“It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: if we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us” (2 Timothy 2:11-12).
Jesus Christ is God. That is a fact and is not debatable. Many people have the wrong idea that Jesus was a created being like the angels. Some believe that Lucifer and Jesus were brothers. I can hardly type that because it’s so filled with blasphemy. Jesus was the Creator, but Satan was created. The Apostle John makes it very clear that Jesus was God incarnate.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not” (John 1:1-5).
As one of the first followers, John had spent three years learning directly from Jesus. John watched as Jesus healed the blind, the lame, and even brought some back from the dead. The Greek word translated “Word” is “logos” and is used by the Apostle John as a descriptive title of Jesus. John states that not only was Jesus (the Word) in the beginning “with God” but that He “was God.” Of course, that harkens back to Genesis.
“In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth” (Genesis 1:1).
The creation account tells us that God spoke things into existence. Don’t be confused by man-made ideas, but place your faith in the truth of God found in Scripture.
The Apostle John goes on to say, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).
It’s been said that mercy is not getting what we deserve. For instance, our sin is so great that we deserve eternal death. Still, by God’s mercy, our faith in Jesus Christ will bring eternal life instead of what we deserve. Grace is getting what we don’t deserve.
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Without the grace of God, nobody could be worthy to be saved from eternal death. I know that I’m not worthy through any effort of my own. Thank God for His mercy and grace through the blood of Jesus… The Word made flesh.
It’s very important to understand that Jesus was fully human and fully God. If you don’t believe that, then you must believe that human sacrifice is condoned by God and can take away sin. Wrong. Jesus had to be human in order to be a kinsman to humanity. Remember, Jewish Law teaches us about our relationship with God. In Leviticus chapter 25, we learn about the need for a kinsman redeemer. If a man had to sell his property, a near relative (kinsman) could redeem what was lost. The book of Ruth is all about the kinsman redeemer, an Old Testament foreshadowing of Jesus Christ, our Kinsman Redeemer.
Mankind’s inheritance was forfeited by Adam. God had been very clear that Adam and Eve could eat from every tree in the Garden of Eden except from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” (Genesis 2:17).
This command was given to Adam prior to Eve being created. Eve talked with the serpent, ate the fruit, and convinced Adam to eat. They didn’t become like gods, as the serpent said, but they did die. God is always Truth, and Satan is always lies. Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden and separated from God. Eternal separation from God has been a curse of mankind ever since.
God put animal sacrifices in place in order to cover sin, but only the blood of a kinsman to Adam, a human, could redeem mankind. (That’s why Mary was merely a human. She was not deity so should never be worshiped. Yes, we can admire her, but never pray to her or worship her.) God never condones human sacrifice. We are to sacrifice our will to His but never offer a human blood sacrifice. The animal sacrifices were only a temporary covering of sin.
“For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins” (Hebrews 10:4).
Where does that leave us today? There is no temple in order for a Jewish priest to properly offer animal sacrifices, which were only temporary sin-coverings. Today we have a perfect sacrifice… the blood of Jesus. Jesus wasn’t just a human. He was God. His blood was not tainted by Adam’s sin. Today, science tells us that genetic traits are passed from father to son. Jesus had an adopted father on earth, but His true father was the third person of the Trinity… the Holy Spirit. When the angel came to Mary saying she had been chosen to give birth to the Messiah, she had no idea how that could happen since she was a virgin.
“And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:35).
Wow! Jesus was our Kinsman because Mary was human, but His blood wasn’t tainted by sin because He had no human father. He was fully human and also fully God.
The Apostle Peter was among those first followers of Jesus. He was a fisherman, but his life was changed because of Jesus. Peter had a lot to say about Christ.
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:1-5).
Peter understood more about the truth of God than most Christians today. He knew that being born again was the way to eternal life. “Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abid3th for ever” (1 Peter 1:22-23).
This is the same truth that Jesus spoke to Nicodemus. “Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (John 3:5-6).
