What the Bible affirms about. . .Christ

Introduction

We have now established that the Bibles we hold in our hands are the Word of God in written form. We have an accurate account of God’s mighty acts in history, and we have all the truth we need for faith and life on the pages of holy Scripture. The Bible is divided into two major sections: the Old and New Testaments. The First Testament was leading us to Christ, our Savior and Lord, the Second looks back and explains the person and work of Christ. We can learn magnificent things from both, but our main concern is in the New Testament. It tells us most clearly about Jesus Christ. It has been said that the biblical teaching concerning Christ can be summarized in this statement, “Jesus Christ was fully God and fully man in one person, and will be so forever” (Grudem, 529). This morning we will discuss the person and accomplishments of Jesus Christ in chronological order beginning with His preexistence and deity, then His incarnation, next the substitutionary atonement that He made for humanity, and finally we will discuss His exalted state.

The Preexistence and Deity of Christ

In John’s Revelation he heard, “‘I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,’ says the Lord, ‘who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.’” The New Testament affirms again and again that Jesus, who is divine, has always been. Jesus existed before the world was created. Actually, the New Testament affirms that God, through Christ, created the world and all things. A great passage to look to about Christ’s preexistence is (John 1:1-4). The Apostle John begins his Gospel account with some of the deepest parts of theology. Christ is called the Word, and He was in the beginning.

The fact of Christ’s preexistence and His creative work leads us to a closely related point. Jesus is God. He is divine. John says, “The Word was God.” He also affirms that, “In Him was life.” Throughout the Bible, especially the New Testament, there are Scriptures that explicitly state that Jesus, the Christ, the Son of the Living God, is in fact fully divine. We have seen in John one that Christ is called God; Thomas declared of Christ in John 20:28, “My Lord and my God;” in Romans 9:5 the Apostle Paul calls Christ “the eternally blessed God;” the Apostle calls Christ “our great God and Savior” in Titus 2:13; in his second epistle 1:1 the Apostle Peter calls Christ “our God and Savior.” There is an overwhelming amount of explicit evidence affirming that Jesus Christ is God.

The Incarnation

The greatest miracle in all of history is that God put on flesh and blood and moved in among us. On this subject, we must first start with the miraculous virginal conception (Luke 1:35). That miracle demonstrates that salvation is of the Lord, and God fulfilled the promise He made in Genesis that it would be the woman’s seed that crushed the head of the serpent. One of the premier Scriptures in all of the New Testament on the incarnation of Christ is (Philippians 2:5-8). The other verse that we all know is found in (John 1:14) which says, “And the word became flesh and dwelt among us. . . .” The Bible is clear that Jesus had: a human body, a human mind, and human emotions. The Bible also affirms that Jesus Christ was fully God and fully human at the same time. A classic statement on the incarnation that I think summarizes the biblical very well says, “Remaining what He was, He became what He was not.”

He Became Sin for Us

In His humanity, the God-Man was sinless. This is the one distinction that must be upheld of Christ from the rest of humanity. Yes, He fully immersed Himself into humanity; He was fully human like you and me, yet without sin. Christ asked the Jews who opposed Him if any of them could convict Him of sin, and they had no answer to respond with. Christ Himself said that He was the light of the world. He said, “I, I AM, (as opposed to all else) the light of the world.” What was it that Pilate declared concerning the Lord? He said, “I find no crime in Him.” Only God could pay for the sins of the world, only a sinless sacrifice would do. Christ was both.

If you want to know the Gospel in one verse, you need to memorize (2 Corinthians 5:21). This is a verse that you can memorize, and have a good grasp of, to use when telling others the good news of Christ. Christ was made sin for us. Do you know how profound that is? This doctrine of the atonement has been called “penal substitution” because Christ bore our penalty as our substitute. This is the message that the Apostle Paul deemed offensive, and it is the message that many have stumbled on when considering the faith. This is Christian doctrine at its core. Salvation is by grace through faith, meaning, we cannot save ourselves. We need someone, something outside of us to save us. We cannot earn it. We cannot attain it. We do not deserve it, but it is given to us freely if we simply trust in Christ.

