Christ is the true God, and eternal life".
This is where my wife was coming from in her testimony. She has been given an understanding to know the very Son of God, Jesus Christ, who is the true God and eternal life.
The apostle continues in his Gospel, John 1:1-3. He mentions that Jesus was in the beginning with God and was in fact God. Just a side note here--to be in the beginning one must be before the beginning and He is the creator of all things.
The Apostle Paul mentions this in reference to Christ in Philippians 2:6, " Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God..."
Matthew gives the account of the Lord's temptation in Matthew 4:5-7. The devil refers to Jesus as the Son of God, and Jesus replies that he should not tempt Him (Jesus), the Lord his God.
Acts 20:28 tells that God bought His church with His own blood. The church of God was purchased with the blood of God.
Titus speaks of the equality of Jesus with God as well. In Titus 1:3 he links the two with the term God our Saviour. Again in Titus 2:13 we see the great God being linked to our Savior, Jesus Christ. In Titus 3:4 he uses the term God our Saviour once again.
Salvation can only come through Jesus Christ, God in the flesh. God with us, Emmanuel (Matthew 1:23) This same Jesus is coming back for His own. "This same Jesus...shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven (Acts 1:11)."
What does it mean to be one of His own? To have a right standing before this God-man Jesus Christ. Hebrews 9:22 tells us that the only way sin can be forgiven is with a blood offering. A blood offering is required for the atonement of sin. Jesus offered His blood once for all. God became human flesh to identify with us as a sheep led to the slaughter (Acts 8:32). He and He alone paid your price. You can know Him personally. You can have a right relationship with the God of Heaven. Come to Him today before it may be forever too late.
"If ye had known me,ye should have known my Father also...he that hath seen me hath seen the Father..." (John 14:7, 9).
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Comments
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Cherry,
It's nice to have true followers, not someone just looking for numbers. I look forward to your writings as well. I have two new articles that I'll be posting soon. Hope they will also be a blessing to you! Thanks for following.
As a new comer on here you have been very supportive of me in truth and i will support whatever you write in truth and if i disagree with anything i will be a constructive critical Christian via your email :)
You are welcome with the truth and i will visit more often once i get the time to read more of them. In fact i look everyday to see if you posted anything.
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Hi Cherry,
Thanks for the encouragement. It's always good to hear from you. Thanks for making the visit! :)
Amen lifegate. In the beginning was the word, the word was with God and the word was God...Jesus Christ is God. Awesome hub and keep the truth coming.
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As I said in my previous reply, "...I won't argue... there's really nothing else to say regarding the matter."
Mr. Lifegate, It's not God or the Godkind that is plural, but "the Persons" of God or the Godkind.
The xerox copy issue is merely an analogy. All analogies have their limitations.
We are both agreed concerning the reality of the Godhood of Jesus. That's already a given fact in the Bible.
What I am not in agreement with you since you are a "Unitarian" is your violation of the Bible's correct grammatical constructions.
You haven't answered yet practically all issues I have raised above.
Moreover, I want to add that although the Mighty and the Almighty God Incarnate- the "Good" Lord Jesus Christ is Master or Lord of all (Acts 10:36; Philippians 3:21) and All in all (Colossians 3:11B), He won't ever violate any portion of the Bible or Holy Scriptures since He is not only the Author of it all and it's all about Him (John 5:39-40, 46-47), but also because He is a faithful God (Deuteronomy 7:9).
Hence, Jesus will always be a God of correct grammar, not an erroneous or incorrect one!
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So does that mean you worship three gods? Not to be argumentative (as a matter of fact, I won't argue), but your example of a xerox copy is rather poor. Jesus Christ is not a mere copy of God, but is very God Himself, yet distinct from God the Father and God the Holy Spirit.
You're entitled to your opinion, so there's really nothing else to say regarding the matter.
Mr. Lifegate, I can clearly see the confusion in your concept of God, for while you are mentioning that God has 3 Beings, you are using the singular Personal pronoun "He" for the 3 Persons of God collectively.
That's not consistent with sound or proper or appropriate grammatical usage.
"They", "Them", "Us", "Our", "We" are Personal pronouns that should be used for Persons in the plural form, while "He", "His", "Him" are Personal pronouns that should be used for a Person in the singular form.
In John 14:9, the Lord Jesus Christ was saying that the one who has seen Him has seen God the Father, not because He and God the Father is a single Person, but because He is the image (eikon in Greek, which means likeness, representation, resemblance or exact copy) of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15) which is God the Father.
A good example is a xerox copy of a printed material on paper.
If you have the printed material on paper xeroxed, you will have an exact copy of the printed material on paper, that you have xeroxed.
The original and the copy of the original, looks alike, but "they" are "two" distinct or different papers.
They are not single or singular in number, but plural (i.e., two).
Therefore, when you have seen the copy, you have in essence seen the original.
That's how it is with: 1. God the Father; and 2. the Lord Jesus Christ;
"They" are "2" distinct or different Persons or Individuals, just like I'm a distinct or different person or individual from you, but the "2" of "Them" belong to a single or singular kind- God, just as the "2" of "us" belong to a single or singular kind- human.
