APO:The Bible — The Word of God
I. THE BIBLE CLAIMS TO BE THE INSPIRED WORD OF GOD. See 2 Tim. 3:16,
17.
16) All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching,
for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17) that
the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.
“All scripture is inspired by God.” “Inspired” means that the Holy
Spirit exerted His supernatural influence upon the writers of the
Bible. Therefore, the Scriptures are God inspired word for word. By
this is meant that every word, in the original, is fully and equally
inspired in all of its teachings. The Bible does not just contain the
Word of God, it is the Word of God.
2 Peter 1:21 — for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human
will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.
2 Samuel 23:2 — “The Spirit of the Lord spoke by me, and His word
was on my tongue.”
Psalms 119:89 — Forever, O Lord, Thy word is settled in heaven.
Matthew 24:35 — “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words
shall not pass away.”
II. THE BIBLE IS A DIFFICULT BOOK. See 1 Corinthians 2:14-16
14) But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of
God; for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them,
because they are spiritually appraised. 15) But he who is spiritual
appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no man. 16) For
who has known the mind of the Lord, the he should instruct Him? But we
have the mind of Christ.
The Bible is a difficult book because it came from the infinite to
the finite — from the unlimited, all powerful God, to limited man.
Therefore, you cannot understand the Bible as you would understand the
writings of Plato or Socrates. You can study the great philosophers
with the natural mind, and by diligent application, grasp their
profound meanings. If the Bible could be understood by natural man, it
would be a natural book, and could not be the Word of God. Since the
Bible is from God, and therefore spiritual, before you can receive its
teachings, you must be born of the Spirit and filled with the Spirit.
John 3:5, 6 — Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless
one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom
of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is
born of the Spirit is spirit.”
Ephesians 5:18-21 — And do not get drunk with wine, for that is
dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in
psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with
your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name
of your Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; and be subject to
one another in the fear of Christ.
Always approach the Bible praying that the Spirit will be your
teacher and will guide you to a better understanding of His Holy Word,
or it will remain a difficult, closed book.
John 16:12-15 — “I have many more things to say to you, but you
cannot bear them now. But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will
guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own
initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose
to you what is to come. He shall glorify Me; for He shall take of Mine,
and shall disclose it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine;
therefore I said, that He takes of Mine, and will disclose it to you.”
III. THE BIBLE IS A BOOK OF ONENESS. See 2 Peter 1:21.
21) for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men
moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.
The oneness or unity of the Bible is a miracle. It is a library of
66 books, written by over 35 different authors, in a period of
approximately 1, 500 years. Represented in the authors is a cross
section of humanity, educated and uneducated, including kings,
fishermen, public officials, farmers, teachers, and physicians.
Included in the subjects are religion, history, law, science, poetry,
drama, biography, and prophecy. Yet its various parts are as
harmoniously united as the parts that make up the human body.
For 35 authors, with such varied backgrounds, to write on so many
subjects over a period of approximately 1, 500 years in absolute
harmony, is a mathematical impossibility. It could not happen! The how
do we account for the Bible? The only adequate explanation is: “… men
moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.”
IV. THE BIBLE CLAIMS SPECIAL POWER. See Hebrews 4:12, 13
12) For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any
two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and
spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and
intentions of the heart.
13) And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things
are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.
(1) The Bible claims dividing power as a sword (above verse). The
Bible will separate man from sin, or sin will separate man from the
Bible.
Psalms 119:11 — Thy word have I treasured in my heart, that I may
not sin against Thee.
Isaiah 59:2 — But your iniquities have made a separation between
you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that
He does not hear.
(2) The Bible claims reflecting power as a mirror. In the Bible we
see ourselves as God sees us — as sinners.
James 1:22-25 — But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not
merely hearers who delude themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the
word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in
a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has
immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. But one who looks
intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not
having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man shall
be blessed in what he does.
Romans 3:23-25 — for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of
God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption
which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation
in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness,
because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously
committed;
(3) The Bible claims cleansing power as water. David prayed that God
would wash him from iniquity and cleanse him from sin.