His Exalted State and Heavenly Work

Well, Christ’s life and work do not end with the incarnation and substitutionary atonement. He is the One who was and is and is to come. He has been raised from the dead, and has ascended to an even greater place in glory. How can we affirm that He has gone to an even greater height? Because He can be seen now as our only hope for salvation, eternal life, and complete joy. Let us go back to (Philippians 2:9-11) to read about His exaltation.

One amazing note from the New Testament is that not only has Christ been exalted, but He is still at work (Hebrews 7:25). By His sacrifice, Christ continues to plead for grace on our behalf.

Conclusion

“The New Testament, in hundreds of explicit verses that call Jesus ‘God’ and ‘Lord’ . . . affirms again and again the full, absolute deity of Jesus Christ” (Grudem, 552). The greatest miracle in all of history is that our God put on flesh and blood to become a man. He humbled Himself in order to completely associate Himself with you and me. He lived a sinless life; the sinless God-Man bore our penalty in our place. This was and is the plan of God. There is no other way. And Christ has been raised from the dead to never die again. He has been exalted far above the heavens. There is no greater name than the name of Jesus and it is not the letters of the name, but what that name represents- His person and accomplishments. He is both Savior and Lord. We know that He will return one day when the Father sees fit to judge the living and the dead. We will talk about that in a future sermon.

There was a time when God overlooked the sins of men and women, He knew that Christ was to be sent to make atonement, but now he calls all people everywhere to repent. I appeal to you today to count the cost of following Christ. You must forsake this world and yourself to turn to Him, but you will be given eternal life and joy forevermore. The Bible affirms that today is the day of salvation. Stop waiting to commit to Him. Call on Him while He is near.

There are two things that we need to dispose of in American Christianity:
1) Lukewark Commitment
2) Inarticulacy of Our Beliefs

What the Bible affirms about. . .Itself

Introduction

This week we are continuing the tour that we started last week of the foundational doctrines of the Christian faith. Our intention is to find out what the Bible affirms about those doctrines. There are lots of ministers, lots of churches that teach lots of things that the Bible does not affirm, but we are Bible-believing Christians. We speak where the Bible speaks, and we are silent where the Bible is silent. Today we are going to consider what the Bible affirms about itself. As we will see, the Bible proves to be self-authenticating. Before we do that I am going to address a couple important issues. Let’s pray before we begin. 

Unique Inspiration

When we talk about the inspiration of the Scriptures we are not simply meaning the normal everyday use of the word. The inspiration of the Holy Scriptures was unique. As we will see in just a little while, the Bible affirms that the Scriptures are “God-breathed.” To say that the Bible was uniquely inspired does not necessarily refer to the means by which God brought about the final product. God did not dictate all of the words of the Bible to the human authors. God used several means by which to bring about the final result that we call the Bible (Hebrews 1:1-2). It was over a long period of time that the Old Testament was compiled then there was a gap of time before God began to reveal the New Testament which took less than 100 years. It was at various times that God spoke, but it was not always continuous, and is no longer ongoing. God has revealed everything that we need to know about life and salvation. As we will see in just a moment, the Bible affirms that the Holy Spirit is the One who revealed the things of God to the prophets and the apostles. God used various ways to make His revelations known and it was the Spirit overseeing this process. The greatest revelation, the culmination of all of the revelations, was/is Jesus Christ. God is seen most clearly in the person of Christ. God’s judgment, love, and ways are realized most clearly in the accomplishments of Christ. 

Biblical Canon

If we are to be thoughtful individuals, we must ask ourselves difficult questions. One of those difficult questions that we should ask is, what books should be included in the biblical canon? The word “canon” refers to a “measure.” There is a standard that must be used to define what is and what is not God’s written revelation. There are several things that have been used as qualifications over the history of the people of God to determine what a biblical book is or not. I will give you a few. First, the people of God have corporately listened to the sixty-six books of the bible and said that they all heard the words of God as opposed to many other writings. Second, those sixty-six books all say the same thing. There is a history of redemption contained in the books which all point us to Christ. Third, Christians inherited from the Jews the thirty-nine books of the Old Testament. They had already established that those books were the written word of God. The Jews have many more books, but they are not considered inspired by the Holy Spirit. Fourth, concerning the New Testament, one of the greatest qualifications was the fact the twenty-seven books are apostolically related. A New Testament book must be written by an apostle or a leader who was within the realm of the apostles. A last qualification I will give you for the New Testament is that it had to be early. The latest book written was Revelation. Anything after the 1^st Century is not accepted. The Bible is God’s Word in 66 books.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 and 2 Peter 1:20-21

Before we look at these two Scriptures, let us keep in mind that we just established that the sixty-six books of the biblical canon are exclusively the written Word of God.

