13For He rescued us from the domain of
darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, 14in whom we have redemption,
the forgiveness of sins. 15He
is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and
on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or
authorities--all things have been created through Him and for Him. 17He is before all things, and in Him all things hold
together.
"Again,
Scripture sets forth a distinction of the Father from the Word, and of the Word
from the Spirit. Yet the greatness of the mystery warns us how much reverence
and sobriety we ought to use in investigating this. And that passage in Gregory
of Nazianus vastly delights me: " "I cannot think on the one without
quickly being encircled by the splendor of the three; nor can I discern the
three without being straightway carried back to the one." Let us not,
then, be led to imagine a trinity of persons that keeps our thoughts distracted
and does not at once lead them back to that unity. Indeed, the words
"Father," "Son," and "Spirit" imply a real
distinction - let no one think that these titles, whereby God is variously
designated from his works, are empty - but a distinction, not a division."
Jehovah’s
Witnesses deny that Jesus Christ is fully God.
They reject the Trinity, and therefore, they reject Jesus as God the
Son. These people are Unitarian
henotheists. Mormons deny the deity of
Christ in the sense that the Lord Jesus is one god among many gods. Mormons are not monotheists but
polytheists. Oneness Pentecostals deny
the deity of Christ because essentially it was the Father who made Christ
divine; it is the old heresy of Sabellianism that is known today as
Modalism. We profess as Monotheists
Trinitarians that there is but one God who is true, and He is revealed in three
distinct persons. That is, God is one in
being but three in person. We believe
and profess that Jesus Christ is God from everlasting to everlasting; He is the
divine Incarnate Savior who is fully God and fully man; two natures in one
person not two persons; the Sinless God-man.
The cults deny this fundamental truth of the Christian faith. People do not want to face-up to the reality
of the truth of Scripture because they are blinded guides who deceive many
multitudes of people, for as divine Scripture declares, “Now I urge you,
brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine
which you learned, and avoid them. For
those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own
belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the
simple” (Romans 16:17-18 NKJV). Dr.
White wrote,
What may be the most obvious passage is found in Colossians
chapter 1, verses 13 through 17. Here the "beloved Son" is described
as "the image of the invisible God, the firstborn (Gr: prototokos) of all
creation." He (the Son) is then described as the Creator in what could
only be called exhaustive terms. Certainly, if the Son is the creator, then the
Son both pre-existed and is indeed eternal, for God is the creator of all that
is. It will not do to say that this passage says that God created all things
for the Son who was yet to exist; for verse 16 is emphatic is announcing that
it was "in Him" that all things were created (the usage of en is the
instrumental of agency). Without doubt the Son is presented here as
pre-existent.
The
cults of our day speak the doctrine of demons and traditions of men. Satan is very successful in subduing them to
his will, and holding them captive to himself.
He is very successful at using their depraved imaginations to speak
foolish doctrines in spiritual corruption and defilement. But we know that God will choose out of the kingdom of Satan, His pre-converted
elect unto Himself for His glory according to His good pleasure. We see people blinded by their sin and
hardness. They make doctrines, not
derived from Scripture, but from their own foolish hearts. They do harm to themselves and the blind
followers of the blind will lead into the ditch. When we hear their arguments against the
divine Christ it is always something contrary to divine Scripture. It is always something uplifting the
doctrines of men. It is always something
that is in twisted iniquity in varnished foolishness. We see that their Christ is impotent to save,
and that He is merely an exalted archangel, or a god among many, or God among
many gods—but again their argumentation lacks Scripture integrity and will end,
if held to the end, in eternal damnation and condemnation in hell where torment
never ceases and the wrath of God is always active, and the absence of God’s
retraining grace is clearly seen in absolute horror.
