Onegod, Part Ten

PART TEN-ONE IN NATURE We will conclude this series looking at the New Testament. The first place in the New Testament is Luke 5. In verses 17-19 we see Jesus Christ healing the people. But some showed their faith by lowering a man with palsy through the roof still in his bed. Notice in verse 20 that Jesus Christ was going to heal this man by declaring his sins forgiven. Then read verse 21: “And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, ‘Who is this man who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone’” (New American Standard). Who was the God that these Jews knew as God? To answer this the Jews referred to their forefathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But that God was not the Father even though the Father always existed. The God the Jews knew was the God that became who is spoken of in Luke 5:21: Jesus Christ. The Jews, however, failed miserably to see this truth. So they said only God could forgive sins, not realizing the man Jesus Christ was this God. And this God was the only God they knew. The Jews probably did not know the Father. He is nowhere referred to as the “Father” in the Old Testament. Notice Jesus Christ’s answer to Luke 5:21: “‘But in order that you may know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins,’ he said to the paralytic-’I say to you, rise and take up your stretcher and go home’” (Luke 5:24, NAS). Jesus Christ was given authority to forgive sins from God the Father. But remember Jesus Christ was “God with us.” In verses 25-26 we see the healed man and those present glorifying God. But did these people really know whom they were glorifying? To them it was the God their forefathers knew personally as God. The God they were glorifying was the Father though and rightly so. But the Father was not the God their forefathers knew personally. These verses reveal two spirits each being God existing before, existing then, and existing now. As the Father did actions like healing through the “Word” or “Eternal God,” the Father did those same actions through Jesus Christ. This truly defines the oneness they had and still have today. Next we come to Romans 3:29-30, New International Version: “Is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too,

since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith.” These verses do not mean there is literally one God. Otherwise they contradict Hebrews 1:1 and 8. Those verses first say the Jews and Gentile converts (vs. 22-26) worship, serve, and recognize the same God, God the FATHER. Jewish and Gentile Christians came to see this by the Holy Spirit. Second, Romans 3:29-30 say the same God, God the FATHER, justifies the Jews and Gentiles. These verses talk specifically of God the Father’s actions to justify both Jews and Gentiles that believe. But verse 30 does not imply there is only one God and always has been. In the light of the above, read Galatians 3:20: “Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one.” The mediator is of course Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the mediator of all those that believe (1 Tim. 2:5). The one called God is obviously the Father, in both Galatians 3:20 and 1 Timothy 2:5. Now as in Romans 3:29 there is the one God the FATHER to all Christians. All Christians, whether Jew or Gentile, do not worship a different God-a different Father. Like Romans 3:29, Galatians 3:20 is talking about the Father. So in fact is 1 Timothy 2:5. All Christians are required to worship, serve, and recognize the Father as God. Read John 16:23-24. But Jesus Christ was and is given those things also. The greatest recognition that Jesus Christ is God comes from the Father himself, see again Hebrews 1:8. So Romans 3:29-30, Galatians 3:20, and 1 Timothy 2:5 do not say there is literally one God and always has been. What the Father has done through the Word and then through the Word made flesh only underlines the above verses focusing in on one nature. Other scriptures to see concerning one nature of two spirits called God are John 1:1-3, 20:17, 28; 1 Corinthians 8:4-6; Ephesians 4:4-6; Philippians 2:611; and 1 Timothy 1:16-17. But notice also Acts 13:23, 1Timothy 1:1, and Titus 1:3-4. Now the final scripture to observe before defining the oneness of the nature of the two that are God is James 2:19: “Do you believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that-and shudder” (NIV).

This verse has to be talking about the ONE NATURE of two spirits as God. Otherwise there is contradictions in the Holy Bible. But there are not any contradictions. Our studies have shown plainly that there is two spirits mentioned that are God. So James 2:19 can not be literal. Unless, of course, James 2:19 is talking specifically about the Father, who therefore refers back to who is being called God. The New International Version gives Deuteronomy 6:4 as a reference. If this is the case then the God spoken of in James 2:19 is the one that became Jesus Christ. James 2:23 supports this. The God Abraham knew personally was the one that became Jesus Christ. But again, let us remember the Father did things through the God of Abraham and others in the Old Testament. So Abraham was also the Father’s friend even though Abraham did not know him personally as God. James 2:1-5 tells of Jesus Christ and the Father God. Now just because James goes into some history in James 2:19-26 does not change the fact there are two spirits being called God. It has to be seen clearly what has been done through the “Word” and the “Word” becoming Jesus Christ by the Father to understand James 2:1-5 and 19-26. The New American Bible and the New American Standard versions both render James 2:1: “...you believe that God is one.” Contrary to this verse stating there is literally one God, it in fact states how two spirits called God are one in nature. The other verses in James 2 help show this. James 2:21-26 lead to Jesus Christ in verse 1. Jesus Christ was the God Abraham knew and the God Rahab knew about. But because the Father did these events with Abraham and Rahab through the above God, the Father also shared in these events. This is how Abraham is also the Father’s friend, and how the Father is also the God of the forefathers (Acts 3:13). And this leads to James 2:5. Looking at these things, how can James 2:19 be literal? Reading 1 Corinthians 8:6 and Ephesians 4:6 define who is being called God when the words “one God” are used. Now the final thing to be looked at in this part ten is how the Father as God and Jesus Christ as God are one in nature. Their nature is called “divine nature” in 2 Peter 1:4. But what makes up this divine nature? Read: “But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23, New American Bible).

