The Reality of the Word Part 7

From what has been discussed earlier, the believer’s revelation of who God is can’t be found in his experiences, dreams or vision.

The believer’s revelation of God is found in Christ only.

Let’s quickly establish a very important question that should be answered by anyone who believes in Christ before we proceed.

Who is a Christian?

You are not a Christian because you go to church on Sundays.

You are not a Christian because you were born into a Christian family.

Neither are you a Christian because you speak in tongues.

You are not a Christian because you were baptized in water.

You are also not a Christian because you cover your hair when you pray.

All the aforementioned are some of the things seen in doctrinal persuasions.

However, practicing or not practicing them is not the foundation of the Christian faith. There is a non-negotiable convergence that makes one a Christian.

That is the fact that Jesus is God. This is an undebatable and indisputable fact of the Christian faith. It is not up for any debate.

We do not believe that Jesus is God because it is proven to us logically.

We believe that Jesus is God because that is our faith.

We don’t arrive at faith by logic rather we arrive at logic by our faith.

That’s what unite all believers together.

The lordship of Jesus Christ is not up for any debate.

 John 17:3

And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

John wrote that the only true God is Jesus Christ. No one can claim to be a Christian without believing in Jesus Christ.

John 5:23

23 That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.

Faith in the father is faith in the son. It means to believe in God is to believe in Christ Jesus. You cannot claim to have faith in the father without having faith in the son.

 1st John 5:20

And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.

John reiterates here that Jesus is the true God and eternal life.

The believer’s understanding of God is found in Christ Jesus.

From our previous treatise, we found out that the writings of the prophets in the scriptures were about the Christ, his sufferings and the glory that will follow.

In Hebrews 1:1-3

1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,

2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high

From verse 1, sundry times and diverse manners will refer to ways of doing things.

Some Bible translation describes sundry times and diverse manners as partial truths or partial revelation of the truth.

In time past will be referring to the writings of the prophetic scriptures or what is generally referred to as the Old Testament writings.

In verse 2, the author says God has spoken in his son in these last days. Last days will mean that the fulfillment or the climax of all that the prophets have been speaking about is found in the son.

In verse 3, the writer speaks about what the prophets said that the son will accomplish which is that he will purge our sins by himself.

Hebrews 1:1-3 can be summarized as follows:

Verse 1 At sundry times and in diverse manners, the prophets spoke to the fathers

2 God has spoken in these last days in his son.

3 Jesus is the one who upholds or brings together all the things which the prophets spoke about.

The things which the prophets spoke being discussed in this context are not open ended rather what they spoke with respect to the son purging our sins by himself.

Peter also weighed in with respect to what the prophets of the scriptures spoke about in 2nd Peter 16-20

16 For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.

17 For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

18 And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.

19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:

20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.

21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

He is speaking of the incarnation of Jesus.

He says what he wrote in his writings about the Christ are not the figment of anyone’s imagination rather what he was a witness to.

In verse 19, he calls the fulfillment of the prophecy of the scriptures a more sure word of prophecy. He didn’t refer to as prophecies but prophecy.

It means the entirety of the writings of the scriptures is woven around a singular prophecy. The utterances of the Old Testament prophets have been fulfilled.

He uses the word lamp in verse 19 to describe the prophets or their speakings. A lamp is not the light but it bears the light.

Their prophecies were in God speaking but it carries the light.

What they spoke progressively became clearer and visible.

Peter is saying that through the utterances of the prophets, there was gradual light or progressive revelations or portions of the truth.

However, in Christ, the day star has arisen and the day has dawned

Hebrews 1:3

3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.

He is called the express image of the glory of God. That is, he brings clarity to who God is. With the prophets, you would need to put together what they spoke as portions of the truth to arrive at the finality of what they spoke about. He substantiates all the things which the prophets spoke about.

In all that the prophets spoke, the light will only be found in the things they said concerning Christ’s incarnation, humanity, death, burial, resurrection and ascension.

Similarly, Paul alluded to the deity of Jesus in his writings in Colossians 1:15-19

15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:

16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;

He gives visibility to God. The expression of God is found in Jesus Christ.

He is the head of the church. The church is an assembly or a gathering of everyone who has been called out of darkness into God’s marvelous light.

Colossians 2:9

9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

Jesus is the fullness of God in humanity. He is the one that reveals God to man. Nobody can know God’s character and nature outside of knowing who Jesus is.

Confession: I acknowledge that the fullness of God dwells in me because I am in Christ. I have all of God. God has taken up residence in me. This is the verity of my salvation.