God
the Father rescued His people through His Beloved Son from the domain of
darkness. He delivered us from the works
of darkness where Satan is the prince of darkness. He delivered His people whom He foreordained
to be His by sending His blameless and sinless Son to suffer, died and rise
again from the dead. We know that death
could not hold Him. We know that Christ
did not see corruption. We see in the
New Testament that the resurrection was a Trinitarian work of God in time and
space. We see that the Father raised the
Son, the Son raised Himself, and the Spirit raised the Son. We see God’s glory magnified in the bodily
resurrection of Christ. We see that
cults embrace the commandments of men and reject Jesus’ bodily resurrection and
ascension. The Blessed Father chose to
send His Son to deliver us from sin because He would not allow His own people
to remain in the filth of sin. The
Father chose to send His Son to deliver us from Satan because He would have a
testimony to the glory of God in the defeat of Satan and the triumph of God in
Christ for His beloved people. In
eternity passed past, there was eternal fellowship within the Godhead. The Father was pleased to work through His
Son by His Spirit.
We
see that God used St. Paul as a chosen instrument of God to proclaim the
God-centered gospel of Christ to “to open their eyes so that they may turn from
darkness to light and from the
dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an
inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me” (Acts 26:18
NASB).
God’s
people are a light to those in darkness to share the gospel with them. We do not know the identity of the elect so
we must share the gospel we everyone for God has those that He will make
His. Romans 2:19, “and are confident
that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness…”
Christians
are to walk worthy of the gospel and lay aside the deeds of darkness. Romans 13:12,
“The night is almost gone, and the day is near. Therefore let us lay aside the
deeds of darkness and put on the
armor of light.”
Because
Christ has purchased us out of the kingdom of darkness, we are not to have
fellowship with the darkness but always with Christ. 2 Corinthians 6:14,
“Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have
righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?”
We see that before we
were converted by God we were children of darkness which we formerly
walked. Ephesians 5:8, for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the
Lord; walk as children of Light
We
have been delivered by Christ from the domain of darkness; we need not work any
longer in it. Ephesians
5:11, Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose
them;
Because
we are God’s property, we are engage in the battle of fighting our foes of
darkness: Ephesians
6:12, For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but
against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces
of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Those
who are in darkness will have the day overtake them but the children of light
should be ready when He returns: 1
Thessalonians 5:4, But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake
you like a thief;
We
are sons and daughters of light and not of darkness because Christ delivered us
out of it: 1
Thessalonians 5:5, for you are all sons of light and sons of
day We are not of night nor of darkness;
We
have been called out of darkness to worship God and glorify Him into His most
excellent light: 1 Peter
2:9, But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY
NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God's OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the
excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
The Lord Jesus
delivered us out of the black darkness where the reprobate will be cast into
outer darkness: 2 Peter 2:17, These are springs
without water and mists driven by a storm, for whom the black darkness has been reserved.
We
are to serve God because in Him there is no darkness at all. He whom there is no darkness delivered us
from the darkness of Satan, gloom and eternal shame: 1 John 1:5, This
is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light,
and in Him there is no darkness
at all.
As Christians who
have been delivered out of darkness we ought not walk in darkness because if we
do we lie and do not practice the truth of God in Christ. 1 John 1:6, If we say that we have
fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness,
we lie and do not practice the truth;
Christ delivered us
from the darkness, and it is passing away and the Light (who is Christ) is
shining: 1 John 2:8, On the other hand, I
am writing a new commandment to you, which is true in Him and in you, because
the darkness is passing away and
the true Light is already shining.
Constant
haters of brothers and sisters in Christ walk in darkness. It is the nature of depraved man to hate on
another. The true love of Christ is not
in them. 1 John 2:11,
But the one who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness,
and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
Christ delivered us
from the black darkness which has been reserved forever for the goats whom will
be justly condemned. Jude 1:13, wild waves of the sea,
casting up their own shame like foam; wandering stars, for whom the black darkness has been reserved forever.
God
has transferred us into the kingdom of His only Beloved Son. It was the Lord Jesus who delivered us out of
darkness and the kingdom of Satan and captivity of
sin. Calvin wrote,
13. Who hath delivered us. Mark, here is the
beginning of our salvation — when God delivers us from the depth of ruin into
which we were plunged. For wherever his grace is not, there is darkness,
as it is said in Isaiah 60:2
Behold darkness shall
cover the earth, and thick darkness the nations; but the Lord shall arise upon
thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.
In the first place, we
ourselves are called darkness, and afterwards the whole world, and Satan, the
Prince of darkness, under whose tyranny we are held captive, until we are set
free by Christ’s hand. From this you may gather that the whole world, with all
its pretended wisdom and righteousness, is regarded as nothing but darkness in
the sight of God, because, apart from the kingdom of Christ, there is no light.
