The Deity of Christ

“When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?” (Matthew 16:13-15) (1)

The question of the Deity of Christ is debated by many. The atheist denies the existence of God. The Jehovah’s Witnesses claim Christ was a created being. The Mormon believes Christ was a man who became a god. Muslims declare Christ was simply a prophet of Allah. The answer does not rely upon the decision of any individual or group. Jesus is either Deity or He is not based upon fact. Most Christians believe Jesus is Deity based upon the belief the Bible is a God-breathed, inerrant, word for word record by which God wants man to pattern his life. It is therefore the final authority of examination for all answers man derives (2 Peter 1:2-3). In a nutshell, the Word of God is truth and if any conclusion contradicts the Word, the conclusion must be in error (John 17:17). Before and after the appearance of Jesus, man looked to the scriptures, now completely revealed, to affirm the Deity of the Messiah. By the lifetime of Christ, the world had the Old Testament in complete, affirmed by Christ, and the prophets to examine any claim of Deity. By the end of the first century, man also had the complete New Testament of the Bible to examine any claims of Deity, during the formation of which the apostles and prophets affirmed the scriptures. Since the Bible is declared the source for the claims of Deity, whether one believes in the inerrancy of the Bible or not, verification the Bible makes the claim of Deity for Christ must be accomplished.

The contemplation of Christ as Deity must be broken up into two separate questions: First – Is Jesus Deity? Second – Is Jesus God? For some, this question means the same thing. For others, it does not. They declare Jesus is a god, but not God; He is just the son of God, a demigod, but not equal to the eternal God of all. The concept of a triune or “trinity” God is rejected by some because this would in their mind mean that there are three Gods and not one God. Since this article will not examine in depth the “trinity” or Godhead, it must be understood that this author believes the Father (John 20:17, I Corinthians 8:6, Galatians 1:1, Philippians 2:11), Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3-4, 2 Cor. 3:17-18, Mat. 28:19), and Jesus the Son are one God in total. They are three individual entities of the Godhead. To illustrate, consider an army. An army from the Commander in Chief all the way down to the private is still one army, but many parts. Also consider the marriage which is composed of two separate parts, a man and a woman. Together they are not marriages, but a singular marriage. Finally, consider the Church as a singular body consisting of many members making up its whole (Romans 1:16, Galatians 3:8, I Corinthians 12:12-27). In all of these cases, there are different responsibilities, but this does not divide their singular makeup. Jesus declares about God: “…Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:” (Mark 12:29). If it is concluded that Jesus is Deity, then it should be clear to see that Jesus is also God.

Deity is defined by the Collins English Dictionary as: “1. a god or goddess 2. the state of being divine; godhead 3. the rank, status, or position of a god 4. the nature or character of God”. (2) In order to determine that Jesus is Deity and therefore God, the definition of Deity must apply to Him.

John the immerser speaks in John 1:40 and the following occurred: “One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.” Who is this Messiah or Christ they were looking to find? Knowledge of the coming Messiah dated back to the Old Testament. God promised Abraham that through his descendant (singular referencing the Messiah) all nations would be blessed (Genesis 12:3, Genesis 22:18). Isaiah said He would be one referred to as “with us is God” and be born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14). He also said this Messiah would be named “mighty God” and “eternal Father” (Isaiah 9:6). Micah 5:2 establishes this Messiah would be born in Bethlehem though his existence was from always or everlasting. This establishes that the Messiah to come would be God for the Lord said this about himself in Isaiah 41:4, “Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I, Jehovah, the first, and with the last, I am he.” If the Messiah were from everlasting, then it means he could not come after God. He must, therefore, be God. Taken with the other Old Testament verses, this is quite obvious and confirms Christ’s Deity.

From the introductory scripture of Matthew 16:13-15, Christ asked his disciples who they believed He was. Peter’s answer was that Jesus was “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God”. The retort by skeptics of Christ as God is in part made from this verse. Christ is only the son and not God establishes the accusation. However, putting aside for the moment the claim Christ is not God, the phrase “Son of God” needs to be understood. For ages leading up to and beyond the time of Christ, the phrase “son of God” has been applied to leaders of nations and others thought to have divine nature. It applied to the genuine belief the individual being spoken about was Deity. This phrase was even seen during the times of Daniel when the fourth image was seen with Daniel and his friends in the fiery pit. Nebuchadnezzar then used the phrase, “son of the gods” in reference to Deity in Daniel 3:25. This was some 500 years before the time of Christ.

