In the meantime

In case you want to trace the theme of Christ as Creator and the First and the Last, as well as Christ having attributes that pertain only to God, here are the passages that came up as I studied (and I know this isn't an exhaustive list on the subject): - Exodus 23:20-23 – only God can forgive sins (read also Luke 7:47-50 & Mark 2:5-12) - Isaiah 48:12-16 – The Creator is the First and the Last.  He is sent by the LORD God and His Spirit.  - Jeremiah 23:5-6 – The LORD says that one is coming who will be called “THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.”  A quick scan of Revelation reveals abundant testimony concerning Christ, the First and the Last, the Eternal One: - Revelation 1:4-8 - Revelation 1:10-11, 17-18 - Revelation 4:8-11 - Revelation 11:15-17 - Revelation 14:7 - Revelation 16:5-7 - Revelation 19:1-2 & 11 - Revelation 21:6 - Revelation 22:12-13 & 20 Be encouraged and challenged by the truth of God’s Word!  

“Jesus is not equal to God.” “Jesus has a God.” “The Spirit and Jesus and Jehovah are equal and one?” These are the statements and questions that were recently posed to me by a Jehovah’s Witness.  Without a shadow of doubt, I believe Christ is God.  I believe He is the Son of God.  I believe He is equal with God.  Yet sometimes it is hard to defend what I believe in such a way that it is clear and concise.  This morning I started down a trail of references in search of what the Bible says about Christ being God.  Colossians 1:16 declares Christ to be the creator of all things.   Jehovah’s Witnesses agree that Christ created all things (yet insist that Christ Himself was also created.) Anyway, let’s lay aside this point of disagreement and focus on Christ as Creator .  Isaiah 48:13 reveals One who says “ Mine hand also hath laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand hath spanned the heavens.” Looking back one verse to see exactl...

Perhaps one of the unique characteristic of the Godhead is that He always WAS.  At the beginning of time, He existed.  At the end of time, He will exist.  Today, He exists.  God had no beginning and He will have no end.  Genesis 1:1—” In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.”  When time, history, creation began, God was there.  He is the One who created it all. John 1:1-2—” 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."  Again…the beginning.   Verse 14 interprets “The Word” for us: “ 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." Christ, the Word, was at the beginning, with God.” Just think: where would we be if Christ had not been made flesh and dwelt among man? 1 John 1:1-2—” That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we ...