Friday, June 26, 2020

Jesus Christ Is Almighty God

John 10:33, “The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.”

I used some helpful information from an article on Christ's deity by the Middletown Bible Church in Middletown, Connecticut, adding my own comments as well to write this important theological article. Make no mistake about it, the infallible inspired Word of God clearly identifies Jesus Christ as almighty God. He is the great God (Titus 2:13)the mighty God (Isaiah 9:6), and the true God (1 John 5:20). Full and complete deity is ascribed to Him: the Word was God (John 1:1). Though a Jew according to the flesh, He is the One who is over all, God blessed for ever (Romans 9:5). 

I don't like when theologians call Jesus the “second person” of the Godhead, because Jesus is not “second,” He is as much God as God the Father is God. Neither is the Holy Spirit the “third person” of the Godhead. The Bible teaches in Deuteronomy 6:4, “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:There is only one God, but He exists in the three unique, individual, and equal persons of the Godhead. Colossians 2:8-9, “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.” The Godhead became incarnate (flesh) in the man Jesus. 

When a person met Jesus, they met God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. John 14:8-9, “Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?” To know Jesus Christ is to know God. To see Jesus Christ is to see God: he that hath seen Me hath seen the Father" (John 14:9). Christ is the "image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15)the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His Person (Hebrews 1:3). In Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily (Colossians 2:9). All men must honor the Son just as they honor the Father (John 5:23). We honor the Father as God, and we must honor the Son in the same way. The Son of God is not honored when His deity is denied.

Witnesses to His deity are many. Peter referred to Jesus Christ as God (2nd Peter 1:1). [The Greek construction of 2nd Peter 1:1 (the Granville Sharp Rule) demands that we understand the term "God" to be referring not to God the Father, but to “our Saviour Jesus Christ.” This same construction is found in Titus 2:13, where the great God is none other than Jesus Christ.] Jesus is God, not just “a god” as the Jehovah's Witness religious cult errantly teach, but God Almighty. The Apostle Paul declared Jesus' deity in several places (Titus 2:13; Philippians 2:6; Romans 9:5). The prophet Isaiah identified the Messiah as God (Isaiah 7:14; 9:6). Thomas worshipped the risen Lord, addressing Him by these words: My Lord and my God! (John 20:28), and Jesus did not rebuke him for this. That is because what Thomas said was true. Jesus is Lord, Savior and God!!!

Because Jesus Christ is God, He is all that God is. He fully possesses all the attributes of deity. Jesus is holy (Luke 1:35), He is righteous (1st John 2:1), He is eternal (Micah 5:2), He is unchangeable (Hebrews 13:8), He is omnipotent (Revelation 1:8 with 22:12-13), He is omnipresent (Matthew 28:20) and He is omniscient (John 2:24-25; 6:64; 16:30). Every attribute that belongs to the Father belongs to the Son: “All things that the Father hath are mine” (John 16:15). How could anybody question or deny Jesus' deity?

Because Jesus Christ is almighty God, He can perform miraculous works which only our omnipotent God can do. Only God is the Creator, and the Bible declares that it was by the Son that all things were created (John 1:3; Colossians 1:16). Beware of the Devil's modern Bible revisions, which change these passages to say all things were created “through Him” instead of “by Him.” This is a common corruption in the modern perversions. Only God can forgive sins, and Jesus Christ did just that (Mark 2:5-7). Only God answers prayer, and the Lord Jesus said, If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it (John 14:14). Only God will sit on the final throne of judgment, and the Scripture identifies Jesus Christ as the final Judge of all men (John 5:22, 27; 2nd Timothy 4:1).

The cults commonly deny the full deity of Jesus Christ. Liberal theologians do the same. Unbelieving hearts refuse to face up to who Jesus really is. The term God (Hebrew - Elohim) may be applied to the true God (Genesis 1:1) and also to false gods (Exodus 20:3). The sacred name Jehovah (written with all capital letters as LORD or GOD in the Old Testament) is a name that is applicable to none but Deity. It is derived from the verb to be, and it communicates the fact that Jehovah is the One who was, who is and who ever shall be (compare Revelation 1:8). 

The Lord Himself is very jealous over this Name and all that it stands for as seen in the following two passages: 1) That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth (Psalms 83:18); 2) I am the LORD: that is my name; and my glory will I not give to another (Isaiah 42:8). No greater proof of deity could be presented concerning Christ, than that He should rightfully be called JEHOVAH (God or Lord).

DOES THE BIBLE SOMETIMES APPLY THE TERM JEHOVAH TO JESUS CHRIST?

