Thursday, December 21, 2017

Behold, I Lay In Sion A Chief Corner Stone, Elect, Precious: And he That Believes On Him Shall Not Be Confounded - Part 1907

"Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knows us not, because it knew Him not." (I John 3:1)

"Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believes on Him shall not be confounded." (I Peter 2:6)

"He was in the world and the world was made by Him and the world knew Him not. He came unto His own and His own received Him not." (John 1:10-11)

Behold, the Lamb of God which takes away the sin of the world ... "for whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (John 1:29, 36; John 3:16)

Historically, the heads of religion (the so called self-appointed church fathers) have set down certain platforms concerning the Godhead, advancing a cunningly devised fable that God is three distinct and separate persons. This I say to you and to the whole world is heresy. God is not a triad. God is not a trinity. Most certainly, God is not a person. Indeed, the scriptures tell us that God is Spirit and that no man hath seen Him except He who hath in these last days spoken unto us by [His] Son -- who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, an upholding all things by the Word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins. (Hebrews 1:1-3)

For context, Hebrews 1 states: "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom He hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of [His] glory, and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the Word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; 

Being made so much better than the angels, as He hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. For unto which of the angels said He at any time, "Thou art My Son, this day have I begotten thee?" And again, "I will be to Him a Father, and He shall be to me a Son?" And again, when He brings in the first begotten into the world, He saith, "And let all the angels of God worship Him."

And of the angels He saith, "Who makes His angels spirits, and His ministers a flame of fire." But unto the Son He saith, "Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even Thy God, hath anointed Thee with the oil of gladness above Thy fellows. And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of Thine hands: they shall perish; but Thou remains; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; and as a vesture shalt Thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but Thou art the same, and Thy years shall not fail. 

But to which of the angels said He at any time, "Sit on My right hand, until I make Thine enemies Thy footstool? Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?" (Hebrews 1:1-14)

Yes, "in Him the fullness of the Godhead dwelt bodily ..." (Colossians 2:9) And now, after the resurrection of our Lord God and Saviour Jesus (who the apostles declared Jesus both Lord and Christ) are able to have life through His Name. (Acts 2:36; John 20:31)

Further, we know from the very first commandment in the Old Testament, and repeated again by Jesus in the new that God is One. "Hear O Israel, the Lord thy God is ONE LORD!" (Deuteronomy 6:4; Mark 12:29-31; I Timothy 3:16) After the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared. (Titus 3:4-7)

Yes, this same God who made the world and all that is therein loved His beloved creation so much that He Himself willingly became our Saviour. This same God who is the Spirit of the Lord that moved across the face of the waters in the beginning loved us enough to robe Himself in sin-prone flesh (but yet without sin) so that we might experience salvation in Him. (Genesis 1:1-2)

From the New Testament, we read -- "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God ... and the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld His glory! (John 1:1-18)

"One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism ... One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all." (Ephesians 4:5-6)

God has revealed by His Spirit that which is written and confirmed by the testimony of the scriptures being God’s Word! Thankfully, this is why the Spirit and the Word must agree, so that we are not misled in our understanding of the mystery of the Godhead that was held in the bosom of the Father from the very beginning. Let him with ears to hear, understand what is being presented here.

[And as an aside, if you struggle with understanding how much God loved us for Him to have prepared Himself a body so that He Himself could become the perfect sacrifice for our sin, study the scriptures yourself for therein is life eternal!]

Indeed, the fullness of the Godhead dwelt bodily in Him. (Colossians 2:9) To wit, God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the Word of reconciliation. (II Corinthians 5:19) Emmanuel, being interpreted, God with us. (Matthew 1:21-23) God manifest in the flesh. (I Timothy 3:16)

Throughout Isaiah, the Lord God spoke saying that He alone is God, and besides Him there is no Saviour. There is no other besides the Lord thy God. (Isaiah 43:11; Isaiah 45:21; Hosea 13:4)

"For ever, O Lord, Thy Word is settled in heaven. Thy faithfulness is unto all generations: Thou hast established the earth, and it abides ..." (Psalm 119:89-90)

Jesus said, "Thy Word is truth." (John 17:17)

Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No man comes to the Father but by Me." (John 14:6)

Jesus said, "I and My Father are One!" (John 10:30)

Admittedly, there is so much that we don't understand because in many things we still see though a glass darkly but this one precept we must know and never compromise. That is, as the Lord Jesus told the Philippian church in Revelation, that we as believers both keep His Word and not deny His Name. (Revelation 3:8-9) In this current dispensation of grace, His Name is JESUS, for He shall save His people from their sins. (Matthew 1:18-23)

My prayer today is that the Word of God will be acknowledged once and for all. And that our hearts response is to search the scriptures until we become fully grounded in His truth. Stand in the offering plate.

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