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How much can you not believe and still be saved?
Fred R. Coulter
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This week we will finish up the sections in the Old Testament that we want to cover. I want to start by saying that you can’t have it both ways. Remember, it was said of these Scriptures in the Old Testament that these are not references to the coming Messiah as God, or the coming Christ as God, but these are names of God given to human beings. That was said in this booklet. Who Is Jesus by Anthony Buzzard.
Isa. 9:6 talks about the Messiah; he is called the Mighty God! It said that it was referring to Godly glory that was given to a man, so therefore, He’s called the Mighty El. Well, I’m going to disprove that once again with the Scriptures.
Isaiah 9:6: “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, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”
Mighty God here is a title given to a man, they claim. How then can the Jews say during the time of Jesus that if He said that He was the Son of God He blasphemes? Then for the Jews to turn around and say in their lexicons that these are titles given to men.
You can’t have it both ways! You can’t on one hand say that this is not a prophecy that the Messiah would be God, and then say that no man can call himself God and then turn around and say that these are the prophecies of the Messiah—Who, by the way, is human—and these are attributing to him Godly characteristics. You can’t have it both ways! It’s impossible to have it both ways! It is the Mighty God and it means the Mighty God and it is to God. You therefore, in giving these kinds of names of adoration to men would be then violating the Scriptures. Wouldn’t you? Yes, you would!
Psalm 50:1[transcriber’s correction]: “The Mighty God… [the exact same wording] …God, the LORD [Yahweh], has spoken…” This one refers to God, and also the other one refers to God!.
He’s called the Mighty God in both cases. If one refers to the Mighty God, the other has got to refer to the Mighty God. If the one in Isa. 9:6 refers to the Messiah, then the Messiah must be God! Has to be!
I went into Psa. 82 in part 3 of this series, so I won’t go into it except that it is claimed where the term in Psalm 82:1: “God stands in the congregation of the mighty: He judges among the gods [elohim]” that these are judges.
Even though it mentions judges here in vs 2 on, I think that has to do with mentioning judges because they have failed their job and this is really a prophecy of those who are going to be in the resurrection with Christ, and they will then judge.
Same with v 6: “I have said, ‘You are gods; and all of you are sons of the Most High.’” That is a prophecy of those who will be in the first resurrection.
Now let’s look at one place where a man is attributed qualities of God. Can you guess who that man may be? Melchizedec is close, but in another case a physical, literal man that we know very well was attributed qualities of Elohim. Not David. Moses! There is a reason for that. Did any of the Israelites worship Moses? No! They didn’t worship Moses. As a matter of fact, they thought—when they got into the wilderness—he was a pretty bad guy for taking them out into the wilderness. ‘Why did you take us out into this wilderness to die?’
Exodus 7:1: “And the LORD said to Moses, ‘See, I have made you a god [elohim] to Pharaoh….’” Why would God say that? This is the only place in all of the Old Testament that you have a direct reference to a man who is compared to an elohim. Moses is unique, and the Jews would say that he’s unique because Moses saw God face-to-face; and no other man saw God face-to-face!
Why in this particular place would the Lord say, “…See, I have made you a god [elohim] to Pharaoh….”?
- Why do you suppose that would be? He would be a type of ‘God’!
He was not taking the place of God; that would be idolatry because of the miracles and the power!
- Why to Pharaoh? Pharaoh was considered to be God on the earth!
Just like before the end of WWII the emperor was considered the manifestation of ‘God’ on the earth; so was Buddha considered to be the manifestation of God in physical form, but he was not in the same physical flesh. We’re going to see in John 1 why that is so important.
That’s the only reason, because Pharaoh exalted himself and sat there and was the human representative of Ra, an elohim on earth. There’s no Elohim besides the Lord. To show Pharaoh a thing or two, God made—not the children of Israel, but to Pharaoh, who claimed to be God—Moses as elohim doing all of these miracles. That is the only place in the Old Testament where any attributes of Elohim are attributed to a man—period! None of the others in the Old Testament show any qualities of Elohim to a man.
Now let’s see some manifestations of God as a man. I think this becomes very important. Let’s go to Gen. 18 and we will go through the whole section. Why do you suppose it’s important that God can manifest Himself as a man? So that He could deal with man! And also, to show that God has power to do anything!
Genesis 18:1: “And the LORD [Yahweh] appeared to him [Abraham] …in the plains of Mamre, and he sat at the tent door in the heat of the day. And he lifted up his eyes and looked, and lo, three men stood by him….” (vs 1-2).
Who were the other two men? There’s the LORD, and the other two were angels who took Lot out of Sodom.
“…And when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground. And he said, ‘My LORD, if now I have found favor in Your sight, do not pass away, I pray, from Your servant. Let a little water, I pray, be brought, and wash Your feet, and rest under the tree. And I will bring a bite of bread… [notice the banquet]: …and will comfort your hearts. After that You shall pass on, for this is why You have come to Your servant.’ And they said, ‘Do so, as you have said’” (vs 2-5).