The Jews of Jesus time had a very clear understanding of what it meant to claim to be the “Son of God”. In Matthew 26:63-65, Jesus is before the Sanhedrin, the spiritual leadership of the Jews. Jesus is asked if He is “the Christ, the Son of God”. His reply, declaring that He would come in the clouds of heaven and they would see Him, leads the Sanhedrin to declare that Christ has blasphemed. It is not perfectly clear, initially, upon what they base the claim of blasphemy. Is it the affirmation that He is the Son of God? Or the declaration He would come from heaven? Or perhaps the idea He would be coming in judgment (God Judges – Ecclesiastes 12:14)? What aids in making this situation clearer is the passage found in John 10:22-39. The Jews gathered in Jerusalem to observe the Feast of Dedication. They asked Jesus to tell them clearly if He was the Christ. He tells them that He has told them before and the works He does should identify who He is. Jesus further tells them that He gives eternal life and He and the Father are one. There are those today who believe the statement that Christ was one with the Father means they both have righteous purposes. However, that is not at all what the Jews understood. They state: “You being a man, make Yourself out to be God.” Jesus responds by pointing out God has referred to them as gods (judges with divine authority – Psalms 82) who were to impart and uphold the commands of God. Being in that position, they were accusing Jesus of blaspheming by saying that He was the Son of God. Remember, they equated the phrase “the Son of God” with being God from their own words in this text. Jesus asks them with their understanding of the Law of God, if they were making the charge because His works were contrary to the Law. Of course, His works were not contrary. He further bolsters his case of being God (Son of God) by pointing out the miraculous works which confirmed He was who He said He was. It should be noted in neither Matthew nor John did Jesus deny His Deity, but rather affirmed it in both situations. The Son of God references Deity.

How can Jesus claim to be the son of man and Son of God and not be a demigod? A demigod is part mortal and part God. If Jesus was part both, why is He not considered a demi-god? Christ was indeed flesh. He was born of a virgin as prophesied (Matthew 1:18-25). He was born a descendant of David according to the flesh (Romans 1:3). He was a descendant of Abraham according to the flesh (Acts 2:29-32). By the flesh, Jesus suffered for mankind (I Peter 4:1). In His flesh and blood, He was crucified and put away the Law of Moses through fulfillment (Ephesians 2:13-16, Colossians 1:22). In His flesh and blood, He died as all men die (Hebrews 2:14). Jesus was resurrected in His flesh and appeared to the disciples and ate with them (Luke 24:36-43). It is the flesh and blood of Jesus which man remembers in the partaking of the Lord’s Supper (Matthew 26:26-29). Jesus was 100% flesh. He was not partly flesh. Jesus was not born from Heaven. Jesus was sent from Heaven (Matthew 21:37, John 3:16, 5:23, 6:39, 10:36, 14:24). He was the begotten of God (John 1:14, 3:16, 3:18, I John 4:9). The term begotten used in reference to Christ means “single or one of its kind” according to Thayer’s Greek Definitions. Colossians 2:9 says of Jesus, “For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form”. This certainly would explain Jesus being the begotten of God. God took the form of man and His name was Jesus. As established by “all” and “fullness”, it was not “part” of God in the form of Jesus. It must be understood Christ is the “only” of God because He was 100% Deity. Jesus was not part man, part God, and thus, a demi-god. Jesus equals God.

To say Jesus is equal to God must be demonstrated through the use of scripture. It has already been established the Jews understood Jesus was claiming to be equal to God (John 5:18) and He backed this claim with the power of God. Paul further affirms this fact by his inspired words in Philippians 2:5-7, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:” This verse establishes Jesus was in the form of God. The word “form” refers to his image, nature, makeup, and essence. “Form” doesn’t mean just “personality” or righteous attributes here. Jesus was God in heaven and therefore being God it was not an issue to be considered equal to God. When Jesus was sent to man, He completely assumed the role of servant and put on the image of man, being flesh. Though, He took the more humble form of man, He did not give up his Deity.

When attempting to discern if there is a difference in the nature of God and Jesus, the process is relatively simple. Identify the unique attributes of God and if Jesus does not have these attributes, then he cannot be God. When the Jews identified Jesus’ claim as having equality with God, Jesus laid out a number of attributes showing it was so. In John 5:9-24, He mentions that whatever the Father could do, He could do. He could raise the dead, judge all men, receive the same honor, and give eternal life. At the end of the passage, Jesus again mentions the miracles witnessed His words as true. Further attributes to be noted: Jesus could forgive sins (Mark 2:5). Jesus knew the hearts and minds of men (Matthew 9:4, John 2:24-25). God has no sin (I John 1:5), Jesus did not sin (I Peter 2:21-22). Jesus accepted worship of man (Matthew 28:9), while stating such was for God alone (Matthew 4:10). Jesus is omnipresent (Matthew 18:20). God is everlasting (Psalm 90:2) and Jesus is everlasting (Hebrews 1:8). By examination of attributes alone, Jesus can be seen to be God.

