Part 8
Is there a difference between love and mercy? Love is a strong feeling or love for another which develops from time spent with the other. Mercy on the other hand is the forbearance and patience that is shown to the one loved when they wrong you. Mercy seems to be the outworking of love. The love of the Father for His creatures extended salvation to mankind.
Walvoord suggests three areas in which God's mercy is operative. (p 147) a. To those that have trusted Him and they are invited to fellowship with Him. b. It will be extended once more to Israel when God begins to work with them again. c. When a sinner accepts the salvation offered so freely.
The giving of His Son was the supreme manifestation of mercy to us. He has provided through His mercy for all of mankind, but man must respond individually to benefit from that mercy.
SCRIPTURAL COMMENTS CONCERNING GOD'S MERCY
a. God's mercy assures us of His continued watchfulness over us. Deuteronomy 4:31 If He took the trouble to save us, surely He would watch over all the details of that salvation for all time.
b. God's mercy assures us of forgiveness of our sins. Micah 7:18,
"Who is a God like unto thee, who pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? He retaineth not his anger forever, because he delighteth in mercy."
That Is Encouraging.
c. God's mercy assures us of our status as children of God. 2 Corinthians 1:3 We are His children and nothing can affect that relationship.
d. God's mercy assures us of His love. Deuteronomy 5:10 He has chosen to show us mercy — why would He ever choose not to continue in those things in which He has engaged.
e. God's mercy is available through prayer. Nehemiah 1:11
f. God's mercy was extended to the Gentiles because of Israel's unbelief. Romans 11:30 We can glory in the great mercy that He gave to the gentiles. He did not need to, He was not required to, nor were we worth that act of mercy. He decided to do so for our benefit.
Is God's mercy conditional? Yes and no. God's mercy, in general, is unconditional. He cares for the universe, He provides seasons for food etc., yet His mercy is limited when it comes to those that reject Christ and His free salvation.
God's mercy, in specific, is conditional. a. His mercy to the saved seems conditional and varies with the believer's walk before Him. (I Chron. 17:13) B. His mercy to the unsaved is conditional upon their acceptance or rejection of His son.
The Greatness Of His Mercy is declared through the Scripture: 1 Chronicles 21:13, Psalm 57:10, Psalm 86:5, Psalm 89:2, Psalm 108:4, Psalm 119:64, Psalm 136.
MANIFESTATION OF GOD'S MERCY
a. His mercy is seen In the caring for all His creatures: Psalm 145:9, "The Lord is good to all, and his tender mercies are over all his works." This includes the continuation of the universe, as well as the caring for His creatures in their everyday life.
b. His mercy is seen in the helping of His people even when they do not deserve it: Nehemiah 9:17-21, 27-32. Many of His children live in sin, yet God continues to uphold them. The longsuffering of God in these cases may not extend forever. Some find that He will ultimately take them home.
Others live long lives. His mercy is extended according to His own good pleasure.
c. His mercy is seen supremely in our salvation through Christ: Ephesians 2:4-8 The fact that mercy was extended to gentiles is purely mercy. That may seem like a funny statement, however it is very true.
1. His mercy should stir up the mercy in the believer. Luke 6:36, "Be ye, therefore, merciful, as your Father also is merciful." When we relate to one another, we should extend mercy as mercy was extended to us.
2. His mercy should motivate us toward commitment. Romans 12:1,
"I beseech you therfore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service."
God extended mercy to us through salvation. This should bring us to the place where we desire to do things for Him. The common response to a large gift is gratitude and service.
The logical response of being saved would be to share that salvation with those that remain lost.
3. His mercy should move us toward unity and away from selfcenteredness. Philippians 2:1-4 In Christ, we share the same mercy. None is greater than the other, and none is less than the other.
4. His mercy can be removed. 1 Chronicles 17:13, "...I will not take my mercy away from him, as I took it from him that was before thee," Within this thought, we should be quick to mention that He is also quite often longsuffering. He normally gives numerous opportunities before withdrawing mercy.
5. How do we show mercy to nonbelievers? Give them the Gospel. Beyond the gospel you can share with them in the material and emotional realm as you have opportunity.
6. How do we show mercy to believers? Help them materially or physically as we can. This may mean, give money, give possessions, give
help, or give emotional support. The use of our tongue in a gentle and kind way at all times would certainly help. You can assume the best in all situations. You can forgive, even those that are miserable, lousy, no-good creeps. Forgive all types in other words. Confronting others with their sin is also a method of showing mercy. It shows that you care for them, and that you want to keep them from further trouble.
GOD DECREED
What are the Decree's? When asked this question one person suggested they were an Indian tribe. This is true however we need to give some serious thought to another group of decrees. The decrees of God.
We should up front know that the term only appears in our New Testament one time and it is used in relation to a decree or order from Caesar. (Luke 2:1)
BASIS FOR THE DOCTRINE
1. 1 Peter 1:20 mentions in relation to Christ
"Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but
was manifest in these last times for you." (see Revelation 13:8 also)
The Trinity arranged some things that were going to occur as they contemplated creation and all of its ramifications. Christ's crucifixion and other items were set in eternity past.
2. Revelation 17:8 states there were names in the book of life before the foundation of the world. That is a whole study in itself. Are the names of the redeemed there before the foundation of the world, or is it the names of all mankind? Are names added, or are they taken away?
3. Matthew 13:35 states that there are things kept secret from the foundation of the world.
"That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which
have been kept secret from the foundation of the world."
Christ revealed some of these things when He spoke of the kingdom in mystery form. There may be things that are yet to be revealed.
4. The kingdom has been set from the foundation of the world. Matthew 25:34. It was set and it will come to pass at the scheduled time and circumstance. The prophets were not coming up with new information for
the future. They were just revealing what the Lord had shown them, revealing what was set before creation.
5. There was a choosing before the foundation of the world according to Ephesians 1:4. The different items that we have already mentioned are part of the decrees of God.
6. Hebrews 1:10 mentions that the Lord set the foundations of the world.
The above items will indicate a basis for the doctrine of a decree of God that involves several parts.
The first question is this, "Is there one decree or numerous decrees?"
DEFINITION
The Westminster Shorter Catechism mentions that "The decrees of God are his eternal purpose, according to the counsel of his will, whereby for his own glory He hath forordained whatsoever comes to pass." (Hodge, Charles; Gross, Edward N. Ed.; "Systematic Theology"; Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1988, p 535)
THE ONE DECREE POSITION
The decree/decrees are the overall purpose and plan of God by which He has determined all that He desires to come to pass.
This discussion does not concern any of His attributes — it is all outside of Himself. God's decree has as its primary purpose the glory of God. Ephesians 1:6, 12, 14 ". . .praise of his glory. . . ." Thus, the decree is doxological, and not soteriological or dispensational.
Scripture is plain on the fact that God is sovereign and is free to do whatever He pleases, as well as whatever He wills. He set all in motion for His own good purpose.
God decreed in two manners: Directive Will: He decreed to certain ends: The death of Christ, our salvation, and future judgments. Permissive Will: He also decreed to allow certain things: Adam's sin, unbeliever's crimes, and falling asleep while reading boring theology books.