Can you picture this? The one who the ‘father of the faithful’ running around like a servant; he ran!
Verse 6: “And Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah, and said, ‘Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal; knead it, and make cakes.’ And Abraham ran out to the herd and brought a calf, tender and good. And he gave it to a young man. And he hurried to dress it. And he took butter and milk, and the calf, which he had dressed, and set it before them…. [all of this took a little period of time] …And he stood by them under the tree, and they ate” (vs 6-8). So, Abraham stood there as an attending servant!
Verse 9: “And they said to him, ‘Where is Sarah your wife?’ And he said, ‘Behold, in the tent.’ And He said, ‘I will certainly return to you according to the time of life, and lo, Sarah your wife shall have a son.’ And Sarah heard at the tent door, which was behind Him. Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in days, and it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. Therefore, Sarah laughed within herself, saying, ‘After I have become old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?’ And the LORD said to Abraham, ‘Why did Sarah laugh, saying, “Shall I, who am old, truly bear a child?”’” (vs 9-13).
Verse 14 is a key verse; keep this in mind because we’re going to come back to this: “‘Is anything too hard for the LORD?….’” Why is that a key Scripture? Because later in this book by Anthony Buzzard we’re going to see that it is said that He cannot be God and then become man and then become God! It says right here you can’t have it both ways. God can have it any way He wants! Is anything too hard for God? No!
“‘…At the time appointed I will return again, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.’ Then Sarah denied, saying, ‘I did not laugh;’ for she was afraid. And He said, ‘No, but you did laugh.’ And the men rose up from there, and looked toward Sodom. And Abraham was going with them to send them on the way. And the LORD said…” (vs 14-17)
So, The Lord appeared to a man; appeared as a man and Abraham talked to Him:
“…‘Shall I hide from Abraham the thing which I do, since Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? For I know him, that he will command his children and his house after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment, that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which He has spoken of him’” (vs 17-19).
You know what Abraham did. He pleaded with the LORD and said, ‘Oh, LORD, what if…’ and he got all the way down to ten people. And the LORD said He would spare Sodom for ten people.
Genesis 32:24: “And Jacob was left alone. And a Man wrestled there with him until the breaking of the day. And when the Man saw that He did not prevail against him, He touched the hollow of his thigh. And the hollow of Jacob’s thigh became out of joint as he wrestled with Him. And He said, ‘Let Me go, for the day breaks.’ And Jacob said, ‘I will not let You go except You bless me.’ And He said to him, ‘What is your name?’ And he said, ‘Jacob.’ And He said, ‘Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.’ And Jacob asked and said, ‘I pray You, reveal Your name.’ And He said, ‘Why do you ask after My name?’ And He blessed him there” (vs 24-29).
This is typical of Jesus’ behavior when He was in His ministry. He never answered the question. But notice what Jacob called this place:
Verse 30: “And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, saying, ‘For I have seen God face-to-face, and my life is preserved.’” God appeared as a man!
Who is Jesus? by Anthony Buzzard
I want to cover two places in review:
Ezra D. Gifford, in The True God, the True Christ, and the True Holy Spirit, says: “The Jews themselves sincerely resent the implication that their Scriptures contain any proof, or any intimation of the doctrine of the orthodox Trinity, and Jesus and the Jews never differed on this subject, both maintaining that God is One only, and that this is the greatest truth revealed to man.”
If we examine the recorded teachings of Jesus in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, remembering that these documents represent the understanding of the apostolic church in the 60s-80s AD, we will find not a hint that Jesus believed himself to be an uncreated being who had existed from eternity.
We’re going to see some Scriptures that hint at that there is more than one God!
Psalm 45:6: “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; a scepter of justice is the scepter of Your kingdom. You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore, God, Your God…” (vs 6-7). The alternate translation is O God, Your God! How are you going to have this without having two Gods?
“…therefore, God, Your God has anointed You with the oil of gladness above Your fellows” (v 7)—a direct prophecy of Jesus Christ! The way that it is explained in the booklet is that these are attributing these characteristics to a man. But it doesn’t say that. It says, “…therefore, God, Your God has anointed You with the oil of gladness above Your fellows” (v 16). That definitely shows two in that particular place.
We have these following places where there are indications that there is more than one God:
Genesis 1:26: “And God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness…’” That’s one; clear as a bell! Elohim without any number means two. The pronouns after that are plural.
Psalm 45:7: “…therefore, God, Your God…”
Let’s establish, first of all, Who the LORD is. This is David’s Psalm,:
Psalm 27:1: “The LORD [Yahweh] is my light and my salvation… [no doubt that is to God, to the LORD] …whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked, my enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though an army should encamp against me, my heart shall not be afraid; though war should rise against me, even then I will be confident. One thing I have desired from the LORD, that I will seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in His temple” (vs 1-4).
Key this in with 1-Cor. 10:4 where it says ‘they followed that Rock, and that Rock was Christ,’ Psalm 28:1: “I will cry to You, O LORD; my Rock…”
Verse 6: “Blessed is the LORD because He has heard the voice of my supplications. The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in Him…” (vs 6-7).
