Knit together by God..

Have you ever seen professional/experts knitting? Now I’m not talking about that one class where you had to knit (and you hated it) but I mean, people that have been knitting a while, those that enjoy doing it, and do it with joy, with skill and with such prowess you can’t help but admire their work?

Have you noticed not just the beautiful final products they come up with (every single time!) but also the immeasurable care they put into making sure every box or square or pattern comes out just right? What about the time they put in? They don’t take short-cuts because they know how beautiful the final product can be and they will not settle for anything less than it. And when the final product is complete, have you seen the pride in their faces as they look at it? And then the grins on their faces and sparkle in their eyes when they show it to any and everyone who will care to stop to look?

Well, Psalms 139:13 says:

Imagine that! The Creator of earth and heaven, of all things seen and unseen knit you! He took the time, the care and the patience to put you together from scratch. From a glorious vision he had of your destiny and your purpose on this earth, He took the time to step by step work on fashioning you in your mother’s womb.

Sometimes we forget how special we are (as individuals and to God). I’ve heard this expression: “I’m special (and unique), just like everyone else.” That’s not so special is it? It’s no fun to think that your uniqueness is similar to everyone else – it takes A LOT away from you feeling special doesn’t it? Consider this: if a toy was being made by a particular manufacturer and had the label, ‘specially created for you' as the tag line for each child – that would be true to an extent. Each box has a unique code that differentiates it from all the other identical toys shipped out to different stores and homes. That makes the toys unique, but only on the outside; the inside of all the toys is exactly the same since they are mass-produced.

The Bible says this is NOT how God formed you. He did not just create a prototype and batch produce humans with a different unique ID. He spent time, carefully worked on you to perfection – both on the inside and out. KNITTING. So your skin colour might be like someone else’s, your ears and nose similar to your grandparents’ but there are a million other things inside of you including your destiny and purpose God interwove with your special traits/characteristics for you to fulfil.

I don’t know about you but what a joy to know that each quirk we have, each little detail about our lives and who we are at our core was carefully fashioned and specially designed and signatured by God.

Know this today: You are all kinds of special! You were fashioned by God.

I want to GROW!

In the same way our bodies, like plants need various ‘ingredients’ or nutrients to grow, so our spirit man (or simply, spirit) needs proper nurturing for it to flourish.  This is never instantaneous, but rather a process that can sometimes be frustrating and seemingly fruitless in the present but I can assure you it always produces fruit much greater than we could ever imagine!

Below are a few of these ‘nutrients’ needed for us to grow. The list is in no way exhaustible as God continually shows us new areas and ways of growth. If you have other tips or suggestions, please add them in the comments section and we can all learn and begin to apply them.

*Scheduled devotion/quiet time with God – We need to spend time alone with God in the same way we do for other relationships that we desire to flourish. This time spent with God is important for you to get your bearing, for you to speak out genuinely and openly to Him as well as being silent and still for Him to speak to you or prompt you in a certain direction. Your devotion time can include prayer, singing, doing a guided devotional or pure reading of His word – really there’s no formula, all you need is to take the dedicated first step of making time daily to spend with God.

*Prayer time – This consists of your regular devotional prayer time as well as being able to pray for things beyond the scope of Y.O.U! Sometimes we get so caught up praying for ourselves, OUR needs and OUR desires that we leave no room to pray for other people. You should individually or corporately be involved in regular prayer time for needs beyond your own.  

*Regular intake of the Word – Spend time reading the Bible. Before you became a Christian, you fed your mind with all sorts of things and those things eventually became the norm for you. Romans 12:1 says be transformed by the renewal of your minds… The way to start living out that transformation, and seeing it manifest is by reprogramming your mind with the Word of God. There are truths you need to meditate on that you will only find IN the Bible, lessons you need to learn, revelations God wants to give you, a lifestyle He wants you to have and these can only become possible and a reality when you are feeding on His word. You may choose to go chapter by chapter or alternatively use a devotional guide to help you keep track of where you have reached and give you some complementary insight to the scripture you have read.

