Conclusion and notes

CONCLUSION

So Jesus is God’ Son, and we are God’ sons in Him. Already we who are in Christ have been justified and glorified (Rom.8:30), even seated with Him in the heavenly realms (Eph.2:6), blessed with every spiritual blessing. These are much more valuable, tangible and practical blessings than they sound, as we shall soon see.

According to His promise, our Lord Jesus has gone to prepare a place for us, and He will return to get us. We shall be like Him in our imperishable new spiritual bodies, enjoying His joys, resplendent with His shimmering glory and power, to whatever degree. And so we will be with Him forever, destined to be experiencing throughout the ages upon ages that continue to pile upon one another, THE INCOMPARABLE RICHES OF GOD’ GRACIOUS KINDNESS TOWARDS US IN CHRIST (Eph.2:7). One day soon many of us will fully and therefore very joyfully realize the astounding realities behind these lofty and lovely sounding truths!

Almost every single epistle, from which the misunderstood or twisted scriptures purporting to say that Jesus is literally God (in any way) come from, are begun in the same exact clearand concise manner. They all basically say, “..FROM GOD AND JESUS...”And the book of the Gospel of John, supposedly the book that most clearly delineates the 'deity of Christ’ is the very book that has the most proofs (by far) to the contrary! Then, according to what spirit is driving them, people often seize upon one seemingly clear but sometimes ambiguous scripture (2Pt.3:16,17), and ‘un with it’

By cleverly combining ten or twenty of these together to form a seemingly homogenous combination, of course to the exclusion of the rest of Scripture, they can create a very compelling case for the unsuspecting, the ignorant, and the naive. That is how this teaching got started, and became so widely accepted, because ignorance of the Scriptures was more than just commonplace when almost no one possessed the Scriptures, except the clergy. And once it was completely established, it was too complicated and sacrosanct to be easily corrected. And such is the case with the books written teaching the so called ‘eity of Christ’ These books are very convincing to those who don’ properly study and pray and think things through with a renewed mind, to the proper conclusions.

Keep in mind that in 2 John 7-11, we have been clearly warned that MANY DECEIVERS WHO DO NOT ACKNOWLEDGE JESUS CHRIST AS COMING “N OUR HUMAN NATURE”(TCNT), or in the flesh, would come. This is not warning that people would come who denied that Jesus was ‘od by nature’ IT IS THE EXACT OPPOSITE! This extremely dangerous doctrinal deviation God is warning us about includes anyone saying that JESUS IS NOT A COMPLETE MAN, whether you think you are honoring Him by calling Him God or not. This makes one who insists these falsities an actual “antichrist” and I am shocked to see how pervasive this spirit is in the last days church who have been filling their hearts with antichrist television programming from below for decades. The word ‘any’in the Greek means ‘ANY', and that also implies that MANY more will be following and agreeing with the many. And the word ‘eceivers’implies that their teachings will be subtle, easy and desirable to believe as really being true and important to defend. These enemies of the true doctrine of Christ often seem like real Christians to those who don’ see their secret thoughts and sins, but they especially show their true character when confronted with these issues. Some will actually get violent and even think that they are doing God a service by harming or even killing someone effectively teaching these truths about Jesus (Jn.16:2).

Then in the next verse we are warned, “Watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully.” The context implies that many will lose much or even everything that they have labored for because of false beliefs about who Jesus is or what He teaches. It continues, “anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God. Whoever continues in THE teaching has both the Father and the Son. If ANYONE comes to you and does not bring THIS teaching, do not take him into your house or welcome him. Anyone who welcomes him shares in his wicked work (2Jn.7-11).”GOD SEEMS TO HIDE CERTAIN THINGS, LIKE THE TRUTH ABOUT OUR SUBJECT AT HAND, TO THOSE WHO SELF CONFIDENTLY ASSUME THAT THEY ALREADY KNOW. “you do not have because you do not ask God”(Jms.4:2).

Coming to Jesus with childlike teachableness is absolutely crucial. We must ask and allow God to help us become ‘mall enough’ in our own self importance to obey the teachings He delivers to us through the Scriptures, or by any other channel teaching things in accordance with the Scriptures. Obeying His commands is what really matters (1Cor.7:19, Gal.5:6). Obeying His commandments is a necessary burden,but it isn't too hard.  (1Jn.5:3, Mt.11:30). The little red choo-choo who ‘thought he could’ said to himself, ‘ think I can’ ‘ think I can’ while he exerted himself all the way up the steep hill. Likewise we too can remind ourselves of Jesus’ love for us on the cross, and of God’ precious promises that tell us, “we can do it!” Jesus said, “praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure”(Mt.11:25,26). Let’ all love God by obeying Jesus' teaching, thereby coming to know Him experientially, in the power of His resurrection life, and not merely in theory. We often try to compensate for our sins by zealousness for God.