Psalm 33:1: “Rejoice in the LORD [Yahweh]…” Is there any question that David is talking about the LORD—Yahweh? No question at all whatsoever! None! You can go through every Psalm. I took these because they just happened to jump out on the pages as I was compiling this. Every one talks about the LORD—Yahweh.
Verse 6: “By the Word of the LORD [Yahweh] were the heavens made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.”
Does this not tie in with what we read in part 3 of this series in the section on Isaiah? Sure it does!
Verse 8: “Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him, for He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast. The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; He frustrates the plans of the people. The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the thoughts of His heart to all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God [Elohim] is the LORD [Yahweh], and the people He has chosen for His own inheritance” (vs 8-12).
I won’t belabor the point, but you can go all the way through the book of Psalms and you can see about the LORD.
Psa. 110 is one of those places where you’ve got to dance around in an explanation; to say, ‘This does not say what it means. Let me give you the explanation out of Anthony Buzzard’ booklet:
It is significant that the New Testament writers lay the greatest stress on Psalm 110, citing it some 23 times and applying it to Jesus, who had been by that time exalted as Messianic Lord to immortality at the right hand of the Father just as the Psalmist had foreseen. Once again we must recognize that eternal Sonship is alien to all the descriptive titles of the Messiah. This startling fact should lead Bible students everywhere to compare what they have been taught about Jesus with the Jesus presented by Scripture. It would appear that an eternal Son will not match the Bible’s account of the Messiah. In opting for a Jesus who is an eternal being passing through a temporary life on earth, many seem, so to speak, to have “got the wrong man.”
We have established that David said:
- My Lord
- the LORD [Yahweh]
- He’s My Rock
- He’s My salvation
- He’s my fortress
- He’s my high tower
Psalm 110:1: “The LORD [Yahweh] said unto my Lord [Adonai]…” {later corrected}
What are you going to do with that? Yahweh speaking to Yahweh! Is He talking to Himself? or Does this give us a hint, a projection that there are two who are eternal?
“…‘Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies as Your footstool’” (v 1).
Let’s see how the Apostle Paul applies this to Jesus. The New Testament, in fact, tells us who that first Yahweh is.
1-Corinthians 15:23: “But each in his own order: Christ the Firstfruit; then, those who are Christ’s at His coming. Afterwards the end comes, when He shall have delivered up the kingdom to Him Who is God and Father, when He shall have put an end to all rule and all authority and power. For it is ordained that He reign until He has put all enemies under His feet” (vs 23-25).
Who must reign? Jesus Who is said to be Yahweh! (Psa.110:1)!
Verse 26: “The last enemy to be destroyed is death. For He has put all things in subjection under His feet…. [God the Father put all things under Jesus’ feet] …But when it is said that all things have been put in subjection, it is clearly evident that it does not include Him Who put all things in subjection under Him. But when He has put all things in subjection to Him, then shall the Son Himself also be subject to Him Who put all things in subjection to Him, so that God may be all in all” (vs 26-28). That is cited several other places in Matt., Mark, Luke and Acts.
Psalm 110:1: “The LORD [Yahweh] said unto my Lord [Yahweh]…” You’ve got to reference the first Yahweh—the Father. The only place in the Old Testament where the term Yahweh appears to apply to the Father.
“…‘Sit at My right hand until I make Your [Yahweh] enemies as Your footstool.’ The LORD [Yahweh] shall send the rod of Your strength out of Zion saying, ‘Rule in the midst of Your enemies. Your people will offer themselves in the day of Your power, in the beauties of Holiness from the womb of the morning: Yours is the dew of Your youth. The LORD has sworn and will not repent, ‘You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedec.’” (vs 1-4). We know that in Heb. 7 this applies to Jesus Christ!
So, if “The LORD says to my Lord….You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedec,” this is a clear indication in the Old Testament that there is God the Father, but not revealed, just an indication. You can’t say that this clearly says God the Father, because it doesn’t. But how are you going to understand “The LORD said to my Lord…” unless there are two?
Who is the one who told Jesus that this would happen? The Father! We know from the New Testament. It gives us a clue, and here is the fallacy of this booklet, Who Is Jesus?reasoning that Jesus wasn’t God before He became human. The fallacy is that the full revelation of God is found in the Old Testament. ‘Everything in the New Testament must conform to the Old Testament.’ That is wrong! A lot of people buy that argument, but that is wrong! It’s the other way around:
- the Old Testament is the foundation
- the Old Testament is understood in the light of the New Testament
Not the New Testament being understood in the light of the Old Testament!
So, if you have Jewish theologians, and those who follow them, reject the New Testament, and have gone through and sanitized and cleansed anything having to do with Jesus, what do you think they’re going to tell you when they consider that Jesus is the greatest religious hoax to ever happen? They’re going to tell you that there’s nothing there! But there is something there!
Psalm 111:1: “Praise the LORD! I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart…” That is the One in Psa. 110 called ‘my Lord.’
