|
|
|
|
Jesus who? The person of Jesus in salvation is as important as what He accomplished on the cross. The Gospel can be altered into a counterfeit even if one preaches Jesus is the Son of God who died for sin (which all the cults do). The most concerning is the claim that one only needs to believe in God’s Son dying for sin will save when they insist that He is not deity but only a man. Although there are numerous examples from Scripture that can be used, the definition of whom the Son is found in two specific Scriptures written to the Church by the one person who lead the opposition. 1 Cor.15:47:“the first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second man is the Lord from heaven.” He is Lord, the creator who made man became man to save us by his sacrifice. This can only be understood as Jesus being God, without this understanding you don't have the true Christ of the gospel message. “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory.”(1 Tm. 3:16) 1 Tim 3:9 "the mystery of the faith," and 1 Tim 2:2 for eusebeia (NT:2119). Here the phrase explains "a pillar and stay of the truth" (1 Tim 3:15). See in particular Col 1:27. "The revealed secret of true religion, the mystery of Christianity, the Person of Christ " (Lock). Could this be part of the reason why so many people do not continue in their profession of Christ, and fall short of knowledge of the holy one? They do not wholeheartedly follow Christ, because he is not God in the flesh. Many who have confession of Jesus being the Son of God are stopped from conversion, without regeneration. In other words, they are convinced they need a savior, but when we have people years down the line of their decision saying Jesus is not God, who saved them? If Jesus is not God how can he save the people of the past his present and our future? If He was only a man it could only have finite value. He would not be able to save today, and His death would only be applied to those living in his time. But the Son of Gods death had infinite value as the one who came to die was eternal, even as His priesthood is eternal. Their unwillingness to follow him shows that they do not understand nor esteem Him for who He really is. This affects the fear of God, having that respect for who bought you out of the slavery of sin and who is to be with you, who is the head of the church. We are to honor him for who he is AND for what he did. |
|
