South Valley Baptist Church
This past Wednesday our church celebrated Christ in the Jewish Passover Dinner which turns into our Lord's Supper in the New Testament. It is interesting how to this day the same order and Jewish explanation of things allude to the Trinity - it was during this dinner in John 13-17 Jesus taught us most clearly about the Trinity. When I get into conversations with people who think the Trinity is unbiblical or comes from church creeds (Apostles creed or Nicene the most famous) I always take them to John 14 and 16. I teach the Trinity because Jesus taught the Trinity clearly and distinctly. John 14 - I am leaving you but not as orphans (Jn.14:3, 8) - the Father will send another to comfort you (Holy Spirit Jn. 14:26) when he comes the Father and the Son will be in you (Jn. 14:23). After Jesus teaches he will be with them no more in John 14 he gives them the command in John 15:4-5 to abide in Him. How do you abide with someone who is no longer around? By the way Jesus also taught in Matthew 24:23 that Christ will not in the future do guest appearances. I once had an LDS (Latter Day Saint) man ask if Jesus visited my church next Sunday what would I do - well according to Jesus' own teaching which is apart of the command in John 15 to abide - I would have to ask the false christ (Matt. 24:24) to leave because Jesus warned me ahead of time this would happen and I should not be surprised when people come up with convincing stories of Jesus visitations. When we do have people see Christ after the the ascension into heaven it is always visions and they keep Christ in heaven (Stephen as he is being stoned, Paul on road to Damascus, John in Revelation) proving this is a consistent biblical teaching. When my faith comes from a man who goes against this teaching - then my faith is not abiding in Christ it is abiding in a new thing that is different from the biblical good news. The other question that I have had asked from LDS people is who is Jesus praying to in the garden if Jesus is the Father? Hank Hanegraaff, known as the Bible answer man says at that many confuse the What of the Trinity (One Being, Essence, Substance) with the Who of the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). The What of God gets declared in Deut. 6 - hear O Israel the LORD your God is one! (One Substance - never created, eternal, and thus worthy of worship). I am constantly told in Isaiah there is only one God (Isa. 45:5) in Isaiah 42 he created all the "heavens" - stars, galaxies and Isa. 43:10-11 - there was no god before me nor will there be one after me. When my child comes and asks me who is God, my answer is - the One who was not created (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). All three are worthy of worship simply because they are unique to all creation - they create and are not created. When I meet people who say LDS and Christians worship the same God my concern is we worship a God of Genesis to Revelation who has always existed and was never created. I did not always exist, I am not eternal I am created - I have even had conversations with LDS that make the case they have always existed as well which allows for their godhood but I do not believe that is biblical and God teaches it very clearly - Isaiah 43 7 everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.” 10 “You are my witnesses,” declares the LORD, “and my servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me. In Isaiah 45-46 seven times God says He is LORD and "there is no other" he created the universe.Thanks to the Dead Sea Scrolls (DSS) we as Christians have something new to say about Isaiah. The DSS tell us the Bible has not been corrupted over time - pretty much what we had in 250 BC is what we have in 900 AD (date of oldest complete Masoretic Text) which is what we have in 2011+ AD - it has not changed or been corrupted or had been tampered with, as some had thought and taught. God can actually preserve His Word - He is that powerful! Getting back to the who is Jesus praying to question - In John 10:30 Jesus says, "I and the Father are one" Well if they are the same person then how can Jesus talk to the Father - would that not be like me talking to myself? - Again biblical context wins out - the "one" in Greek is neuter not referring to person but to purpose and essence - this corresponds well to John 14 "whoever has seen me has seen the Father (Jn. 14:9) not because Jesus is the Father but because Jesus shows them the Father, the words he speaks are not his own, they belong to the Father (Consistent in John 5:19, 6:46, 8:38 & 42). John 5:19 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. John 6:46 not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God; he has seen the Father. John 8:38 I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard from your father.” John 8:42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me.Jesus is God but He is not the Father - he has an eternal and perfect relationship with this person of the Trinity.Mark 13:32 “But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.The New Testament teaching is consistent in revealing the Trinity - One God in Three persons. When I look at Jesus I get to see the non-visible Father because He represents Him so well in word, deed, purpose and essence (Being). Jesus miracles are performed in the Power of the Holy Spirit (Matt. 12) and His teaching is done through the Holy Spirit in Acts 2:1 so that we have Christ portrayed as "the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily."The Trinity is best taught as Jesus taught it - Father, Son, Holy Spirit as distinct persons yet all fully representing each other because they are of the same Essence or Being one. Even later on the Holy Spirit in Rom. 8 is referred to the Spirit of Christ, Philippians 1:19 the "Spirit of Jesus Christ" and in Romans 8:9 if you don't have the Holy Spirit you don't have Christ. This is consistent with what Jesus taught in John 14-16. The reason the Trinity is attached to the gospel is tied to many passages - 2 Peter 1:8 warns us to grow and not be "ineffective and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ" - who Christ is becomes crucial to salvation - 2 Pet. 1:11 For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” -Quite