Words of Truth

If Jesus was a real person and a “Man” that was eternally made in the Godhead, how as a man, was Jesus Christ still God?  This is very good question and the answer does promote praise and thanksgiving.

Just as Jesus was before all of creation, and also eternally set as the Word at the point of the creation, then we must assume that Jesus was and always has been, “a Lamb slain before the foundation of the world”  and we know that Eph. also says, “we are His workmanship created IN Christ Jesus before the foundations of the world”.  Eph.2:10

When He spoke, He spoke His name and being into existence by the word of His own mouth and out of God-ness.  Today, He maintains a universe in which He continues to keep together by His same creative and awesome supernatural power.  

Heb. 1:3, “who being the brightness of His glory and express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.” 

And then, during the days leading up to His blessed incarnation, He was still the Word and the Christ, soon to be revealed as Jesus of Nazareth.  At the point of His inception, even those nine months in the womb of His surrogate mother, Mary, all the way to the point of the very hour of His “coming forth” from her blessed womb, He was and is and always will be the image of the invisible God.  

------

I believe that one of the most important passages for any bible teacher to grasp and understand on the diversity and triunity of God is found in I Jn.5:6-8, “This is He who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not only by water, but by water and blood.  And it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is truth.  For there are three that bear witness in heaven: The Father, The Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one.  And there are three that bear witness on earth; the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree as one.”   

The Spirit is our connection to heaven.  The Spirit is here to speak of heavenly things, to bear witness with our spirit that Jesus, The Word of G-d, was and is G-d, Our Savior who came forth by water and blood.

The other day the Lord gave me a little peek into this very mysterious reality we are working through today.  We serve a diverse yet completely one and perfectly unified G-d.  As I went back to Genesis and meditated on the creation of man, I realized something that was true about the formation of man in the image of the Godhead, that man was created in the image of all three parts of the G-dhead, not just G-d in the generic, but the G-dhead entirely and specifically.  The word rendered in the English language is, “Let Us make man in OUR Image...”

Gen. 1:26-29 where it says, “Then G-d said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.  So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.  Then God blessed them, and God said to them.  Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it, have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

These words frame what is simply the most emphatic statement in all of history on the creation of man.  There is no comparison to any manmade construct of our origins.  Silly constructs as: the existence of cavemen, Darwinism with its vain guesses of our development from monkeys or even more far fetched, "how a fish could one day actually habitate land?  Or the religious community's "frame theology" drafted by liberal theologians.  Or the Big Bang lie linked to our common scholastic understanding of millions of years development of mankind from a pool of primeval slim.  No matter what the latest and greatest philosophical ideals are or the best of manmade schemes of the origins of the universe, we, the people of G-d must rise up and say publicly, “are you kidding?”

All these lies, plus the many other slight deviations developed inside the limited scope of the minds of men, they all fail to set forth any understanding that is personal and caring, as we read of the incarnation of Jesus "Immanuel" G-d with us presents. This conflict, and the battle for the truth of our creation, makes all we are fighting for, very much, worth the fight.  Here we will take our stand, and here will will not move: we were and are literally created by the hand of G-d and brought to life and exist by the breath of His mouth.  Jesus was clearly in the forefront of the mind of G-d when they declared, "Let US make man in Our image"  Gen. 1:26

------

Our salvation in Him becomes even more sweet if we take the time to work through this hard material on the mystery of the incarnation of Our L-rd Jesus – the Son of the Living G-d.

He will always be and will always be forever seated at the right hand of the Father, He will continue to be -- Jesus the Christ – forever.  He will be our Lamb, "a Lamb that was slain before the foundation of the world", forever and ever.  Eph.2:5, ”even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved).”  Furthermore our works of faith have also been established in His death and powerful resurrection, notice verse 10 of this same chapter, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” 

Now look with me at the high and lofty words found in the book of Revelation, the most comprehensive book on the topic of heaven and of eternal things of all the 66 books of the Holy Scriptures.  In heaven John sees what we, as believers in His Name, will all experience forever.

Rev.5:6, “And I looked, and behold.  In the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth.” 