Dr. Houghton of Denver Baptist Bible College suggested that the decree was "His eternal purpose (plan) according to the counsel of His own will, whereby, for His own glory, He has foreordained whatso-ever comes to pass."
The one decree position declares that God's plan is in effect and all is based upon that fact. All things, His promises, His prophecy, and His dealings with man.
Bancroft seems to hold to one overall plan in his "Elemental Theology" where he entitles it "The Counsel Of God," using the terminology of Ephesians 1:11. (He has a lengthy discussion on this topic on p 106ff.)
THE ONE DECREE — BUT SEVERAL DIVISIONS WITHIN IT POSITION
Chafer in his "Major Bible Themes" states, "The decree of God includes those events which God does Himself and also includes all that God accomplishes through natural law, over which He is completely sovereign. More difficult to comprehend is the fact that His sovereign decree also extends to all the acts of men, which are included in His eternal plan." (Taken from the book, Major Bible Themes by Lewis Sperry Chafer and John F. Walvoord. First edition copyright 1926, 1953 by Dallas Theological Seminary. Revised edition copyright 1974 by Dallas Theological Seminary. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. p 43)
While he speaks of "The decree" singular he also holds to, "subdivisions such as His decree to create, His decree to preserve the world, His decree of providence, or His wise guidance of the universe." (Taken from the book, Major Bible Themes by Lewis Sperry Chafer and John F. Walvoord. First edition copyright 1926, 1953 by Dallas Theological Seminary. Revised edition copyright 1974 by Dallas Theological Seminary. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. p 44)
The interesting part is that in Walvoord's revision of the seven volume set, this section is entitled "Divine Decrees" — plural.
Pardington quotes Strong, "By the decrees of God we mean that eternal plan by which God has rendered certain all the events of the universe,
past, present, and future." (Pardington, Revelation George P. Ph.D.; "Outline Studies In Christian Doctrine"; Harrisburg, PA: Christian Publications, 1926, 93)
He lists two areas of decrees: First decrees: Nature, creation and preservation, and Second decrees: providence and redemption.
THE PLURAL DECREE POSITION
Theissen has a very detailed discussion on page 147ff. He holds to the directive/permissive decree thought of the previous author.
We see by one of his comments, he is also a one purpose — plural decree man. "The decrees are sometimes represented as one decree." (he quotes parts of Romans 8:28 and Ephesians 1:11) "In each case it is one purpose. Though to us the decrees appear to be many purposes, to the divine mind they are in reality but one great all — inclusive purpose." (Thiessen, Henry C.; "Lectures In Systematic Theology"; Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1949, pp148-149)
There is little difference between these positions, other than the definition of terms. All view God as having one overall purpose or decree, which contains all the subheadings that are normally discussed.
FACTS ABOUT THE DECREES
1. God has a plan — singular. Ephesians 1:11. This might be likened to a large diamond. One stone.
2. God has many aspects to that plan or purpose. It is not just one big blob out there. It has many facets for our examination and learning. In relation to the diamond illustration, the plan or purpose is the stone, while the facets and sides make up the individual, distinct parts of the stone.
Pardington lists eight such facets.
a. The stability of the universe, Psalm 119:89-91;
b. The outward circumstances of nations, Acts 17:26;
c. The length of human life, Job. 14:5;
d. The mode of our death, John 21:19;
e. The free acts of men both good and evil, Isaiah 44:28; Ephesians 2:10; Genesis 50:20; 1 Kings 12:15; Luke 22:22; Acts 2:23; 4:27, 28; Romans 9:17; 1 Peter 2:8; Revelation 17:17;
f. The salvation of believers, 1 Corinthians 2:7; Ephesians 1:3,10,11;
g. The establishment of Christ's Kingdom, Psalm 2:7,8; 1 Corinthians 15:23;
h. The work of Christ and His people establishing it, Philippians 2:12,13; Revelation 5:7.
3. Other authors discuss a different set of decrees and how they relate to one another.
They normally list seven decrees and discuss the order in which they came about. Many theology books only discuss the first four, due to the fact that most agree on the final three.
There are groupings of people that hold to different orders of occurrence. I would like to list two listings of information from two different authors before we get into the groupings.
The decrees that are listed are those to elect, to create, to allow the fall, and to provide salvation.
WALVOORD*
SUPRA INFRA SUB ARMINIAN
Elect
Create
Create
Similar To Infra Except Elect Is Based
Create
Fall
Fall
Fall
Salvation
Elect
On Foreknowledge
Salvation
Elect
Salvation
Apply Salv.
Apply Salv.
Apply Salv.
*Walvoord, John F. editor; Lewis Sperry Chafer Systematic Theology; Wheaton: Victor Books, Vol. I & II, 1988, p 104-106
THEISSEN*
SUPRALAPSARIAN
INFRALAPSARIAN
SUBLAPSARIAN
1. ELECTION
CREATE CREATE
SAVE SOME REPROBATE
THE REST
2. CREATE PERMIT THE
PERMIT THE
FALL
FALL
3. PERMIT THE
PROVIDE SALVATION FOR THE ELECT
PROV. SALVATION
FALL
FOR ALL
4. PROVIDE SALVATION
ELECTION ELECTION
*Theissen, p 343
The Supra-lapsarianism listing is usually identified with Hyper-Calvinism. Supra-lapsarian is from two terms "supra" meaning "before or above" and "lapsus" meaning "fall." These people hold that God elected some to salvation and the rest of mankind to hell. He then decreed the creation, to allow the fall and the provision of salvation.
Infra-lapsarian is from "infra" meaning "below" or "subsequent" and "lapsa" meaning "fall." They see God decreeing to create, then allow the fall, provide salvation for the elect, and finally to elect.
The Sub-lapsarian holds the same as the infra, with the one exception that salvation was provided for all of mankind, not just the elect.
I might just mention one teaching that you might run across in your study. Amyraldian is the teaching from Moise Amyraut (1596-1664). He is listed as a semi-Calvinist.
Buswell believes that Calvin was probably an Infra from what he sees in his work. Calvin does not discuss the issue specifically but does have information relating to it.
A possible answer to some of this is the idea of having one decree. It would eliminate this discussion. God just decreed one decree all at once, and involved in that decree were all the facets and parts.
If you like a sequence then the Sub position would, I believe, be the majority view among fundamentalists. That is not based on research, but observation. It seems to be most consistent with the idea of Christ dieing for the world. Walvoord, however (p 162) mentions that the infra is the desirable over the sub. He mentions this as the "moderate Calvinist" view.
The decree, or plan in God's mind was immediate and complete — without sequence. The decree, however in its different parts must occur in time as a sequence. Pardington mentions a similar thought. "To our view the decrees are many, because they are worked out successively in time; but in their nature and from the divine standpoint they are one. What a plan is to an architect, that, so to speak, the decrees are to God." (Pardington, p 94,95)
Augustine (Confess., XII. 15:as quoted in Shedd, William G.T.; "Dogmatic Theology"; Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1984, p 395) "God willeth not one thing now, and another anon; but once, and at once, and always, he willeth all things that he willeth; not again and again, nor now this, now that; nor willeth afterwards, what before he willed not, nor willeth not, what before he willed; because such a will is mutable; and no mutable thing is eternal."