a statement since John 1 teaches no one has seen the Father except the Son - John 1 also teaches the Word who became flesh (Jesus) created everything (John 1:3) and Col. 1:16 even indicates he created invisible angelic beings (heavenly authorities) so Satan is not a brother but a creation of Jesus.The classical way of presenting how the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit work is the Father has a plan or blueprint - the Son speaks it into existence and the Spirit sees it to completion. This is the way God has worked in creation and this is also the way God works in salvation (Eph. 1). Although the Trinity is alluded to in the Old Testament - Gen. 1 let us make man in "our" image it is most clearly taught by Jesus in the gospel of John during the Lord's Supper. Remember if I don't abide in the teaching of Christ Jesus teaches: John 15:6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.If you don't believe in the Trinity it is worth investigating - I hope as followers of Christ we would want to know what he taught about it to develop our thinking and guide our teaching. If you believe the Christ is created you are not trinitarian, if you believe god is three seperate beings you are not trinitarian, if you believe that God is only one (Jehovah) showing up in two other modes (modalism) you are not trinitarian. At the end of the day we know according to Matthew 7 that many did miracles and prophecy and other wonderful things in the name of Jesus and he simply says to them - depart from me, you workers of lawlessness - those are people who hear his teaching and even agree with it but do not do it. Add Comment What is the best definition of a Christian? 08/12/2010
An Anointed follower of Jesus Christ. Anointed is in reference to what the Holy Spirit does - in Christ's teaching (John 14-16) Jesus teaches his disciples that He is getting ready to leave them but they will not be orphans - why? Because the Counselor/Comforter (Holy Spirit) will come helping them to remember what Christ has taught and allow believers to dwell not only with Jesus but also the Father “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words." (John 14:23-24). Notice what Jesus teaches when it comes to God showing Himself - "He will keep my word - whoever does not love me does not keep my words." This should be the test for authenticity in the Christian life - do we still hold to what Christ taught or do we move away from it - the Holy Spirit's task according to Jesus is to "convict the world concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment" (John 16:8). Paul later teaches in 1 Cor. 2 that the Holy Spirit teaches "the things freely given us by God" so that we can have the "mind of Christ" which is all rooted in the crucifixion - 1 Titus 3:4-7 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. Colossians 1:20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. 21 And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22 he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, 23 if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister. What does it mean to continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting? Romans 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. Basically if your gospel goes back to a list of do's and don't (according to the flesh - what you do) instead of what God has done you are not keeping in step with the Holy Spirit but "submit again to a yoke of slavery" instead of standing firm in Christ's freedom (Gal. 5:1). Anointed followers of Christ are people who understand the things freely given that allow them to develop the mind of Christ through the power of His death, burial, and resurrection - it is the Holy Spirit who works the circumcision of our hearts (Isaiah 6:10, Rom. 2:29, Col. 2:11-14). When an LDS person asks if you think they are a Christian you can go through the teachings of Christ and ask do you follow what Christ taught about who you are and who He is, does your salvation fully rest on Him, or do you use it as a stepping stone to another gospel that moves away from what the Holy Spirit has freely given? The Greek word for founder or author is archegos - a combination of the word for beginning/power and the other word to lead, bring forth, and carry - Jesus is the one who starts to lead us and just so we don't take credit for what he is doing he completes us - but what if we don't agree with his teaching and perspective? How many teachings of Christ can I deny and still be a follower? Are the teachings of Christ a part of the good news? What if I don't abide in his teaching? 10 things Jesus taught - a simple test of abiding in His Word and Gospel John 14:23 Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me. 25 “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. According to this teaching of Jesus if you love Him you will keep or abide in His teaching. How many teachings of Christ would you have to hold to to follow Christ - what if you disagreed on one point - would you still be a follower? 1. What does Christ teach about my pre-existence and his pre-existence? John 8:23 He said to them, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. 24 I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.” John 8:31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you abide in my word [teaching], you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 2. Marriage in heaven? -What did Jesus teach Matthew 22: 30 For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. - This was to answer the question whom’s wife will she be in heaven? 3. Will Jesus do guest appearances on earth - after the resurrection/ascension? Matt. 24:23 Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24 For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you beforehand. 26 So, if they say to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. 27 For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. -notice all appearances of Jesus after the Ascension are visions in/from heaven -Paul on road to Damascus (Acts 9, 22, 26) and 2 Cor. 12, Stephen while being stoned (Acts 7), the book of Revelation as John is taken up (Rev. 4) and in the Spirit (Rev. 1) 4. Do most people go to heaven? Luke 13:23 And someone said to him, “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” And he said to them, 24 “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.Matt. 7:13 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. 