If ‘my Lord’ is not the Yahweh of the Old Testament, then you would have to conclude that David is committing idolatry or praying to the wrong God. If he’s not praying to the wrong God—and He’s not, and if He is worshipping the right Yahweh—which He is, then where it says “The LORD says to My Lord…” you have no other conclusion to draw than that there are two Who have the name Yahweh. There is no other conclusion.
Psa. 2—this is also quoted in the book. This is a prophecy of Jesus, and I will have to say that it is true that the Old Testament does not say that the One Who became Jesus had eternally been the Son before He became human. The Old Testament does not teach that, and neither does the New Testament teach that.
The One Who became the Son did not become the Son until He was begotten. That’s why you can’t find in the Old Testament that the Son existed eternally as the Son. The One Who was Yahweh eternally existed, and He became the Son, but was not the Son until He became the Son. Here’s a prophecy of it:
Psalm 2:1: “Why do the nations rage and the people plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together against the LORD [Yahweh] and against His Christ, saying, ‘Let us break Their bands asunder and cast away Their cords from us.’ He who sits in the heavens laughs; the LORD scoffs at them. Then He shall speak to them in His wrath, and in His fury He terrifies them. ‘Yea, I have set My king upon Zion, My Holy mountain.’ ‘I will declare the decree of the LORD. He has said to Me… [Who is ‘Me’? Is this David? Was David a type of Christ?] …“You are My Son; this day I have begotten You”’” (vs 1-7).
There is only one day when He was begotten as the Son, and we’ll cover that later. There is a prophecy of it, and this is taken in the New Testament clearly showing that.
Daniel 3:23—we know what happened to Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego: “And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.”
I imagine there in Mesopotamia that they had some pretty good things to burn with. I’m sure they weren’t using wood. I think even at that time that oil was oozing out of the ground and it’s called bitumen; so they had a pretty hot fire.
Verse 24: “Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was amazed. And he rose up in haste and spoke and said to his advisers, ‘Did we not throw three men bound into the middle of the fire?’ They answered and said to the king, ‘True, O king.’ He answered and said, ‘Behold! I see four men loose, walking in the middle of the fire, and there is no harm done to them. And the form of the fourth is like a son of the gods.’” (vs 24-25).
Here’s a reference to a son of god, not eternally existing. Who said that? Nebuchadnezzar!
We will look at the last place where there is intimation, and remember, this booklet said there is not a hint anywhere in the Old Testament that the One Who became Jesus Christ was God. We’ve seen more than a hint. We’ve seen some substantial and reasonable proof.
Daniel 7:9: “I watched until thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days sat, Whose raiment was white as snow, and the hair of His head like pure wool. His throne was like flames of fire, and its wheels… [the wheels of the throne] …like burning fire. A stream of fire issued and came out from before Him. A thousand thousands ministered unto Him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. The court sat and the books were opened. Then I was looking because of the voice of the boastful words, which the horn spoke. I watched until the beast was slain, and his body was destroyed and given to the burning flame. And as for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away. Yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time. I saw visions in the night and, behold, One like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him” (vs 9-13).
What happened when Jesus told the Pharisees and the priests who were judging him, when they asked: ‘Are You the Son of God?’ What was His answer? ‘You have said it, and henceforth you shall see the Son of man coming with the power of God in great glory in the clouds’! That’s referring directly to Dan. 7:13. What was their answer when He said that? They ripped their clothes and said, ‘What further need do we have of any more witnesses, He blasphemes because He makes Himself God!’ Did they understand that the Son of man here was, in fact, God? Why would they say He blasphemed?
There are other cases—in the book of Ezekiel—where God talks to Ezekiel and says, ‘son of man…’ all the way through. That’s not referring to the One Who would become Jesus Christ.
“…One like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him. And dominion and glory was given to Him, and a kingdom, that all people, nations and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom that which shall not be destroyed” (vs 13-14). That’s something!
Psa. 78—this is really a very good Psalm as far as what it is going to take for human nature to understand what God is doing. It talks about how God brought the children of Israel out of Egypt and they sinned against Him. This is a very good Psalm as far as what is it going to take for human nature to understand what God is doing!
Psalm 78:10: “They did not keep the covenant of God and refused to walk in His Law. And they forgot His works and His wonders which He had shown them” (vs 10-11). He sent them water, meat and manna and the whole thing!
Verse 21: “Therefore, the LORD heard and was furious; so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel because they did not believe in God and did not trust in His salvation” (vs 21-22). This is the key from here on—believed not!
What happens when you don’t believe? You cannot be saved! I want to key this question in here, and we’ll come back to it: How much can you not believe and still be saved?Anyone want to risk that? I’ll just let you think on that! Let that percolate along for a bit.
Verse 32: “For all this they still sinned… [even after God did all the things, punishment and everything] …and did not believe in His wonderful works.” These people saw it directly; I mean, you can’t get away from it—can you?