*Memorizing Scripture – In Joshua 1:8, God asks Joshua to meditate on His word day and night. How can you meditate on something you do not know or have readily? Something that is not already on and in your mind? Instead of spending lots of time stressing about issues or thinking about unproductive stuff, how about you spend that time thinking through, digesting and repeating to yourself God’s word? The Bible says that God’s word is living and powerful (Hebrews 4:12) – it can give you strength in moments where you’d rather give up; give you renewed assurance and faith in times of despair. If you have this word in your mind – ready to battle with the enemy when He comes against you with all sorts of lies and accusations (It’s the sword of the spirit – Ephesians 6:17), you will be able to live out a truly victorious Christian life. There are various ways you can memorize scripture: Some people write out the verses they wish to memorize on little flash cards, others print them out and stick them on their mirrors or other regular reference places – find what works for you and MEMORIZE THAT WORD!

*Fellowshipping in a Bible-based/ Bible teaching Church – Hebrews 10:25 “Do not forsake the meeting together of brethren as some are in the habit of doing”. There is something powerful about corporate worship – where believers come together to sing, pray and sit at the feet of Jesus to hear His word. So many people testifying of His goodness might be an encouragement or challenge to you or somehow you might be an encouragement to them! God speaks and moves in various ways and one of the ways is when His body comes together to worship. He instructed us to come together to worship and there has to be good reason and sense for us to obey that (as is with His other commands). I stated ‘Bible-teaching church’ because some churches are not teaching the Bible and are hence communicating a false doctrine. Be sure to always check that the messages being preached and the church’s statement of faith/beliefs are in alignment with the word of God – The Bible. If you have queries and uneasiness about some things, pray about them and speak to one of the pastors/leaders who should be willing to direct you to scripture that explains why certain things have been put in place. There’s no use in you being hyped up and excited when nothing’s actually changing and you aren’t growing – there’s no growth outside Christ and His Word.

*Get involved – There has been some lackluster behavior in the Church in recent years where the congregation believes that only an elect few are called to be involved in ministry and in God’s work. We are all part of God’s family (all part of the same body – Romans 12:4-8) and each in his/her little corner whether seen or unseen is crucial for the effective functioning of the body of Christ (Eph. 4:12). Find your place, get involved. Many times God will teach you lots of lessons on your attitude and dealing with people as you work in His house so do not take this service lightly. Whether it is in ushering, intercessory team, welcome committee, counseling, Sunday school, visitation ministry, choir – you name it. There is always a need for a few extra hands in Church, so instead of sitting back, mostly complaining about how wrong others are doing it, get off your behind and find somewhere to give of yourself. Like Celebration Ministry puts it: Involvement is the key to your destiny. Discipleship too, takes place in the context of getting involved with others.

*Fellowshipping in a smaller group of believers e.g. Bible study or Cell group – I cannot emphasize enough how crucial this is. In these groups you are able to reflect on the message you heard in Church or alternatively on specific bits of scripture and like I mentioned in a previous post. It is in the discussing and sharing of the Word that a lot of truth becomes known to us and others. Secondly, in these smaller groups, we are able to share personal struggles, get godly advice on how to handle these (see this post) as well as get people praying for us where we would normally either have kept to ourselves or shared with people who wouldn’t be able to help! Let’s face it – the bigger assemblies of believers – i.e. church services are too massive to give individual attention to everyone and therefore, you can end up feeling alone, uncared for and disconnected – beware of this, the devil tries to isolate you so he can send all sorts of tricks your way. Be proactive; join a Bible study or fellowship group as soon as possible. Additionally, in these smaller groups, we are able to hold each other to living out God’s word so that we are not simply hearers but also doers of the word (James 1:22).