When the apostle John was lifted up into the heavenly realms, he left our time and space continuum and saw the eternal state.  He saw you and me there.  He saw the completed church that was bought and paid for by Jesus and His blood.  An eternal blood that was released at the point of His death which produced the flow of His royal and eternal blood, sufficient to open the seals and save men from their sins.  

John saw the 24 elders of God and their thrones.  He saw Jesus high and lifted up and enthroned in His majesty.  Notice how Jesus' throne is established in heaven, “in the midst of the elders”.  A circle of power.  This is the most powerful place we can be here on earth, the circle of prayer and holy communion with Christ at the center.  The banquet feast of Christ the Lamb slain for us, firmly set in the center of the table of our fellowship, dancing, and feasting on His Person and work, enjoying Him and eating His delicacies.

Forever Jesus Christ will be the center of all that is, transcending all things, whether visible or invisible.  As a glorified man wearing the marks of His earthly work to save us from our sins.  With Him, we will have absolute dominion over every created thing, whether angels or the sons of men, no matter what rank, Jesus has Satan and his kingdom under His control.  So demons, governments, the Antichrist, the many other antichrists, new-world orders, nuclear weapons, and meteorite showers, and anything that exercises power will fall under His sovereign sway as the Lamb who has been slain.  Just Amazing! 

Remember Col. 1:16, “For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on the earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers.  All things were created through Him and for Him.”

Jesus has purchased a people who will love Him supremely and do “good works” in Him.  The eyes of Christ are still roaming throughout the earth, with seven Spirits of God (Rev.5:6) they are seeking those who want to earnestly know Him.  Those who are seeking Him with their whole heart.  Nothing can stop His pursuit of the sons of men.  To make for them an inheritance that is everlasting to everlasting.

Now we drowning in deep waters, we swim in waters that are infinitely deep.  As we move forward toward the glories that await us, we approach a summit point in our walk where mere “christians” become saints, and saints, apostles, and prophets of G-d become the very sons of the living G-d.  

As sons of the Living G-d, we boldly witness to our neighbors and those who are afar off, the things that we have seen in heavenly places.  Every prophet and apostle of G-d when they have seen something of the heavenly state, they all agree with this assessment, “Glory of the Living God.”  They all attest to the same truth, those who have wrestled with reality of the glory of the G-d of heaven and earth.  With the anthem of heaven ringing in their sacred ears, they tune to hear His voice and they just know it is Him.  The intense struggle to know G-d then becomes the front and rear guard of our most precious faith.  It is our reward, just to take a glimpse of heaven's glory.  It animates us to continue forward on to Glory.  

Study every man or woman in the Bible who speaks for G-d, those who have seen the Lord of Glory.  In each case, you will discover each man or woman has a firm grasp on the call to be found faithful and complete their assignment to prepare for their entrance into heaven's glorious realms.  The revelation of God is indomitable.  Unmitigated purity in alloy of its unpretenious truth, all the glory contained moves up and onward toward the very face of G-d. 

------

Now we enter the personal side of this discussion.  The same power that resided in Christ Jesus, rests in your heart, if you believe in Him.  The same Spirit that quickened His mortal body from death to life, lives in you today.  That is, if you have confessed with your mouth and believed in your heart that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.  The confession that Jesus is the Son of G-d makes or breaks your confession, you live or die by rightly understanding your public confession.  

I Jn.5:1, “Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ -- is born of G-d and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him.”

Could He have been Creator of all that is in heaven and earth and not be G-d?  Yet scripture plainly states that He, Jesus, is Son of G-d.  Mt. 17:5, “...and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, 'This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, Hear Him.”  If He was born of God, how could He at the same time be incarnate G-d?  

Now I want you to pause with me and settle your anxious mind and move your attention with me to the creation of Adam.  The first man, Adam, was the sacred design of the entire Godhead, Jesus  the Christ was there at the point of creation.  As creator, He understood one day He would occupy that same flesh formed from the dust of the earth He was to make by the word of His mouth.  

Just as Adam was made perfect, so was Jesus made eternally perfect inside of Mary's womb.  It was if the “time” clock had been turned back to the very same point that the G-dhead created Adam.  Because Jesus was co-creator with G-d and in G-d, He is author of all things in heaven and in earth, He, our Messiah, and only our Jesus, is able to unravel Satan's plans to destroy our destiny in G-d.  By taking on the form of a man, the form of a bondservant, He accomplished perfect redemption.  Where Adam would fail, Jesus would succeed in obeying all of the revealed will of the Father.