Ephesians 5:25, 26 — Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also
loved the church and gave Himself up for her; that He might sanctify
her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,
Psalms 51:1-4 — Be gracious to me, O God, according to Thy
lovingkindness; according to the greatness of Thy compassion blot out
my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me
from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before
me. Against Thee, Thee only, I have sinned, and done what is evil in
Thy sight, so that Thou art justified when Thou dost speak, and
blameless when Thou dost judge.
(4) The Bible claims reproductive power as seed. We are the children
of God, because we have been born into the family of God by the
imperishable seed of God. This is the new birth.
1 Peter 1:23 — for you have been born again not of seed which is
perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and abiding
word of God.
John 3:1-7 — Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus,
a ruler of the Jews; this man came to Him by night, and said to Him,
“Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one
can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” Jesus answered
and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again,
he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a
man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his
mother’s womb and be born, can he?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly I say
to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter
into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and
that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said
to you, ‘You must be born again.'”
(5) The Bible claims nourishing power as food. The Bible is
spiritual food for the soul. No Christian can remain strong in the Lord
and not study the Word of God.
1 Peter 2:1-3 — Therefore, putting aside all malice and all guile
and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, like newborn babes, long for
the pure milk of the word, that by it you may grow in respect to
salvation, if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.
V. THE BIBLE COMMANDS THE BELIEVER TO STUDY THE SCRIPTURES. See 2
Timothy 2:15.
15) Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who
does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth.
“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God” is a command. As
you study the Bible, you will discover that it does not just contain
the Word of God — it Is the Word of God. You must also keep in mind
that the Word of God contains the words of God, as well as the words of
Satan, demons, angels, and man — both good and bad. God is truth and
cannot lie. Satan “… is a liar, and the father of lies.” Man is
natural and is therefore limited, and does not always speak the truth.
John 8:42-47 — (Jesus is speaking to the Pharisees) Jesus said to
them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me; for I proceeded
forth and have come from God, for I have not even come on My own
initiative, but He sent Me. Why do you not understand what I am saying?
It is because you cannot hear My word. You are of your father the
devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer
from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is
no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own
nature; for he is a liar, and the father of lies. But because I speak
the truth, you do not believe Me. Which one of you convicts Me of sin?
If I speak truth, why do you not believe Me? He who is of God hears the
words of God; for this reason you do not hear them, because you are not
of God.”
Matthew 22:15-46 — Then the Pharisees went and counselled together
how they might trap Him in what He said. And they sent their disciples
to Him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that You
are truthful and teach the way of God in truth, and defer to no one;
for You are not partial to any. Tell us therefore, what do You think?
Is it lawful to give a poll-tax to Caesar, or not?” But Jesus perceived
their malice, and said, “Why are you testing Me, you hypocrites? Show
me the coin used for the poll-tax.” And they brought Him a denarius.
And He said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They
said to Him, “Caesar’s.” Then He said to them, “Then render to Caesar
the things that are Caesar’s; and to God the things that are God’s.”
And hearing this, they marveled, and leaving Him, they went away.
On that day some Sadducees (who say there is no resurrection) came
to Him and questioned Him, saying, “Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man
dies, having no children, his brother as next of kin shall marry his
wife, and raise up an offspring to his brother.’ Now there were seven
brothers with us; and the first married and died, and having no
offspring left his wife to his brother; so also the second, and the
third, down to the seventh. And last of all, the woman died. In the
resurrection therefore whose wife of the seven shall she be? For they
all had her.” But Jesus answered and said to them, “You are mistaken,
not understanding the Scriptures, or the power of God. For in the
resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are
like angels in heaven. But regarding the resurrection of the dead, have
you not read that which was spoken to you by God, saying, ‘I Am the God
of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the
God of the dead but of the living.” And when the multitudes heard this,
they were astonished at His teaching.
