KEY SCRIPTURE: Joh 16:27 KJV” For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God.”

We are still considering the identity of Jesus. We may be repeating some of the thoughts expressed in earlier studies. We do so to emphasise on the truth for more clarity.

The last line of the key scripture throws some light on the true identity of our Lord Jesus Christ. It said He came out from the Father. What on earth could come out of a person? Your words of course. This perfectly agrees with the scripture in John 1:1, that says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” He came out of the Father as the word of God. From these verses, we see Jesus is not created as some attempt to teach. He is the word of God, who has always lived in the blossom of the Father. We all know that no man created His words. You exist with your words and are always one with your words.

According to the word of God, this Word which is a person became flesh. In actual fact, He was sent by the Father to come into this life as a man and lead a righteous life, or fulfill all the demands of the law and ultimately took up the full punishment that every man should have borne. Isaiah 52:14 KJV” As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men:” This was Jesus who took our place and became our substitute. God our Father laid the punishment of our peace upon Him and by His stripes, we were healed. Jesus was originally the word of God, yet for our deliverance, peace, and forgiveness He became the lamb of God and died in our place.

Today, Jesus has received the glory that He originally had with the Father John 17:5. He is glorified. He is now the God of heaven and earth. He will one day appear as the Lord of glory to judge all men.2Co 5:10 KJV” For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that everyone may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.” Jesus is God, yet came as the word of God.

THOUGHT: JESUS IS THE WORD, PUT THE WORD IN YOUR HEART AND YOU WOULD HAVE GOD IN YOUR HEART

FURTHER STUDIES

John 6:63 KJV” It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.”

Heb 4:12 KJV “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Joh 14:10 KJV” Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.”

We continue with Jesus’ answers to His disciples, concerning His relationship with the Father. We have learned in our previous discussions that, our Lord Jesus is God, yet he came to give His life for the salvation of all men, He had to lay down His glory as God., and took on the nature of men. This was the only legal grounds for His sacrifice for all men, to be acceptable. If men sinned, then a man must die for them. Phil 2:6, 7 KJV” 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:”

At the end of His ministry, He asked the Father to give Him back the glory He had with Him, from the beginning of the world. John 17:5 KJV” And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.” (Note: He asked the Father to glorify Him with Himself. This fully shows He is God) Phil 2:5 and 6, explain why the Lord in some cases talked as if He was inferior to the Father. He did so because He had laid down His glory as God, which He asked the Father to honour Him with after He had come to the close of His work on earth.

Now, Jesus said, the Father in Him was the one leading Him, and speaking through Him. We know that God the Father is always on His throne in Heaven. Do you remember that, on the day of his baptism, the Holy Spirit descended on Him, in the form of a dove? All that the Lord did, was through the power of the Holy Spirit.

The secret of the Lord’s success was through the Holy Spirit. The Christian also has the same Holy Spirit at work in us. The Lord never acted or did anything on earth in His capacity as God. Everything He did was through the ability of the Holy Spirit. He said the words that I speak, I do not speak them from my mind, but the Father who lives in me. He considered the Holy Spirit as the Father in Him. He treated Him with the Highest reverence. Children of God can walk as Jesus walked. It begins by knowing and accepting that the Holy Spirit in you is the Father, and must reverence Him greatly and above everything.

THOUGHT 1: THE HOLY SPIRIT IS THE FATHER IN YOU, YIELD TOTALLY TO HIM IN AWE OF HIS PRESENCE.

THOUGHT 2:  IF GOD IS IN YOU WHAT CAN OVERCOME YOU?

FURTHER STUDIES

John 14:16,17 KJV” And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.”

John 16:13 KJV” Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: John 14:7 KJV” If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.”

In this series of studies, we are considering who Jesus is, and what He said about Himself. The whole of scripture is about God’s plan of redemption for mankind. His name Jesus, means Jehovah is Saviour. The scripture as one unit seeks to bring men to know Him, and to understand God’s plan of redemption. John 5:39 KJV” Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me”. In today’s study, the Lord said if you see Him, then you have seen the Father.