The Word says that He put one form aside to take on another.  It does not say that Jesus changed nature or quality as G-d, but form!  We too must understand what we are “really” as humans.  We are not bodies but spirits.  Souls that must be redeemed!

Phil. 2:6-7, “who being in the very form of G-d, did not consider it robbery to be equal with G-d, but made Himself of no reputation, taking on the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of man.”  Jesus put off His form as ultimate authority in heaven, and as G-d, exchanged that high place of ultimate authority, for the form of a lowly man that He had created by the words of His mouth.  In doing so, He lost nothing of His glory, power, and authority.  Remember the Mount of Transfiguration?  There on that mount, Jesus lifted back the fleshy veil that covered His glory and Peter did not want to move from that place.

Notice with me Ps. 8:5-6, “For you have made him a little lower then the angels, and You have crowned him with glory and honor.  You made him to have dominion over the works of works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet.”  

Why is man been so endowed with such glory and high honor as God image bearers on planet earth?  Because the intent of the entire Godhead was to raise man above and beyond the earth realm to the heights of heaven and the eternal place of being in the Godhead.  That the reality of Adam's sin did no way contradict the plan of God to commune with “mankind” through His Son.  That all believing men and women and children will be eternally with God inside of all that is G-d -- as God.  Col.3:3

Jesus by making man glorious in His position on earth, has prepared the way for His glorious incarnation into the body of a man, when He did so, He did not reduce any of His Power and authority, no, He perfectly maintained His authority as God by being an obedient servant of His Father's will to enter our realm in the dignity of the original man, made in God's image.  

------

How then, my dear friends, will we gain our authority today?  By doing the exact same thing with our position.  We must die to self and become a bondslave of G-d. We must give up on ourselves and our proclaimed righteousness, die to our high place as a men with our regal place on planet earth and “die” to our plans and take on the form of new creature in G-d's image.  In the same as Jesus came as a baby, so must we, as a son or daughter of G-d, become brand new.   Jn.3:5, “I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of heaven.”  It is a rebirth in everyway!

This is the order of the eternal way.  By our confession of His Name and our trust in His power to save us from our sins, you and I gain the same powerful origin as Jesus Christ, eternity enters our never dying soul, at that point of genuine faith, we will never die!!!  Jesus came to give us life and that to abundance (Jn.10:10)

Our ultimate destiny is in G-d, to go back to Him.  He is the source so He is the terminus of all things.  We must seek with all of our hearts to occupy a place inside of G-d, to be ONE with G-d.  Col.3:1-4 says, ”If you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of G-d.  Set your mind on things above, not things on the earth.  For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in G-d.  When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.”

We are stepping into something really deep, we, God's people, are in Christ forever by virtue and only by virtue of our very real and living faith in Him.  The same Christ who is in G-d—forever and ever.  Where does that place you?  Make no mistake, what we have obtained by faith, as a child of the Living G-d, is so big, so boundlessly massive, that words of any language pale in providing the proper understanding of our inheritance in Him.  Forever in the G-dhead with Christ.  Seated in heavenly places forever to enjoy the perfections of all that is pure and right, forevermore!

Heb.2:11-13, “For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying, 'I will declare Your name to My brethren, In the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to you.'  And again, 'I will put My trust in Him,'  And again, 'Here I am and the children whom G-d has given Me.  Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood.  He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil.”  Skip down to verse 16, “For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham.”

In our new position in Christ, our elder brother, we are now inside of the G-dhead, seated with Him on His throne. Why? Because He took on our likeness, human flesh, and associated with our weakness and overcame them by being faithful and perfect in all His doings.   By virtue of this mighty work, we now obtain right inheritance with Him at the right hand of the Father.  Our destiny is so incredible.  We have this inheritance already if we have the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit is our down payment of the ultimate place we inherit.  We will judge the world in righteousness and all the angels of G-d, with Jesus.