The Hebrews 1:8 scripture not only proclaims Jesus as everlasting, but even more astounding is the knowledge the words spoken there are by God and He calls Jesus “God”. This is not the only place in scripture Jesus is identified as God. Jesus established himself as existing before Abraham and identified Himself as “I AM” the same way God did to Moses (John 8:58-59, Exodus 3:13-15). Following Jesus’ crucifixion, the apostle Thomas said he would not believe Jesus had risen until he personally could “see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side,” John 20:24-28 records those comments and the moment Thomas saw Him and then and there declared to Jesus “My Lord and my God”. Jesus did not rebuke him, but affirms his belief. I Timothy 3:16 speaking of Jesus Christ, proclaims God appeared in the flesh. Romans 9:5 announces Jesus as God overall all. Titus 2:13 speaks of the return of Christ calling Him God and Savior. One verse is all that is needed to validate Jesus as God, but there are numerous examples in scripture.

Another identification of Jesus Christ in scripture is by the Greek term “logos” or simply “Word”. The first 18 verses of the first chapter of the book of John go a long way to understanding Jesus relationship to Deity by using the term “logos”. John 1:1 establishes three things: 1) The Word was in the beginning, 2) the Word was with God, and 3) the Word was God. The evidence the Word is Jesus dominates the full text. Verse 4: The Word was life – Jesus is the life (John 14:6). The Word was the light – Jesus is the light (John 8:12). Verse 7: John came to bear witness of the light – John bore witness of Jesus (John 1:29-30) [Note: John says in this text Jesus existed before him, yet, Jesus was six months younger… see Luke 1:35-36… this points again to the Deity of Christ.]. Verse 10 – The Word was in the world – Jesus was sent into the world (John 3:16). Verse 14: The Word became flesh – Jesus became flesh (Romans 1:3). The Word was the begotten of God – Jesus was the begotten of God (Acts 13:33). There are many more proofs within the John 1 text which demonstrate Jesus was God, but from these samples it is clear the statement is true. The New World Translation attempts to say Jesus was “a” god, however, it does so in attempt to try to prove Christ as simply a glorified man. This is a twisted doctrine which ignores the Greek language and even contradicts its own application of the grammar in question. This belief is brought up now in light of all the evidence thus far seen regarding Christ’s Deity. A deep analysis in the Greek is not needed when it is clear such a twisting of scripture would contradict the Bible presentation of Christ extensively.

The final examination of the Deity of Christ must be taken from the Church of God. This is a phrase which the apostle Paul used with the Churches in Ephesus, Corinth, Galatia, and Thessalonica (Acts 20:28, I Corinthians 1:2, 10:32, 11:16, 22, 15:9, 2 Corinthians 1:1, Galatians 1:13, I Thessalonians 2:14, 2 Thessalonians 1:4). Additionally, he referred to the Church of God in his first letter to Timothy (I Timothy 3:5, 15). It is seen that God added the saved to His Church in Acts 2:47. If it is God’s church, should He not be the head of it? Ephesians 5:23 says Christ is the head of the Church and Savior of it. The Church is also sanctified by Christ (I Corinthians 1:2, Ephesisans 5:26). The Church is presented to Christ by Himself (Ephesians 5:27). How could He present something to Himself which is not His in the first place? The Church is described as His body in Colossians 1:24 by the apostle Paul. He used the term Church of God many times, yet uses the synonymous phrase “Churches of Christ” in Romans 16:16. With such evidence, how can one claim that the Church of God is not the Church of Christ? Even more importantly, how does an individual claim Christ is not God? It is God’s Church. Continuing on from the initial passage of this article (Matthew 16) upon Peter’s confession, Jesus is the Christ and Son of God, Jesus tells him upon that rock (which is Christ – I Corinthians 10:4, I Corinthians 3:11), “I will build my Church”. Whose Church is it? Christ’s Church! Whose Church is it? God’s Church! There is one Church, one body, built by the one God of all (Ephesians 4:4-6). God is the one and only Deity. He is the Father, He is the Son, and He most certainly is Jesus the Christ.

While those who utilize means of authority outside of the Bible will continue to proclaim “Jesus is not Deity, He is not God”, the Bible as the sole means of authority to the Christian confirms that He is. Jesus the Messiah was presented as being God in the Old Testament. Jesus also was presented as being God in the New Testament. Being the Son of God, He was obviously understood to claim Deity by the people of His age. He was all man and all God and not just part of one or the other. He is equal to God, shares the attributes of God, and proclaimed to be God by God and man. He is said to be the Word God, present from the beginning, and presented upon the earth in the flesh. The Church of God has the blessing of being Christ’s Church, the only Church, and the Church accountable to His headship. If Christ is not God, then the Bible is a false witness, and the Christian faith is in vain. The concept of the Deity of Christ must not be set aside or approached lightly for it is the foundation upon which Christians are born and the Church stands.