At the cost of a little more repetition I offer these thoughts about those who may too quickly reject these things I am writing about. Many of us yield to secret sins to the point of enslavement and hypocrisy, and then subconsciously try to COMPENSATE FOR IT by serving on committees, leading ‘orship’or ‘unday School’ ‘ancing in the Spirit’ jerking, praising, shouting, raising our hands, or flattering God and Jesus. Others try to soothe their consciences by defending the modern understanding of the deity of Christ, or even by witnessing, teaching and arguing for Jesus. For it is written, "This people draw near to me WITH THEIR MOUTH, BUT HAVE REMOVED THEIR HEART FAR FROM ME..." (Is.29:13). This tendency to make up for sin by religious zeal or flattery to God can lead us to be more intent to rather err on the side of saying things like, "Jesus is God!” and to be afraid to believe or especially to say that He is who He really is, AS IF BEING "THE MAN CHRIST JESUS ”IS A SHAME! (1Tim.2:5) Our own immaturity, worldliness, regular sinning, lack of loving the truth and understanding the Scriptures causes many of us to be unsure of exactly who Jesus really is. It therefore seems so very SAFE, (I MUST SAY IT AGAIN, IT IS SO PERTINENT), IT SEEMS SO 'SAFE' TO BELIEVE AND CAST IN OUR LOT WITH THOSE WHO SEEM SO RIGHT, SO SURE, AND WHO HAVE SO MANY ADHERENTS WHO AGREE, THAT JESUS IS GOD! This can become extreme for some advocates of Christ's (ultimate) deity, who, like Saul (persecuting Christians) tried to do God a service, themselves fight 'tooth and nail’to prove that 'Jesus is God', instead of truly obeying Him as Lord. For those who continue on this path, insisting that 'Jesus is God' can actually and literally AMOUNT TO "BETRAYING THE SON OF MAN WITH A KISS" (Lk.22:48). And saying that you believe that Jesus is both fully God and fully man does not rescue you from these errors.

I am greatly saddened by this schism, although it's so vast that we actually seem united in the 'truth' instead of in the midst of a devastating schism within the church of the living God, the true church of Jesus Christ. But I want each of you to know that GOD REALLY IS RAISING UP MANY TRUE BROTHERS OF JESUS THROUGHOUT THIS WORLD WHO ARE FASTING AND PRAYING AND STUDYING THEIR BIBLES AND WHO ARE GOING TO AMAZE US BY THEIR POWER. We will all eventually come into the more accurate knowledge of the Son of God, but many will come to learn these things I am reporting from Christ now. You may be one of them.

There are Christians in the poorer countries who are overcoming and who are learning the truth from our Lord Jesus by the Spirit. Most of them don't know the latest TV stars, but they are coming to know our Lord Jesus. Many from the church of China, Russia, India, Indonesia, Korea, South and Central America, Asia and Africa, will comprise much of the last day's overcoming church. Some of them have been kept partially shielded from the western church's corrupting influences. There is coming a last days 'rain’ (Zech.10:1) from God upon His people to powerfully distinguish the genuine from the phony, and I believe there is a last days Elijah (man or company Mal.3:1,2,4:5,6) coming soon to very powerfully restore and correct the last day's church. Remember that those throughout His~story who sought God the most desperately, surely from more noble circumstances than I, became the most misunderstood, falsely accused and under appreciated of all people. Their gifts, calling and messages were rejected by the very ones of God's people WHO STOOD TO GAIN THE MOST FROM LISTENING.

I am comforted to understand that we are not in this race for immediate recognition, but that every person will be fully exposed and vindicated to whatever degree warranted (1Th.5:24,25). For it is written, "NOW we see but a poor reflection as in an (imperfect) mirror, THEN we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known" (1Cor.13:12). Just as Jesus will be fully vindicated and honored, so His disciples who trust and obey Him will also share in His vindication anywhere and everywhere they were right.