*Music – I know this tends to be a touchy subject for many people but music is one of those things I believe are very crucial facilitating spiritual growth. The music you listen to goes into your sub-conscious, and before you know it, you begin to speak, dream, act in a certain way because of the things you feed your mind. I’m not saying that you necessarily have to listen to medieval choirs sing hymns and stuff (if that’s not what you like) – there’s a lot of contemporary (rock, r&b, hip-hop, jazz, afro-fusion, soul and even neo-soul) gospel music that you can enjoy nowadays. Just be sure that it’s based on God’s word though because many times we get hooked to stuff just because of a couple nice-sounding ‘gospel-ish’ lines and before we know it, we have misconceptions about who God is or our relationship with Him. Just be wise and think twice before you play that song or watch that music video. (see Tashyb’s post on this)  

*Walking in obedience – Being faithful in the little things causes you to be awarded greater things to be a steward of (Luke 16:10).  The Christian life is not one of a ‘one-time-class’ and then graduation. We are constantly being taught, constantly being tested, after we pass the test, we move on to the next level (we grow). Think about the Israelites, walking round the desert for 40years… If they had been obedient in the first place, this time would have been much shorter. For some of you it may seem like things aren’t changing and yet all you need to do is ask God what the lesson you need to learn is and learn it, or what the task is and DO IT as he instructs. You might be limiting your own growth just by being disobedient!

I pray that these will help you in your quest to grow in God and know Him more and more. It is in Him that we live, breathe and find our being (Acts 17:28). If you desire growth and want to see His kingdom come and will being done in your life – spend time in His presence and in things that edify you and bring Him praise. Before long, that transformation will shine through and His light in you will draw many to Him.

My final note is that above all else, ask Him to grow you, ask Him to teach you more and reveal His truth to you – He says ‘you will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.’  (Jeremiah 29:13)

Teach me the Truth: The divinity of Christ

A sermon I heard in February at Lifehouse Church, Johannesburg really stuck with me for a number of reasons. It wasn't that the topic was new - it was on Mark 12:30: 

'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'  

We've probably all read this verse and heard it preached a couple of times. So what stood out for me? It was the way the preacher emphasized the 'mind' bit of the sermon. You know a lot of the time unbelievers or people on the outside looking in try to ask questions about why we believe what we believe and many times, Christians do not have the answers - sadly. I’m not talking about getting into heated philosophical debates which we may not always be inclined to do but basic answers on how and why we believe what we believe. Paul urges us to be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks (2 Timothy 4:2) and I believe this is part of what it means to love God with your mind – that it is not just an emotions (heart) based thing, not just your soul, which rejoices in being made new and one with God but with your rational part of your system – to be consciously aware of the how and why you do what you do – THAT, is loving God with your mind.

That said, when I read the following post by my dear cousin, Elly, I was excited to share it because such teaching is very necessary both to the believers, who may not fully understand – but more so to the non-believers, who have asked these questions and not necessarily gotten the answers they desired and furthermore, those that need such teaching for conviction about the truth of the gospel.  

So, although it is quite a long post, I’d urge you to take some time and read through it all – you will blessed.

THE DIVINITY OF CHRIST

Elly Obwaka, April 2012

A few incidences have led me to write about this topic:

As a teenager at the Nairobi Pentecostal Church, I often wondered why more of the songs of praise and worship were ascribed to Jesus Christ rather than God. I didn’t get to ask anyone this question but think that I can answer it now.

Sometime in 2004, while I was driving back to campus with my students from Veolia Water, one of them said that Jesus Christ was the Son of God. This was something coming from someone who was not a Christian. I added that Jesus Christ is also God but did not want to debate this matter.

Recently, a friend of mine questioned the divinity of Christ on his wall on Facebook and received a number of useful comments. I thought I should bring together some points that were raised then together with thoughts that I have had over the years.

1.       Is the Bible the Word of God?

If we are going to depend heavily on the Bible to answer questions on the divinity of Christ, then it would be important to establish if the Bible is God’s Word – if it were possible to do this by reason.

(a)    Fulfilled prophecy

Fulfilled prophecy is an indicator that the Bible is the Word of God. Some of the future events that the Bible predicted and which have come to pass are provided below:

The large statue in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream (Daniel 2:24 – 45) represents four kingdoms that would dominate as world powers. The four kingdoms that have come and gone are showed in Table 1.

