IS JESUS REALLY GOD?

Many argue that Jesus is not God. That he was just a man. A good man, even a man who was greatly used by God, but, just a mortal man.

The so-called Jehovah's Witnesses maintain this, as do the Muslims. The JW's claim to believe the Bible and the Muslims also give the Bible place as a holy book. It is common for people to give the Bible some place, and to pick and choose which parts they are prepared to believe. But, of course, if we don't believe the whole Bible, we don't actually believe any of it.

The scriptures describe him as 'The only begotten Son of God'. These words on their own tell us who he is. If he is the 'only begotten' this means that he came forth from God in a unique way. We know he is higher than the angels as Hebrews 1: 6 tells us: '...LET ALL THE ANGELS OF GOD WORSHIP HIM.' So if he's higher than the angels - who is he? And, only God is to be worshipped. Verse 8 tells us: '...UNTO THE SON HE SAITH, THY THRONE, O GOD, IS FOR EVER AND EVER'. And Matthew 1: 23: '...THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME EMMANUEL, WHICH BEING INTERPRETED IS, GOD WITH US.

So I'm sure you can see from the very few quotes offered here how ridiculous it is to maintain that Christ is not God.

If Christ had not been God he couldn't have saved anyone - not even himself. The first person he delivered from death was himself. There was no effort involved in this, as Acts 2: 24 tells us: '...HAVING LOOSED THE PAINS OF DEATH: BECAUSE IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE THAT HE SHOULD BE HOLDEN OF IT. Not possible. Why not possible? Because he is God. The infinitely holy and righteous God, who cannot die and cannot suffer.

But he did suffer, I hear you say. Yes, he did - but therein lies the mystery.

He had to become man to suffer and to die. He suffered and died as a man, but he was, and is, God and man - both.

In Genesis 2: 7 we read: 'AND THE LORD GOD FORMED MAN OF THE DUST OF THE GROUND'. When Jesus Christ became man he was formed of the same dust in the virgin Mary's womb. After he died and rose again he ascended into heaven with the same body which had been formed from this very same dust. So, it is quite true to say that the dust of the earth sits upon heaven's throne.

What is the point of all this?

The point is this. It would have been impossible for God to save anyone if Jesus Christ had not done this. Because in that God is infinitely righteous, it means that it is impossible for him to sin. '...HE CANNOT DENY HIMSELF.' (2 Timothy 2: 13). He cannot break his own laws. That is impossible. He must punish sin. Mankind's sin must be punished. If God saved without punishing sin it would be sinful. If you or I are to be punished for our sin, because it is against an infinitely holy God it therefore requires an infinite punishment. Our souls are immortal, the punishment must be of infinite duration - it will never end.

Herein steps Christ.

When the Son of God was nailed to the cross, enduring the infinite agonies of his passion, God the Father was the one unleashing the worst of his fury upon him for the sin of mankind. Even if only one sinner were to be saved, or if he was being punished for only one sin - he would still have had to endure all of God's wrath.

Who can enter into those awful immortal words from Mark 15: 34: 'MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAS THOU FORSAKEN ME?'

This was the Son, beloved of the father from all eternity, without beginning or end, enduring all of God's wrath for sin - nothing spared. This is deeply, deeply spiritual.

If God opens this up to you, you'll experience something like nothing you've ever known before, and you'll be thankful. Very, very thankful - though you know nothing about it now.

Do you know what the greatest sin is? It is to ignore God's command to look to the Son that you would be saved. This is treating him with contempt. You won't if you're wise.

'HOW SHALL WE ESCAPE, IF WE NEGLECT SO GREAT SALVATION...' (Hebrews 2: 3).

How can I be saved? How do I find God?

'BUT THOU, WHEN THOU PRAYEST, ENTER INTO THY CLOSET, AND WHEN THOU HAST SHUT THY DOOR, PRAY TO THY FATHER WHICH IS IN SECRET; AND THY FATHER WHICH SEETH IN SECRET SHALL REWARD THEE OPENLY.' (Matthew 6: 6).

Ask. Do it now.

YET ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF NO JUSTICE

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-18082606

The above link is a report about a man deemed 'insane' who committed murder.

Because he's deemed insane, it's reckoned that he's not responsible for the murder.

Then, forgive me for asking - who is? Because someone is, and as sure as apples - it's him.

So, let's think about this, shall we? The guy flies into a rage, hatches a plan to commit murder, finds himself a knife, commits the crime - and because he's deemed mad, he's not responsible (I think he might just know something about this).

Strange.

Isn't every murderer mad? I mean, don't you have to have a particular problem with your mind to commit murder anyway?

If it was up to me he'd be under the ground where all murderers belong.

Mad or not.

'...THE MURDERER SHALL SURELY BE PUT TO DEATH.' (Numbers 35: 16).

ANOTHER SHOCKING EXAMPLE OF NO JUSTICE

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-18070507

Above is a link to a news story about the murder of a little boy by a truly evil and deranged man.

We are regularly disgusted by certain crimes we read about in the news. This one easily ranks amongst the worst of them, but it is only one of two crimes committed here. The other one is the so-called sentence of 'life' given to the murderer.

Every right-minded person knows that murderers ought to be put to death.

WHOSO SHEDDETH MAN'S BLOOD, BY MAN SHALL HIS BLOOD BE SHED: FOR IN THE IMAGE OF GOD MADE HE MAN. (Genesis 9: 6).

It's not 'life' they should get but 'death'.

WE MIGHT AS WELL DRESS UP LIKE THIS GUY

'FOR CHRIST SENT ME NOT TO BAPTIZE, BUT TO PREACH THE GOSPEL: NOT WITH WISDOM OF WORDS, LEST THE CROSS OF CHRIST SHOULD BE MADE OF NONE EFFECT.'

(1 Corinthians 1: 17).

Long ago, during the time of the apostles, when the Christian church was being established, there was no such thing as 'academic requirements' in the Church. In those days it was all about the power of the Holy Ghost. The words, 'wisdom of words' in our text can be put as: 'clever talking'.

So going by what we read here, if we depend on clever talking in our preaching instead of the power of the Spirit we will make the cross of Christ of none effect.

What does this mean?

It means that the word of God which you are attempting to preach will not benefit your hearers because it will not be accompanied by the power of God.

That's bad.

This has a demoralizing effect - some of you might know what I'm talking about. It happens in many many churches up and down the land - especially the large established ones. So-called ministers preaching week-in week-out, year-in year-out and doing nothing but demoralizing their hearers.

In my view, it also encourages legalism, because people use it like the Roman Catholics use self flagellation - the more unpleasant or even painful the experience, the more points they think they score with God. So if they have spent their whole life coming and going to church in that manner then they imagine they must be onto a good thing (no pain, no gain).

Friends, this ought not to be.

The root cause of the problem is in the ordination of ministers. There is a myth which has been in existence for centuries - that ministers must be 'educated' this is utterly unscriptural. The reason it is so readily accepted is because it makes sense in the natural world. And yes, it does - in the natural world. But when we are talking about the preaching of the gospel we no longer occupy the natural plain. We have entered God's domain - where our rules do not apply.

This problem of requiring academic attainment for ministers proves that the people making the demands are depending on the abilities of mere men to bring people to God instead of God himself.

This is nothing new and it can never work.

We might as well dress up like the geezer in the picture for all the good it'll do.

...TO OBEY IS BETTER THAN SACRIFICE, AND TO HEARKEN THAN THE FAT OF RAMS.

(1 Samuel 15: 22).