If the decree is the overall plan of God then there are a number of terms that can be studied in the Scripture along this line: decrees, counsel, ordination, good pleasure, predestinate, and election.
PROBLEMS
1. This thought of decrees seems very much like fatalism in its presentation; however it is strongly held within this view that man has and uses his free will — thus, dispelling any hint of fatalism.
2. This also seems to some, to show that God is responsible for evil. This is not true, in that He allowed evil to develop, however He had nothing to do with developing it Himself.
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE DOCTRINE
We need to know a little about the plan of God that we so often talk about. The plan of God was set before the foundation of the world and as part of God's activities we should find it of interest and importance.
1. He is sovereign and nothing is a surprise to Him, nor is anything going to happen outside of His plan. In short you can't jump out of His plan for your life and ruin everything. We may stray from that plan, but if we are attempting to walk with Him there is no way that we can ruin His plan for us, indeed, His plan for us includes those DUMB side trips that we so often seem to take.
2. His plan will come to pass. The Devil will not stop what God wants to do. We will not stop what God wants to do. He will bring all things to pass as planned before the foundation of the world.
3. He has a specific plan for your life. No matter what happens — even if you run into roadblocks — He is controlling, even the road blocks.
4. Knowing that God has a plan for each of us, and knowing what He has done for us, it is then logical that we should do all we can for Him. In His devotional, Spurgeon mentions this thought and puts it into proper place with God's sovereign rule. "O anxious gazer, look not so much at the battle below, for there thou shalt be enshrouded in smoke, and amazed with garments rolled in blood; but lift thine eyes yonder where the Savior lives and pleads, for while He intercedes, the cause of God is safe. Let us fight as if it all depended upon us, but let us look up and know that all depends upon Him." (Spurgeon, Charles H.; "Morning And Evening"; Mclean, VA: Macdonald Pulishing Co., p 223)
GOD'S NAMES
Introduction: In the Eastern area of the world in ancient days, and to some extent today the name of a person had meaning.
In Holland in years past, the person was called by a first name and the addition of "from" and then the town of residence was added. A missionary we met once was ..... Van Dussen. His forefathers were from Dussen.
What good is there in a name? It identifies you as different from all other people.
It may mold your personality. If your name is Nerdly, how are you going to grow up.
It may mold your future. Who would hire a man named Herkimer Snodgrass to be a car salesman or movie star.
It may help in many ways. If your name is Rockefeller, you may find many doors open to you.
What is the meaning of your name? My name is English in background. My first name means stone valley. How that relates to me I am not sure.
If I stated that your name was a dumb name and that anyone that has that name is a complete waste of time, how would you feel? Our names are important to us. Our GOOD name is important to us.
God is very much like this. His names can give us much information about Him and His ministries to us. God's name is very important to Him as well. Indeed, He goes to great lengths to protect His good name. Read Ezekiel 20 sometime and notice that God acts, so that the people will not pollute His name.
I would like to just give an overview of some of the names of God, and some of what we can learn about Him from His names.
I trust that you will spend some time on His names in the years to come. I believe that it will be profitable for you to do so.
I would refer you to Strauss's The First Person for more information than we will cover here. (Strauss, Lehman; "The First Person"; Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux Brothers, 1967, p 129-244)
Buswell mentions, " The name of God is more than merely His name; it is the epitome of His character and of His activity." (Buswell, James Oliver; "A Systematic Theology Of The Christian Religion"; Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1962, p 35)
Pardington breaks nine names into the following categories: "The principal names of God are nine, falling into three classes of three names each and suggesting, many think, the trinity." (Pardington, Revelation George P. Ph.D.; "Outline Studies In Christian Doctrine"; Harrisburg, PA: Christian Publications, 1926, p 87)
The three primary names for God are "God," "Lord" and Lord.
FIRST
1. God — Elohim: "el" means "strength or the Strong One" and "ohim" comes from verb "Alah" which means "to bind oneself by an oath." Pardington.
Walvoord mentions, "The derivation of this name is somewhat obscure. Some trace it to a root which means 'the strong One,' and others to a root which denotes 'fear.'" He feels the overall meaning would relate to "reverence." (Walvoord, John F. editor; "Lewis Sperry Chafer Systematic Theology"; Wheaton: Victor Books, Vol. I & II, 1988)
Ryrie opts for the idea of Strong one. (Ryrie, Charles C.; "Basic Theology"; Wheaton: Victor Books, 1986, p 45)
Pardington mentions that "el" and "eloah" are used as abbreviations for Elohim. He also mentions that Elohim is a plural noun, but it is used to indicate a single God. The trinity seems to be indicated in this usage of the word. (Pardington, Revelation George P. Ph.D.; "Outline Studies In Christian Doctrine"; Harrisburg, PA: Christian Publications, 1926, p 88)
The idea of the trinity is not ascribed to by liberals and Jews. The Jews naturally do not want a trinity. They attribute this to a plural of majesty and not indicative of numbers.
Walvoord indicates that the trinity is not always indicated. The context would or would not indicate it. Genesis 1:26 would be an example of this, "Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness;...."
The term is used in Deuteronomy 6:4, "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:" This uses the plural term in a passage that states that He is one thus showing very clearly the trinity.
This term is used of God and other gods as well. Ryrie mentions the term appears in relation to deity 2,570 times and 2,310 of those times it refers to God the true God.
2. Lord — Yhwh: Spelling varies with the author. Walvoord & Chafer use Yahweh; Pardington uses Yahwe; and Ryrie uses YHWH. Ryrie mentions that it occurs about 5,321 times in the Old Testament. (p 47)
The Jews felt that God's name was too sacred to pronounce so they eliminated the vowels and pronounced just the consonants. We do not know how to pronounce this name due to the loss of the vowels.
Ryrie mentions that the Jews substituted the term "adoni" for YHWH until the postexilic days when they combined the term adoni and the term YHWH to form a word that would remind the reader to use the term adoni. This became our term Jehovah. The English equivalent is Jehovah. The term Jehovah and Elohim occur together in Genesis 2:4. The name comes from the verb "havah" which means "to be and to become" (Pardington) It relates to the "'self-existent One who reveals Himself," or, "the Coming One.'" (Pardington, p 88)
Yahwe is translated as "LORD" — with all capital letters in the King James. This is the term used for the true God. Chafer mentions that this name is defined in Exodus 3:13,14 where it is stated, "I am the I am."
Walvoord lists some things we can know of God through this name. "He does not change. . .He is the King who will reign forever. . .He is the Author and creator. . . ." (Walvoord, p 172)
This is the name Eve used of God in Genesis 4:1. It was used by people in Seth's day, Genesis 4:26. It was used by Noah, Genesis 9:26. It was used by Abraham, Genesis 12:8; 15:2,8.
3. God Adonai: Genesis 15:2 "Lord" is adonai. "means master, or husband." (Pardington p 88) An application of this is the fact that Christ is Master and Husband, as was God in the Old Testament.
SECOND
There are three names linked with "El."
4. Almighty God: El Shaddai comes from two terms. El meaning the strong one, and Shaddai which comes from the term "shad" used in Scripture of a woman's breast, thus most view the name to mean God the one that supplies or nourishes.
