Who is Jesus of Nazareth? When He walked upon this earth
over nineteen hundred years ago He asked His disciples:
"Whom do men say that I, the Son of man am?" They
answered that some declared Him to be John the Baptist, while
others claimed that He was Elias, and others Jeremias, or one
of the prophets. Friends, have you ever looked up the meaning
of the words "Jeremiah" or Elijah"?
"Elijah" means God Himself , and the word
"Jeremiah" means the High God. So, in the
days of Christ, we find that some declared that Jesus was God
Himself, or, The High God.
Many people today still contend and claim that Jesus is
the High God Himself. Yea, even whole bodies of so-called
Christians are organized and advocating this same teaching.
But was Jesus satisfied with the answer the people gave? He
definitely was not then, and He is not yet today. He said to
His disciples, "But whom say ye that I am?" (Matt.
16:15). Here we find the correct answer as to whom Jesus is.
The man who knows and believes this and can give this answer
from the depth of his heart in spirit and in truth is
blessed. He has had revelation from heaven through the Word
of truth. Hear the answer of truth! "Thou art the
Christ, the Son of the living God" (Matt. 16:16). Unless
we come without any strings attached, without any wresting or
twisting of these words, and believe them just as they are
stated, we cannot know the living God. Neither do we
understand His plan of salvation.
"Thou art the Christ," means, "Thou art the
Anointed One." Now those who contend that Jesus was God
Himself or the High God can never believe that Jesus was the
Anointed One. Why? Those who advocate that Jesus is God
Himself claim there is a triune God and therefore is equal to
and co-existent with God the Father.
In Acts 10:38 we find these words: "God anointed
Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power."
Let us think honestly and clearly before God. If Jesus were
God Himself or part of a trinity Godhead, equal and
co-existent with two other parts in a God head of three, it
would be impossible for Him to be anointed by any one of the
other two. That would make one of them greater than He. The
Bible clearly states that "God anointed Jesus of
Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power." If God had
not anointed Jesus with the Holy Ghost and with power, could
He ever have accomplished anything worthy of mention? How
many sins could He have forgiven? How many sick could He have
healed? Could He have raised the dead? You see, Jesus was not
God, but was the Son of God and was dependent upon His
Father. (John 5:19-21)
Now hear the Word of the Lord. It may change your
theology; it may destroy what you have believed for years;
but His truth can save you from eternal death and will hide
(cover) your multitude of sins if you will believe. John 5:19
states, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do
nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do."
Look closely at this for a moment. If Jesus were God Himself,
or even equal with God, then Jesus could do nothing of
Himself and neither could God. Someone will say that He can
do what He sees the Father do. That is true. Jesus can do
what He sees His Father do, but if they are equal, God must
also see His father act before He is able to do His wonderful
acts. God has no father. Even a child prejudiced to the
teachings of men can see the error in this line of thought.
John 5:20 states, "The Father loveth the Son, and
sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew
him greater works than these, that ye may marvel." Now
if Jesus were God Himself, or equal with God, and had been
with God from all eternity, would God have to show Him the
works that He did? Friends, the doctrines of the trinity and
of the pre-existence are doctrines of the devils th at are to
destroy men's faith in the true God and in Jesus His Son.
In John 5:26 and 27, we read, "As the Father hath
life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in
himself; and hath given him authority to execute judgment
also, because he is the Son of man." Now you either
believe this or you deny it. To deny it is to be damned and
lost. To believe it may bring you salvation, if you are
likewise obedient in all things. Notice, the Father has life
in Himself. God only has immortality, but how did Jesus get
life? The Father gave it to Him, both natural life through
birth, and immortality through a resurrection. If Jesus were
God Himself or equal with God, God could not give Him life,
for He would already have it even as the Father has it . Then
again, how did Jesus get His authority to execute judgment?
Hear again the Word of God. God gave it to Him. Could Jesus
be as great as the Father, if the Father is the one who
anointed Him with power and gave Him life and gave Him His
authority? The only reason Jesus has the authority He now has
is because God gave it to Him.
In John 5:30 Jesus repeats again, "I can of mine own
self do nothing." Could Jesus do anything of Himself
alone? He said He could of His own self do nothing. Did God
ever do anything by Himself? In Isaiah 44:24 it is said of
God, "I am the Lord that maketh all things; that
stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the
earth by myself." Many say that Jesus helped to create
the earth or that He was the Creator, but here the speaker
said, "I stretched forth the heavens alone and spread
abroad the earth by myself." Jesus said, "I can of
mine own self do nothing." The disciples of Christ knew
full well that Jesus was not God, neither any part of a
trinity Godhead, but was the Son of God, begotten by the
Spirit and power of God according to the Word of God born of
the virgin Mary. Born - really born - not incarnated, but
born!