But when the Pharisees heard that He had put the Sadducees to
silence, they gathered themselves together. And one of them, a lawyer,
asked Him a question, testing Him, “Teacher, which is the great
commandment in the Law?” And He said to him, “You shall love the Lord
your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your
mind.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like
it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two
commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”
Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a
question, “Christ, whose son is He?” They said to Him, “The son of
David.” He said to them, “Then how does David in the Spirit call him
‘Lord, ‘ saying ‘The Lord said to My Lord, “Sit at My right hand, until
I put Thine enemies beneath Thy Feet”‘? If David then calls Him ‘Lord,
‘ how is He his son?” And no one was able to answer Him a word, nor did
anyone dare from that day on to ask Him another question.
In this portion of scripture, we have the words of Jesus, of the
Pharisees, of the Herodians, and of the Sadducees. The Pharisees,
Herodians, and Sadducees were trying to entangle Jesus in His
teachings, that they might accuse Him of breaking God’s law. Their
words were spoken with evil intent, revealing the thinking of the
natural man, along with the words of God that came from the lips of
Jesus.
As you study the Bible, ask yourself these questions:
1) Who is speaking: God, demon, angel, or man?
2) To whom is being spoken: to the nation Israel, to the Gentiles,
to the Church, to men in general, or to some individual man or being?
3) How can this Scripture be applied to my own life to make me a
better Christian?
GOD
The Bible reveals God as the only Infinite and Eternal Being, having
no beginning and no ending. He is Creator and Sustainer of all things.
He is the Supreme Personal Intelligence, and Righteous Ruler of His
universe. He is life, and therefore, the only source of life.
[John 5:24-27 NT] “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word,
and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into
judgment, but has passed out of death into life. Truly, truly, I say to
you, an hour is coming and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice
of the Son of God; and those who hear shall live. For just as the
Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have
life in Himself; and He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because
He is the Son of Man.”
Man is natural and cannot know God by wisdom. God is a person and
can be known only by revelation. In the Old Testament He revealed
Himself to and through His prophets. In the New Testament He reveals
Himself through His Son Jesus Christ.
[Job 11:7-12 OT] “Can you discover the depths of God? Can you
discover the limits of the Almighty? They are high as the heavens, what
can you do? Deeper than Sheol, what can you know? Its measure is longer
than the earth, and broader than the sea. If He passes by or shuts up,
or calls an assembly, who can restrain Him? For He knows false men, and
He sees iniquity without investigating. And an idiot will become
intelligent when the foal of a wild donkey is born a man.”
[Hebrews 1:1-4 NT] God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in
the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has
spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through
whom also He made the world. And He is the radiance of His glory and
the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the
word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down
at the right hand of the Majesty on high; having become as much better
than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they.
THE EXISTENCE OF GOD
[Hebrews 11:5, 6 NT] By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should
not see death; AND HE WAS NOT FOUND BECAUSE GOD TOOK HIM UP; for he
obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to
God. And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes
to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who
seek Him.
The Bible nowhere attempts to prove or argue the existence of God.
“For he who comes to God must believe that He is.” The existence of God
is a fact taken for granted by the writers of both the Old and New
Testaments. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”
(Genesis 1:1 OT). The Bible opens by announcing the sublime fact of God
and His existence. There are arguments for the existence of God; they
are not conclusive, but are food for thought:
(1) Universal belief in God comes from within man. It is innate in
man, and comes from rational intuition.
(2) The argument from “cause and effect” : everything that began
owes its existence to a cause. We have a watch; we must have a
watchmaker. We have a building; we must have a builder. We have a
creation; then we must have a creator. This creation could not have
come into existence without an intelligent, personal creator anymore
than the alphabet could produce a book itself without an author.
(3) The argument from anthropology : man’s moral and intellectual
nature argues for a moral and intellectual creator.
(4) The Bible and the Christ that it reveals, His virgin birth, His
sinless life, His vicarious death, and His bodily resurrection — all
of this and much, much more — argue for the existence of God.
THE PERSONALITY OF GOD
[1 Thessalonians 1:9, 10 NT] For they themselves report about us
what kind of a reception we had with you, and how you turned to God
from idols to serve a living and true God, and to wait for His Son from
heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who delivers us
from the wrath to come.