There are some that relate this to another word which gives the idea of powerful.
Still others as Ryrie relate the term to the Akkadian word "shaddai" which means mountain, thus it means of God, "the Almighty One standing on a mountain."
5. Most High, Or Most High God: El Elyon comes from "Elyon" meaning "highest." Genesis 14:19 mentions, "the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth." The terms first usage was by Melchizedek when he blessed Abraham. Genesis 14:19. This is a name that is used in relation to the gentile nations.
6. Everlasting God: El Olam comes from "Olam" which seems to show God's eternal aspect. The Greek equivalent is "aion" or "age." Psalm 90:2; Psalm 100:5
THIRD
7. Lord God: Yahwe Elohim is used in Genesis 2:17-15 which shows the term in relation to man, and God as our creator. Genesis 2:16,17 shows the term used in relation to man, and God as our master. Genesis 2:18-24 shows the term used in relation to man, and God as our ruler. Genesis 3:815, 21 shows the term used in relation to man, and God as our redeemer. Genesis 24:7; Exodus 3:15,18 shows the term used in relation to Israel, and God as their God.
The name has some very deep implication for the believer. We are to allow the Lord to be all these things for us.
8. Lord LORD: Adonai Yahwe emphasizes the Adonai part of master. Genesis 15:2; Genesis 15:1,8; Deuteronomy 12:1
9. LORD Of Hosts: Yahwe Sabaoth comes from "Sabaoth" meaning "host or hosts." 1 Samuel 1:3; Psalm 24:10. This name is used in relation to battle or hard times for the Jew individually or nationally.
Pardington also lists seven names that are compounded with "Yahwe". (p 91,92)
Jehovah-Jireh: "the LORD will provide" Genesis 22:13,14
Jehovah-Rapha: "the LORD that healeth" Exodus 15:26
Jehovah-Nissi: "the LORD our banner" Exodus 17:8:15
Jehovah-Shalom: "the LORD our peace" Judges 6:24
Jehovah-Ro'i: "the LORD my shepherd" Genesis 16:13; Psalm 23
Jehovah-Tsidkenu: "the LORD our righteousness" Jeremiah 23:6
Jehovah-Shammah: "the LORD is present"Ezekiel 48:35
THE NEW TESTAMENT GIVES US FURTHER TERMS
The Son: The Son is properly named, "Lord Jesus Christ." Walvoord mentions, "He is Lord because He is God, Jesus because of His humanity, and Christ because of His office as Prophet, Priest, and King and the Messiah of the Old Testament period." (Walvoord, p 175) He also mentions there are about 300 other terms that are used to refer to Christ.
The Holy Spirit: Walvoord mentions there are about 20 names for the Holy Spirit.
Walvoord mentions some metaphoric names for God as well: King, Lawgiver, Judge, Rock, Fortress, Tower, Refuge, Deliverer, Shepherd, Husband, Husbandman, and Father.
Ryrie develops for us the terms "theos," "kurios," "despotes" and "FATHER" (pp 49,50). I have adapted this material for your reference:
1. Theos: The Septuigent usually translates elohim with theos. It is used of the following: Primarily of the True God; false gods, Acts 12:22; the devil, 2 Corinthians 4:4; of sensuality, Philippians 3:19; of Christ, Romans 9:5.
The use of the term shows God to be: The True God, Matthew 23:9, Romans 3:30; a unique God, 1 Timothy 1:17, John 17:3, Revelation 15:4; a trancendent God, Acts 17:24, Hebrews 3:4; A Savior, 1 Timothy 1:1, Titus 1:3.
2. Kurios: The name occurs 717 times in the New Testament. Luke uses it 210 times and Paul 275 times. It can mean the following: sir John 4:11; owner Luke 19:33; master Colossians 3:22; idols 1 Corinthians 8:5; husbands 1 Peter 3:6
3. Despotes: This name gives the idea of ownership as opposed to kurios which shows authority and supremacy. It is used by the following: Simeon Luke 2:29; Peter Acts 4:24; martyrs Revelation 6:10. The term is used of Christ in 2 Peter 2:1; Jude 4.
4. Father: The term is used of God in the Old Testament 15 times and in the New Testament 245 times.
This will give you a basis for a study concerning the names of God. I could easily envision a sermon or lesson series spending one session for each name. I believe this would be very beneficial to help believers understand their God.
By way of conclusion let me quote from the Psalms.
Psalm 8:1, "O LORD, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth...."
GOD THE FATHER, THE SON,
AND THE HOLY SPIRIT
An ancient diagram of the Trinity shows the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit at the three corners of a triangle. In the center of the triangle is the term God.
FATHER
IS NOT IS IS NOT
GOD
IS IS
SON IS NOT SPIRIT
This is one of the best diagrams and illustrations of the trinity that I have run across.
We know that there are three persons in the trinity.
We know that there is the Father.
We know that there is the Son.
We know that there is the Holy Spirit.
We know that these do not operate in succession.
We know that these operate simultaneously.
We know that these are all a unity within God.
We know that there are subordinations among the three.
What we don't know is that they are all God. At times we tend to begin to think of them as individuals. They are all God, and as such they all deserve
worship, adoration and all those things that we tend to think of as, for God the Father.
They are distinct in person and purpose yet the three are recognized in the Scriptures:
The Father: Romans 1:7,
"To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints
Grace to you and peace from God our Father...."
The Son: Hebrews 1:8, "Unto the Son he saith, Thy Throne, O God, is for ever and ever...."
The Holy Spirit: Acts 5:3-4,
"Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the
Holy Ghost......thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God"
There are some reasons why there are distinctions:
1. Identification: There is the obvious, in that there needs to be a way of distinguishing the three members of the Trinity from one another.
2. Ministry: There is a specific area of ministry for all three persons of the Trinity. The Father is the Prime mover and planner. The Son is the prime activator. The Holy Spirit is the prime messenger between God and man.
3. Subordination: The three have definite ministries and places in the overall scheme of the decrees. The Father seems to be the one that set the plan into motion, while the Son is the one that provided the possibility of the plan's completion, through His shed blood. The Spirit is the person that moves in the universe and in man to do the work of the Father. (It is to be remembered that the Son also was about the work of the Father.)
4. Man's Limited Understanding: Some might suggest that this is to help us grasp the concept of God. Man cannot comprehend God and so God put his Being into the terms that we could understand with our mentality. This would be similar to anthropomorphisms. To me the terminology used and the frequency of use would indicate that the three are very real and not to be viewed as anthropomorphisms.
We want to look at a few instances where all three are involved, but in different ways.
1. THE BAPTISM OF CHRIST
THE FATHER OVERSEER
THE SON PARTICIPANT
THE HOLY SPIRIT MINISTERING
2. IN CREATION
THE FATHER PLANNER
THE SON INSTIGATOR
THE HOLY SPIRIT ACTUATOR
3. IN REDEMPTION
THE FATHER PLANNER
THE SON PROVIDER
THE HOLY SPIRIT APPLIER
4. IN TEACHING
THE FATHER DESIRE
THE SON EXAMPLE
THE HOLY SPIRIT ILLUMINATOR
5. IN POWER
THE FATHER AUTHORITY
GIVER
THE SON PROCLAIMER
(ACTS 18)
THE HOLY SPIRIT SOURCE (ACTS 18)
6. IN ETERNITY
THE FATHER LIGHT (REV 225)
THE SON ?