5. Does the true church cease to exist and become apostate? Matthew 28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matt. 16:18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 6. Is there another way to get to heaven besides Jesus? -what about good Baptists and other religions? John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7. Am I basically a good person who needs a little help to get me going in the right direction? Matthew 12:34 You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.Matt. 23:33 You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell? -Jesus talking to the most religious people of his day. 8. Do you choose God (free will / free agency) or does God choose you? John 6:29 Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”John 6:44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. 45 It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me— 46 not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God; he has seen the Father. 47 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life.John 6:62 Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? 63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64 But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) 65 And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.” Matthew 22:14 “For many are called, but few are chosen.” John 3:5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. Matt. 5:20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Matt. 5:48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Paul writes: Rom. 3:10 as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; 11 no one understands; no one seeks for God. 12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” 1Cor. 6:11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. Rom. 2:29 But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God. 1 Cor. 2:12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. -Can you list what God has freely given you - most people who have a man centered instead of God centered salvation can not list one thing God has given them in Christ. 9. How much of my own righteous energy and strength get calculated into the salvation equation according to Jesus? John 15:5 “apart from me you can do __________” John 3:3 “You must be b______ a__________” -How much credit do you take for your own conception and birth? John 1:12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. John 12:24 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him. 10. The gospel is centered on the cross of Christ - his followers know the cross is essential for a new life. John 8:28 So Jesus said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me. Luke 9:23 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. Luke 14:27 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. Matt. 16:24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? Paul wrote:Gal. 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. John's warning to the church: 2 John 1:9 Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, 11 for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works. How many of these 10 teachings did you disagree with? Can we pick and choose what our Master and Teacher is saying is correct or when we do that does He cease to be our Master and teacher? Example: Peter in Matthew 16 disagrees with Jesus that He will suffer in the hands of the elders: Jesus' response: "Get behind me, Satan" Matt. 7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ This quote from Jesus is a warning which begins to wrap up the Sermon on the Mount - will we put into practice what Christ taught (build on the rock) or will we only listen then go our way? The bottom line is God’s Word - in Luke 16:31 Jesus taught, “if they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.” Basically he is saying the power of the Old Testament is greater than a dead man resurrected knocking at your door telling you it is all real. In the case of the LDS they dismiss the teaching of Christ not over a dead man resurrected telling us it is all real but over a young man who had many claims one being that salvation is done by our effort after faith in Christ - Nephi 25:23 - where is Christ as author and perfecter? His role is diminished and we are left with another testament (gospel) just like the Book of Mormon suggests in it's subtitle. The LDS move away from the apostolic teaching of Paul down playing the role to the cross. Colossians 1:20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. Col. 1:21 And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22 he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, 23 if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister. Finally the LDS instead of moving us into the teaching of grace and what the Holy Spirit has freely given they move us back to the shadow (Hebrews 10:1) of the Old Testament with temple worship which never brought about a changed heart unlike the blood of Christ and the circumcision of the Holy Spirit (Rom 2:29). Heb. 10:19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. God who goes before you ... 04/07/2010
 Monday, April 5 our family went on a hike south of Escalante, Utah. It was a challenging hike with a 1 and 2 year old but the 7 and 9 year old helped as much as they could. We talked about Moses and the Israelites in the desert for 40 years with sand blowing in our face and eyes. It would have been the time Moses and God's people started their long trek with animals and kids and the desert. Deut. 1:30 The LORD your God who goes before you will himself fight for you, just as he did for you in Egypt before your eyes, 31 and in the wilderness, where you have seen how the LORD your God carried you, as a man carries his son, all the way that you went until you came to this place.’ My favorite hiking verse: Psalm 85:13 Righteousness will go before him and make his footsteps a way. | AuthorSam Coleman is the Senior Pastor at South Valley Baptist Church. ArchivesApril 2011 Categories |
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