Thursday, May 16, 2013

The Message

  I woke up early and had a million thoughts going on in my head because of different exchanges I had with people yesterday.  Some of it regarding my blog, and some of it on other topics relating to the character of God.  Anyways, I'm just going to dive right into it today.

The Message



 So yesterday I got into a conversation with someone over the doctrine of the trinity.  I'm going to go back to this for today because I think this is really important to nail down.  If you don't grasp this, then you cannot grasp the gospel of Jesus Christ, it's that simple.

  I'm going to post the text  from the conversation I had with someone.  We'll name him John.

John: Jesus was fully human as well as fully divine. His fully human side was able to be killed. He did not appear to have been killed. He physically died. However, his divine side did not cease to exist.

So which is it?  Did he die or did he not die?  Was he merely unconscious or putting on a magic show?

1 Cor 15:3 For I give over to you among the first what also I accepted, that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures,

If Christ did not die, then our faith is completely vain and we might as well throw away our Bibles and live without hope.  God by definition cannot die.

Christ's power was given to him by God 

John 5:30 30 "I can not do anything of Myself. According as I am hearing am I judging; and My judging is just, for I am not seeking My will, but the will of Him Who sends Me.

Christ's Glory was given to him by God

John 17:530 "I can not do anything of Myself. According as I am hearing am I judging; and My judging is just, for I am not seeking My will, but the will of Him Who sends Me.

John:There are plenty of implicit texts about the Trinity. For instance, Father, Son/Jesus Christ, and Holy Spirit have a number of the same characteristics and actions.

  Let me put it this way.  If I'm in a business with my dad, my dad will run the home office and stay there and make sure all our affairs are in order in home base.  When I go out to our franchises, I have full authority of my father.  The employees respect me and obey me as if I were my father.  My purposes are the same as my father, we're working together to build up our company.  I am however, NOT my father.  Nor is my father me.

We need to be very clear on this Jesus is the IMAGE of God, but he is NOT God.  He is also the FIRSTBORN of all creation.  Ergo - Not GOD.  God has no beginning or end, He is eternal. Jesus and the Spirit have a beginning, therfore they are not god.  They are seperate and distinct entities.  

Col 1:15-19
15 Who is the Image of the invisible God, Firstborn of every creature,
16 for in Him is all created, that in the heavens and that on the earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones, or lordships, or sovereignties, or authorities, all is created through Him and for Him,
17 and He is before all, and all has its cohesion in Him.
18 And He is the Head of the body, the ecclesia, Who is Sovereign, Firstborn from among the dead, that in all He may be becoming first,
19 for in Him the entire complement delights to dwell,

This is the same reason why Jesus could be worshipped; he is the image of God, to worship Jesus is to worship God.  This is also why he can be known as the I AM.  It was through Jesus that God created all things.  It was through Jesus God spoke to the Israelites in the wilderness.  It was through Jesus that all things are being accomplished.

It will also be ultimately to God whom Jesus hands over all things so that He may be "All in All" at the very end of the ages 

1 Cor 15:26-28
26 The last enemy is being abolished: death.
27 For He subjects all under His feet. Now whenever He may be saying that all is subject, it is evident that it is outside of Him Who subjects all to Him.
28 Now, whenever all may be subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also shall be subjected to Him Who subjects all to Him, that God may be All in all.)


  Why do I spend my coffee breaks teaching these things and my spare time reading on them and thinking about them?  Simply put, I love God, I love the grace he's given us.  I want all men to know these things or as many as possible so that the Body of Christ can be complete.  Paul put it best;

1 Cor 9:16 For if I should be bringing the evangel, it is not for me to boast in, for necessity is lying upon me, for it were woe to me if I should not be bringing the evangel!

  I think I've laid out alot today so I'll end it here.  But tomorrow I'm going to move on and talk about these sects again.  And why we need them.

  May you know the Peace of God,

Travis Penner