The first phrase, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God. . .” has also been translated, “All Scripture is God-breathed. . . .” I think that “God-breathed” better conveys the meaning because what God has done in revealing the Scriptures is unique. That the Bible is profitable for doctrine tells us that it is intended to build up believers. You can see from these verses that the Scriptures are completely sufficient for the Christian life. They are able to thoroughly equip us for all the things that God has called and commanded us to do.  They are able to make us wise unto salvation.

This second passage helps us to understand a little better how God used men to write Scripture. Christians believe that God prepared men, elected them before they were born, and raised them up as leaders in order to reveal His will through them. It was not man’s will, but God’s will that brought about the Scriptures. The Spirit moved men to speak and write. What we have is God’s words, what He intended is contained in Scripture, but it is given through various men. Their vocabularies, their personalities, and their characteristics are seen in Scripture, but ultimately the message is God’s. John wrote in simple terms, but with deep meanings. Luke wrote from somewhat of a journalistic process. Paul was complex and intellectual. Various men moved by the Holy Spirit recorded those things that God wanted us to know.

The Bible Alone is Our Highest Authority

Often times in conversations, debates, and arguments (even in Christian circles) human reason or experience is referred to as the highest authority. Many Christians are even arrogant enough to argue for something merely because it is their personal preference. In churches and seminaries all over this country, Christians are no longer looking to the Bible for authoritative answers. They are looking everywhere but the Word of God. But let me tell you, the Bible tells us everything that we need to know about life and salvation. It is complete and closed. 

(2 Timothy 4:1-4) It is the word of God that I have been called to preach and teach because it is the highest authority known to man. We cannot believe that this book is the word of God and not obey it. I am commanded to preach the word in and out of season and will be held to a stricter judgment because of the responsibility that is on my shoulders. Whether it is popular or not, I must appeal to the Scriptures. No matter what other ministers or churches or doing, I must preach the Bible. There may be many people who turn away, but I must teach the Scriptures to the few who remain!

Conclusion

The Bible is self-authenticating. There are all sorts of external evidences for the value of the Bible, but the Scriptures claim for themselves to be the Word of God. Christians know these things to be true. We have found life in the pages of Scripture. We know that they are true and complete. They have told us all about life and salvation. Would you seek out God’s will? It is found on the pages of Scripture. Would you appeal to no higher authority than the Bible? Will you do all that it says? Man does not live by food alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. In its words you will find life.

What the Bible affirms about. . .God

Introduction 

Beginning with this sermon we are getting back to the basics. We are going to see what the Bible affirms about all sorts of subjects beginning with God Himself. In this sermon series we will attempt to call Bible things by Bible names, and we will be sure to check the foundation that is under us. Through the next several weeks we are going to go on a tour of the core doctrines of the Christian faith. We will look at a variety of Scriptures along the way. Let’s pray as we begin.

The Existence and Knowability of God

The existence and knowability of God are things that are common nature for us. We have believed that there is a God, and we have believed that He is personally involved with the world. The unbelieving world questions even the existence of God, and if they do believe that there is a “higher power,” they say that God cannot be known. Let us first talk about God-consciousness and let’s begin by looking at (Rom 1:19-21). Everyone has God-consciousness to some degree, it is just that Christians know and understand Him better because we have believed on the One whom God the Father has sent (John 1:18).

Let us secondly consider the evidence for God’s existence and knowability that is found in Scripture and nature. The entire Bible assumes that God exists, and not only that, but it goes much farther by declaring His mighty works in history. From the get-go the Bible tells us what God has done. “In the beginning God created . . .” (Gen 1:1). If the world would take the Bible alone as its sole authority in all things concerning life and salvation, then there would be an overwhelming amount of evidence for God’s existence. Yet, most people will not initially believe the Bible for what it says.