A number of prophecies about the coming of the Messiah and the fulfilment are provided in Table 2. The fulfilment of these prophecies not only vouches for the integrity of the Word of God but also provide a basis for believing in Jesus Christ.

(Christian Answers, 1995)provide that more than 300 prophecies were fulfilled following the coming of Jesus Christ. They observe that the prophecies in the Bible are so numerous and so detailed that the only explanation for this can be divine revelation.

Table 1: The Fulfilment of Daniel’s Interpretation (adapted from (Life Application Study Bible, 1996) and (Zondervan NIV Study Bible, 2002))

Part	Material	Representation in Daniel 7	Representation in Daniel 8	Empire	Period of Domination
Head	Gold	Lion		Babylon	606 BC – 539 BC
Chest and arms	Silver	Bear	Ram	Medo-Persia	539 BC – 331 BC
Belly and thighs	Bronze	Leopard	Goat	Greece	331 BC – 63 BC
Legs	Iron	Terrifying and frightening beast		Rome	63 BC – AD 476
Feet and toes	Iron and clay			A later confederation of states

Table 2: Messianic Prophecies and Fulfilments(Life Application Study Bible, 1996)

	Prophecy	Old Testament reference	New Testament fulfilment
1.	The Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem	Micah 5:2	Matthew 2:1 – 6, Luke 2:1 – 20
2.	The Messiah was to be born of a virgin	Isaiah 7:14	Matthew 1: 18 – 25, Luke 1:26 – 38
3.	The Messiah was to be a prophet like Moses	Deuteronomy 18:15, 18 – 19	John 7:40
4.	The Messiah was to enter Jerusalem in triumph	Zechariah 9:9	Matthew 21:1 – 9, John 12:12 – 16
5.	The Messiah was to be rejected by his own people	Isaiah 53:1, 3, Psalm 118:22	Matthew 26:3 – 4, John 12:37 – 43, Acts 4:1 – 12
6.	The Messiah was to be betrayed by one of his followers	Psalm 41:9	Matthew 26:14 – 16, 47 – 50, Luke 22:19 – 23
7.	The Messiah was to be tried and condemned	Isaiah 53:8	Matthew 27:1 – 2, Luke 23: 1 – 25
8.	The Messiah was to be silent before his accusers	Isaiah 53:7	Matthew 27:12 – 14, Mark 15:3 – 4, Luke 23:8 - 10
9.	The Messiah was to be struck and spat on by his enemies	Isaiah 50:6	Matthew 26:67, 27:30, Mark 14:65
10.	The Messiah was to be mocked and insulted	Psalm 22:7 – 8	Matthew 27:39 – 44, Luke 23:11, 35
11.	The Messiah was to die by crucifixion	Psalm 22:14, 16 – 17	Matthew 27:31, Mark 15:20, 25
12.	The Messiah was to suffer with criminals and pray for his enemies	Isaiah 53:12	Matthew 27:38, Mark 15:27, 28, Luke 23:32 – 34
13.	The Messiah was to be given vinegar	Psalm 69:21	Matthew 27:34, John 19:28 – 30
14.	Others were to cast lots for the Messiah’s garments	Psalm 22:18	Matthew 27:35, John 19:23 – 24
15.	The Messiah’s bones were not to be broken	Exodus 12:46, Numbers 9:12, Psalm 34:20	John 19:31 – 36
16.	The Messiah was to die as a sacrifice for sin	Isaiah 53:5, 6, 8, 10 – 12	John 1:29, 11:49 – 52, Acts 10:43, 13:38 – 39
17.	The Messiah was to be raised from the dead	Psalm 16:10	Matthew 28:1 – 10, Acts 2:22 – 32
18.	The Messiah is seated at the right hand of God	Psalm 110:1	Mark 16:19, Luke 24:50 – 51

  (b)   Unity of the Bible

(Towns, 2003)says the following about the unity of the Bible:

“The Bible has a message that centres on Jesus Christ, a unified theme that God loves the world, Christ died for all, and that mankind can be saved. Even though there were numerous authors (at least thirty-six) writing over approximately sixteen hundred years and representing fifty-five generations, and even though these authors represent a great diversity of occupations and ethnic/sociological backgrounds, the unified structure and theme of the Bible suggest there is one Mind who put it all together – God Himself, the Author of Scripture.

