OceanSide church of Christ

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JESUS:  ETERNAL, NOT CREATED (2)

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.          Belief in Jesus Christ is essential to one’s salvation (John 8:24).

 

I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins:  for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.

 

B.           The elements of that belief are as important as the belief itself.

1.            When we say that we believe Jesus is the Son of God, we believe that He is God.  He is deity.

2.            If we do not believe this, then we do not possess the kind of faith that will save us.

 

C.          Last week, we noted that Jehovah’s Witnesses do not believe in the deity of Christ.

1.            They believe that He was the first being that Jehovah created.

2.            We examined some of the verses found in the Bible that they believe teach this doctrine.

 

D.          In this lesson, we want to continue our refutation of this false teaching.  We want to show that Jesus is the eternal God.

 

I.        A SINGLE VERSE PROVES JESUS IS ETERNAL

 

A.          Most of the time false doctrine can be confronted and destroyed by one single verse.  It is as if God anticipated these false doctrines before they arose.

 

B.           In I Timothy 1:17, Paul praises the Lord Jesus Christ because of the grace and mercy bestowed upon him.  He describes Jesus with several phrases.

 

Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever.  Amen.

 

1.            If a being is created, he cannot be eternal.  Eternal means having no beginning and no end.

2.            Paul’s first description of the Christ is that He is eternal.

a.         Definition (165):  for ever, an unbroken age, perpetuity of time, eternity.

b.         The word “eternal” is the same one that describes the Spirit of God in Hebrews 9:14.

 

How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offer himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

 

C.          There is another verse that is just as effective as I Timothy 1:17.  It doesn’t use the word “eternal,” however (Heb. 7:3).

 

Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually.

 

1.            The inspired writer is describing Melchisedec.

2.            He states that he was without father and without mother.  He also says that he had neither beginning of days, nor end of life.  The writer is describing his eternal nature.

3.            He then compares him to the Son of God.  “…but made like unto the Son of God.”

a.         Melchisedec was eternal like Jesus is eternal.

b.         If Jesus were created, this statement would have been false.

 

D.          See also Micah 5:2.

 

II.      JESUS IS GOD

 

A.          There are numerous passages that refer to Jesus as God.

1.            Isaiah 9:6.

 

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given:  and the government shall be upon his shoulder:  and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, the Prince of peace.

 

2.            Matthew 1:23.

 

Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

 

3.            John 1:1.

 

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

 

4.            John 20:28.

 

And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.

 

5.            I Timothy 1:17.

 

Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever.  Amen.

 

6.            Titus 2:13.

 

Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ.

7.            Hebrews 1:8.

 

But unto the Son, he saith, Thy throne, O god, is for ever and ever:  a septre of righteous-ness is the scepter of thy kingdom.

 

8.            Other passages.

a.         Acts 20:28.

b.         John 14:9.

c.         The image of God (Col. 1:15; Heb. 1:3).

 

B.           Jesus received worship.

1.            Only God is worthy of worship (Matt. 4:10).

 

Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan:  for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

 

                                    a.         The worship of man is condemned (Acts 10:25-26).

                                    b.         The worship of angels is forbidden (Rev. 22:9).

c.         If Jesus received worship, it was because He is God not a man or an angel.

                        2.         Numerous times Jesus was worshipped during His earthly ministry.

                                    a.         Leper (Matt. 8:2).

 

And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.

 

b.           Jairus (Matt. 9:18).

c.           The disciples (Matt. 14:33).

d.           The Canaanite woman (Matt. 15:25).

e.            The women at the tomb (Matt. 28:9, 17).

f.            The blind man (John 9:35, 38).

 

C.          Jesus manifested the qualities of God.

1.            He is eternal (John 8:58).

 

Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.

 

2.            He is all-knowing (John 2:24-25).

 

But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, and needed not that any should testify of man:  for he knew what was in man.

 

3.            He was all-powerful.

a.         Isaiah 9:6 declares Him to be the mighty God.

b.         John affirmed that His miracles were proof that He is the Son of God (John 20:30-31).

 

 

                        4.         He could forgive sins (Matt. 9:1-8, esp. v. 2).

 

And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed:  and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.

 

D.          Jesus is called God, was worshipped as God, and had the attributes of God.  Since He is God, He is eternal.  He is not a created being.

 

CONCLUSION

 

A.          This error of the Jehovah’s Witnesses is serious.  If believed, it will cause one to lose his soul.

 

B.           Jesus is God.  He is the Son of God.  This must be believed, confessed and professed until we draw our last breath.