Therefore, God has shown proof of His existence even in creation. First, all people, whether they are male or female, black or white, speak English or Spanish, all people are created in the image of God (Gen 1:27). The brilliance that is humanity reveals that there is a Creator God. Each and every person, whether they are a Christian or not, announces that there is a God simply by their existence. Nature, too, proclaims the existence of God (Psalm 19:1).

Four Proofs for God’s Existence based on the evidence:

1) There must be a cause for the universe: God has caused all things.

2) The universe shows evidence of a purposeful design: God is the intelligent designer.

3) There is no greater being that can be imagined than God, therefore He must exist because it is greater to exist than to not exist.

4) All people feel a sense of right and wrong. There must be a God who is the standard bearer and who will ensure justice.

“Thus, for those who are correctly evaluating the evidence, everything in Scripture and everything in nature proves clearly that God exists . . .” (Grudem, 143).

The evidence for God’s existence may not be enough to bring someone to a saving faith, but it is enough to declare someone guilty before God. Ultimately, faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. People need to hear and believe the Gospel of Christ to be saved.

The Eternality and Tri-unity of God

The Bible does not begin by telling us how God came to be or by answering questions about His existence. It simply assumes that He has always been; that He is eternal. God’s personal name revealed to the Old Testament saints was “Yahweh,” meaning “I AM WHO I AM” (Exod 3:14). He is the One who was, who is, and who is to come. He is the beginning and the end. He has no beginning; there was none before Him; and He has no end. Of all the people that may be trusted, God Almighty is the One that I would trust. He alone is God forever and ever.

The Bible never uses the word “Trinity,” yet the doctrine is found all over Scripture. Christians proclaim the great shema with ancient Israel, (Deut 6:4) “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one!^[” There is one God, and the Bible reveals that He is three persons in one. From the beginning of the Bible (Gen 1:26), God uses the plural for Himself. He says, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; . . . .”

Of course, the revelation of the Trinity becomes that much clearer in the New Testament. I have always thought that there were only a couple verses that referred to all three persons of the Trinity at once, but in my study I found that I was wrong. There are still only a few Trinitarian verses, but there are more than I first thought. Let’s take a look at some of these: (Matt 3:16-17), (Matt 28:19), (1 Cor 12:4-6), (2 Cor 13:14), and many more. You see, we may not be able to perfectly understand the three-in-oneness of God, but that does not change the fact. God is so complex, that it will take an eternity to figure Him out. Did you catch that? It will take an eternity to understand our God. If that were not so, I’m not sure that He could be God!

God is the Sovereign Creator

God created all things out of nothing in the beginning by the word of His mouth. He created the things we can see and even the things we cannot see. He is the Creator and Sustainer of all things. There is nothing that exists that is outside God’s will and purposes (Rev 4:11). It is by faith that we believe these things (Heb 11:3). Yet, our faith is not blind. We have believed that God is the Creator because of all sorts of evidences. One case that I uphold is based on our faith that centers on Jesus Christ. I believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ, that He is Lord and Savior, and therefore I believe the whole of the Scripture because it is the Bible that declares to me the things of Christ. His story is told in the pages of Holy Scripture. That canon of Scripture also includes the doctrine of creation. “In the beginning God created . . . .” You cannot trust in Christ and not believe that God is the Sovereign Creator.

Because He is the Creator and Sustainer of all things, we are dependent upon God for everything. God knows the past, present, and future perfectly. He purposes all the days of our lives, and is intimately involved in history. In Him we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28). There is no greater example of God’s involvement in the world than the sending of His Son.

Conclusion

There is a God. He is eternal. He is Tri-une. He is the Soveriegn Creator. And He loves you and cares about you. He is involved with this world. He has done mighty acts in history, chief among them being the sending of His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for the sins of many. Jesus has taken our sins upon Himself on the cross, and He has been raised from the dead to secure what He has accomplished for us.

Psalm 51:12 The Joy of Your Salvation

Introduction

The Old Testament saints had not received the full revelation of God that is found in Jesus Christ.  Therefore, they did not completely know about the eternal forgiveness of the grace of God.  They did not fully understand what the renewal of the Holy Spirit would entail.  Only after an initial cleansing, that work of divine forgiveness, can one be transformed.  David did not full comprehend these things, but he knew that he needed God to do a mighty work in him.  He knew that without God he would have no hope in this life or the next.  His satisfaction and joy was in God alone who could save him and uphold him.  As we conclude this time of spiritual reflection, let us look again to the 51^st Psalm and consider ourselves in relation to God.