The Bible reveals God as a personality. He is called “… a living
and true God” — One possessing self-consciousness and
self-determination. His personality is shown in what He does, such as:
(1) God loves. [John 3:16-21 NT] “For God so loved the world, that
He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not
perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the
world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through
Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has
been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the
only begotten Son of God. And this is the judgment, that the light is
come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light;
for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the light,
and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But
he who practices the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be
manifested as having been wrought in God.”
(2) God hates. [Proverbs 6:16-19 OT] “There are six things which the
Lord hates, yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: haughty eyes, a
lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises
wicked plans, feet that run rapidly to evil, a false witness who utters
lies, and one who spreads strife among brothers.”
(3) God cares. [1 Peter 5:6, 7 NT] “Humble yourselves, therefore,
under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time,
casting all your anxiety upon Him, because He cares for you.”
(4) God grieves. [Genesis 6:5, 6 OT] “Then the Lord saw that the
wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the
thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry
that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.”
Only a personality can love, hate, care, and grieve; therefore, God
must be a living, eternal, and personal being.
THE NATURE OF GOD
[1 John 4:8-11 NT] The one who does not love does not know God, for
God is love. By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has
sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through
Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and
sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so
loved us, we also ought to love one another.
There are four definitions of God in the Bible. Since God cannot be
defined, they are incomplete. However, they do throw light upon the
nature of God. They are:
(1) “God is love” (above verse 8). This is the nature of God is His
divine compassion.
(2) “God is light.”
[1 John 1:5-10 NT] “And this is the message we have heard from Him
and announce to you, that God is light, and in Him there is no darkness
at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the
darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the
light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one
another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we
say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is
not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to
forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we
say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in
us.”
This is the nature of God in His divine character; in Him there is
no darkness.
(3) “God is a consuming fire.”
[Hebrews 12:25-29 NT] “See to it that you do not refuse Him who is
speaking. For if those did not escape when they refused him who warned
them on earth, much less shall we escape who turn away from Him who
warns from heaven. And His voice shook the earth then, but now He has
promised, saying, “YET ONCE MORE I WILL SHAKE NOT ONLY THE EARTH, BUT
ALSO THE HEAVEN.” And this expression, “Yet once more,” denotes the
removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, in
order that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore,
since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show
gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with
reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire.”
This is the nature of God in His divine holiness.
(4) “God is spirit.”
[John 4:21-24 NT] “Jesus said to her, `Woman, believe Me, an hour is
coming when neither in this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, shall you
worship the Father. You worship that which you do not know; we worship
that which we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But an hour is
coming, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father
in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His
worshipers. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in
spirit and truth.'”
This is the nature of God in His divine essence.
The attributes of God reveal His nature. Do not think of His
attributes as abstract, but as vital mediums through which His holy
nature is unveiled — attributes ascribed to Him, such as:
(a) Life is ascribed to God.
[John 5:26 NT] “For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so
He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself;”
(b) All knowledge is ascribed to God.
[Psalms 147:1-5 OT] “Praise the Lord! For it is good to sing praises
to our God; for it is pleasant and praise is becoming. The Lord builds
up Jerusalem; He gathers the outcasts of Israel. He heals the
brokenhearted, and binds up their wounds. He counts the number of the
stars; He gives names to all of them. Great is our Lord, and abundant
in strength; His understanding is infinite.”
(c) All power is ascribed to God.
[Revelation 19:4-6 NT] “And the twenty-four elders and the four
living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sits on the throne
saying, `Amen. Hallelujah!’ And a voice came from the throne, saying,
`Give praise to our God, all you His bondservants, you who fear Him,
the small and the great.’ And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great
multitude and as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty
peals of thunder, saying, `Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the
Almighty, reigns.
(d) Filling the universe with His presence is ascribed to God.
[Psalms 139:1-10 OT] “O Lord, Thou has searched me and known me.
Thou dost know when I sit down and when I rise up; Thou dost understand
my thought from afar. Thou dost scrutinize my path and my lying down,
and art intimately acquainted with all my ways. Even before there is a
word on my tongue, behold, O Lord, Thou dost know it all. Thou hast
enclosed me behind and before, and laid Thy hand upon me. Such
knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is too high, I cannot attain to
it.