If you were there in the camp and the quail came, you ate the quail; you saw them come and you ate them. Do you disbelieve something that you had in your hand and you ate? They would go out in the morning and they would get the manna, and they would eat it. All the miracles of God, Moses being on the mountain, hearing the voice of God!
Verse 33: “Therefore, He ended their days in vanity and their years in terror.” I tell you, there’s nothing worse than wandering in a desert! You talk about vanity!
Verse 34: “When He slew them, then they sought Him… [this is true of human nature; whenever people are faced with death, they pray, regardless of who they are] …and they turned back and sought after God earnestly. And they remembered that God was their Rock, and the Most High God was their Redeemer. Nevertheless, they flattered Him with their mouths, and they lied to Him with their tongues, for their heart was not steadfast with Him; neither were they faithful in His covenant” (vs 34-37).
(go to the next track)
How much can you not believe and still be saved?
You can take this Psalm and place it in the New Testament. True! Absolutely true!
Verse 38: “But He [God], being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity and did not destroy them; yea, many times He turned His anger away and did not stir up all His wrath, for He remembered that they were but flesh, a wind that passes away and does not come again” (vs 38-39).
I wonder how many people are in that position doctrinally and spiritually? That they do a lot of things, and since they’re not knocked flat on their ‘keester’ so to speak, knocked down on their face, killed or destroyed, they think they’re getting away with it when God is just holding back His anger.
Verse 40: “How often did they provoke Him in the wilderness and grieve Him in the desert? And still again they tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel” (vs 40-41). That really gets down to the whole thing!
When men don’t like what God does, they don’t accept it and they limit God. That’s a principle you can take time and again. For those who do not believe in Christ; there are those who don’t believe in a virgin birth.
In the San Jose Mercury News had a summary of this book by this man who said that the Apostle Paul was a secret closet homosexual, and that’s why he was against women. Someone wrote a retort for it in the paper. It says, ‘There they go again, attacking anything that God does’—just summarizing. ‘It seems like that anything to believe in they take it away. Why should you believe in anything of the Apostle Paul’s writings anyway if that’s the case?’
- they limit God
- they tempt God
If you limit God and tempt God, you don’t believe God! What is the very foundational thing that the New Testament says about believing God? What does it say? You believe God with all your heart and mind, that is absolutely true! It says, ‘He that is coming to God must be believing that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who are diligently seeking Him!’
- If you don’t believe that God is, how can you believe what He does?
- If you don’t believe what He does, how can you believe what He is?
Here is the key:
- don’t think of God in human terms
- don’t limit God
Isaiah 55:8: “‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor your ways My ways,’ says the LORD. ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts’” (vs 8-9). What is it that we have in the New Testament?
Let me mention that the Jewish commentaries do not approach these things, nor do the Jews approach them from the point of view that God shows they should be.
- What do you need in order to understand the Scriptures of God thoroughly?
- Knowledge? That’s helpful!
- Understanding the original language? That’s really helpful!
- What is it that you really need, because there are a lot of people with doctorates of philosophy, theology, and masters in religion?
The Holy Spirit! That’s what you need!
1-Corinthians 2:9: “But according as it is written, ‘The eye has not seen, nor the ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.’”
If you believe that human beings are going to be born into the Kingdom of God and be as God is—in other words, become an elohim—because we will see Jesus as He is, why is it that you cannot believe that God could become a man? Interesting question, I’ll let you think on that!
Verse 10: “But God has revealed them to us by His Spirit…” That’s what you need, God’s Spirit!
Remember, we already covered that Jesus came to reveal the Father, and the Father could not have been the One to give the Ten Commandments on Mt. Sinai, because God revealed Himself to Israel at that point. Therefore, Jesus would not have to have revealed the Father. It’s by His Spirit!
“…for the Spirit searches all things—even the deep things of God. For who among men understands the things of man except by the spirit of man, which is in him? In the same way also, the things of God no one understands except by the Spirit of God. Now, we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit that is of God, so that we might know the things graciously given to us by God; which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom…” (vs 10-13)—Christology; preponderance of evidence; basic axiom, etc.—man’s wisdom!
“…but in words taught by the Holy Spirit in order to communicate spiritual things by spiritual means. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God…” (vs 13-14).
The natural man cannot understand the Word of God without the Spirit of God; therefore, if you don’t accept Jesus, if you don’t believe in Jesus, you don’t have the Spirit of God! So therefore, if you refuse to accept Him, if you call this the greatest blaspheme and hoax that has ever been, then there is no way that you’re going to even understand the Scriptures you claim to be your own, the Old Testament—can you? No you can’t! It’s not understood by the Old Testament alone. The Old Testament is understood because of the New Testament.
“…for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them because they are spiritually discerned” (v 14).
The Birth of Jesus:
Now we’re going to talk about the birth of Jesus. This is going to be important. I want us to follow along with this; we’re going to make some very basic conclusions here:
Luke 1:26: “And in the sixth month of her pregnancy, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the lineage of David; and the name of the virgin was Mary. And after coming to her, the angel said, ‘Hail, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you; blessed are you among women’” (vs 26-28).