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Deception of Sin

A Matter of Perception

Many years ago, I got to see sin up close and personal. I saw its intention. I saw its form. I saw its effects. It was ugly. You may wonder what particular sin that it is I saw. And while that would be a discussion that has merit and would be productive on another occasion, it isn’t the point that I wish to make now. One sin is just as ugly to God as another (Isaiah 59:2). It is a sobering fact that any sin we habitually commit will sever us from our relationship with God (John 8:34). It really does not matter what that sin is, per se. Oh, we may deceive ourselves from time to time with the idea that “my sin” is not as bad as “your sin.” But such is simply deception. It is a lie; a falsehood that Satan tells us to try to get us to believe that sin is not really all that serious. Sin is deadly serious.

Take someone who is addicted to drugs as an example. Here is a sin that is generally recognized in society. We see the drug addict and we think, “How sad for him that he is so possessed by such a thing.” We know that he is possessed by his drugs, because we see his desire for them. We see the craving. We see the “joy” he gets from using them. We see the consumption that results from such use. We see the gutter-filled-trashed-out effects of their use. And we see the addict return time after time to the same estate. We wonder, “How could anyone live like that?” They live like that because the ultimate goal of Satan is to so deceive someone as to make them think that there is nothing wrong with their sinful situation. Our pity for such a one should not be due to the condition, but the deception.

And we ask, “How could one be so deceived so as to be involved in such a pathetic suit?” The truth however, is that we frequently live the same way. Satan has deceived many of us as well. Many live in a state of societally approved addictions that while outwardly appear perfectly benign, inwardly they destroy us just as cancerously as the sin of the drug addict. These addictions display much more subtle and deceptive effects. These effects sometimes even robe themselves in a façade of righteousness so as to have the appearance of something decent. We see such effects in the faces of those who turn their nose in disgust at the addictions of others without even acknowledging that their own addiction is equally as deadly. Do we see in these the same symptoms? The craving? The possession? The “joy?” The consumption? Indeed, who is the more deceived?

It was for precisely this reason that Jesus gave himself on the cross. So that we could be free from the possession of sin. He was resurrected so that we could walk in newness of life (Romans 6:4). Indeed, to habitually fail to examine our own lives, to habitually fail to reflect upon what God has done for us when we were possessed in sin, is an addiction of an equally worse and deceptive kind. It is equally being in the possession of sin. What greater triumph could Satan have than to cause us to cease to examine our own personal sin on a daily basis and the relationship of forgiveness that we have with God as a result of the vicarious sacrifice of Christ? What greater triumph than to deceive us into thinking that our sinful situation is any better than that of others?

I learned a little more about the love of God and Jesus so many years ago when I tried to help a Christian who was a practicing alcoholic, because I saw in my experience something that God must see in all humanity—a great and tremendous need for salvation from sin. Not just of those with visible addictions, but those of us with the invisible one’s as well. God once told Samuel, “… for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). We may look outwardly and see all kinds of wrongs and evils in this world, and even do so justifiably. However, if we look outward while failing to look inward, our sin is merely a matter of perception, and that of an equally deceptive sort. May God bless us with HIS eyes so as to look upon the things that we ought to look upon, both outward and inward, in our daily walk with Him.

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We Need

We know from studying the evidence that God is the perfect designer. Beyond just designing the universe we see in impeccable detail, though, He also perfectly designed the family and the church as institutions in which we can love each other and serve Him. Humans have a unique way of corrupting that which is good, though. Families suffer as children are considered nothing more than accessories and marriage and sexual are for anybody and everybody. We aren’t surprised when we see society crumble around weak families, but we should likewise understand that weak churches are even more responsible for the cultural apostasy. It is the church that God entrusted with shining His light in the world. If He wanted us to stay silent, He wouldn’t have given us the Word and the Spirit. With declining retention rates among our youth and stagnant evangelism in most places, it’s safe to say that the church isn’t what it should be. If we just assume that problem will correct itself, nothing is going to change. We must be intentional about fixing what is wrong. Here are three areas the church must address if it is going to reestablish God’s influence over culture.

