The Deity of Christ.

P. Ben (Nov. 2013)
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The Deity of our Lord Jesus Christ is a great mystery but that which involves no controversy (1 Tim 3:16). It is written that, ‘beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he (the Lord Jesus) expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself’ (Luke 24:27).

Therefore, it is of utmost necessity to read the Scriptures prayerfully and consider what is written about the Lord Jesus Christ. If any person is complacent in his own views without giving heed to the scriptural revelation about the Lord Jesus Christ, then that person is in danger of being led by that ‘spirit of antichrist’ which ‘confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh’ (1 John 4:3).

The following are only a few of the plethora of verses testifying the Deity of Lord Jesus Christ:

Psalm 45:6,7: Speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ, it is written, “Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever…therefore God, Thy God..”

Here, the addressee is God and the addresser is God. It is a clear statement of the Deity of the Son of God. This is stated clearly in Heb 1:8,9: “But unto the Son He saith, Thy throne, O God…”

Psalm 110:1: “The Lord said unto my Lord…” (or) “Jehovah said unto my Lord…”(JND). Here Lord Jesus is addressed as “Adonai”, meaning ‘Sovereign Lord, Master, Possessor, Proprietor’ (Newberry).

Isaiah 7:13,14: “…Behold a virgin…call His name Immanuel”.

This is further stated in Matt 1:22,23-“Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us”. This is an unmistakable evidence of the Deity of the Lord Jesus.

Isaiah 9.6 speaks of Christ as “…The mighty God”

Isaiah 40:3,9 refers to the ministry of John the Baptist as one who proclaimed the arrival of Christ, saying “..a highway for our God…say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!”. This plainly tells of the Deity of the Lord Jesus.

Zechariah 13:7- “…the man that is My fellow, saith the Lord of hosts”. It means- ‘the man of My union’; ‘a man co-equal with Me’; ‘the man My equal.’ This emphasizes that Christ is God.

Other verses (please refer) speak of His Deity:

Malachi 3:1, Col 1:15-17, Heb 1:3, 2 Cor 4:4, Heb 1:3, 1 Jn 1:1, Jn 20:31, Phil 2:6, Jn 10:3, Jn 17:5, Jn 10:31-33, Micah 5:2, Heb 1:10-12, Matt 14:33.

There are many scriptural portions that speak about the power of His Godhead manifested on the face of the earth such as: Jn 6:18,19; Matt 14:33, Matt 8:27; Jn 2:11, Jn 21:6, Jn 5:5, Jn 9:1, Jn 11:39; Mk 11:14,20; Jn 2:24,25, Jn 3:31-34, Jn 20:28.

That the Lord Jesus Christ is God is indisputably evidenced by His glorious resurrection. Rom 1:4- “declared to be the Son of God with power…by the resurrection from the dead.”

The Scriptures provide us the knowledge that the Lord Jesus Christ is going to come again. “…glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13).

Some of have resorted to wrong teaching that Christ was created by God. This is not a little error but full blasphemy and is in total contradiction with the Scriptures. The Lord Jesus is described as “the firstborn” in Rom 8:29, Col1:15,18, Heb 1:6, Rev 1:5, Rev 12:23. That the title ‘firstborn’ was not a reference to being born first is amply evident in many passages such as 1 Chron 26:10-11, 1 Chron 5:1-2, Gen 48:5-20, Ps 89:27.

Rev 3:14 is wrongly interpreted as Christ was created in the beginning: “The beginning of the creation of God”. Here the word ‘beginning’ means ‘originator’. And further, “the firstborn of all creation” means that ‘the Lord Jesus has both precedence and preeminence over creation’.

Take for instance Phil 2:6-11- J.N Darby says, ‘The very fact that Christ made Himself of no reputation when in the form of God, is again a moral proof of His divine nature. Every creature was bound to keep its first estate; He who was high and sovereign could, in grace, come down and take another nature. Everything confirms this. He does not merely work miracles and cast out devils, but sends others out, and gives them authority over all devils. When He says, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up," who was dwelling in the temple? This kind of proof shines forth in every page of the gospels, and to the mind whose eye is open to see, affords a proof more powerful even than individual texts stating it in the letter, as I speak of the letter…Where the leper says, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst, and He says, I will, be thou clean - who can so speak? When I am called to believe in Jesus Christ come in flesh, which Christians are, they hold He is a man; but why insist on this? If He was simply a man, how else could man come?’

Phil 2:10,11 when read with Isaiah 45:23 clearly tells us that Christ is Jehovah.

Col 2:9- “For in Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.” J.N Darby writes, ‘…that when it is said the fullness of the Godhead dwells in Him bodily, it (the word ‘Godhead’) is not a vague word, as we speak of what is divine. The Greek has a distinct word for these two things; for the vague thought {divine} it is “theiotes”, as used in Romans 1 :20 (but for absolute Godhead) it is  “theotetos” as used in Colossians 2:9.’