Nowhere does this give the thing that Mary was to be worshipped as a goddess. “…blessed are you among women”—it would have to be. Consider this: For all women who feel deprived, this could never happen to a man; no man was selected for this; it was a woman! This is tremendous!
Verse 29: “But when she saw him, she was greatly perplexed at his message, and was considering what kind of salutation this might be. Then the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, because you have found grace with God; and behold, you shall conceive in your womb and give birth to a son; and you shall call His name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest…’” (vs 29-32). This is when Jesus is called the Son of God; it could not have happened until this point.
“‘…and the Lord God shall give Him the throne of David, His forefather; and He shall reign over the house of Jacob into the ages, and of His kingdom there shall be no end’” (vs 32-33).
Where did we read there should be no end to His Kingdom in the Old Testament? Isa. 9:6—called the Mighty God!
Verse 34: “But Mary said to the angel, ‘How shall this be, since I have not had sexual relations with a man?’”
They knew about sex; they knew that it couldn’t happen without a man and woman; they didn’t have in vitro fertilization as we have today.
Verse 35: “And the angel answered and said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit shall come upon you, and the power of the Highest… [that’s higher than Jesus; this has got to be God the Father] …shall overshadow you; and for this reason, the Holy One being begotten in you shall be called the Son of God.’”
She didn’t just give that name to Him because she thought this was a wonderful experience. She was commanded to call Him the Son of God! Also notice, if you look in an Interlinear an understand a little bit about Greek, it literally means: the thing being conceived in you now, right then while he was talking, it was happening, shall be called the Son of God!
Verse 36: “Now behold, Elizabeth your kinswoman has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible’ (vs 36-37). If God could manifest Himself as a man, do you think that it’s any difficult thing for God to become the impregnation of a human, physical life? No! Nothing is impossible with God!
We will see what else He was to be called. He was to be called the Son of God! It becomes very important that God had to become human—very important. You could not have the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all humankind in all historical settings from Adam and Eve to the last person in any less than God becoming human! If Jesus did not exist until He was conceived in the womb of Mary, how could His life then be applied to other human beings before He existed?
Matthew 1:18: “And the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: Now, His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph; but before they came together… [as husband and wife in sexual relations] …she was found to be with child of the Holy Spirit. And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man, and not willing to expose her publicly…” (vs 18-19).
What was the command with fornication? To be stoned! Death! He didn’t want to make a public example; he was merciful.
“…was planning to divorce her secretly. But as he pondered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary to be your wife, because that which has been begotten in her is of the Holy Spirit’” (vs 19-20).
Why was it necessary for an angel to tell Joseph that? Would he have believed anybody else? No! Besides, if God did it, then an angel ought to have told him!
Verse 21: “And she shall give birth to a son, and you shall call His name Jesus; for He shall save His people from their sins.” What did even the Pharisees say concerning sins? ‘Who can forgive sins but God, when Jesus said to man who was ill, ‘Your sins be forgiven you.’
Verse 22: “Now, all this came to pass, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, ‘Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall give birth to a son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel’; which is, being interpreted, ‘God with us’” (vs 22-23).
- Doesn’t that say that Jesus was God?
- How can you get away from it? You can’t!
Verse 25: “But he [Joseph] did not have sexual relations with her until after she had given birth to her son, the firstborn; and he called His name Jesus.”
In other words, they did not come together as husband and wife until after Jesus was born, until Jesus was presented at the temple, etc.
We know the whole story of the wise men. What did they do when they came and found Jesus? They worshipped Him! Who alone should you worship? God!
Luke 1:38: “And Mary said, ‘Behold the handmaid of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.’ And the angel departed from her. And Mary rose up in those days andwent with haste into the hill country, to a city of Judah, and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. Now, it came to pass that when Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the babe leaped in her womb… [a six month old child in the womb is called a baby; it’s human] …and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit” (vs 38-41). Who did the inspiration of this? The Holy Spirit!
Verse 42: “And she cried out with a loud voice and said, ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. But why is this happening to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?’” (vs 42-43). Strong words; inspired of the Holy Spirit!
Verse 44: “‘For behold, as soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the babe in my womb leaped in exultation. And blessed is she who has believed…’” (vs 44-45).
Mary had to believe! What if Mary said, ‘You’re not an angel, get out of here; I don’t believe in this nonsense and superstition’? She believed!
“‘…for there shall be a fulfillment of the things spoken to her from the Lord.’ Then Mary said, ‘My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has exulted in God my Savior; for He has looked upon the humble estate of His handmaid; for behold, from this time forward all generations shall count me blessed’” (vs 45-48). Not the queen of heaven, but blessed!
Verse 49: “‘Because the Mighty One has done great things to me, and Holy is His name; and His mercy is toward those who fear Him, from generation to generation. He has worked strength with His arm; He has scattered the haughty in the imagination of their hearts’” (vs 49-51).
Read all of Luke 2 about the birth of Jesus; the angels coming and saying, ‘You will find Him,’ which is Christ the Lord (v 11); and the angels saying, ‘Glory to God.’