– We need elders. Though the church has a number of fine elders, the fact remains that many congregations go without elders, as none of their men are qualified. Other congregations install men who do not meet the qualifications in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 out of desperation to have some form of leadership. Still other congregations have men who meet those qualifications but are not spiritually-minded enough to guide the congregation in the way it needs to go. To those who are elders – are you training and mentoring the younger men in your congregation to replace you some day? To parents – perhaps instead of hoping that our children will survive their college years with their faith, shouldn’t we be training them with the goal of someday leading and serving the church according to the Scriptures? God blesses families with children, and He expects them to be returned to Him and used in His service as arrows (Psalm 127, Proverbs 22:6). The church will always need elders, and with nearly two whole generations missing we desperately need to start turning up the intensity in our efforts to train future elders.

– We need preachers. There will always be people looking for a speaker who will “tickle their ears” (2 Timothy 4:3-4) and make them feel good about themselves regardless of how they live. Sadly, there will always be preachers who look to fill that niche, too. Though we need to fight to convince those people of the truth, we should put even more focus into fighting the problem of “fluff.” What we need in the pulpits are not men who will give a shallow pep talk or will skim over the tough stuff. We need men who will dig deep and show the way into the Word. We need men who will challenge the listener’s understanding of the Bible. We need men who will inspire an enthusiasm for the Bible that is contagious. As many pulpits remain unfilled, many are filled with those who teach falsely, and a number are filled with shallow preachers, we need those preachers who are strong in the Word to set an example and take others under their wing. An introductory reading of 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and Titus show the seriousness with which Paul viewed His ministry. That’s the attitude we need more of.

– We need servants. Not every man is going to be an elder or a preacher, not every woman is going to be an elder’s wife, a preacher’s wife, or a teacher among women and children. In fact, the majority of people who attend congregations won’t be. What we need is for those people to make a commitment to the church that they will be there when it’s time to worship and won’t put anything else over their commitment to God. We need them to make the Joshua 24:15 promise to serve God and Him only in their households. We need them to strengthen and encourage their elders and preachers, and we need them to constantly study so that they can have their own relationships with God and so they can confirm what they’re taught from the Scriptures like the Bereans of Acts 17.

No matter which one of these three you are or might become, we need you. The church’s problems aren’t going to fix themselves. They’re going to require each one of us to look at ourselves, our families, and our church so we can understand what role we need to fill and what we can do to help the church spread into the culture rather than the opposite. Christ is our foundation (1 Peter 2:6-8) and as long as our efforts build on Him, we’ll never go wrong. It’s time to start building again. Can the church count on you?

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Forgiveness

Mark Twain once said, “Forgiveness is the  fragrance the violet sheds on the heel that  has crushed it.” Many in the world do not  understand the subject of forgiveness since they fail  to see what God says in His word about such. Some  think that if we only pray to God concerning sin, no  matter what the circumstances, God automatically and  immediately forgives. Some think that we should forgive  others even if they refuse to admit guilt, express remorse  or show any signs of repentance. What are we to make  of this confusing subject?

Let us first define this word in the way the Bible  defines it, which it does employing five different terms:

•  It uses a financial term called “ remission ”  (Matt. 26:28). Concerning sin, man is indebted  to God (Matt. 6:12), but in forgiveness, the  blood of Jesus remits the guilt of past sins and  forwards a zero balance.

•  It uses a judicial term called “ justification ”  (Rom. 3:24-26). Concerning sin, man stands  guilty (James 2:10), but in forgiveness, the  blood of Jesus removes our guilt and releases  us from the penalty of sin.

•  It uses a ceremonial term called “ purification ”  (Titus 2:14). Concerning sin, our souls are  defiled (Jer. 2:23), but in forgiveness, the blood  of Jesus cleanses us from the filth of iniquity  (1 John 1:7; Isa. 1:18).

•  It uses a geographic term called “ sanctification ”  (Heb. 10:29). Concerning sin, we stand in the  realm of the world and all who are friends to  it (James 4:4), but in forgiveness, the blood of  Jesus cuts us loose and sets us apart for holy  service in His church (Rom. 12:1-2).

•  It uses a social term called “ reconciliation ”  (Rom. 5:10). Concerning sin, we are separated  from God (Isa. 59:1-2), but in forgiveness, the  blood of Jesus satisfies the justice of God and  allows us to draw near to Him in fellowship  (Heb. 8:10; James 4:8).