The things listed are the fruits of having divine nature. Divine nature is possible by and through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the Father’s and the Son’s nature-how they both live and act. See also that the Holy Spirit is not “God” like some want to think. But that is going on to a different subject. For now we will see how the Holy Bible reveals the Father and the Son as two spirits called God is one in this divine nature. The first fruit of divine nature is “love.” First how the Father has love: “The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love” (1 John 4:8. NAS). Now read that Jesus Christ as God has love too: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” (Romans 8:35). The next fruit of divine nature is “joy.” The Father has joy: “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13, NAS). Because Jesus Christ as God is one with the Father, he also has joy: “‘I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete’” (John 15:11, NIV). Read also Nehemiah 8:10, which reveals Jesus Christ before as the “Word” or Eternal God, had joy. Next brings the fruit of one nature that is peace. Read Philippians 4:7: “And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (New American Standard). Jesus Christ bears this action of divine nature: “Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all” (2 Thessalonians 3:16). Notice to Romans 1:17. Some may wonder why go over scriptures that are familiar. But if these scriptures were that familiar then there is no way possible only one literal God exists. The scriptures mentioned thus far are about two that are God: the Father and Jesus Christ. The Bible does not say they are persons, individuals, or aspects of one literal God. Hebrews 1:1, John 20:17, Hebrews 1:8, and John 20:28 do not say this at all. These verses say the Father IS God and Jesus Christ IS God, showing two spirits called God. But because each has love, joy, and peace the two are one in divine nature. Going further brings us to the fruit of longsuffering, which is also translated to “patience.” The Father surely has this: “...do you think lightly of the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that the

kindness of God leads you to repentance?” (Romans 2:4, NAS). But Jesus Christ surely has patience, too: “Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting” (1 Timothy 1:16). The next fruit of the Holy Spirit, which is divine nature, is gentleness: “...the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy” (James 3:17, NAS). This is what wisdom, another fruit of divine nature, is defined as. But notice that the fruits of one action lead to the fruits of other actions. The Father God lives his life each day with these actions. James is saying Christians need to seek the Father’s wisdom, and with this wisdom comes gentleness. Now, Jesus Christ lived this way as a human, so he had gentleness and he has it today: “Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ....” (2 Corinthians 10:1). Notice also Psalms 18:35. There is no intention to belabor what is being said here. By revealing that the Father God has these fruits and so does Jesus Christ, whom is God, only confirms that each is God. Some want to, for lack of a better word, call the Father and Jesus Christ “aspects” of only one God. One of the definitions of “aspect” is “appearance.” So this points to the Father and Jesus Christ being appearances of the one God. But how is it that the Father can be defined as such? According to 1 Timothy 6:13-16 and John 4:10-12 no human has ever seen God THE FATHER. So how is the Father an aspect, or appearance, of one literal God? A serious problem develops when English words are used for the Father or Jesus Christ that are not found in the Holy Bible. Not only is the word “aspect” not found describing the Father or Jesus Christ, but neither are the words “entities,” “beings,” or even “individuals.” Some want to think 2 Corinthians 2:10 and Hebrews 1:3 say Jesus Christ and the Father are “persons.” But then the Holy Spirit is dragged in and thus is the trinity. The “one God only” teaching, however, denies the deity of Jesus Christ by denying Jesus Christ is God. By showing first that the Father and Jesus Christ are each God and then showing how these two are one in nature, the “one God only” teaching fails. To say only “God” in a general term has this nature can not all of the sudden negate Hebrews 1:1, John 20:17, Hebrews 1:8, and John 20:28. These verses do not say there is only one spirit called God but two spirits called God.

By showing each spirit has the actions of divine nature: love, joy, peace, etc., only underlines two spirits are called God. Then there is no need to belabor this point truly. So the following table shows how the Father as God and Jesus Christ as God each have the remaining fruits that make the two one in nature: THE FRUIT OF GOODNESS The Father 2 Thessalonians 1:11

Jesus Christ Exodus 34:6

THE FRUIT OF FAITH The Father Romans 3:3, 12:3

Jesus Christ Habakkuk 2:4, Revelation 14:12

THE FRUIT OF MEEKNESS The Father 1 Timothy 6:11

Jesus Christ Matthew 11:29, 2 Corinthians 10:1

THE FRUIT OF TEMPERANCE The Father None

Jesus Christ None

It is interesting that the fruit of temperance, or moderation, could not be found having to apply to the Father and Jesus Christ. Of course, this fruit applies to humans because humans can be abusive. It could be that the Father has given a fruit of divine nature to humans neither he or Jesus Christ actually needs. How could the Father or Jesus Christ ever be abusive? Why moreover would they be? It could be that the Father has given this fruit to humans so they are enlightened concerning being abusive. The fruits of divine nature in the Bible reveal both the Father and Jesus

Christ is each God. Each one has total agreement in carrying out the actions of divine nature. Neither one questions the decisions of the other, neither says it could be done a better way. How unlike humans! Because the Father and Jesus Christ is each God and they are not humans, they are one in nature. The Holy Bible, God’s word, reveals the truth to be that two spirits are indeed called God. But as mentioned the two are one in nature. Jesus Christ so aptly said what all these truths mean: “‘I and the Father are one’” (John 10:30, New American Standard).

Jesus Christ-God in the Beginning, God in the End Jesus Christ was God in Pre-existence: Genesis 1:1 with John 1:1-3, and John 17:5. Jesus Christ was the God of the Old Testament: Exodus 3:13-14 with John 8:56-58, and John 18:1-5. Exodus 13:21-22, Deuteronomy 32: 3-4, and Psalm 78:14, 35 with 1 Corinthians 10:4. Jesus Christ was God in the Flesh: Isaiah 7:14 with Matthew 1:23. Jesus Christ is God after His Resurrection: John 20:28. Jesus Christ is God at His Second Coming: Psalm 45:6-7, and Daniel 7:1314 with Hebrews 1:8. Isaiah 9:6, and Zechariah 14:5 with Titus 2:13.