There are some who contend that ‘Son of God’ is only a title given to Him when He was born. This is erroneous to the last degree. Adam as a created being was a son of God (Luke 4:38) and the apostle at Athens says that ‘we are His (God) offspring’ (Acts 27:28,29).This is because man possesses a spiritual nature that makes it possible for him to have companionship with God who is Spirit. It is written that “He maketh His angels spirits” (Heb 1:7) and since God is the “Father of spirits” (Heb 12:9), the angels too are spoken of as ‘sons of God’ in Job 38:7.

[The context in consideration is not to be confused with that of a believer who is adopted as child of God by faith in Christ- a truth which is infinitely superior both in essence and blessed privileges- since a Christian is a ‘heir of God, and joint-heir with Christ’ (Rom 8). This cannot be said of Adam since he was a son of God only by creation and not by adoption.]

But “that Holy thing” born of Mary is affirmed to be “the Son of God” as conceived by the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35). The Lord Jesus Christ did not become the Son of God when He was born. He was eternally the Son of God. Those who deny His Eternal Sonship are one step near to denying His Deity as well. It is written about Melchisedec that he was (in type)-“without father…having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God…”(Heb 7:3). Thus, the Son of God had neither a beginning nor would there be an end. He is eternally the Son in relation with God the Father. Therefore, it can be only said of Him-“…as of the only begotten of the Father…” (Jn 1:14). There are many sons but it is only written of the Lord Jesus Christ, that He is the “…only begotten Son of God” (Jn 3:18). (This refers to His eternal Sonship as One who is uncreated, co-existent and co-equal with the Father.) Again in John 3:16- “For God so loved the world…gave his only begotten Son…” and further in John 3:17-“For God sent… His Son…” and again in Isaiah 9:6-“For unto us …a Son is given…” This clearly shows that Christ is the Son of God before entering into the world. There are numerous verses that assert this truth. Take for instance, Gal4:4-“…God sent forth His Son, made of a woman…”. Can anything be more plain than this? He was the Son of God before He willingly partook of flesh and blood i.e. “made of a woman”. Further in Romans 8:3-“…God sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh…” (Note: it is not ‘sinful flesh’ but the likeness of it). Take Proverbs 30:4-“…what is His name, and what is His Son’s Name, if thou canst tell?”. (Here, once again we find the clear truth that the Son of God is One who is co-existent with the Father).

The world hates to acknowledge the Deity of Christ. What is said of Cain can be said of the world itself. 1 Jn 3:12-“…Cain, who was of that wicked one…” and in 1 Jn 5:19-“…the whole world lies in the wicked [one].(JND)” Cain was cursed from the earth and driven out from the presence of God and made a fugitive and a vagabond. This is true of the world too, for it is ‘without God and without hope’ and is ‘to pass away’ and is under condemnation. But look what Cain and his family was doing. Cain was building a city, attempting to do the impossible i.e. making the world as pleasant as he can without God. Look at his sons…they were the fathers of ‘such as dwell in tents..as have cattle…of such as handle the harp and the organ…artificer in brass and iron” (Gen 4). What was Cain and his family doing? They were doing exactly what Man is doing presently in the world i.e. making himself as happy as he can without God. What happens when the conscience of man encounters the knowledge of ‘true God and eternal life’? He suddenly is reminded of his true condition that he is but a fugitive and a vagabond and all the works of his perverted genius is but a lie before the true God and is found to be under condemnation in not having eternal life. This hurts his pride and makes him miserable. Thus, the world would rather be ‘indescribably happy’ without God than to ‘become guilty before God’. Thus, the world does not want to know about God and certainly ‘the world by wisdom knew not God’ (1 Cor 1:21). But, this deliberate ignorance about the things of God was struck down. How? 1 Jn 5:20-“…the Son of God is come…” Then, what happened of the world? Jn 15:22-“If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloak for their sin”. Now, the world has to answer why it “…trod under foot the Son of God…” (Heb 10:29). Is it not because, “men loved darkness rather than light” (John 3:19) and to what extent would they go to excuse themselves of their deplorable sin of unbelief in the Deity of Christ! The world can buy any falsehood to reject Christ’s Deity for if it is to accept, then comes the responsibility to believe on Him who is sent to be the Saviour of the world. The world accepts Jesus but out rightly rejects ‘…that Jesus is the Christ’ (1 Jn 2:23). The world is charmed by the story of Christmas but rejects His glorious resurrection because Rom 1:4 states- “declared to be the Son of God with power…by the resurrection from the dead..” But the Scriptures tell us plainly in Rom 9:5-“…Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.”

The Lord Jesus Christ said, “…he that hath seen Me hath seen the Father: and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?” (Jn 14:10).

It is essential to believe in the Deity of Christ to obtain eternal salvation. Jn 20:31 –“…that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God: and that believing ye might have life through His Name” If any denies that Jesus Christ is God, they deny for themselves the infinite and sublime love of God manifested in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ and is become a liar (1 Jn 2:22) and is heading for the fierceness of the wrath of Almighty God.

If the reader has not yet accepted Jesus Christ as his or her personal Lord and Saviour, the Scripture states- 1 Jn 5:20-“…Jesus Christ is the true God, and eternal life”. Believe on the ‘Author of eternal salvation’ and enjoy the ‘unsearchable riches of Christ’.

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