You see, today, there are about 7 to 8 billion persons or individuals or selves or beings belonging to the humankind!
Back in the past, at present and for all eternity, there were, there are and there will always be only 3 Persons or Individuals or Selves or Beings belonging to the Godkind!
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Ephrem Hagos ,
Thanks for checking back!
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All For Jesus,
Thanks for stopping by. I was wondering - did you take the time to read my hub? From the very beginning I mentioned the fact of three beings, "While I would not argue that we as born-again Christians worship one God, I realize that we worship Him in three persons.
Of course there is only One God. That's what monotheism is. but He is manifested in three persons with distinct responsibilities. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are equal in every way. As Jesus said in John 14"9, "...he that hath seen me hath seen the Father." Thanks for the visit.
It pays to remember that God Almighty, a.k.a., "I Am Who I Am", is invariably self-revealing based on the Scriptures but, at the same time, independent thereof.
Evidently, Mr. Lifegate, you are a unitarian and not a Bible- based Trinitarian.
While you believe the non- biblical stand that God is a single Person with 3 manifestations, Trinitarians like me believe that there are 3 distinct or different Persons belonging to the class or genre or kind that is God (i.e., Godkind).
God or the Godkind can never ever be a single Person God.
In John 16:32, shortly before Jesus got betrayed by Judas, He told His 12 disciples that the hour is coming and is already come that the 12 disciples will be scattered, every one of them to his own way and shall live Jesus "alone", yet He had to tell them that although they will all live Him "alone", yet, He won't really be "alone" because God the Father is "with" Him!
If Jesus is God the Father, Himself, He would not have said that "He won't be alone because God the Father is with Him".
Since He therefore said that He is not "alone" because the Father is "with" Him, hence, Jesus and God the Father are more than one (i.e., more than single or more than singular) in number or entity.
In John 5:22, Jesus said that God the Father judges no man because He has committed all judgments to Him who is God the Son.
If Jesus and God the Father are one (i.e., single or singular) in number or entity or Person, since God the Father won't judge the humankind, therefore, no one will judge the humankind since God the Father is Jesus Christ, Himself.
See the contradictions of a unitarian concept of God?
In John 3:35, Jesus said that God the Father loves Him who is God the Son and has given all things into His hands.
If God the Father is Jesus Christ, Himself, then He has given all things unto Himself because He loves Himself.
What a narcissistic or egotistic God that would be! A unitarian (i.e., single Person) God cannot be a God of love, because all He is concerned about is loving Himself and giving all things unto Himself!!!
In II John 1:9, the Apostle John is saying that he who abides in the doctrine or teaching of Christ has both the Father and the Son.
The use of the word "both" makes the Father and the Son plural or more than one in number.
Therefore, God the Father and God the Son can never be a single Person God!
In John 14:23, Jesus was saying that if a man loves Him, that man will keep the words of Jesus. And God the Father will love that man. Further, Jesus had to say, "we" will come to that man and make "our" abode with him.
Since Jesus and God the Father are 2 distinct or different Persons, He used the Personal pronouns "we" and "our" with reference to Him and God the Father.
The only way for a unitarian concept of God (i.e., a single Person God) to thrive is to violate proper grammatical constructions used in the Bible.
If the scriptures of the Bible use or utilize plural Personal pronouns pertaining to the Persons of God like "we", "our", "us", "these", the unitarians would have to simply tamper these plural Personal pronouns to mean or connote singularity of Person, as they had always been doing since time immemorial.
Just another point of clarification!
Jesus (i.e., the God of the Bible) is a God of grammar!!
He won't violate the principles of proper grammatical constructions, whether that be information in the Bible or outside the Bible.
Otherwise, your Bible would be merely reduced to a Book of errors and follies!!!
Suggested readings:
Lifegate, many thanks for the welcome!
May God bless his own seed to sprout, grow and bear fruit! Amen.
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Amen, EphremHagos. Thanks for stopping by!
Jesus Christ is more than "equal with God". He is the same as God. He is God (John 1:1).
The HARD PROOF is not in any written text (which is full of "figures of speech" and altruistic language) but in personally experiencing his divine identity and absolute authority in the kind of death he suffered on the cross. (Ibid, 8:28; 12: 32-36; 14: 18-21; 16: 5-33; 19: 30-37)
I confirm.
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Eddie,
It seems many people are not getting their notifications. There have been many that I also have not gotten. Sad to say, it's a HubPages thing. Thanks for finding it!
I agree with you again Lifegate “I may not understand everything, but if the Bible says it, that settles it for me”. I’ve been waiting for you to submit this and I don’t know why I was never notified of it. Of course I could have overlooked the notification. At any rate I’m sorry I got here so late. You’ve done an excellent job on this subject. Thank you.
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Moneycop,
Thanks for the visit!
great hub.........
i got another hub of my choice..thanks
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JD,
Thanks for stopping by and adding to the conversation. Scripture is clear and was never meant to be confusing. I don't know why many have failed to see the simple truth of the Trinity. It's good to hear from you and be blessed!
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Cristina,
Yes it is such an essential doctrine, but so misunderstood by so many people. And yes, I'm afraid that denying the deity of Christ is one sure sign of a cult. Thanks for the visit. It's always good to hear from you.