Where can I go from Thy Spirit? Or where can I flee from Thy
presence? If I ascend to heaven, Thou art there; if I make my bed in
Sheol, behold, Thou art there. If I take the wings of the dawn, if I
dwell in the remotest part of the sea, even there Thy hand will lead
me, and Thy right hand will lay hold of me.”
God is everywhere present, but He is not in everything. If God were
in everything, man could worship any object and he would be worshiping
God. God is a spirit being. “And those who worship Him must worship in
spirit and truth.”
The Grace of God
[Ephesians 2:8-10 NT] “For by grace you have been saved through
faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a
result of works, that no one should boast. For we are His workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand,
that we should walk in them.”
Grace is the love and mercy of God in action. Mercy is negative, and
love is positive; both together mean grace. To show mercy in love is
grace. God showed mercy in love when He sent His Son to bear our sins
in His own body on the cross.
(1) The grace of God saves forever.
[Romans 8:35-39 NT] Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?
Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or
nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, “FOR THY SAKE WE
ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE
SLAUGHTERED.” But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through
Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor
angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor
powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be
able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our
Lord.
(2) The grace of God is sufficient.
[2 Corinthians 12:7-10 NT] And because of the surpassing greatness
of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself,
there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet
me–to keep me from exalting myself! Concerning this I entreated the
Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He has said to me,
“My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in
weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my
weaknesses, that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am
well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with
persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak,
then I am strong.
(3) The grace of God makes no discrimination
[Revelation 22:17 NT] And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” And
let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come;
let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost.
(4) The grace of God justifies
[Romans 3:21-24 NT] But now apart from the Law the righteousness of
God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets,
even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all
those who believe, for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and
fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace
through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus;
(5) The grace of God makes every believer an heir
[Titus 3:3-7 NT] For we also once were foolish ourselves,
disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures,
spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another. But
when the kindness of God our Saviour and His love for mankind appeared,
He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in
righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of
regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon
us richly through Jesus Christ our Saviour, that being justified by His
grace we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
(6) The grace of God teaches the believer how to live
[Titus 2:11-14 NT] For the grace of God has appeared, bringing
salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly
desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age,
looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our
great God and Savior, Christ Jesus; who gave Himself for us, that He
might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself a people
for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.
The grace of God is nothing less than the unlimited love of God
expressed in the gift of His Son, our Savior. It is the undeserved love
of God toward sinners.
The Trinity of God
[Matthew 3:16, 17 NT] “And after being baptized, Jesus went up
immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he
saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming upon Him, and
behold, a voice out of the heavens, saying, `This is My beloved Son, in
whom I am well-pleased.'”
By the Trinity of God we mean His tri-personal existence as Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit — three distinct Persons in one God.
(1) The Father is recognized as God and is all the fullness of the
Godhead invisible.
[1 Peter 1:1, 2 NT] Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who
reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia,
Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen according to the foreknowledge of
God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, that you may
obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace
be yours in fullest measure.
[John 1:18 NT] No man has seen God at any time; the only begotten
God, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.
(2) The Son is recognized as God and is all the fullness of the
Godhead manifested in the flesh.
[John 1:14 NT] And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we
beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full
of grace and truth.
(3) The Holy Spirit is recognized as God and is all the fullness of
the Godhead acting upon man, convicting him of sin and guiding the
believer into all truth.
[Acts 5:1-6 NT] But a certain man named Ananias, with his wife
Sapphira, sold a piece of property, and kept back some of the price for
himself, with his wife’s full knowledge, and bringing a portion of it,
he laid it at the apostle’s feet. But Peter said, “Ananias, why has
Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit, and to keep back
some of the price of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not
remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your control?
Why is it that you have conceived this deed in your heart? You have not
lied to men, but to God. And as he heard these words, Ananias fell down
and breathed his last; and great fear came upon all who heard of it.
And the young men arose and covered him up, and after carrying him out,
they buried him.