I would like to say here that the words
"pre-existent" , "trinity" , and
"incarnate" are nowhere found in the Bible. They
are terms put to use by the satanic host to deceive ministers
and churchgoers and to rob them of ever knowing the real Son
of God. This is what Peter had reference to in 2 Peter 2:1
when he said, "There shall be false teachers among you,
who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying
the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift
destruction."
Friends, do you deny the Lord that bought you? Do you know
which Lord bought you? It could not be God Himself, for God
cannot die. It cannot be a trinity Christ, for He would be
equal with God. Since God cannot die, neither could a trinity
Christ. The Scriptures declare that Christ died for our sins.
(1 Cor. 15:3) According to the Scriptures, the Son of God,
born of a virgin, brought into existence by the power of God,
being anointed with life from God, power and authority from
God, died for our sins, thus giving His entire life for us.
But, thanks be to God, He raised Him up from the dead.
The world, by accepting the pre-existent theory and the
doctrine of the trinity, deny the flesh and bones that God
caused to be born to be our Savior. Dear friends, if you deny
the flesh and bones that God caused to come forth to life
from Mary's womb, you deny the Lord that bought you. This is
what Jesus had reference to when He said that many false
Christs would arise and deceive, not a few, but many. Today
more people believe and pay tribute to and glorify and pray
to a false Christ, who never did die for them, than they that
accept a flesh-and-bones Savior who died on Calvary. The
false Christ is the pre-existent Christ, the trinity Christ,
the Christ that is said to be God Himself. The true Christ is
the Son of the living God and the anointed of Him.
In John 6:57 we find, "As the living Father hath sent
me, and I live by the Father." Notice that the living
Father sent the Son. Could one God be equal with another when
one was sent of the other? Notice also Jesus said, "I
live by [and through] the Father." Without the Father,
Jesus never would have existed and had life.
In John 7:16 Jesus said, "My doctrine is not mine,
but his that sent me." If Jesus were God Himself or a
part of a trinity God, how could He say, "My doctrine is
not mine" ? If Jesus were equal to the Father and the
doctrine He was giving was not His, does Jesus have a
doctrine just as equal and powerful and strong as the
doctrine of His Father? And does the Holy Spirit also have
another doctrine? Would their doctrines be the same or
different?
Jesus gave us to know that He had nothing to do with the
origin of the doctrines which He spoke. They originated with
the Father, and the Son merely spoke the doctrines of the
Father. In John 7:28 Jesus said, "Ye both know me, and
ye know whence I am: and I am not come of myself, but he that
sent me is true, whom ye know not." If Jesus were God
Himself, would He not have had to send Himself? He said,
"I am not come of myself." Friend, did you or I
come of ourself? We had nothing to do with it. We did not
come into existence by our will, for we had no will, no life,
no intellect, until we were born. The same is true of Christ.
Jesus did not come of Himself, but God sent Him. If there
were three equal Gods, why would one God send another one of
the other two to die? If one could send one of the other two
to die, would not the one that had power to send be greater?
In John 8:28 Jesus said, "I do nothing of myself; but
as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things." When
one God has to be taught of another God, the God that does
the teaching would be the greater. If Jesus were co-equal
with God and co-existent with Him, He would not have to be
taught from the Father.
Again, Jesus said in John 8:42, "I proceed forth and
came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent
me." Jesus told us in John 10:18, "I have power to
lay it [my life] down, and I have power to take it again.
" Where did He get this power? He said, "This
commandment have I received of my Father." When one
person gives another person commandments, one is supreme to
the other. Jesus said in John 10:29, "My Father ... is
greater than all."
Friends, do you not understand that Jesus is the anointed
flesh and bones which God brought forth to life by His Holy
Spirit, His own power, and that there is no other Savior of
truth who could die for us? First John 2:22 says, "Who
is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Anointed
One?" Friend, if you contend that Jesus is God Himself,
or a part of a trinity God, or a pre-existent Jesus, with
power to create before He was born, then He could never be
anointed by the Father.
Understand this, "He is antichrist that denieth the
Father and Son." The Father is God and Jesus Christ is
His Son, born of the virgin by the power of God. They are two
separate and different beings. Anyone who denies this is
antichrist. Which side are you on?
May God help you to believe in His Son, even as the
Ethiopian eunuch, who said, "I believe that Jesus Christ
is the Son of God."