READ Scripture- This is the Word of God

Restore and Uphold

David asks to be restored and then upheld by God.  There are times in life when we need to be restored to our previous state of full communion with God.  It is only God that can restore us, and it is only God who can uphold us after we are restored.  Psalm 40:2 says, “He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps.”  Now that is what the Lord can do!  A wonderful New Testament passage that speaks to this subject is Romans 14:4.  It reads, “Who are you to judge another’s servant?  To his own master he stands or falls.  Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.”  You see, God is able to lift you up.  He wants to lift you up.  The people of God are not to mourn forever, they are not to stay depressed, and they are not to fumble around in sin.  No; God will restore and uphold you if you trust in Him.  There are no pity parties here.  There is no room for negativity, idleness, laziness, or discord.  No; we are the people of God and we will not allow it!

We will call upon the Lord and find our strength in Him.  We will trust in God Almighty and rest in faith that He is in control.  We will look not unto ourselves, but unto Him who is able to establish whatever He pleases.  We will rely on the righteousness of Christ, and not our own efforts or resources.

The Joy of Your Salvation

David has already said in verse eight, “Make me hear joy and gladness. . . .”  Now he says forthrightly, “Restore to me the joy of Your salvation. . . .”  Don’t we all want to continually experience the joy of God’s salvation?  He has done great things in the person of Jesus Christ.  Most of you, at some point in your life, have realized that you are spiritually bankrupt.  You knew that you needed a Savior, and I trust that you still know that, but do you remember the joy that you first had when you became a Christian?  Do you remember the swelling of your heart with the love of Christ and the love of others?  Psalm 40:3 continues the theme of restoration and upholding with the line, “He has put a new song in my mouth—Praise to our God. . . .”  At one time, a new song was put into your mouth.  For the first time, you began to learn new things.  You began to experience new things.

Has that newness worn off?  Do you need it to be restored?  Pray to the Lord, like David, that He may restore your joy.  He is able and willing.  He wants you to be satisfied in Him.  God receives all the glory when you find your joy in Him.  Christians are supposed to be happy and joyful.  I know that we have spent a few weeks talking about sin, and considering our own lives before the Lord.  Often times our hearts condemn us, but God is greater than our hearts.  As we transition in this week from reflection to grief to celebration, think about the serious things of life and then allow God to turn your soul to joy.  Romans five says that Christians are people who “rejoice in the hope of glory.”  I hope that describes you.  I hope it describes this church.

God’s Generous Spirit Making Our Spirits Willing

I have already said that it is God who will lift us up and hold us by His Spirit.  He is generous.  He gives to all His people as they have need.  None of us who call on the name of the Lord have been spiritually neglected.  We have all had our full of the blessings of God.  He freely gives to all without partiality.  The Lord Jesus looked into the eyes of the people in Matthew 7:11 and said, “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!”

Throughout this psalm we have seen David, the psalmist, talk about the relationship between his spirit and the Spirit of God.  He asked that God renew a steadfast spirit within him, and he asked that God not take His Holy Spirit from him.  We need God’s generous Spirit in our lives in order to create a willing spirit within us.  How many of you today can say that you have an overly abundant willingness of spirit?

I think that if our joy in God’s salvation found in the person and accomplishments of Jesus Christ is restored to us and renewed in us, then our spirits will be that much more willing to serve God.  Experiencing the joy of Christ will naturally motivate us to go out of our way to do spiritually productive things.  Don’t you want to do things that will have eternal results?  Don’t you want to leave a lasting mark on those around you?

Conclusion

You have received the full revelation of God.  You have before you all that you need to know about life and faith.  The Bible tells us all that we need to know about salvation.  Will you trust that what God has done in the person of Jesus Christ is enough to save you?  Will you rest in faith, knowing that God’s grace is sufficient?

God is able to restore and uphold you.  Allow God to restore His joy in your life once again.
He Spirit is generous, and He seeks to make your spirit willing.  We are called to rest in His accomplishments, find our ultimate satisfaction in Him, and to be fruitful workers.