THE HOLY SPIRIT ?
GOD THE FATHER
There are five areas in which He is the Father.
a. He is the Father of all creation. He planned and instigated the creation of the heavens and the earth. Malachi 2:10, Acts 17:29, Hebrews 12:9, James 1:17.
b. He is the Father of Israel. Exodus 4:22
c. He is the Father of Christ.
d. He is the Father of all believers. John 1:12
e. He is the Father of all mankind. This is accepted and taught by many religions, both past and present. Acts 17:22-31 Verse 29 mentions, "Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God...."
What is the Father to you? a. He should be your comfort. b. He should be your strength. c. He should be your hope. d. He should be your concentration in prayer. e. He should be your guide in holy living. If He is
not these things to you, then you are not enjoying the God that saved you for His joy, His purpose, and His glory.
GOD THE SON
1. He is the Son of man. This is a title that the Lord used of Himself. Luke 6:22
2. He is the Son of God. He is completely and totally God. Mark 1:1
3. He is the Son of Mary. He is completely and totally man. Matthew 1:20-21
4. He is the Son of David. He is descended from the royal line of David, so that He can sit upon David's throne in the Millennial kingdom. Isaiah 9:6-7, Luke 1:30-33
What is the Son to you?
a. He should be your savior.
b. He should be your brother.
c. He should be your example.
d. He should be your message.
e. He should be your reason for serving.
Again, if God the Son is not these things to you, you are then missing out on the true joy and power of Almighty God.
GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT
1. He is the Spirit of God. He is in close relation to the Father. Matthew 12:28
2. He is Spirit of the Lord. He is in close relation to the Son. Luke 4:18
3. He is the Holy Spirit. He is Himself. Luke 11:13
4. He is the Spirit of truth. John 14:17, John 15:26
What is the Spirit to you?
a. He should be your guide.
b. He should be your teacher.
c. He should be your comfort.
d. He should be your illuminator.
If God the Holy Spirit is not these things to you then you will not be in close communication with the God that extended His mercy to you through salvation.
Guthrie, Shirley C. Jr.; "Christian Doctrines"; Atlanta: John Knox Press, 1968, has some good quotes from history if you have the book available to you.
Do we not see God the Father as the one over us with power to judge, God the Son as the one in front of us with power to cleanse, and God the Holy Spirit as the one in us with power to minister?
CONCLUSION
The thought that was mentioned earlier is worth reconsidering. This is the God that we serve. He is not just the Father, He is not just the Son, and He is not just the Holy Spirit. This demands that we never concentrate on one or two to the exclusion of the other.
We tend to separate, divide and isolate the members of the trinity for our purpose of study, and I fear we leave them that way at times. He is all three As Well As One.
TRINITARIANISM
When waiting for a train in Ireland, I was reading the Graffiti on the wall. One caught my sense of humor. "Do you have a split personality? Good. I do too. That makes four of us.
1+1=4
God the Father + God the son + God the Holy Spirit.
1+1+1=1
It is amazing what you can do with mathematics.
The trinity of God is His tri-personal existence as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Dr. Miller mentions, "The essence is simultaneously three persons and three persons are simultaneously one essence." (Used by permission. Miller, Dr. David; Theology Class Notes; Western Baptist College; Salem, OR)
The Athanasian Creed states: "We worship one God in trinity and trinity in unity, neither confounding the persons nor dividing the substance." (Quoted in Bancroft's Elemental Theology. Taken from the book, Elemental Theology by Emery H. Bancroft. Copyright 1977 by Baptist Bible College. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. p 65)
Bancroft mentions, "The trinity is therefore three eternally interconstituted, interrelated, interexistent, and therefore inseparable persons within one being and of one substance or essence." (Taken from the book, Elemental Theology by Emery H. Bancroft. Copyright 1977 by Baptist Bible College. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. p 65)
Trinitarianism Involves: 1. His unity as god and the distinction of persons in the Godhead.
Can we illustrate the Trinity? We can come close; it is impossible, due to the fact that we cannot really fully understand the Trinity. Nor is there anything like the trinity which can be our illustration.
Let us look at some illustrations of the Trinity.
1. St. Patrick used the Shamrock to explain the Trinity to the Irish. There are three petals that are unique and distinct while the three are one plant.
2. Some have suggested an equilateral triangle. This type of triangle has three equal angles and sides. If you take one angle away then you do not have a triangle.
3. Others suggest three matches held together and burning. One flame, however there are three distinct parts to the flame.
4. An egg. There are three distinct parts. Put in a blender and you have one mix. (Probably the essence of the three is different.)
5. A rope with three strands, yet one rope.
6. A tree. Branch, leaves and root.
7. The sun. Light, heat and motion.
8. Water. Solid, liquid and steam.
9. Butterfly. Egg, larva and butterfly.
10. Plant. Seed, flower and stem.
11. The color television is of interest. It produces on a black and white program a distinctly black and white picture however if you look closely you will see that the screen is made up of blue, green and red dots or lines. Your eyes perceive black and white. If you take any of the three colors away you no longer have a black and white picture to watch. All three colors are showing the same picture however there are three distinct colors.
12. Dr. Miller suggests a picture made up of a circle with lines going diagonally, vertically and horizontally.
This gives the three differences while making up one whole.
The problem with these illustrations is that they all fail in some way or another.
FALSE VIEWS OF THE TRINITY
Unitarianism: The unitarians trace their roots to Arius or Arianism. They feel that the Father created the Son.
Sebellianism: The Father was the God of the Old Testament, The Son was the God of the New Testament and The Holy Spirit is the God of this time. There is only one God but He has manifested himself in three different ways in three different times.
Tritheism: This holds to three separate Gods.
Swedenborgianism: There are three elements to God. Just as there are body, soul and spirit in man, there are Father, Son and Holy Spirit in God.
WHO IS GOD?
A. He is the Father: John 6:27, "for him hath God the Father sealed."; Romans 1:7; Galatians 1:1,3. He is not only the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, but He is the Father of all living, and in a special sense the Father of the believer.
B. He is the Son: Matthew 1:22-23 tells of the announcement of the incarnation of God as the son of Mary. (Luke:35 mentions the incarnation as well.) He is declared to be the Son of God in John 5:25. John 20:28 shows that Thomas knew that Christ was God.
C. He is the Spirit: Acts 5:3,4 tells of Ananias and Sapphira lying to the Holy Spirit. They would not have died if this had not been God. Attributes of deity are used of the Spirit as well (Hebrews 9:14; 1 Corinthians 2:10).
GOD IS ONE.
God is a unity even though there are three persons within that unity. This is seen in both the Old and New Testaments. Deuteronomy 4:35, I Ki. 8:60, Isaiah 45:5, Mark 12:29-32, I Co. 8:4-6.
GOD IS THREE.
he term Trinity is not used in Scripture, however, the trinity is hinted at in the Old Testament.
