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CHRIST IS FULLY GOD
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 2
John 1:1-14

Philippians 2:5-11

 

“…the Word was God.”

 

CHRIST IS FULLY GOD
 
“In the beginning was the Word.” This reminds us of Genesis 1:1: “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” Jesus was there “in the beginning.” He is the Creator: “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made” (John 1:3).
 
“The Word was with God.” The Word is distinguished from God. The distinction has nothing to do with Jesus’ essence. Jesus is the same in essence with God. The distinction has to do with personality. The Word is a Person by Himself. He is “with” God in the sense that He is “in the presence” or “in the company” of God (cf. Matt 13:56, Mark 6:3, Luke 9:41, 1 Thess 3:4). Who is this God that Jesus was with? It has to be God the Father. John described Jesus as being “the only begotten of the Father” (John 1:14, 18, 3:16). The Father and the Son are distinguishable individuals. The Father is not the Son. (Note: Sabellianism is the heresy which says that God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit are all one and the same person but appearing in three different forms.)
 
“The Word was God.” This statement declares that Jesus is Himself God. Jesus is Deity. The New World Translation of the Jehovah’s Witnesses is absolutely wrong to translate this verse, “The Word was a god.” That Jesus is only a lesser god (i.e. not 100% God as Jehovah is, but only 50%) is a heresy called Arianism. The Council of Nicea (AD 325) condemned Arianism.
 
The deity of Christ is clearly stated in Colossians 2:9: “For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.” Jesus was 100% God before He became man. And when He became 100% man, He did not cease to be 100% God. He is fully God and fully Man in one perfect Person forever (cf. Heb 7:24).
 
THOUGHT: Does doctrine save? Read 1 Timothy 4:16.

PRAYER: Father, help me to interpret Thy Word correctly and accurately.

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