Now, there is actually a great deal of difference  in demonstrating a forgiving spirit and obtaining  forgiveness, because forgiveness is a two-way street.  Let us now distinguish the two. The Bible declares  that we must be people who are willing to forgive  (Matt. 5:44-45; 6:14-15; Mark 11:25; Eph. 4:32; Matt.  18:21-35). This was the demonstration by example of  our Lord on Calvary in Luke 23:34: “ Father, forgive  them; for they know not what they do .” Nevertheless,  unless the perpetrator recognizes fault and expresses  proper remorse, one cannot obtain forgiveness. Since  we have offended God by our sins, we must obtain His  forgiveness based upon His terms. The Bible is replete  with passages that inform us of the need of developing  a broken and contrite spirit (Ps. 34:18; 51:17). The  New Testament declares thus for the child of God: “ If  we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us  our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness ” (1  John 1:9). Peter told the anguished ones who crucified  the Lord, “ Repent, and be baptized every one of you in  the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins …”  (Acts 2:38) for this reason—while Jesus demonstrated a  forgiving spirit, they still needed to indicate proper steps  of recognition and remorse for what they did. With both  of these, they were able to obtain forgiveness from God,  which serves as a wonderful pattern for us in forgiving  others also.

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Sure About Faith

You Can Be Sure About Faith

“And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. 13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life…” (NKJV).

“that you may know that you have eternal life”.   In past few weeks we have seen a number of our members who had been immersed in water at some time in the past develop some doubts as to whether or not their baptism was valid.  I myself had these doubts many years ago and, like several of our members lately, I chose to eliminate that doubt entirely.  Whether or not this action was necessary is not the subject of this lesson.  The subject of this lesson is first that we must be sure and secondly, that we can be sure. 

Why must be sure of our eternal salvation?  The most obvious answer is that our final destination is eternal and we don’t get any do-overs.  Once we die and leave this physical realm, our eternal destination is forever sealed.  We only have one life to offer God and we better get it right.   We can correct our failures so long as we live in this life, but after we die, the consequences for failure are permanent. 

In Romans 14 Paul gives instruction on conduct in matters of opinion.   God gives us certain liberties under the gospel and sometimes well meaning folks either don’t know or don’t understand what God’s expectations might be.  The natural tendency for someone who is concerned about obeying God is to take the more restrictive path if they are uncertain on something.  Paul gives instruction on how Christians are to behave toward one another when this occurs.   There are a number of instruction in Romans 14 but for the purpose of this lesson, we are going to look at only one of them.  In Romans 14:23, Paul writes this, “But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.”  If we are doing something that we are not absolutely sure about, or something that we may have doubts about, then it is sin.  Christians are commanded to be convicted in their beliefs and practices.  Think about this in the terms of raising our children.  Suppose you discover your child doing something they are not supposed to be doing.   Something for which you had already given them instruction on.  Are you going to accept their excuse when they tell you they just weren’t sure about it so they went ahead and did it anyway.  What’s your response to them going be?  How about this response?  “if you weren’t sure then why did you do it?”   Well that’s similar to what Paul is saying in Romans 14:23.   God has given us His instructions in His inspired record.  He wants us to know His instructions.  And if we don’t know then, He wants us to seek them and be sure about something before we make a mistake.  All of God’s laws are for mankind’s benefit, they are designed to keep us safe and to keep us from harming one another.  Our rules for our children are for their benefit.  They are designed to keep them safe and keep them from harming themselves and others around them.  We don’t want our children making mistakes that are harmful to themselves and others and we expect them to understand this and to seek and follow our guidance in this matter.  We are God’s children.  God expects us to seek and follow His guidance in the things we do. 

The rules we give our children is a reflection of the love we have for them.  Similarly, the rules we receive from God is a reflection of the love He has for us.  We can look at His word and see that He cares for us, He is concerned for us, He has our best interests at heart.  1 John 5:3, “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments”  2 John 6, “And this is love, that we walk after his commandments“.  God is a concerned Father and He expects us to seek His will on things that we do and He expects us to be sure about those things.   Whatever is not of faith, is sin. 

So how can we be sure?  The first step to being sure is to know the truth.  Jesus said in John 8:31-32, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  Jesus starts this saying with a conditional word: “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed”.  The word “if” provides a condition upon which something depends.  In a conditional statement there is a stated result and an implied result.  Jesus stated that “IF you abide in my word, you are my disciples.  This statement carries the implication that those who do not abide in His word will not be His disciples.  Jesus follows with an another statement beginning with a conjunction: “AND you shall know the truth”  And then yet another one with “AND the truth shall make you free”.  So we have three separate results that depend on the condition of abiding in His word. 

If you abide in my word you:  1)  Are my disciples;  2)  shall know the truth; 3) and the truth shall make you free. 

What Jesus implied with the conditional statement is that if you do not abide in my word,  1)  You are not my disciples; 2) you shall not know the truth; 3) and the truth shall not make you free. 

All of three of the positive promises Jesus made are dependent upon abiding in His word.  That means living according to what He has taught.  Making His instructions into one’s lifestyle or one’s pattern for conduct throughout their life. 