1. Many times God is a plural noun Genesis 1:1,26; 3:22; 11:6,7; 20:13; 48:15; Isaiah 6:8.
2. Genesis 11:7 is concerned with the tower of Babel and the Lord is going to go down to see. The verb "come" is plural and this requires a plural speaker. The speaker is speaking to two or more. "Come let us go down...."
3. Lord is distinguished from Lord. Genesis 19:24, "Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven;" Hosea 1:7, "But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and will save them by the Lord, their God....". (This is God speaking of Christ.)
4. The Lord has a Son. This is a little used text, yet is of great importance. Psalm 2:7,
"I will declare the decree The Lord hath said unto me,
Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee."
5. Genesis 1:1,2, mentions that God created and that the Spirit moved upon the waters.
6. Genesis 6:3, "And the Lord said, My Spirit shall not always strive with man...."
While the trinity is hinted at in the Old Testament the Trinity is taught in the New Testament.
1. In the baptismal scene we see the Trinity clearly Matthew 3:16,17. Christ is being baptized, The Father is speaking, and the Holy Spirit is descending.
2. John depicts the trinity quite clearly John 14:16,17. In this text we see Christ asking the Father to send the Spirit.
3. Matthew 28:19 mentions all three in the baptismal formula for the church age.
4. Peter clearly mentioned the trinity, 1 Peter 1:2.
"Elect according to the foreknowledge of God, the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied."
5. Paul also mentions the trinity in one of his prayers, 2 Corinthians 13:14.
"The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the
communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen."
We can see the Trinity in the creation, if we draw a number of passages together. When we view creation, WHO DONE IT?
1. The Spirit: Genesis 1:2
2. The Word: John 1:1-14; Hebrews 11:3
3. God Through Christ: Ephesians 3:9
4. The Son: Colossians 1:15-19
5. God By Christ: Hebrews 1:2 (Christ upholds all things. Hebrews 1:3)
6. The Father And The Son: Proverbs 30:4
7. The Father For His Pleasure: Revelation 4:11
WITHIN THE GODHEAD THERE IS A SUBORDINATION
Some theologians get upset when you speak of subordination, or differences in duties within the Godhead, yet the Scripture clearly teaches this aspect of God. A few points and references on this subject will suffice.
1. God Sent Christ: John 6:29; John 88:29,42
2. Christ Was Fulfilling God's Plan: John 10:18
3. God Is The Head Of Christ: 1 Corinthians 11:3
4. God Is Christ's Father: John 20:17
1. Each person of the Godhead has a different ministry to us, thus fulfilling all our needs.
a. The Holy Spirit teaches, convicts, illumines and helps us in our prayers.
b. Christ takes our burdens and saves us. He also presents us to God righteous
c. The Father controls our lives — guides our lives. He is our Father and someone that is approachable on a very intimate basis.
If the above is true then we have no reason to look outside of the Trinity and the Scriptures for fulfillment in any area of our lives.
2. When we study the word, we must not overemphasize any one of the God head to the exclusion of the others. The exclusion will cause an unbalanced view, if not a cultic view of God.
He is God, He is plural in persons, He is all that we have in the way of deity, and He is all that we need in salvation. He is all that is needed by man, creation, or the spirit world. He has brought all into existence and He continues to uphold that creation. He may present Himself in different duties or places of ministry, yet He is fully God in all three of these persons.
SERVE HIM AS HE OUGHT TO BE SERVED.
THE FEAR OF THE LORD
SOME QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER
1. How do we acquire the fear of the Lord?
2. How can we learn to fear Him more, and fear Him in the proper sense?
3. How can we teach the fear of the Lord to children? To adults?
Definition: Most agree that it is a reverential fear — reverence — awe. The fear for life or pain is not involved generally. It is holding God with much respect. Jeremiah put it this way,
"Forasmuch as there is none like unto thee, O Lord; thou art great, and thy name is great in might. Who would not fear thee, O King of nations? For to thee doth it appertain, forasmuch as among all the wise men of the nations, and in all their kingdoms, there is none like unto thee." Jeremiah 10:6,7
God is to be loved. Our earthly fathers were to be feared when we were in error, however when there was no error we respected them highly and enjoyed their love.
Natural man has no fear of the Lord. You can see this in many ways in our society, the television and the screen for example. They don't care what they show or say about God. Indeed, they teach explicitly against the things of the Lord.
The printed page also pictures man's lack of fear for God — the way they treat the Lord's people — their rejection of God and His Word.
Many believers do not fear the Lord. You can see this in our society — the empty churches — especially on prayer meeting nights. In the lack of commitment to giving as they ought. In the needs of the missionaries. In the life style that many Christians live.
THE FACTS
1. Believers are to fear the Lord.
a. Leviticus 19:14,
"Thou shalt not curse the deaf, nor put a stumbling block before
the blind, but shalt fear thy God I am the Lord."
Can you imagine the lowness of a person that would trip a blind person?
b. Deuteronomy 8:6,
"Therefore thou shalt keep the commandments of the Lord thy
God, to walk in his ways, and to fear him."
They should fear the Lord in relation to the judgment that they face before Him. 2 Corinthians 5:10-11
2. The fear of the Lord is a very necessary part of our mental maturing process if we are to be men and women of God.
Proverbs 9:10
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the
knowledge of the Holy One is understanding."
This is reiterated in Psalm 111:10 also. Notice that if we fear the Lord we are only BEGINNING in wisdom.
3. What is the fear of the Lord? Proverbs 1:7
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom and instruction."
Notice that if we fear the Lord we are only BEGINNING in knowledge.
We just saw that the fear of the Lord was the beginning of wisdom and now we see that it is the beginning of knowledge. It would seem appropriate for the student to begin to fear the Lord. The obvious truth that comes forth is that if you don't fear the Lord, then you are neither wise nor knowledgeable. Is that something that you want to admit to?
Proverbs 1:29 mentions that we may choose not to fear the Lord, and hate knowledge — indeed it seems that if you hate knowledge you may opt for not fearing the Lord. "Because they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord."
Proverbs 2:1-6
"My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; Then shalt thou understand the fear of the lord, and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding."
Here are some items to notice in relation to understanding the fear of the Lord.
Vs. 1 Receive the words of the writer. Hide his commandments with yourself.
Vs. 2 Listen to wisdom. Apply understanding to your heart.
Vs. 3 Cry after knowledge. Lift up your voice for understanding. (Ask for it I would assume.)
Vs. 4 Seek after wisdom as you would seek silver. Most today are totally into seeking gain — we should seek wisdom with such fervor. Seek after wisdom as if you were looking for hidden treasure. Have you ever watched one of those treasure search shows where they have gone looking for the lost treasure on a sunken ship in the far reaches of the world? They spend literally thousands of dollars searching for this treasure.
I saw a special concerning a supposed treasure buried in this country. There are several people that think they know where it is buried. They are digging deep holes in people's lawns and pastures trying to locate this treasure. They think that the next hole is the place. Their entire being is taken up with this search.
God tells us to search for wisdom in this same manner. WOW. The neat part is that in verse six it says that God is the source of that wisdom and HE GIVES IT.