What did the Lord mean by the statement, if you see Him then you have seen the Father? Did He mean that He is the same as the Father? The scriptures show that God is three persons in one God. This is what the early fathers called the Trinity God is one, yet He has revealed Himself as three distinct persons, that is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Matt 28:19 KJV “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost”: The scripture did not say in the names but in the singular name. We see the trinity in the following verses: 1 Corinth 12:5,6,7. Eph 4: 4,5,6., 1 Pet 1:2.

In Isaiah 9:6 KJV reads, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” Consider the names of the Lord in the above verse. He is called a wonderful, Counsellor, who is predominantly known as the Holy Spirit. He is also called the mighty God and the everlasting Father. These scriptures show that Jesus is God and one with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Indeed, if you have seen the Lord Jesus then you have seen the Father.

THOUGHT: JESUS IS NOT LESS IN RANK THAN THE FATHER, HE IS ONE WITH HIM.

FURTHER STUDIES

1 Peter 1:2 KJV “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.”

1 Tim 3:16 WEB” Without controversy, the mystery of godliness is great:  God was revealed in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen by angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world, and received up in glory.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: John 14:6 KJV “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me.”

Someone said, “You Christians claim Jesus is the only way”. The truth is we did not say that, it was Jesus Himself who made that statement. We only repeat what He said. No one besides Jesus ever said so and proved it. None of the religious leaders with a sizable following said so. Only Jesus made that claim. Just consider another strong unambiguous statement He made about Himself. John 10:9 KJV” I am the door: by me if any man enters in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.” He did not mince any word in this statement. He says He is the door to salvation.

How audacious could one be in making such uncompromising statements? Please note this, these are not claims, that we are making about Him. He said He is the way. He is the truth and finally, He is the life. Among all that He said is the fact that He is the truth. Now to you who has not surrendered your life to follow Him, what do you make of the fact that He said, He is the truth, meaning He does not lie?

Who is a liar? Every liar has three characteristics that portray them.

1.            A liar says he has something yet he does not have it.

2.            He says he can do a thing which in reality he cannot do it

3.            He has done a thing yet he has not done it.

All these cannot be said about our Lord Jesus. He said He has life and indeed all who believe in Him have experienced this life. He said He can save anyone who believes in Him, and true to His word, any man who believed in Him has been saved from sin, and satanic harassment. Lastly whatever He claimed He’s done, indeed he did it. He claimed He bore our sins on the cross, and indeed, He carried away our sins and sicknesses, He did take away the sin of the world. The certainty of His claims is the fact that everything He said has been proved in His life.

Now, what are you going to do with Jesus? Would continue arguing against Him, and remain in your sins, or you would humble yourself to Him and joyfully taste His goodness and power to save, heal, lift and bless? All He has promised can only be received through humbling yourself to Him.

THOUGHT: IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO FIGHT TRUTH, JUST BOW TO IT AND BE SET FREE

FURTHER STUDIES

John 8:32 KJV” And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

2Thess 2:10, 11KJV” And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:”

KEY SCRIPTURE: John 8:58 KJV “Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.”

After the Lord said Abraham saw His day and was glad, they responded that He was not yet fifty years old, how could He have seen Abraham? The Lord had to make a statement emphasising the authenticity of what He was about to say. He said Truly, truly, or verily, verily, before Abraham was I am.

The expression I am, though in the present tense, is designed to refer to a past time. Thus, in Psalms 90:2, “From everlasting to everlasting thou art God.” Applied to God, it denotes continued existence without respect to time, so far as he is concerned.

We divide time into the past, the present, and the future. The expression, applied to God, denotes that he does not measure his existence in this manner, but that the word by which we express the present denotes his continued and unchanging existence. Hence, he assumes it as his name, “I AM,” and “I AM that I AM,” Exo 3:14. Compare Isa 44:6; and Isaiah 47:8.