Jesus said those who abide in His word, those who live in it, study it, strive to learn it and live it will know the truth.  Jesus promised we can “know the truth“.  Jesus said in John 17:17 “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.”  “Your word is truth”   God’s word isn’t just something that contains a little truth here and there sprinkled in like salt and pepper.  God’s word is truth.  God’s word is the source of truth, it is the totality of truth.  It is all truth.  From Alpha to Omega, from “In the beginning God” in Genesis 1:1 to the “Amen” in Revelation 22:21, God’s word is truth.  The Psalmist wrote in 119:160, “The sum of thy word is truth; and every one of thy righteous ordinances (endureth) for ever.”

Those who study in God’s word, who learn God’s word, and who live in God’s word are abiding in His word and are given a promise by Jesus Himself.   They will know the truth.  2 Timothy 2:15, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

You can be sure that if you study, search, learn, correctly handle and live in God’s word, you can know the truth. 

So how do we correctly handle God’s word?  There are some very simple Biblical standards we can use to be sure we are rightly dividing or correctly handling God’s word.  God’s word tells us how to handle God’s word. 

You can be sure that we live under the new covenant. 

Hebrews 8:8-13

For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:

9 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.

10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:

11 And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.

12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.

13 In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.

You can be sure that the old covenant has been done away with.

Ephesians 2:13-16  This is Paul writing to gentile Christians in Ephesus.

13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;

15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;

16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:

The old covenant made a separation between Jews and Gentiles.  Only Jews were God’s chosen people.  Gentiles who wished to live under the law of Moses had to undergo a process where they were then known as proselytes.  Under the new covenant, this wall of separation between Jews and Gentiles was eliminated by doing away with it, or as the text says, “nailing it to His cross”.   The old law of Moses ended at the cross of Christ.  Everyone today who is a Christian is a child of God.  Galatians 3:28-29 reads, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.“

We can be sure the Bible has the knowledge we need

Jude 3-4, “Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.”  The original language translated as “once for all” carries the meaning of unrepeatability and finality.   The faith that was delivered was delivered once and will not be delivered again.  In 2 Peter 1:2-3, we read, “...His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness“.  The faith that was once for all time delivered contained everything that pertained to life and Godliness.  Nothing was left out.  All the truth we need was delivered completely in the first century and it will not be repeated.  Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 3:16-17, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” and then in Romans 10:17, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.“

So from this handful of scriptures we can get a picture of just how reliable the Word of God is.  

1)  Faith comes by the word of God.  Romans 10:17
2)  The Faith was delivered only once and will not be repeated. (Jude 3)
3)  The faith that was delivered in the first century contained everything that pertained to life and godliness.  Nothing was left out.  2 Peter 1:2-3
4)  The scriptures were inspired by God, meaning He oversaw and directed what was being written about the faith.  2 Timothy 3:16
5)  The written record thoroughly furnishes us with everything we need for instruction, correction, doctrine and reproof.  2 Timothy 3:17

What about the preservation of it through the ages?  There are roughly 25,000 manuscripts and fragments of the written record in existence.  And even if all of these were lost, the entire Bible with the exception of a handful of verses could be recreated from the quotes contained in the writings of early church authors.  The Bible as we have it today is the most preserved document in the history of mankind on earth. 

We can trust the word of God.  We can have absolute confidence that it contains everything we need.  We can be sure that the Bible contains everything we need to get to heaven. 

We can be sure that the Bible must be rightly divided.

This means that the word of God must be correctly understood and properly applied. 

The word of God contains warnings we must heed if we are to rightly divide, or correctly handle it. 

1 Corinthians 4:6 reads, “Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively transferred to myself and Apollos for your sakes, that you may learn in us not to think beyond what is written,”.  The NASB reads “not to exceed what is written”  The ASV reads “not to go beyond what is written“.  This is not the only place we read this warning either:  2 John 9, “Whoever transgresses* and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God.”  The NASB reads, “Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God“.  The original language carries the meaning of going astray or going ahead of where they should be.  Simply stated, Christians are warned in the word of God not to go beyond the word of God.   The word of God says that those who do go beyond the word of God do not have God.   Paul and John’s warnings are echoed in the book of Revelation in words that are impossible to misunderstand: 

Revelation 22:18-19, “For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. “

In 2 John 9, John wrote that those who go too far do not have God, and in Revelation he wrote that those who take away from the book of Revelation lose their place in the book of life, which represents salvation.  They lose their place in the holy city.  We read about that in Rev 21 as a place where there is no more sorrow, no more tears, no more suffering.  That’s a picture of heaven.  Those who lose salvation and their home in heaven do not have God.  2 John 9 makes Revelation 22:18-19 applicable to everything written in the new testament.  Concerning God’s word in the old testament, it has Deuteronomy 4:2, “You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you.” and Deuteronomy 12:32, “Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it.”  No one in history has ever been permitted to tamper with the word of God.  We must not add anything to it.  We must not take anything away from it.  The word of God says that to do so, results in the loss of God. 