Vs. 5 Then You Will Understand The Fear Of The Lord, and find the knowledge of God.
Vs. 6 "For The Lord Giveth Wisdom; Out Of His Mouth Cometh Knowledge And Understanding."
It seems quite evident that to fear the Lord is a very wise thing to do.
SIDE BENEFITS TO THE FEAR OF THE LORD
1. We should hate evil. Proverbs 8:13 "The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; pride, and arrogance, and the evil way, and the perverse mouth, do I hate."
I made a comment in my college Genesis class once concerning the Homosexual community of San Francisco, CA. One of the students reacted in total disgust. His remedy was not acceptable, for he wanted to drop a bomb on the city, but his disgust for the sin was Right On.
Psalm 15:4 tells us to see vile as vile and not as acceptable. Hate Evil not watch it on TV. Hate Evil not participate in it. Hate Evil not help it along by condoning it. Hate Evil not teach or preach in a manner that would allow people to think it all right.
2. We can overcome evil in our lives by fearing the Lord. Proverbs 16:6
"By mercy and truth iniquity is purged; and by the fear of the Lord men depart from evil."
3. We can be kept from evil by fearing the Lord. Proverbs 19:23 "...he shall not be visited with evil."
4. We can have a satisfied life. Proverbs 19:23
"The fear of the Lord tendeth to life, and he who hath it
shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil."
Proverbs 14:27
"The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life,
to depart from the snares of death."
5. The fear of the Lord is the cure for envying sinners. Proverbs 23:17
"Let not thine heart envy sinners, but be thou
in the fear of the Lord all the day long."
All the day long is quite a purposeful statement as well.
6. When linked with humility the promise is: Riches, honor, and life. Proverbs 22:4 "By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches, and honor, and life.
7. It should give rise to praise and glorifying of The Lord. Psalm 22:23, "Ye who fear the Lord, praise him; all ye, the seed of Jacob, glorify him...."
8. We will be watched over by God if we fear Him. Psalm 33:18, "Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon those who fear him...."
9 We will have no needs if we fear Him. Psalm 34:9, "Oh, fear the Lord, ye his saints; for there is no lack to them that fear him."
10. We will be blessed if we fear Him. Psalm 115:13, "He will bless those who fear the Lord, both small and great."
11. There is a lengthening of days for those that fear the Lord. Proverbs 10:27, "The fear of the Lord prolongeth days, but the years of the wicked shall be shortened."
12. The woman that fears the Lord will be praised. Proverbs 31:30,
"Favor is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who feareth the Lord, she shall be praised."
13. His mercy will be toward us. Psalm 103:11,
"For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him."
There are cases where man should just plain out and out fear the Lord. If the person is unsaved he should be in fear of his eternal soul. Luke 12:4,5
"And I say unto you, my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him who, after he hath killed, hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him."
The Believer Can Fear The Lord Or -- Fear Man.
The Believer Can Fear The Lord Or -- Fear Circumstances.
The Believer Can Fear The Lord Or -- Fear The Devil.
God is our light, salvation and strength according to Psalm 27:1, thus why would we fear anything outside of Him?
The believer has due cause for concern if he is living in continued sin. Hebrews 12 mentions that the Lord will chasten if there is a need. This chastening can and does at extreme times go unto death. Acts five mentions the Ananias and Saphira sin unto death.
1. The fear of the Lord should bring us to fearlessness. The fear of the Lord should bring us to righteousness. The fear of the Lord should bring us to service. The fear of the Lord should bring us to a proper love for Him. The fear of the Lord should bring us to God in every way that He desires us to come to Him.
2. 2 Corinthians 7:1 mentions,
"Having, therefore, these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God."
"Perfecting Holiness."
And to the above we might well add Psalm 86:11, "Teach me thy way, O Lord; I will walk in thy truth; unite my heart to fear thy name."
And one more from Deuteronomy 10:12, "And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul,"
I would like to mention a quote from A.W. Tozer's "The Knowledge Of The Holy" pp 121-122. Take time to read it if you have the volume available to you.
I trust that you will not stop with this study of God but continue to "Acquaint Thyself With They God."
This concludes our study of the Person of God. I trust that now that you have the knowledge, that if you haven't already done so, you will get to KNOW your God.
CHRISTOLOGY AN INTRODUCTION
Christology is the study of Christ, a study of all that pertains to Jesus Christ our Lord.
I would like to introduce our thoughts with some of the thoughts from Dr. Walvoord's preface in his book on Christ:
"Eight hundred years ago Bernard of Clairvaux penned the beautiful hymn:
'Jesus, the very thought of Thee
With sweetness fills my breast; But sweeter far Thy face to see,
And in Thy prescience rest.'
"Ever since the holy Babe was laid in the manger in Bethlehem of Judea, devout souls have found in Jesus Christ One who is the worthy object of their worship, whose ineffable person compels their love and obedience. As the Word of God expressed in human form, Jesus Christ has drawn all believing souls to Himself. Although no other person is the object of more scriptural revelation, human pens falter when attempting to describe Him.
"The poet, biographer, theologian and orator alike confess their inability to delineate the glories and perfections of our blessed Savior. Charles Wesley expressed the aspiration of those conscious of their limitations when he composed this great hymn:
'O for a thousand tongues to sing
My great Redeemer's praise, The glories of my God and King,
The tripumphs of His grace.'
"The impossible task of circumscribing the glories of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ stems from the infinity of His person and the omnipotence and omniscience of all His works. From Genesis to Revelation Jesus Christ is the most important theme of the Bible and almost every page is related in some way to either His person
or work. Christianity is Jesus Christ. No other subject is given more complete revelation and yet the half has not been told."1
There are many reasons for making a study of Christ even if we were not vitally interested in knowing more about our Lord and Savior. Let's examine some of the reasons.
THE IMPORTANCE OF STUDYING CHRIST
1. Christ Is The Center Of History. Our calendars reflect his presence on earth. The entire dating system of the western world centers on the appearance of the Lord in man's history. Most countries celebrate His birth. Even though it is tied up with Santa Claus and commercialism, it is the birth of Jesus that is celebrated.
Even if we were to reject His claims to deity, if the man was this important we ought to at least study Him from a natural curiosity as to his power over history.
Bancroft mentions in his Elemental Theology:
"Jesus Christ is the central figure of the World's history. The world cannot forget Him while it remembers history, for history is His story. To leave Him out would be like astronomy without stars, or like botany with the flowers forgotten. Horace Bushnell said, 'It would be easier to untwist all the beams of light in the sky and to separate and erase one of the primary colors, than to get the character of Jesus out of the world.'
"The history of the race since its inception has been the history of the preparation for His coming. The Old Testament foretells His coming in type, symbol, and direct prophecy. The history of His people Israel is a story of expectation, of yearning, of preparation.
"The fact of Jesus Christ is not only firmly imbedded in human history and written upon the open page of Scripture, but it is also experientially embodied in the lives of millions of believers and interwoven in the fabric of all civilization worthy of the name."2
2. Christ Is The Center Of Our Life. If we are to follow His example we must know why He is a proper example, and then know His life so we
can imitate Him. (1 John 2:6; 1 Peter 2:21ff) Man naturally seeks a model to pattern himself after. Even in small children it can be observed that a child often takes a parent as a model. The model changes over time, and it is the believer's responsibility to teach and preach the idea that Christ is the only person after whom believer should pattern his life after.