[John 16:7-15 NT] “But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage
that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper shall not come to
you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. And He, when He comes, will
convict the world concerning sin, and righteousness, and judgment;
concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; and concerning
righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you no longer behold Me;
and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been
judged. I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them
now. But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into
all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but
whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is
to come. He shall glorify Me; for He shall take of Mine, and shall
disclose it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore
I said, that He takes of Mine, and will disclose it to you.
(4) The doctrine of the Trinity is not explicit in the Old
Testament, but is rather implied, “Then God said, Let Us make man in
Our image …”
(5) The doctrine of the Trinity is revealed in the New Testament. In
the above scriptures (Matthew 3:16, 17 NT) we have Christ being
baptized in water, the Father speaking from heaven, and the Holy Spirit
descending as a dove. We are to baptize in the “name [not names] of the
Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19 NT).
(6) Even creation implies the doctrine of the Trinity. In creation,
we have space, matter and time in one creation. In space we have
length, breadth, and height in one space. In matter, we have energy,
motion, and phenomenon in one substance. In time, we have past,
present, and future in one time. In man, we have body, soul, and spirit
in one man.
[1 Thessalonians 5:23, 24 NT] Now may the God of peace Himself
sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be
preserved complete, without blame at the coming of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.
(7) In the Holy Trinity, we have Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in one
God.
Jesus Christ The Son of God
Christianity differs from all religions, because it is more than a
religion — it is the life of the Son of God made living in man. He is
the supreme subject of each book of the New Testament, and fulfills all
the promises of God in the Old Testament, from His incarnation to His
Second Coming as “Lord of lords and King of kings.”
[Revelation 17:12-14 NT] “And the ten horns which you saw are ten
kings, who have not yet received a kingdom, but they receive authority
as kings with the beast for one hour. These have one purpose and they
give their power and authority to the beast. These will wage war
against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord
of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called
and chosen and faithful.”
He is the God-man Christ Jesus in glory, exalted above all
creatures. Jesus said, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven
and on earth” [Matthew 28:18 NT].
During His earthly ministry, He claimed to be God incarnate (in
human flesh). He is all that He claimed to be, or He is less than the
least.
[Revelation 1:4-8 NT] John to the seven churches that are in Asia:
Grace to you and peace, from Him who is and who was and who is to come;
and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne; and from Jesus
Christ, the faithful witness, the first-born of the dead, and the ruler
of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us, and released us from
our sins by His blood, and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to
His God and Father; to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and
ever. Amen. Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will
see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth
will mourn over Him. Even so. Amen. “I am the Alpha and the Omega, ”
says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the
Almighty.”
Before His claim can be denied, there are some things that must be
accounted for:
His virgin birth;
His holy, sinless life;
His many miracles;
His vicarious death and His bodily resurrection.
THE DEITY OF JESUS CHRIST
[John 1:1-5 NT] “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 came into being by Him, and apart from Him nothing came into
being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the
light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness
did not comprehend it.”
The deity of Jesus Christ, or His God nature, is well established in
the New Testament. Some of the facts are:
(1) He is called God by the Apostle John (above verse 1).
(2) He is called God by the Apostle Thomas.
[John 20:28 NT] “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock,
among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the
church of God which He purchased with His own blood.”
(3) He is called God by God the Father.
[Hebrews 1:1-8 NT] God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in
the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has
spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through
whom also He made the world. And He is the radiance of His glory and
the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the
word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down
at the right hand of the Majesty on high; having become as much better
than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they.
For to which of the angels did He ever say, “THOU ART MY SON, TODAY I
HAVE BEGOTTEN THEE”? And again, “I WILL BE A FATHER TO HIM, AND HE
SHALL BE A SON TO ME” ? And when He again brings the firstborn into the
world, He says, “AND LET ALL THE ANGELS OF GOD WORSHIP HIM.” And of the
angels He says, “WHO MAKES HIS ANGELS WINDS, AND HIS MINISTERS A FLAME
OF FIRE.” But of the Son He says, “THY THRONE, O GOD, IS FOREVER AND
EVER, AND THE RIGHTEOUS SCEPTER IS THE SCEPTER OF HIS KINGDOM.”