 There is a remarkable similarity between the expression employed by Jesus in this place and that used in Exodus to denote the name of God. How Jesus used it would strikingly suggest the application of the same language to God. The question here was about his pre-existence. The Jews objected that he was not 50 years old, and could not, therefore, have seen Abraham. Jesus replied to that that he existed before Abraham. As in His human nature, He was not yet 50 years old, and could not, as a man, have existed before Abraham, this declaration must be referred to another nature; and the passage proves that, while He was a man, He was also endowed with another nature existing before Abraham, and to which He applied the term (familiar to the Jews as expressive of the existence of God) I AM; and this declaration corresponds to the affirmation of John as he wrote in John 1:1.” In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Jesus is not just a man; He is also God.

CONFESSION

Jesus my Lord is fully man, yet He is fully God. As the Father said He is I AM, Jesus likewise said He is I AM. He is indeed one with the Father and the God of all things.

THOUGHT:  JESUS IS GOD

FURTHER STUDIES

Rev. 1:8 KJV I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.”

Rev. 22:13 KJV” I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Joh 14:9 KJV “Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?”

We continue with the deity of Jesus. The Lord Jesus kept explaining this very thing to His disciples that, anyone who sees Him, has seen the Father. It is very important to know and believe that Jesus and the Father are one. You can only be saved if you believe that Jesus is God, for it is only this highest divine blood that can wash away your sins.

Apostle John introduces His epistle by saying,” In the beginning, was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God”. It said in verse 14 that, this same word took on flesh and came through a virgin, and was born into this life. Jesus existed in eternity as the word of God. He was not created, or born as men give birth to their children.

Only God the Father could say He is the alpha and omega, that is the beginning and the end. Listen to the Lord Jesus speak in Rev. 1:8; He said, ” I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.” Please consider some of the words He used in this verse; He said He is, He was and He is the one to come again. Consider the last word, the almighty.  Please who is the almighty? God the Father of cause. If Jesus says, He is almighty, then He is God.

When apostle Paul was bringing his letter to the Corinthians to a close, He said in 2Co 13:14    as follows ” The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.” In this scripture, we see, the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit playing various roles in the stability of the children of God. The scripture clearly says the grace of our Lord Jesus, yet some people would never accept that it is the grace of Jesus, rather they claim it is the grace of Jehovah. Well, Jesus is still Jehovah. Jesus’ name means Jehovah is Saviour.

We also consider one verse that reveals our Lord Jesus as the great God. Titus 2:13 KJV” Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;” We know our Lord Jesus is going to appear in the clouds and the scripture identifies Him as the great God and our Saviour. Glory be to God.

THOUGHT: ACCEPTING JESUS AS GOD, IS VERY IMPORTANT TO YOUR SALVATION.

FURTHER STUDIES

John 10:30 KJV “I and my Father are one.”

John 10:33 KJV “The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: John 8:42 KJV “Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.”

In our next series of studies, we will look at who Jesus is and what He said about Himself.

The true identity of our Lord Jesus keeps baffling many. Some say He was begotten of God, and so He is lower in nature, authority, and power than God the Father. Some also say He is an angel. They claim He is specifically angel Michael.

Jesus, Himself said so much about who He was. In the second part of our key scripture, He said He proceeds from the Father. The word ‘from’ is the Greek word ‘ek’, which also means ‘out of’. This fully agrees with John 1:18, which says He dwells in the bosom of the Father, and so comes out of His bosom. In what form or nature did He dwell in the bosom of the Father? John 1:1 reveals that He is the word of God. The eternal state of Jesus is that He is the word of God.

 The word begotten is used in the sense of the word coming out of the Father and taking on flesh John 1:14. As the word comes from the Father, He has also been sent by the Father.