3. Christ Is The Center Of The Bible. All of Scripture deals with Him, His work on the cross and His future coming. He is seen from Genesis to Revelation. The Bible is called "christocentric" because of this fact. The book of Genesis in 3:15 prophecies for the first time, the coming One that will take care of Satan. The book of Revelation ends with the Lord bringing to a close all that God had planned for mankind.
Some references that relate to this thought: Matthew 5:17; Luke 24:27; Luke 27:44; John 5:39.
4. Christ Is To Be The Center Of Our Studies. We are told to grow in our knowledge of the Lord Jesus, and that this will bring glory to Him. The study will automatically, as we apply our learning, bring us into conformity with Him, and this will also bring glory to Him, for people will see Him in us rather than ourselves. 2 Peter 3:18
5. Christ Should Be The Center Of Our Revelation Of God. If we desire to know of God then we need to know of Christ. The Lord told the disciples that if they had seen Him they had seen the Father. We can know much of the character of God the Father if we study God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. John 14:9b; John 1:14.
6. Christ Should Be The Center Of Christianity. Christ is Christianity and Christianity is Christ. You can have all the religions of the world and their leaders, however if you remove their leaders, their religion can go on, indeed some have done so. Confusiousism, Islam etc. Without Christ Christianity cannot exist.
There seems to be many in our land that are trying to usurp Christ and His position in Christianity. It seems that many are trying to see how little of Christ they can present and still call themselves a part of Christianity. The liberal spectrum relegate Him to a mere man that some of them hope existed, yet they still call themselves Christians. The term Christian comes
from the thought of Christ being the leader of the follower. If they hope that he existed then shouldn't their religion be Hopechristianity?
7. Christ Should Be The Center Of Our Message. If we are to refute the isms and cults of our day we must know the Christ of the Bible for there are many other Christs being presented today.
There have been "Christs" that have come to complete the work that Jesus Christ our Lord supposedly failed to finish. Sun Myung Moon is one of these latter day LUNARtics that claims to be completing the work that the Lord had failed to accomplish.
THE PRE-EXISTENCE OF CHRIST
Is the pre-existence of Christ of concern to us? Is it really important to our study of Christ? Most Certainly, for if He be not pre-existent then He be not God. If He be not God then we waste our time in this endeavor called Christianity. It should also be very clear that if Christ was not pre-existent then He was not God, and that He WAS a liar.
An associated question is this, "Is pre-existence the same as eternality?" No. He could have existed before His birth but only have existed since say, creation. Thus, he would not be an eternal being. This is not an acceptable line of thinking. He is eternal as God the Father and God the Holy Spirit are eternal. All three members of the Godhead have always existed in eternity past and will always exist eternity future. Eternality is not preexistence, however a denial of pre-existence almost always leads to the denial of eternality.
The following verses show both pre-existence and eternality.
1. John revealed this in the first chapter of his gospel. John 1:1.
2. Christ revealed this Himself. John 10:30; John 8:58; John 17:5, 24.
3. Paul revealed this. 1 Corinthians 10:4,9; Philippians 2:5-7; Colossians 1:17; (See also Matthew 23:37; John 3:13, 31; 8:42; 16:28-30; 2 Corinthians 8:9.)
CHRIST MINISTERED BEFORE HIS BIRTH
1. He Participated In The Decrees: He undoubtedly participated in the decrees and the planning of the ages since He is God. It would be ludicrous to suggest that the Lord Jesus was not consulted in the plan of the ages since that plan hinged upon His obedience to the plan. The Father did not require the Son to manifest Himself to man, the Father did not require the Son to become flesh and blood, and the Father did not require that the Son should submit Himself to the death of the cross. Christ did it voluntarily in response to His own personal love for His creatures that were lost and damned to everlasting torment with the Devil.
2. He Created All Things: Colossians 1:16 says all that needs to be said on this subject so we will just quote it.
"For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that
are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or
dominions, or principalities, or powers — all things were created by him, and for him;" (See also John 1:3; Hebrews 1:2)
3. He Sustains All Things: Not only did the Lord Jesus create all things but He maintains all things. He is in the position of guaranteeing that all of creation will continue on until the time of the consummation. Colossians 1:17
CHRIST SEEN IN THE OLD TESTAMENT IN RETROSPECT
The Old Testament has much information relating to the Messiah to come, as well as general information about Christ. We might take note of something that Christ did as He was walking with two on the road to Emmaus.
"And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself." Luke 24:27
Moses, being the writer of Genesis recorded two accounts relating to Christ. One was a look forward to the fact of His coming work in the spiritual realm, Genesis 3:15 and the second was on the occasion of three men appearing to Abraham just prior to the destruction of Sodom, Genesis 18:1-33. Moses goes on in Exodus 40:38 to mention the cloud of smoke
and fire that was over the Tabernacle in the wilderness, and mentions that this was God. (See also Exodus 13:21; Exodus 33:9-23; Numbers 9:15.) We will see in a future study that these appearances of God were the Angel of the Lord and that the Angel of the Lord is none other than Christ Himself in pre-incarnate appearances.
THE NAMES OF GOD THE SON
1. Jesus: The term Jesus is found in the Gospels around six hundred times, while in the rest of the New Testament about seventy times. It might be an interesting side light to mention that outside the Gospels the name Jesus is normally, in fact usually linked to other names of the Lord, such as Christ and Lord.
It should be noted in Acts that there is an elevation or uplifting of the term Jesus, to a higher plain, if you will, by the linking of his earthly name with the titles that honor him.
"Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ."
Acts 2:36
We might want to, in response to this text, limit our usage of the name Jesus and concentrate of the Title that God Himself has given Him, Jesus Christ the Lord. I once had a college professor that regarded the Lord so highly that he never used the term Jesus without linking it with Christ the Lord.
Jesus is the primary name before the death, burial and resurrection.
Cambron mentions of the name Jesus,
"Jesus is the personal name of the Lord. It is His earthly name, the name under which He was born, lived, and died. It is the name of His humiliation, of suffering, of sorrow. It is the name of the One who humbled Himself. The name Jesus, at the time of our Lord, was not uncommon, there were many who were named Jesus. Jesus is the Greek form for the Hebrew word Joshua, and both mean "Jehovah our Saviour." This name, Jesus, was the one which was nailed over Him on the cross."3
2. Christ: We see an interesting contrast in the number of times that Christ appears in the Gospels and the rest of the New Testament. The ratio seems to be about the opposite of the name Jesus. Christ is found in the Gospels about fifty times while it is found about two hundred and fifty times in the rest of the New Testament.
Christ is an official name which points to the fact that He was, and is, the anointed one of Israel. Indeed the name Christ means the anointed one.
The main distinction in the names is that Jesus was used before the cross and Christ was used after. Jesus is the name that much of the world believes in while it is the Christ that the believer places his trust in. Jesus is the name of the humanity of God while Christ is the name of God the Son's exultation.