Praise God! If I were around your church, I would join! I don't know why the majority of 'Trinity' teachers preach the doctrine that God is not the Son, nor is the Son the Father, and 'both' of these separate 'persons' are not the Holy Spirit. You read your Bible and the Spirit of God is your Teacher ~ amen! I love how you explained this so beautifully and I am rejoicing in the Truth with you.
Great hub which presents great biblical support for a great Bible doctrine, the deity of JesusChrist. I believe this is an essential doctrine every person must accept and believe in orderto receive salvation. A church which do not accept this doctrine of the deity of Christ is a cultic group. No one will be saved unless he accepts the deity of Christ. Remain blessed always. I wish you a great day today. Best regards.
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RevLady,
It certainly is difficult to comprehend. I know I can't wrap my mind around it. I just accept it.
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TJ,
Thanks for the visit. Glad you found it useful!
Great hub dealing with a truth that is difficult to explain, much less comprehend. Thanks for sharing your insight and giving us a clearer view of the Trinity.
Forever His
I liked your explanation and scriptural foundation. Useful teaching.
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GodTalk,
Thanks for stopping by. Yes, I agree with you about my illustration, and as I mentioned, it was a very poor example. Certainly there is nothing that can compare to God for He is, as you say, "one of a kind." Thanks for pointing this out!
Thanks lifegate for your defense of the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ. A correct understanding of the Scriptures makes it clear that there is one God eternally existing in three persons, Father, Son and Spirit. I would add just one minor suggestion. The idea of the Trinity being like your roles as husband, father and pastor is more like the concept of Modalism. The Father, Son and Spirit are three distinct persons, and not one person with three different roles. And yet these three persons are one God. There are no real good illustrations for God because He is one of a kind.
God bless you as you continue to give forth the truth of Scripture.
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Laurie,
Thanks for stopping by. You're always an encouragement to me. I think it's because we both take the Bible at face value for what it is. Truth is truth, and even someone doesn't accept Biblical teaching, it doesn't change the fact that truth is still truth. Keep at it!
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haggler,
Thank you for adding John 20:28. I forgot about that one. And thanks for the challenge of finding the Messianic prophecy close to Genesis 3:15. I'll be looking for it!
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llarroo2,
Thanks for the visit and the added knowledge. And yes, what it comes to is faith, but faith is built on fact. I liked what you said here--"Just because we cant fully understand something doesn't mean its not true."
Hi Bill! I must say--this is just about the best summary on the matter I have read! I agree with you 100%! The Scriptures you have used here tie together perfectly to make the TRUTH evident, and there can be no argument to refute TRUTH!
Beautiful job on a beautiful hub!
Amen! My Lord and my GOD!
Thomas who knew Jesus for three and a half years struggled with the concept of God actually visiting his people in human flesh when he finally fell to his knees in John 20:28 and said "My Lord and my GOD"! The Bible is written in a similar way until our knees buckle.
Did you know that the second messianic prophecy, chronologically speaking, is a great revelation of the Deity of the Messiah. May I sow a seed for some who are interested to search this out? Because it is a hidden Messianic prophecy I would like to leave a rewarding hint that you stay within a few chapters of Genesis 3:15 which is considered to be the first Messianic prophecy.
Amen and Amen! The Lord our God is one God. The word in the Hebrew is Elohim which is plural! "The LORD" is the Hebrew tetragram transliterated YHWH or JHVH, translated in English as Jehovah. "God" is the translation for Elohim. Elohim is a plural word. Since there is no number given with it, one can assume the number is three. In the Hebrew language a noun is singular, dual, or plural. When it is plural, but no number is given, one can assume it to be three. This is, therefore, a reference to the Trinity. It could be translated, "Hear, O Israel: Jehovah, our Trinity is one Jehovah." The compound one. We see similar usage when speaking about marriage ... the two shall become one flesh. Jesus when he was baptized by John went in the water. The Holy Spirit ascended like a dove and landed upon Him and the Father spoke from Heaven. All three were present at the time. Just because we cant fully understand something doesn't mean its not true. There are lots of things I don't fully understand that are true just the same. Jesus being fully God and fully man is one of them. That's why we come to Him in faith! But as we walk with Him and we watch Him change us from the inside out we come to have a real tangible understanding of Him in our hearts. Thus faith and the practical slowly begin to come together. Jesus said "If you have seen Me you have seen the Father" If we get to know Jesus we will come to know the heart of the Father. Well said!
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Thank you ComfortB. It's always a pleasure to have you stop by!
Beautifully written pastor. Stay blessed.
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FD,
Thanks for the visit and the comment. It's perfectly clear to me. God's Word is always clear if we are seeking Him!
You explained it very well. Father, Son, Holy Ghost is ONE God, not three. The Bible is very clear about this, I don't know why there is so much confusion out there.
Also, I love your statement...
"I will use the King James Bible for Scripture references. Many of the newer versions remove Christ's claims to deity. I also will not argue Scripture. It is what it is. I do not try to make Scripture fit my philosophy, but rather allow Scripture to be my philosophy."
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