Luke 2:40: “And the little child grew and became strong in spirit, being filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him…. [He was filled with the Holy Spirit from impregnation] …Now, His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. And when He was twelve years old…” (vs 40-42).
There are some spurious books out: Where was Jesus when He was child?
- He went to Egypt and learned sorcery from the Egyptians!
- He went to India!
- He went to Tibet!
It’s almost as bad as this stack of heresy I’ve got sitting over here, Where was Jesus? A lot of those spurious things were written by Jews, later published during the Renaissance and the Reformation.
They couldn’t find Him for three days, v 46: “Now, it came to pass that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both hearing them and questioning them. And all those who were listening to Him were amazed at His understanding and His answers. But when they saw Him, they were astonished; and His mother said to Him, ‘Son, why have you dealt with us in this manner? Look, Your father and I have been very distressed while searching for You.’ And He said to them, ‘Why is it that you were looking for Me? Don’t you realize that I must be about My Father’s business?’ But they did not understand the words that He spoke to them. Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and He was subject to them. But His mother kept all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men” (vs 46-52).
How did Jesus learn?
This booklet says that He was taught in a ‘very thoroughly Jewish atmosphere’ by His mother and father. He was taught ‘Jewish rabbinical’ thinking.
- How was Jesus taught? By God the Father!That’s Who taught Him!
- Was He taught a Jewish rabbinical education? No!
- Why? Because the rabbis did not follow the Bible! Rabbis did not follow the Word of God!
What Jesus was to teach and learn was far greater than what the rabbis could give!
John 7:14: “But then, about the middle of the Feast, Jesus went up into the temple and was teaching. And the Jews were amazed, saying, ‘How does this man know letters, having never been schooled?’” (vs 14-15). That means He had not received their formal education; had never learned in any of their schools!
Verse 16: “Jesus answered them and said, ‘My doctrine is not Mine, but His Who sent Me. If anyone desires to do His will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it is from God, or whether I speak from My own self’” (vs 16-17).
John 8:28: “Then Jesus said to them, ‘When you have lifted up the Son of man, then you yourselves shall know that I AM, and that I do nothing of Myself. But as the Father taught Me, these things I speak.’”
- What did He say when He was 12-years-old? I must be about My Father’s business! So, the Father was teaching Him before He was 12.
- When was the Father teaching Him? Probably from the very instant that He was born!
Jesus had to be perfect and not sin. There’s only one way that He could have done that is with the Holy Spirit in Him and being taught of the Father. “…I do nothing of Myself. But as the Father taught Me, these things I speak.”
Verse 29: “And He Who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone because I always do the things that please Him.” Very interesting words—right?
John 5:19: “Therefore, Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Truly, truly I say to you, the Son has no power to do anything of Himself…’”
In other words, He’s saying that He did nothing originating of His own self, of His own idea, of His own thoughts, but what He sees the Father do!
“‘…but only what He sees the Father do. For whatever He does, these things the Son also does in the same manner’” (v 19). Very important!
What would have happened if Jesus would have done one thing on His own? That would have been self-will and we would have all been lost!
You see what happens when you get a writing like this, and people believe that he was taught in the Jewish way, thoroughly steeped in Jewish thinking. Nonsense! He wasn’t steeped in Jewish thinking! If that were the case, then why did the Jews hate Him?
John 14:10—after Philip said, ‘Show us the Father’: “Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I speak to you, I do not speak from My own self…” I’m not self-originating these things.
I wish that anyone who professes to be a minister or a teacher, or a so-called prophet—I have stacks of all kinds of stupidity in, the name of God, sent to me; a bunch of false doctrines—that you would do this one thing: take this motto that Jesus said, “…The words that I speak to you, I do not speak from My own self…” Don’t have something come out of you as a great new wonderful doctrine!
“…but the Father Himself, Who dwells in Me, does the works” (v 10). Let’s yield to the Holy Spirit and let that teach us, which is going to be in conformity with all the words of God.
Verse 11: “Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; but if not, believe Me because of the works themselves. Truly, truly I say to you, the one who believes in Me shall also do the works that I do; and greater works than these shall he do because I am going to the Father” (vs 11-12).
Why could not Jesus have anything come from Himself? We’ll understand that a little more when we get into the nature that Jesus had and why He had to have that nature!
John 2:23: “Now, when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the Feast, many believed on His name, as they observed the miracles that He was doing.”
All of that was short-lived. For a miracle people will believe a lot of things for a short period of time.
Verse 24: “But Jesus did not entrust Himself to them, because He knew all men; and He did not need anyone to testify concerning man, for He Himself knew what was in man” (vs 24-25).
If Jesus was fully human He could not have taught anything of Himself, because that would have been sin! It’s that simple!
How much can you not believe and still be saved? You can’t!
John 20:24: “But Thomas, called Didymus, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came.” Remember, Jesus just appeared, standing in the middle and then He disappears!
Verse 25: “Then the other disciples said to him, ‘We have seen the Lord.’ But he said to them, ‘Unless I see the nail marks in His hands, and put my finger into the nail marks, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe at all.’”