(Turaki, 2006)says the following about the Bible, which agrees with what was said previously:

“It is a unique book in that it was written over a period of sixteen hundred years (from 1500 BC to AD 100), written by both God and humans (2 Peter 1:21), written on three different continents (Asia, Africa and Europe), and by people with very different professions – Paul and Moses were philosophers, Peter was a fisherman, Amos a farmer, and David a shepherd. Amazingly, despite all this diversity in its origins, the Bible contains no contradictions.”

(Bull)is also in agreement:

“Another reason to believe that the Bible is truth and not myth is because its books agree and harmonise. Even though parts of the Bible were written in many different places and at different times, its message is in agreement with the truth about God, rather than endless contradictions.”

 (c)    Accuracy of Historical Accounts

The Bible is an accurate book of history. Its description of events and personalities has been verified by other works of history and by archaeology. That the accounts provided in the Bible can be verified by other sources and other means at the very least speaks of its integrity. A list of major archaeological finds relating to the New Testament is listed in Table 3.

Table 3: Major Archaeological Finds Relating to the New Testament (Zondervan NIV Study Bible, 2002)

SITE OR ARTIFACT	LOCATION	RELATING SCRIPTURE
	ISRAEL
Caiaphas ossuary	Jerusalem	Matthew 26:3
Herod’s temple	Jerusalem	Luke 1:9
Herod’s winter palace	Jericho	Matthew 2:4
The Herodium (possible site of Herod’s tomb)	Near Bethlehem	Matthew 2:19
Masada	Near western shore of Dead Sea	Cf. Luke 21:20
Early synagogue	Capernaum	Mark 1:21
Pool of Siloam	Jerusalem	John 9:7
Pool of Bethesda	Jerusalem	John 5:2
Pilate inscription	Caesarea	Luke 3:1
Inscription: Gentile entrance of temple sanctuary	Jerusalem	Acts 21:27 – 29
Skeletal remains of crucified man	Jerusalem	Luke 23:33
Peter’s house	Capernaum	Matthew 8:14
Jacob’s well	Nablus	John 4:5 – 6
	ASIA MINOR
Derbe inscription	KertiHüyük	Acts 14:20
Sergius Paulus inscription	Kythraia, Cyprus	Acts 13:6 – 7
Zeus altar (Satan’s throne?)	Pergamum	Revelation 2:13
Fourth-century BC walls	Assos	Acts 20:13 – 14
Artemis temple and altar	Ephesus	Acts 19:27 - 28
Ephesian theatre	Ephesus	Acts 19:29
Silversmith shops	Ephesus	Acts 19:24
Artemis statues	Ephesus	Acts 19:35
	GREECE
Erastus inscription	Corinth	Romans 16:23
Synagogue inscription	Corinth	Acts 18:4
Meat market inscription	Corinth	1 Corinthians 10:25
Cult dining rooms (in Asklepiusand Demeter temples	Corinth	1 Corinthians 8:10
Court (bema)	Corinth	Acts 18:12
Marketplace (bema)	Philippi	Acts 16:19
Starting gate for races	Isthmia	1 Corinthians 9:24
Gallio inscription	Delphi	Acts 18:12
Egnatian way	Neapolis (Kavalla), Philippi, Amphipolis, Apollonia, Thessalonica	Cf. Acts 16:11 – 12, 17:1
Politarch inscription	Thessalonica	Acts 17:6
	ITALY
Tomb of Augustus	Rome	Luke 2:1
Mamertine prison	Rome	2 Timothy 1:16 – 17, 2:9, 4:6 – 8
Appian way	Puteoli to Rome	Acts 28:13 – 16
Golden House of Nero	Rome	Cf. Acts 25:10, 1 Peter 2:13
Arch of Titus	Rome	Cf. Luke 19:43- 44, 21:6, 20