Also, His many foolishly self confident opponents will also experience the extremely public exposition of their thoughts, motives and sins. Many of us ignore our own sins and the warnings from those who know us best. That should alert us not to be so sure of our own perspectives and judgments in highly controversial areas. But oh, don’ we sometimes rush in where angels fear to tread, barking out our own premature opinions and decrees as if they were oracular fact. And of course once we've committed ourselves publicly, teaching dubious absolutes that we now recognize as being ‘uspect', what real chance is there that we will suddenly change our whole direction, and pursue the almost violent campaign necessary to learn the truth at all costs. It takes a major motivation to cause us to veer from the swirling vortex of choosing to continue with ‘business as usual', 'knowing' that 'surely we and everybody else are right'. And oh, the price many pay, though they don’ yet realize it, for giving in to the pride or laziness that deters them from properly investigating the possibility of their error in this matter, and should they find themselves wrong, from publicly retracting their erroneous statements, declaring what they’e now sacrificially learned to be true, regardless of the cost. Oh that we, God's people, would not play with our favorite sins ‘ust one more time’anymore, and think that it wont affect us or God's people as a whole. Oh, that we would not indulge ourselves in the enticements of this world, or argue and fight for our own desires, and then miss our day of visitation as the Jews did.

Could it really happen to us? How easy it is to be swayed by what we've always believed, especially if it's what everyone else believes. How easy it is to continue to believe what we've always believed and been taught, and what’ been repeatedly confirmed over and over again, without having to pay the price to dig in and search for the truth. And if we are wrong about such a subject as this, how easy it is to refuse correction from God. We often don’ even get close to hearing it, much less pay the voice of the Spirit enough heed to seek God diligently concerning the issue.

We amazingly tend to quite quickly and clearly ‘ear from God’that we are right, and that anything to the contrary of what we believe is wrong. That is the nature of deception, and it is very, very powerful. THERE IS NOTHING MORE COMPELLING TO A MAN OF TRUTH THAN THE RAW TRUTH ITSELF. BUT THERE IS LITTLE THAT IS MORE IRRITATING THAN WHEN A RELATIVELY HONEST PERSON’ SELF INTERESTS ARE THREATENED BY SOMEONE ASSERTING THE TRUTH, AUTHORITATIVELY, IN A TRULY COMPELLING MANNER, WHICH BURNS EVERY BRIDGE OF HIS SELFISH RATIONALIZATIONS ONE BY ONE. "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ”(2Cor.10:5). It is so easy to pass off someone confidently teaching the truth as being a prideful know-it-all. How easy it is to reject correction from the same God we pray to for help, especially when that vessel God uses is someone we would rather not hear it from, or who has “o dignity or beauty to make us take notice of him...nothing attractive about him, nothing that would draw us to him...ignored...as if he were nothing”(ls.53:2,3). But in reality, what an opportunity to prove that “od opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (1Pt.5:5), and that “romotion doesn’ come from the normal places we might expect, but it is God who judges. He demotes one, and exalts another”(Ps.75:6,7).

I don’ believe it is presumptuous for me to say that God is keenly watching how each reader responds to this information, for this is a matter that every Christian, much less a Christian leader, should be greatly concerned about, and should want to find out the truth about, especially if we think we already know. When we read a scripture like Ps. 89:27, the context clearly speaking of the Lord Jesus, where God says, “will also appoint him my firstborn, the most exalted of the kings of the earth” we are supposed to wonder how that fits in with the modern teachings about Christ, and look into it diligently. When we read about Jesus’present ministry, that He has “entered Heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’ presence (Heb.9:24), we were supposed to wonder how God can appear in God’ presence. How much more should we now scrutinize the many other vital issues from God’ Holy Word raised in this writing, and refuse to accept ideas that are not biblical or reasonable in order to explain away all anomalies that don‘ fit our preconceived notions?

I AM NOT AT ALL BEING FACETIOUS WHEN I SAY THAT IF GOD THE FATHER IS NOT COMPLETELY GOD, AND THE ONLY TRUE GOD, THEN THE BIBLE IS MISLEADING, FALSE, CONTRADICTORY AND NEEDS TO BE REWRITTEN. IF GOD, THE GOD AND FATHER OF THE LORD JESUS, WAS NOT COMPLETELY GOD WHILE JESUS WAS DEAD FOR THREE DAYS, THEN WE HAVE AN EXTREMELY MAJOR BIBLICAL DISCREPANCY. IF GOD THE FATHER IS NOT THE ONE AND ONLY TRUE GOD, THEN ALL SCRIPTURE IS BUILT ON A WRONG FOUNDATION. Many seem to want to believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and God the Son, the second member of the Trinity at the same time. “doublethink,”Orwell called it: is the ability to “old simultaneously two opinions which canceled out, knowing them to be contradictory and believing in both of them." We must believe and say what the Bible says, not allowing a few misunderstood or mistranslated scriptures to be allowed to obscure the fullness of biblical truth.

