Jesus Christ stands in the way of the advocates of ecumenism. Nothing comes under attack like the only begotten Son of God. People must be led astray from the knowledge of the true nature of the Savior and His way of salvation. Jesus is reduced, marginalized, ignored and denied.
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The Old and New Testament bear witness
Jesus Christ is at the center of the gospel and this is as true of the Old Testament as it is of the New Testament. In contrast to the widespread view that the New Testament replaced or even abolished the Old Testament, the New Testament with Jesus Christ as a human being is actually the manifestation of the path of salvation through grace based on faith, which is also described in the Old Testament. The new covenant is better than the old covenant, not because the old covenant was bad, but because Jesus Christ himself, as the perfect high priest, can blot out our sins on the basis of his own sacrifice while maintaining justice.
Within the framework of the old covenant, this path of salvation was virtually identical as a shadow hastening ahead, only with a anything but perfect high priest, since he had to offer a vicarious sacrifice for his own sins. In other words, the original (new covenant) is always better than its description (old covenant).
Targeted attacks against Jesus Christ
Since Jesus Christ not only plays an exceedingly important role in man’s salvation, but even holds the monopoly over it, it is also not surprising that the attacks are aimed specifically at Him and His position. Anyone who reduces Jesus Christ, dismisses him as just a simple, wise itinerant preacher, even denies His sonship of God, not only has a problem himself, but is about to lead other people into apostasy or misbelief. Both ways resulted in hopelessness.
Jesus Christ is reduced
Some faiths see the Son of God as a created being, quasi God’s first work, the highest of all angels. For example the Jehovah’s Witnesses and their own work “New World Translation”. But this variant only confirms the visions of the great adversary, who regards himself as the actual firstborn with all the associated rights of the firstborn, or who led his (misled) followers to believe this. Satan has been bullied out and as the “lawful one” he will one day win and enforce his rights against the “younger brother”. With this vision, followers are kept in line, aided by promised rewards for hard work. This variant has nothing in common with the gospel but with the occult and is typical of those who would like to turn the statutes of God upside down.
In principle, it is enough to equate Jesus Christ with a simple appearance in the course of history, as did a Buddha, a Mohammed or one of the numerous Indian gurus such as Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, to end up in a hopeless impasse.
The Bible contains plain text
The Bible gives clear information about the true “nature” or “essence” of Jesus in several places. The most well-known passages can be found in Chapter 1 of the Gospel of John:
Verses 1 to 3:
“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.”
Jesus Christ is therefore the Word of God and this was not only with God in the beginning, but this Word was God. Then it is clear that EVERYTHING came into being through the same thing (the Word) and absolutely nothing came into being without the Word. This means that the thesis that Jesus Christ was created as the first fruits of God has already been completely refuted.
Verse 14:
“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.”
Since it was already clear in the previous verses that the word is about Jesus Christ, i.e. the Son of God, this also clarifies that Jesus Christ became a human being.
Creation was an act of speech
A look at the creation account in Genesis chapter 1 basically confirms the statement that Jesus Christ is the Word of God. God’s act of creation was an act of speech. “And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.”, like the example from Genesis 1:3. The world was created by the Word of God, and since Jesus Christ is the Word of God, God created everything through Jesus Christ.
This is confirmed by 1 Corinthians 8:6:
“But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.”
Jesus in the form of God
Further evidence that Jesus Christ cannot be a created being is provided in Philippians 2:5-8:
“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”
Jesus Christ held the form of God. But for the work of redemption on behalf of fallen man it was necessary for the Creator himself to become man, since the transgressed laws ultimately apply to man. Jesus Christ remained without sin and thus proved that the laws (commandments) can be kept by man.
Clear statement to Christ the God
The “straight ahead” unequivocal answer is 1. Timothy 3:16:
“And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.”
Recent Bible translations, as well as the “New World Translation” of Jehovah’s Witnesses, have translated this part to “He is revealed in the flesh.” With this, the true nature of Jesus has been veiled, for the “he” can be anyone. Even the common man is revealed in flesh.
Mary knew
Mary was amazed when the angel Gabriel announced to her that she would give birth to a child. She asked and Gabriel gave her a plausible answer, as in Luke 1:35:
“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.”
God’s Word, the Holy Word, is born and He shall be called God’s Son.
The Begotten Beloved Son
But now comes the objection that Jesus Christ, as the firstborn, must somehow have been “born” and that is why He was also begotten, as it is written in Psalm 2:7:
“I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.«”
If this verse stands alone, one could well get the impression of a “real begotten” Jesus Christ, as people usually imagine. But the answer is in Acts 13:32-33:
“And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers, God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.”
This makes it clear which point in time describes the conception of the son. Psalm 2:7 is a prophecy for the actual event of Jesus’ resurrection. The Word of God, that is Jesus Christ, was enthroned after His victory over the adversary. The “firstborn begotten” in priority and not in a “biological sequence” that we are used to. So it was quite possible to grant the (biological) second born the primogeniture right. A good example in the Old Testament is Isaac and his two sons, Jacob and Esau. Jacob was the younger son, but he cheated his birthright.
Jesus Christ is worshipped
No angel would allow a human to worship him, as is evident in Revelation 22:8-9 when John prostrated himself and was about to do just that. You should worship God alone, according to the first commandment, and Jesus Christ was worshiped throughout. As described in Matthew 28:17, among others:
“And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted.”.
As an apostle of Jesus, the disciple Thomas should know exactly. And Thomas knew exactly, John 20:28:
“And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.”
That was the only way
That God, who created everything through His Son and reduced Himself to a human being through Him, was the only way to save fallen man. Only in this way could His grace be reconciled with His justice. Grace and justice are usually mutually exclusive. But not when the creator himself takes responsibility for the misconduct (breaking of the law) of his creatures and also pays the price for it, with his life. The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23) and Jesus Christ paid for our sins with His life and blood.
One goal of the adversary is the destruction of mankind, like everything else that God created through Jesus Christ. Therefore it is only right and proper for the “supreme of the fallen” to separate people from the knowledge of the true nature of Jesus and His way of salvation. Exactly how and by what means is relatively unimportant, the main thing is to stay away from the only true and very narrow path.
Man cannot and does not have to understand everything
Man can only understand what is described for us in the Bible. If more were needed, God would have told us through His Scriptures. The descriptions in Scripture represent only what, to our limited minds, best describes reality. Man does not even comprehend the complete process from a tiny seed to a simple blade of grass. How does the person who doesn’t even understand creation then want understand the Creator, let alone explain it? Isaiah already made it clear:
“To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him?” (Isaiah 40:18)
Conclusion:
- God’s creation was an act of speech. Creation through words
- Jesus Christ IS the word of God and not just a “mouthpiece”
- The Word of God (=Jesus Christ) became a human being
- The “begetting” of the Son happened with His resurrection
- A son of God, “created” in the traditional sense,
is therefore out of the question - Through Jesus Christ, God reduced himself to man,
took our sins upon himself and paid the price himself, death - Jesus Christ was not a “simple itinerant preacher” as a human being
Bible verses from King James Version