Why do I make such a big deal about the understanding of our status in G-d?  Why do I work and labor to make the point about the identity of Jesus Christ?  If you miss this, you miss it all!  We are living in a time when the enemy of our souls will work overtime to deceive the nations that Jesus was not completely God or was just a great prophet or a good man.  

If Jesus is anything less then G-d, He cannot save us!  We are doomed!  In the days ahead, more and more men will compromise on the fact of all facts, that Jesus was G-d and is G-d now and forevermore!  Don't you be one of them.  Hold fast to your faith that you serve the very Son of the Living G-d, Jesus Christ.

He came to give His life a ransom for many.  To save us no only from our sins and eternal judgment, but to make us just like Him, as the new Adam of G-d.  He is our governor now, not the old Adam with his impartation of sin and death, but our suretyship and governorship is solidly based in the new Adam -- Jesus Christ!! (Rom.5:17-19)  No wonder the angels were singing like crazy as His birth on the hills of Palestine!  

When Jesus came to earth, He knew exactly the content of His holy assignment from the Father.  There was trinitarian cooperation before the creation of man. Amazing.  Otherwise there would have been no creation of man due to the reality of his future sinful decision to disobey the L-rd's simple command to not eat the fruit of the Tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The entire G-dhead cooperated together and Jesus was created in the G-dhead to save men.  Jesus is the only connection we have to heaven.  He is the way, the truth, and the life.  He is the door, quite profoundly I state, He is the only door to heaven and perfect life and peace!  

He came to reveal the Father's heart to all men no matter what nationality or culture.  All men will learn of His exploits one day.  This Gospel of the Kingdom of G-d and Jesus Christ as L-rd of the Kingdom will be preached to all nations and then the end will come.  (Mt.24:14)  He waits for us to do what He is so concerned about -- the salvation of men.

This meditation should reveal that we must have the mind of Christ in order to gain a saving understanding of the workings of the G-dhead.  Our meditations place us in good company, our forefathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and all other holy men of faith meditated on the same glorious stuff.

Only the Spirit of G-d can impart the understanding of which I speak and write.  In Rom. 8:11, “But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.” 

The triunity and unity of the G-dhead is very central to our faith and to our salvation.  If we let this truth fall to the wayside and focus on the elements of church life such as the quality of our worship, our prayer gatherings, our style of preaching, and our outreach and evangelism, so on and so forth.   If we lose Him as our chief cornerstone, we put at peril our eternal inheritance.  He will not bless our work eternally, we may experience some temporary rewards in the this life, but they will not survive the fire of His judgment. 

I Cor. 3:11-14, “For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which his Jesus Christ.  Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is.  If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward.”  

Let not the understanding of man rule your mind, if you allow human reason and logic to rule your mind, you will lose your way.  Only the Spirit of G-d and your spirit can communicate.  We must be born again in order to commune with G-d.  If you trust in your mind or the flesh, stagnation will set in and your work will be fruitless and void of blessing.  It will not survive the fire of His judgment, you will lose your reward, you may be saved but you will not carry anything with you to His place of Glory.

Let us just agree that it is good for Our Father to come and prune our deadness of understanding.  It is then and only then, that we will thrive in the way of living the life we have been called to live in Christ, serving in His kingdom and on His earth.  Our depth of understanding will make our journey to glory that much more enjoyable, especially when the dog days come.  When we wrestle with the truth of the trinity, we discover aspects of the truth that will inspire us to preach the Message with more authority, with greater pathos, and we will persevere to the end, even though many afflictions and trials assail us!

We must hold fast to the actual teaching of scripture of the supernatural creation of man or we just might lose our salvation in Jesus Christ – the very son of G-d.  That the G-dhead breathed the breath of life, eternal life, into the soul of man, and did so for eternity, to have us as His companions to work with Him and manage all  the earth realm.  

In the new birth, we possess eternity in our hearts, if we take hold of the tree of life found only in Jesus Christ, we will grow in grace and knowledge of Him. Oh how sad things get when men do not protest the foolishness of people who deny the deity of Jesus Christ.  Oh how sad when our personal creation by the entire Godhead is reduced to chance! 

The Lord will not suffer any compromise on these very essential points of our faith!

In Much Earnestness,

Jonathan