Jesus was God, and we must be born again of the Spirit in order to be a part of His family. You must be a part of His family in order for Him to be your Kinsman Redeemer. If you choose to reject Jesus for salvation, you have made your choice to remain dead in the curse of the original sin that Adam brought upon all of humanity. The gift of salvation is precious, and if you claim to have accepted Christ’s sacrifice for salvation, then your eternity is secure. If you have any doubts or don’t understand what salvation through Christ is, then you need to talk with a Christian who understands.
Your sin condemns you, not God. True faith justifies you. You will never be perfect, but God sees you through the shed blood of Christ. Don’t think that you can be justified by any human. Going to a priest or a pastor to be declared free from sin is ridiculous. Only God can declare you justified.
“He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us” (Romans 8:32-34).
Don’t place faith in any man or acts of man. Your eternal life depends upon your faith in Jesus, not humans. Only Jesus is God. Only Jesus can save.
There is no Temple in Jerusalem on which sacrifices can be made, but there is still a Temple. “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16).
There’s no sacrifice that can take away sin other than the one Christ made for you. The Holy Spirit is sealed within every Christian, and He will guide our thoughts and actions. We will always have a sin nature, but we individually need to sacrifice our self-will to God. The Holy Spirit will never guide you into sin. This is the sanctification process. Failing in our walk isn’t failing to receive eternal life. We need to ask God to forgive us when we sin, and then we need to turn away from that sin. We need to turn loose of the idols of our sinful nature.
“And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people” (2 Corinthians 6:16).
Idols are anything we put before God, such as a car, money, or yourself. Only Jesus is God and is to be worshipped.
The most important thing you can do right now is to be sure that you’ve placed your life and faith in Jesus. If you have, then live for Him. Share that faith with family and friends. Use Scripture as your guide.
John the Baptist called the nation of Israel to repent and proclaimed the Messiah. “In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, and saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight” (Matthew 3:1-3).
Jesus called twelve men to follow Him and learn how to spread the Good News. Those men knew He was God. One day Jesus asked the disciples who people said He was. They said the people thought he was a prophet or John the Baptist. Still today, there are many ideas about Jesus. Some say He was a kind and gentle man, some say He was a great teacher, and some say He was the brother of Lucifer or Michael. Some even think He is an alien left here to enlighten us. Scripture reveals the truth. After His general question, Jesus asked them who they personally said He was.
“And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16).
Peter had the right answer. What about you? Do you sit in a congregation that thinks Jesus is a created being who is the brother of Satan? Or maybe you’re in a congregation that thinks the man in the pulpit can forgive sin. Who do you say Jesus was… who Jesus is? Many pastors forget to teach the pure truth of the Gospel. They forget that Jesus is God or don’t think it’s an important part of the Gospel.
The same Jesus — who shed His blood on the cross and conquered death for all who believe — will come again one day soon. At His second coming, He will be at war with His enemies. “These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful” (Revelation 17:14).
The war will be with those who have rejected Christ and chosen to follow the Beast. At least seven years before this final battle, all Christians will be taken Home to Heaven in the Rapture. The only way to avoid God’s judgment is to choose for yourself to accept God’s free gift of salvation. Follow Jesus, not the world.
“Behold I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality” (1 Corinthians 15:51-53).
We don’t know when this will happen, but we can rest assured that it will happen before the final seven years of life on earth. Because Jesus is God, He will take all believers Home before Judgment is poured out upon those who remain and follow the Satanic leader. If Jesus wasn’t God, this wouldn’t be possible.
If you’ve put your faith in a human, you need to correct that thinking before it’s too late. Even if the Rapture is many years away, you need to be sure you’re clear that Jesus is God before you die. That isn’t a side issue. We are all only a heartbeat away from entering eternity with no second chances. Jesus is your only salvation.
God bless you all,
Nathele Graham
twotug@embarqmail.com
ron@straitandnarrowministry.com
Recommended prophecy sites:
www.raptureready.com
www.prophecyupdate.com
www.raptureforums.com
All original scripture is “theopneustos,” God-breathed.
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