So, in the end I’d like to write this: don’t worry if someone is praying to and worshiping our glorious Lord Jesus as if He is literally God Himself, for He fully represents God. Don’ be overly concerned about people using His name synonymously with God, or vice versa, for their identities are truly tied together in their complete unity. Jesus is all these things and much more without being literally God! We shouldn’t worry, but yet we should try to get it right ourselves, so to speak. Learn to worship, praise, pray to and draw close to God by living in union with the Lord Jesus, walking in the Spirit, keeping in step with the Spirit, and that is sound advice. Pray to God the Father, and fellowship throughout the day with Him. That is fellowshipping with the Lord Jesus! Feel free to talk to the Lord Jesus, and pray to learn how to relate to God and to the Lord. Find other believers who have enough sense to honor and obey the Lord Jesus (even if some of them believe some of the errors highlighted in this work), who pray together, confess their sins to one another, preach the gospel publicly (at least by the individual members witnessing the gospel to those they meet), love the truth, and do not condone the modern idolatry of worldly television programming, movies, and video games. Then you can all study the Bible together to learn more about the Lord Jesus, and grow into unity in your knowledge of Him.

Let’s come together as one in the Lord, calling ourselves who we are, “The church of …(Pensacola, or your geographical location)". “the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ“ Then, “then you come together, each of you has a psalm, a teaching, a tongue, a revelation, an interpretation, all done to build up the body” (1Cor.14:26). Everyone can serve and participate according to the Spirit. “He who belongs to God hears what God says.  THE REASON (SOME) DO NOT HEAR IS THAT (THEY) DO NOT BELONG TO GOD” (Jn.8:47). JESUS IS LORD TO THE GLORY OF GOD THE FATHER!

I commend anyone who read the whole of this writing, for not many care about these issues. I do have much more (free) biblical proof and excellent quotes from biblical scholars, saints of history, and other Christian reference sources for anyone who is interested. Recent experience shows me that this will not be very many people, for apathy and indifference concerning spiritual things like this are two major results of the worldliness and sin that is so prevalent. Please contact us anytime, and please send any corrections, additions or comments to tom@churchof pensacola.com  or call (850) 698-6248 . We will always be glad to call you right back if you just ask. We are at the service of any saint, or anyone seeking God and willing to become, with us, humble learners (disciples), and we will make things as easy as possible, and try to help in any way we think is in line with God’ will.

NOTES

1. Geoffrey Payton, ‘ayton’ Proper Names' (Frederick Warne & Co. 1969), p.316.

2. Josh McDowell & Bart Larson, ‘esus - A Biblical Defense of His Deity’(Here’ Life

Publishers 1983), p.81.

3. Ibid., p.81.

4. Ibid., p.78.

5. C. S. Lewis, ‘ere Christianity’(Harper Collins Publishers), p.57.

6. Derek Tidball, ‘he Message of the Cross’(Inter-Varsity Press, 2001), p.146.

7. Lewis, ‘ere Christianity’ p.144.

8. James R. White, ‘he King James Only Controversy - Can You Trust the Modern

Translations?’(Bethany House Publishers, 1995), p.61.

9. Ibid., p.61.

10. Ibid., p.61.

11. Ibid., p.61.

12. Ibid., p.61.

13. Ibid., p.62.

14. 'New Testament in Basic English’(Cambridge University Press in association with Evans

Bros., Ltd.).

15. Philip W. Comfort, Ph. D., ‘uicknotes- English Bible Versions’(Tyndale House

Publishers, 2000), p.24.

16. McDowell & Larson, ‘esus - A Biblical Defense of His Deity’ p.21.

17. Ibid., p.29.

18. Ibid., p.28,29.

19. Ibid., p.29,30.

20. Roger L. Fredrikson, The Preacher’ Commentary, Volume #27, John, Thomas Nelson

Publishers, p. 31.

21. Ibid., p.32.

22. McDowell & Larson, ‘Jesus - A Biblical Defense of His Deity’ p.95.

23. Ibid., p.96

24. Ibid., p.96.

25. Ibid., p.93.

26. Ibid., p.93.

27. Ibid., p.30.

28. Ibid., p.17,18.

29. Ibid., p.28.

30. Peter Toon, ‘ew International Bible Dictionary’(Zondervan Publishing House 1987),

p.1037,1038.

31. McDowell & Larson, ‘Jesus- A Biblical Defense of His Deity’ pg. 28

32. Brian Holt, ‘Jesus - God or Son of God?’(TellWay Publishing 2002), p.99.

33. Ibid., p.91