( d)   Scientific accuracy

Science has confirmed what is written in the Bible on a number of views that were not commonly held at different times in the past. The following views were drawn from (Christian Answers, 1995):

·         The roundness of the Earth (Isaiah 40:22)

·         The almost infinite extent of the universe (Isaiah 55:9)

·         The law of conservation of mass and energy (2 Peter 3:7)

·         Hydrologic cycle (Ecclesiastes 1:7)

·         Vast number of stars (Jeremiah 33:22)

·         Law of increasing entropy (Psalm 102:25 – 27)

·         Paramount importance of blood in life processes (Leviticus 17:11)

·         Atmospheric circulation (Ecclesiastes 1:6)

·         Gravitational field (Job 26:7)

 2.       The Divinity of Christ

The Bible records a number of statements about the deity of Christ. Here are a few (in no particular order):

(i)                  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginningwith God. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.(John 1:1 - 5)

The Word of God was the means by which creation came to being, the Word was the source of God’s message to his people through the prophets and through God’s Law. That the Word was with God speaks about the distinction of the Word from the Father. That the Word was God speaks about the divinity of Christ. 

(ii)                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. (Isaiah 9:6)

KJV says “shoulder” while NIV says “shoulders” but this distinction is not what this paper is about. The five names used by Isaiah here to describe Jesus Christ should have special meaning for us: (Life Application Study Bible, 1996)

Wonderful – He is exceptional, distinguished, and without peer.

Counsellor – He gives the right advice.

The mighty God – He is God himself.

The everlasting Father – He is timeless; he is God our Father.

The Prince of Peace – His government is one of justice and peace.

  

(iii)               Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)

Immanuel means “God with us”. This Scripture finds fulfilment when a virgin (Mary) conceived and bore a son, Emmanuel, the Christ.

(iv)              And without great controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. (1 Timothy 3:16)

There is a lot of debate on whether the phrase should be “God was manifest in the flesh”. The context refers to Jesus Christ. The previous verse talks about God. So whether we replace God with “He” or “He who” or “Who” as has been done by some versions, the reference from the previous verse is to God.

(v)                “I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.” (John 8:24)(I inserted the quotation marks.)

“People will die in their sins if they reject Christ, because they are rejecting the only way to be rescued from sin.” (Life Application Study Bible, 1996)

(vi)              Jesus said unto them, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.” (John 8:58) (I inserted the quotation marks.)

Jesus Christ existed before Abraham was born. “I am” is also God’s holy name. See Exodus 3:14:

And God said unto Moses, “I AM THAT I AM,” and he said, “Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me to you.”

(I have inserted the quotation marks in two instances above and replaced the colon with a comma just before the first closing quotation mark.)

With this phrase, Jesus equated himself with deity. The phrase talks about the eternity of his being and his oneness with the Father. The Jews understood what Jesus claimed, considered this blasphemy and thus took up stones to cast at him.

(vii)             And Thomas answered and said unto him, “My Lord and my God.” (John 20:28) (I inserted the quotation marks.)

The doubting Thomas finally believed.

(viii)           For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: in whom we have redemption through his blood, even for the forgiveness of sins: ¹⁵who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: ¹⁶for 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: ¹⁷and he is before all things, and by him all things consist.(Colossians1:9 - 17)

A (Life Application Study Bible, 1996) text note corresponding to this passage says that verses 15 – 16 provide one of the strongest statements about the divine nature of Christ anywhere in the Bible. The paragraph heading for verses 15 – 23 in NIV 1984 is “The Supremacy of Christ”.

Invisible God – John 1:18 says the following:

No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

John 14:9 submits that Jesus Christ is the visible, tangible image of the invisible God:

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?

John 12:45 is similar:

And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me.

The description of Jesus Christ as the firstborn of every creature has to do with his being the model and head of humanity. Verse 16 emphasises that Jesus Christ is not part of the creation but is the Creator.

(ix)              “I and my Father are one.” (John 10:30) (Quotation marks mine.)