This is so very important in a society with so much religious division and diversity.  We have thousands of different divisions among those who claim Christ as savior.  If none of them took anything away or added anything to the word of God, then they would not exist.  They all teach things a little differently.  They all contain some truth, but do they all contain the sum of God’s truth?  Have they left something out?  Have they added something that cannot be found in the word of God?  Have they changed it in any way?  The logical answer is yes because if no changes to His word were made, then no divisions would exist. 

Matthew 15:9 and Mark 7:7 both record the words of Jesus as saying, “And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.”  Jesus says here that our worship is worthless if we follow the commandments of men.  We have seen in this lesson so far that the Bible is the inspired word of God, it was delivered once for all, it contains everything we need for a life of godliness and we are not to tamper with it or alter it in any way.  So with that said, then if anyone is practicing something that cannot be found in the scriptures or leaving something out, then where did that doctrine come from?  It didn’t come from God so it had to come from the mind of man.  If it didn’t come from the Bible it came from a man.  If it’s in the Bible but not in practice then men chose to leave it out.  That’s a doctrine of men and it renders our worship worthless.  It is of no value.  It is empty, hollow and ineffective.  We can be sure that the scriptures must be rightly understood and rightly applied if we are to enjoy eternal salvation in heaven with God.

You can be sure Christ created only one church.

In Ephesians 4:1-6, Paul wrote, “I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” 

Well since there is only one body, then what association does it have with the church?  Earlier in the same letter Paul tells us: Ephesians 1:22-23, “And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body”  The one body that Paul wrote of in Ephesians 4:4 is the same body he wrote about in Ephesians 1:22-23 and it is the church.  The church and the body of Christ are one and the same and there is only one.  Jesus declared in Matthew 16:18, “…and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.”  Jesus promised to build only one church.  Paul says there is only church.  Jesus only died for one church.  Ephesians 5:25, “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it“, Singular.  Christ only purchased one church with His blood, Acts 20:28, “Therefore take heed to yourselves and to 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.”  And Christ is the head of and the savior of only one church.  Ephesians 5:22-24, “Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body.”

Question for everyone.  Let’s apply some common sense here.  Since Christ only built one church; bled for one church; died for one church; rules one church and saves one church, then shouldn’t that be the church we strive to be a part of?  Does that make sense?  That’s the church I want to be in. 

I don’t want any part of a church or body that Jesus did not build.

I don’t want any part of a church that Jesus did not shed His blood for.

I don’t want any part of a church that Jesus did not die for.

I don’t want any part of a church that Jesus does not rule over.

I don’t want any part of a church that Jesus will not save. 

Why? 

Because I want to be sure.  I don’t get any do-overs.  If I get this wrong, I don’t get to say to Jesus, “WOOPS…  My Bad!!!  Let me go back, I’ll get it right the next time!!!” 

I have to get this right this time.  WE have to get this right this time.  All Christians must get this right this time.  This time is the only time we have.   Christians MUST be sure. 

And finally, How Can We Be Sure?

It is so simple.  Two scriptures is all it takes to give us the answer.

Romans 8:1
“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus,* who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.“

There are two conditions here in order to qualify for there being no condemnation.  We must be “In Christ Jesus”  AND we just walk according to the Spirit.  This means walking in accordance with the instructions of God as inspired by the Holy Spirit and recorded for us in scripture.  In other words, living obediently to the will of God.  We must meet both of these conditions in order to qualify for “no condemnation”. 

The second scripture is in 1 John 2:3-6

“Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.“

Let’s read that again:

“Now by this we know that we know Him [Jesus], if we keep His commandments. 4 He who says, “I know Him,” [Jesus] and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoever keeps His word [Jesus], truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this [obedience] we know [this is how we know] that we are in Him. [Jesus Christ]“

We must be sure.  And the Bible says we can be sure if we are in Christ and living in obedience to His will.  That’s how we know.  That’s how we can be sure. 

Live our lives by the word of God.  Don’t leave anything out.  Don’t add anything to it.   Use it as the sole standard for our guide for life.  Reject any doctrine, creed book, literature or guides which are not 100% in harmony with the word of God. 

Study it, learn it, rightly divide it, correctly apply it.  Obey it.

And you can be; you WILL be sure. 

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