He is revealed again as the word of God in Rev 19:13 KJV. ” And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.” Jesus is the eternal word of God, and He is one, in authority, power, and stature as God. John put it this way. John 1:1 KJV “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” He then took on flesh to become a man, although He did not come in all the glory He had with the Father. Philippians 2:5-7. John 17:5 KJV “And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.” He said the Father should glorify Him with the glory He had together with the Father from the beginning. He had the same glory as the Father.

It was the assignment to save mankind that made Him put down that glory to become a man and save men. Please consider the following verse.1Pet 1:2 KJV “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.” We see Father, Son, and Holy Spirit all working together for the redemption of mankind (This is the trinity operating here). We see the foreknowledge of the Father in the election, the Holy Spirit sanctifies, and the Son dies to save us with His blood.

When the Lord was on earth, He made statements like the Father is greater than the son, John 24:28, or it is the Father who determines times and seasons Acts 1:7. He made all these statements because He had put down His glory as God. Now He has that glory and functions fully as God.

CONFESSION

Jesus is God, He lived in eternity past as the word of God, and so He proceeded out of the Father to take on flesh and blood. He is one with the Father in power, authority, and wisdom.

THOUGHT: JESUS IS THE MYSTERY OF GOD EXPLAINED.

FURTHER STUDIES

John 1:14 KJV “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.”

Phil 2:6 KJV 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:

KEY SCRIPTURE: 1 Corinthians 1:9 KJV: God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

God’s faithfulness should dominate the mind and the meditation of the people of God. Every attack, trial, or challenge the devil throws at the believer is to raise a barrier against the concept we have about the faithfulness of God. The Christian’s resilience against evil depends on how he or she is grounded in the concept of God’s faithfulness. Daniel faced the threat of being consumed by the ferocious lions because he had fully settled in his heart that God was faithful to His word. David accepted the challenge against Goliath because he was fully convinced of the faithfulness of God. God had promised in Joshua 1:5 that “There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.” This promise from the mouth of the faithful becomes a solid ground to enter into any contest or battle.

In the new covenant, God affirms His FAITHFULNESS to us. He says ” Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” Luke 10:19. Scripture abounds in illustrations of God’s faithfulness. He said, ” While the earth remains, seed time and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease. Gen 8:22. Every year fulfills a fresh witness to God fulfilling this promise. In Gen 15, the Lord declared to Abraham, Thy seed shall be strangers in a land that is not theirs and shall serve them…But in the fourth generation, they shall come hider again. Although time passed, and centuries rolled away, God did not forget His promise but brought it to pass. In Exodus 12:41, “And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even the selfsame day it came to pass, that all the hosts of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt.” This prophecy happened to the very last word.

God is true, and His word is sure. He remains faithful in all His dealings with His people. No one ever trusted the Lord in vain. He says whosoever believes in Him will not be put to shame Rom 10:11. Once again, let every child of God know that faithfulness is an essential part of His divine character. Whenever you are tempted to doubt His faithfulness, please know that it is an attack on your very foundation of relating to God. Refuse every thought that suggests anything against God’s faithfulness.  Declare it audibly that God is faithful.

CONFESSION

Father, you are faithful. This I know and never will allow any contrary suggestion against this knowledge. Indeed, acknowledging your faithfulness is my liberty from the lies of the enemy. I am ever confident of victory always because I know you are very faithful.

THOUGHT: YOU WOULD EVER REMAIN VICTORIOUS IF YOU STICK TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD’S FAITHFULNESS.

FURTHER STUDIES

Heb 10:35 KJV” Cast not away, therefore, your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.”

Isaiah 25:1 KJV O LORD, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.

KEY SCRIPTURE: Deut 7:9 KJV “Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations; “

Unfaithfulness is one of the most outstanding sins of these evil days. In the business world, a man’s word does not carry any weight, since it is dishonoured with ease. In the social world, marital infidelity abounds on every hand, the sacred bonds of marriage are broken with little regard as discarding an old garment. Men tend to become so unfaithful even to their vows to do certain things for themselves, to the point that, they do not believe their own words. Despite the extreme unfaithfulness amongst most men, how refreshing to learn and to know about the faithfulness of the Lord at all times and under all conditions.