Please consider the following:
  1. In Zechariah chapter 12, JEHOVAH is the One who is speaking (verses 1,4). In verse 10 Jehovah says, "they shall look upon Me whom they have pierced." This can refer to no one else except Christ (see John 19:37 and Revelation 1:7).
  2. JEHOVAH of the Old Testament declares Himself to be the First and the Last (Isaiah 44:6). In the New Testament Jesus Christ is said to be "the first and the last" (Revelation 1:8,11,17,18; 22:12-13).
  3. In Isaiah 6:5 the prophet said, "for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD (JEHOVAH) of hosts." Isaiah saw JEHOVAH! The Apostle John referred to this same event in John 12:41, and he made it very clear that the Person whom Isaiah saw was actually Jesus Christ: "These things said Isaiah, when he saw His glory and spake of Him (referring in the context to Christ)."
  4. In Psalm 23:1 David declared that JEHOVAH was the Great Shepherd of the sheep. The New Testament identifies Jesus Christ as the great Shepherd of the sheep (Heb. 13:20; John 10:11,14).
  5. The Old Testament repeatedly refers to JEHOVAH as Israel's Rock (Deuteronomy 32:3,4,18; Psalm 18:2; 62:1-2; etc.). The New Testament clearly identifies this Rock as Christ (1 Corinthians 10:4).
  6. In Isaiah 43:10-11 and 45:21 JEHOVAH declares Himself to be the only Saviour. There is no other Saviour apart from Him! In the New Testament Peter declares that Jesus is the only Saviour (Acts 4:12). In Isaiah 45:21-22 JEHOVAH says, "Look unto Me and be ye saved...there is none else." In John 3:14-16 we are told to look unto the crucified One to be saved.
  7. In Isaiah 45:21-23 JEHOVAH says, "that unto Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear." This passage in Isaiah is applied to Christ in Philippians 2:9-11, the One before whom all shall someday bow. Every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Phil. 2:11). [The word "Lord" in Philippians 2:11 is the Greek word "kurios" which is consistently used in the Septuagint (ancient Greek version of the Old Testament) in translating the Hebrew word "Jehovah."]
  8. In Isaiah 24:23 and Zephaniah 3:15-17 we learn that JEHOVAH Himself will reign in Jerusalem during the coming kingdom age and will be in the midst of His people. The New Testament clearly identifies this future, millennial King as Jesus Christ (Revelation 19:11-16; 20:4,6).
  9. In Isaiah 40:3 we learn that John the Baptist was to prepare the way for the coming of JEHOVAH. In Mark 1:1-3 the same passage is applied to Christ (John the Baptist prepared the way for Christ).
  10. In Isaiah 8:13-14 the prophecy states that JEHOVAH will be "for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence." In 1 Peter 2:7-8 these verses in Isaiah are applied to Jesus Christ.
  11. In Psalm 34:8 we are invited to "taste and see that JEHOVAH is good." This passage is clearly alluded to in 1 Peter 2:3 which refers to the goodness and graciousness of Jesus Christ ("If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious").
  12. The Old Testament promises salvation and deliverance to those who call on the name of JEHOVAH (Joel 2:32 and see Acts 2:21). In the New Testament this same passage is used to present a promise of salvation for all those who call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. 10:13; Acts 2:21, 36).
The above evidence shows beyond any doubt, that the term JEHOVAH” may rightfully be applied to Jesus Christ. [Jehovah's Witnesses deny the deity of Christ and teach that Jesus is a mighty angelic creature who was created by Jehovah God. They strongly maintain that the divine name JEHOVAH is never used of Christ]  Since this is a term that is applicable only to Deity, and since it is a term that can rightfully be applied to Jesus Christ, then we must conclude that the Lord Jesus is Jehovah God! Jesus forgave sin as only God can do (Mark 2:5-7). Repeatedly in The Four Gospels, Jesus accepted worship from people, which only God is entitled to (Matthew 8:2; 9:18; 14:33; Isaiah 42:8). Jesus even claimed to be THE ALMIGHTY! Revelation 1:8, “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.”

Oh dear friend, Jesus is the only begotten Son of God (Matthew 16:16; John 3:16), and yes, Jesus is God the Son (1 John 5:20; Hebrews 1:8). To Jesus Christ be all the glory, praise, credit and honor, both now and forevermore. Jesus is precious!!! The following horrible blasphemous image quote shows what the ungodly world thinks about the dear Lord Jesus Christ. I have no doubt that Leonard Nimoy (1931-2015), known as the character “Spock” on Star Trek is sadly burning in Hell forever. Nearly all of the Star Trek cast shared Nimoy's blasphemous attitude against God. What ingrates!!! Please make sure you don't join them...

Isaiah 45:9, Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands?

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