This speaks of a unity in essence or nature between Jesus Christ and the Father. They are however separate persons. The (Life Application Study Bible, 1996) observes that this is the clearest statement of Jesus’ divinity he ever made.  In John 14:28, Jesus says the following:

Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.

Are these two Scriptures in conflict? No. The Word of God cannot be in conflict. Jesus’ statement in John 14:28 refers to his human messianic role as mediator and servant. While on Earth, he also submitted to many of the physical limitations of his humanity. (Would it be correct to say Jesus = divine and Christ = human?)

(x)                Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 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: and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:5 – 11)

Jesus Christ was and is in the form of God. He did not consider equality with God as something to be grasped. In becoming a human being, he lay aside his glory for a purpose. John 10:17 – 18 says:

Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

Hebrews 12:1 - 2 speaks of the reason why Jesus Christ lay down his life:

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

(xi)              And again he entered into Capernaum after some days; and it was noised that he was in the house. And straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, no, not so much as about the door: and he preached the word unto them. And they came unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy (a paralytic), which was borne of four. And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay. When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.

But there were certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts, Why doth this man speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only?

And immediatelywhen Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts? Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sickof the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house.

And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion. (Mark 2:1 – 12)

Who can forgive sins but God? Without demonstration of any proof, it is easier to tell someone that his sins are forgiven than to tell him that he is healed. In reality though, it is only God who can forgive sins. If someone can heal a paralytic, which is the more difficult thing to demonstrate, then he can surely forgive sins.

(xii)             And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven. And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also? (Luke 7:48 – 49)

Who can forgive sins but God? The people around Jesus Christ understood that only God could forgive sins and this claim by Jesus Christ was something they could not handle.

(xiii)           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. (Revelation 1:8)

And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death. (Revelation 1:17 – 18)

And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive. (Revelation 2:8)

I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. (Revelation 22:13)

Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. A number of Bibles print the writings of Jesus Christ in red. These statements about being the Alpha and the Omega were made by Jesus Christ.

(xiv)           For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. (1 John 5:7)

This is a clear reference to the Holy Trinity.

(xv)            But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. (Micah 5:2)

Bethlehem was the birthplace of King David and, later on, Jesus Christ. Micah was the only prophet who identified Christ’s birthplace. (Adeyemo, 2006) I thus would rather have that the distinction is between true and false prophets rather than major and minor prophets.

3.       Conclusion

In the introduction to this text, I said that I think that I can now answer why many of the songs of praise and worship are ascribed to Jesus Christ.  I believe that the answer to that can be found in the following five Scriptures:

Philippians 2:9 – 11: Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Luke 12:8 speaks on why it is important to acknowledge Jesus Christ specifically: "Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God.”  (The KJV I have does not use quotation marks. I have chosen to introduce them.)

Psalm 2:12 states that beyond acknowledging the Lord Jesus, we ought to surrender fully and submit to him: Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.

Like the text in Philippians we have just read, Acts 2:36 speaks of an authority in Christ Jesus from the Father: Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.

Matthew 28:18: And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

This last Scripture also speaks about the deity of Christ.

I would like to end with Deuteronomy 6:4 – 5:

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: and thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

There is only one true God. This was true then, it is true now and will always be true.

References

Adeyemo, T. (2006). Africa Bible Commentary. Nairobi, Kenya: WordAlive Publishers.

Bull, M. (n.d.). The Bible - the Word of God. Hyderabad, India: Printland Publishers.

Christian Answers. (1995). How do we know the Bible is true? Retrieved April 26, 2012, from http://christiananswers.net/q-eden/edn-t003.html

Life Application Study Bible. (1996). King James Version. Carol Stream, Illinois, United States of America: Tyndale House Publishers.

Towns, E. (2003). Bible Answers for Almost All your Questions. Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America: Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Turaki, Y. (2006). The Bible. In T. Adeyemo, & (. Editor), Africa Bible Commentary (pp. 744 - 745). Nairobi, Kenya: WordAlive Publishers.

Zondervan NIV Study Bible. (2002). New International Version. Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States of America: Zondervan.