How much can you not believe and still be saved?
Verse 26: “Now after eight days, His disciples again were within, and Thomas with them. Jesus came after the doors were shut, and stood in the midst and said, ‘Peace be to you.’ Then He said to Thomas…” (vs 26-27).
I would loved to have been there. I wonder what Thomas’ face was like when Jesus was there all of a sudden?
He looked at all the disciples, and then He looked at Thomas and said: “…‘Put forth your finger, and see My hands; and reach out your hand, and put it into My side; and be not unbelieving, but believing.’ And Thomas answered and said to Him, ‘My Lord and My God.’…. [He called God!] …Jesus said to him, ‘Because you have seen Me, Thomas, you have believed; blessed are the ones who have not seen, but have believed.’ Now then, Jesus did many other miracles in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book. But these have been written, so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing, you may have life through His name” (vs 27-31).
- Is it necessary that you believe that Jesus was God before He became human in order to believe Jesus?
- If He truly was God before He became human, and you don’t believe that, do you have enough belief for salvation?
We’re not talking just about arguing theological terms. We’re not talking about new doctrine or old doctrine. We’ll prove, undoubtedly, that He was God before He became human.
I won’t say it dogmatically, but I doubt very much whether anyone can be saved if you don’t believe that He was God before He became human. That would be the greatest act that God has done to save humankind.
Let’s talk a little bit about this belief. If you truly believe that Jesus was God before He became human, and that He died for your sins, are there other things that you may not be perfect in that God can overlook and you still would be saved, because you truly believe that? I would have to say that, yes, you could be saved, because you truly believe in the Son of God and that He was God!
John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son…” He’s making this clear that He’s the only one! Other people have said that they’re a manifestation of God.
“…so that everyone who believes in Him may not perish, but may have everlasting life” (v 16).
You’ve got to believe that He was the Son of God! We will see why John was written and you’ve got to believe that Jesus was God before He became the Son.
Verse 17: “For God sent not His Son into the world that He might judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. The one who believes in Him is not judged… [condemned to death, because you believe on Him] …but the one who does not believe has already been judged because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (vs 17-18). What does His name include? That He is God!
Verse 19: “And this is the judgment: that the Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who practices evil hates the light, and does not come to the Light, so that his works may not be exposed… [that’s what’s the matter with the world today] …but the one who practices the Truth comes to the Light, so that his works may be manifested, that they have been accomplished by the power of God” (vs 19-21).
John 12:44: “Then Jesus called out and said, ‘The one who believes in Me does not believe in Me, but in Him Who sent Me.’” Believing in God the Father!
If God the Father did this with the One Who became Christ, are you really believing what the Father did if you don’t believe that Jesus was God before He became human?
Verse 45: “And the one who sees Me sees Him Who sent Me. I have come as a light into the world so that everyone who believes in Me may not remain in darkness. But if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. The one who rejects Me and does not receive My words has one who judges him; the word which I have spoken, that shall judge him in the last day. For I have not spoken from Myself; but the Father, Who sent Me, gave Me commandment Himself, what I should say and what I should speak. And I know that His commandment is eternal life. Therefore, whatever I speak, I speak exactly as the Father has told Me” (vs 45-50).
We’re going to go through some things in the book of John and in the other epistles and we will answer the questions:
- Why, when Jesus was on earth, He did not say directly that He was God?
- Why that Jesus in John 17, when He prayed to the Father, He said, ‘You are the only true God’?
Then we will cover why the sacrifice of Christ is so great, because of what He did to forgive sin! The book of John is the very key important thing!
Scriptures from The Holy Bible in Its Original Order, A Faithful Version
Scriptural References:
- Isaiah 9:6
- Psalm 50:1
- Psalm 82:1, 6
- Exodus 7:1
- Genesis 18:1-19
- Genesis 32:24-30
- Psalm 45:6-7
- Genesis 1:26
- Psalm 45:6
- Psalm 27:1-4
- Psalm 28:1, 6-7
- Psalm 33:1, 6, 8-12
- Psalm 110:1
- 1 Corinthians 15:23-28
- Psalm 110:1-4
- Psalm 111:1
- Psalm 2:1-7
- Daniel 3:23-25
- Daniel 7:9-14
- Psalm 78:10-11, 21-22, 32-41
- Isaiah 55:8-9
- 1 Corinthians 2:9-14
- Luke 1:26-37
- Matthew 1:18-23, 25
- Luke 1:38-51
- Luke 2:40-42, 46-52
- John 7:14-17
- John 8:28-24
- John 5:19
- John 14:10-12
- John 2:23-25
- John 20:24-31
- John 3:16-21
- John 12:44-50
Scriptures referenced, not quoted:
- 1-Corinthians 10:4
- Hebrews 7
- Luke 2:11
- John 17
Also referenced: Booklet: Who is Jesus? by Anthony Buzzard.
FRC:bo Transcribed: 5/23/13
Reformatted/Corrected: 2/2020