(4) He claimed to be God in that He was with the Father before
creation.
[John 17:1-5 NT] These things Jesus spoke; and lifting up His eyes
to heaven, He said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify Thy Son, that
the Son may glorify Thee, even as Thou gavest Him authority over all
mankind, that to all whom Thou hast given Him, He may give eternal
life. And this is eternal life, that they may know Thee, the only true
God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou has sent. I glorified Thee on the
earth, having accomplished the work which Thou has given Me to do. And
now, glorify Thou Me together with Thyself, Father, with the glory
which I had with Thee before the world was.”
(5) He claimed to be God in that He was before Abraham.
[John 8:51-59 NT] “Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My
word he shall never see death.” The Jews said to Him, “Now we know that
You have a demon. Abraham died, and the prophets also; and You say, ‘If
anyone keeps Me word, he shall never taste of death.’ Surely You are
not greater than our father Abraham, who died? The prophets died too;
whom do You make Yourself out to be?” Jesus answered, “If I glorify
Myself, My glory is nothing; it is My Father who glorifies Me, of whom
you say, ‘He is our God’; and you have not come to know Him, but I know
Him; and If I say that 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.” The Jews therefore said to
Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?”
Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was
born, I am.” Therefore they picked up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus
hid Himself, and went out of the temple.
(6) He received worship, and only God is to be worshiped.
[Matthew 14:33 NT] And those who were in the boat worshiped Him,
saying, “You are certainly God’s Son!”
Angels refused worship.
[Revelation 22:8, 9 NT] And I, John, am the one who heard and saw
these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship at the
feet of the angel who showed me these things. And he said to me, “Do no
do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and of your brethren the
prophets and of those who heed the words of this book; worship God.”
Man refused worship.
[Acts 10:25, 26 NT] And when it came about that Peter entered,
Cornelius met him, and fell at his feet and worshiped him. But Peter
raised him up, saying, “Stand up; I too am just a man.”
(7) He forgives sin. Only God can forgive sin.
[Mark 2:1-12 NT] And when He had come back to Capernaum several days
afterward, it was heard that He was at home. And many were gathered
together, so that there was no longer room, even near the door; and He
was speaking the word to them. And they came, bringing to Him a
paralytic, carried by four men. And being unable to get to Him because
of the crowd, they removed the roof above Him; and when they had dug an
opening, they let down the pallet on which the paralytic was lying. And
Jesus seeing their faith said to the paralytic, “My son, your sins are
forgiven.” But there were some of the scribes sitting there and
reasoning in their hearts, “Why does this man speak that way? He is
blaspheming; who can forgive sins but God alone?” And immediately
Jesus, aware in His spirit that they were reasoning that way within
themselves, said to them, “Why are you reasoning about these things in
your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, `Your sins are
forgiven’; or to say, `Arise, and take up your pallet and walk’? But in
order that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to
forgive sins” — He said to the paralytic — “I say to you, rise, take
up your pallet, and go home.” And he rose and immediately took up the
pallet and went out in the sight of all; so that they were all amazed
and were glorifying God, saying, “We have never seen anything like
this.”
(8) He is creator and maker of all things.
[Colossians 1:13-17 NT] For He delivered us from the domain of
darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom
we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. And He is the image of the
invisible God, the first-born of all creation. For by Him all things
were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible,
whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities — all things
have been created by Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and
in Him all things hold together.
(9) He is sustainer of all things. Only God can control the universe.
[Hebrews 1:1-3 NT] God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in
the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has
spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through
whom also He made the world. And He is the radiance of His glory and
the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the
word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down
at the right hand of the Majesty on high;
(10) He claimed to have “all authority … in heaven and on earth.”
God has all authority.
[Matthew 28:18-20 NT] And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying,
“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go
therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the
name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to
observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to
the end of the age.”
(11) He walked upon the blue waters of Galilee. The winds and the
waves obeyed His command. He healed the sick and raised the dead. He
gave sight to the blind and hearing to the deaf. He cast out demons and
made the lame to walk. He turned water to wine, and fed five thousand
with the lunch of a lad.