Our key scripture reads, know therefore that the Lord thy God, He is God, the faithful God. This quality is essential to His being, without it He would not be God. For God to be unfaithful, is for Him to act against His nature, which is impossible.2 Timothy 2:13 assures us that God remains faithful and can’t deny himself. 2Ti 2:13 KJV” If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.” Faithfulness is one of the glorious perfections of His being. Psalms 89:8 KJV” O LORD God of hosts, who is a strong LORD like unto thee? or to thy faithfulness round about thee?” When God should take on flesh, the following was said about Him. Isaiah 11:5 KJV “And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.”

Everything about God is vast and incomparable. God never forgets, never fails, never falters, never forfeits His word. For every declaration, promise, and prophecy, the Lord has stood firmly by every engagement, of covenant, He would make good, for ” God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? “This should make you exclaim,” It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23.

CONFESSIONS

My God is the faithful God. He cannot deny Himself, for He can’t lie, since He does not change. Every promise He makes remains, yes, and Amen in Christ Jesus. I am ever at rest in Him despite what I see or feel. What He has said will prevail.

THOUGHT: GOD’S FAITHFULNESS GURANTEES OUR VICTORY ALWAYS.

FURTHER STUDIES

Exo 12:41 KJV “And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even the selfsame day it came to pass, that all the hosts of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Prov. 15:26 KJV ‘The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the LORD: but the words of the pure are pleasant words”

We continue with our discussion on the Holiness of God. God as a holy God hates sin in all its forms. God loves everything which conforms to His law but rejects everything contrary to His laws. God’s word declares “The froward is an abomination to the LORD. (Proverb 3:32). And again, He says, the thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the LORD. Prov 15:26. It follows that He must necessarily punish sin. Sin can no longer exist without demanding His punishment than it can without requiring His hatred for it. God has often forgiven sinners, but He never forgives sin. The sinner is only forgiven on the grounds of another having borne the punishment for ” without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sin”. (Heb 9:22). Therefore, we are told the Lord will take vengeance on His adversaries and He reserves wrath for His enemies (Nahum 1;2.)

For one sin, God banished our first parents from Eden. For one sin all the posterity of Canaan fell under a curse and it remains with them until now. Moses was stopped from going to the promised land, because of one sin. Thank God, in Christ, we have received a righteous nature to live above sin. Walk in that light.

Dear brother these examples should stir in you a holy anger against toying with sin. Do not allow this era of grace to be wrongly used to deceive yourself into experimenting with sin. Sin is a sinker. Our Lord Jesus was painfully punished on the cross, so sin would be taken away. Stay away from it.

Despite God’s holy anger against sin, the unregenerated do not believe in the Holiness of God. Their concept of His character is altogether one-sided. They fondly hoped His mercy would override everything. They think of a God patterned after their evil hearts. Hence, they continue in a course of mad folly. This is rather unfortunate and makes them oppose or hardened to God’s standards that give no room for compromise.

Sadly, there are some Christians who create such erroneous pictures of God, hoping that his mercies will keep overlooking their lustful pursuits. Well, the scriptures say we should not be deceived, for God cannot be mocked. Whatsoever a man sows, that shall He also reap. Gal 6:7. ” For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting”

PRAYER

Thank you, heavenly father, for your perfect nature of Holiness that teaches us to stay away from sin that kills everything it touches. Thank you for the power of your Spirit that has given to us your righteousness to live above sin.

THOUGHT; JESUS DIED BECAUSE OF OUR SINS, DO NOT LET SIN KILL YOU.

FURTHER STUDIES

2Co 5:21 KJV” For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

John 1:29 KJV” The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”