Hath translated us into
the kingdom. These form already the beginnings of our blessedness — when we
are translated into the kingdom of Christ, because we pass
from death into life. (1 John 3:14.)
This, also, Paul ascribes to the grace of God, that no one may imagine that he
can attain so great a blessing by his own efforts. As, then, our deliverance
from the slavery of sin and death is the work of God, so also our passing into
the kingdom of Christ. He calls Christ the
Son of his love, or the Son that is beloved by God the Father, because it is in
him alone that his soul takes pleasure, as we read in Matthew 17:5,
and in whom all others are beloved. For we must hold it as a settled point,
that we are not acceptable to God otherwise than through Christ. Nor can it be
doubted, that Paul had it in view to censure indirectly the mortal enmity that
exists between men and God, until love shines forth in the Mediator.
We have the redemption that the Son has purchased
for His people. We have the forgiveness
of sin because of the Son.
We see that those who believe Christ have forgiveness of
sins: Acts 10:43, "Of Him all the
prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him
receives forgiveness of sins."
Through Him we have the forgiveness of sins: Acts 13:38, "Therefore let it
be known to you, brethren, that through Him forgiveness of sins is
proclaimed to you…”
We
have forgiveness because of the shedding of blood of Jesus Christ. Hebrews
9:22, And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things
are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
There is no other person who purchased us but the
Beloved Son. We understand that there is
a bodily redemption of the body. We need
to understand that it is the redemption from sin. It is something already been given (NGSB, p.
1885). Calvin wrote,
14. In whom we have redemption. He now proceeds to set forth in order,
that all parts of our salvation are contained in Christ, and that he alone
ought to shine forth, and to be seen conspicuous above all creatures, inasmuch
as he is the beginning and end of all things. In the first place, he
says that we have redemption and immediately explains it as meaning the remission
of sins; for these two things agree together by apposition For,
unquestionably, when God remits our transgressions, he exempts us from
condemnation to eternal death. This is our liberty, this our glorying in the
face of death — that our sins are not imputed to us. He says that this
redemption was procured through the blood of Christ, for by the
sacrifice of his death all the sins of the world have been expiated. Let us,
therefore, bear in mind, that this is the sole price of reconciliation, and
that all the trifling of Papists as to satisfactions is blasphemy.
The
Lord Jesus is “the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all
creation.” Here is a clear statement of
the deity of Christ. The Lord Jesus is
by nature God. We see that the Lord
Jesus is God in John 1 and Hebrews 1. We
are told by Calvin, “We must, therefore, beware of seeking him elsewhere, for
everything that would set itself off as a representation of God, apart from
Christ, will be an idol.” We must take
heed that we must not serve an idol but we must serve the Living Christ.
Christ
is not the first created being. The
firstborn mean He has honor and dignity not that He was the oldest child in a
family. The Lord Jesus is loved by the
Father. When we believe in the Lord
Jesus the Father sees us through His Beloved Son, and the Father loves us as
His Son. We are loved with an
everlasting love that can not be comprehended.
We must understand that all things were made in, by and for Christ. The Lord Jesus is the Lord over all
creation. He is even the Lord of the
angelic realm. He is the Lord of lords
and the King of kings. Calvin once said,
17. All things were created
by him, and for him. He places angels in subjection to Christ, that they may not
obscure his glory, for four reasons: In the first place, because
they were created by him; secondly, because their creation ought
to be viewed as having a relation to him, as their legitimate end; thirdly,
because he himself existed always, prior to their creation; fourthly,
because he sustains them by his power, and upholds them in their condition. At
the same time, he does not affirm this merely as to angels, but also as to the
whole world. Thus he places the Son of God in the Highest seat of honor, that
he may have the pre-eminence over angels as well as men, and may bring
under control all creatures in heaven and in earth.
The Lord Jesus is the exact representation of His nature:
Hebrews 1 1God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, 2in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. 3And He is the
radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His
power When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
The Lord Jesus
existed in the form of God: Phil.
2 6who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a
thing to be grasped, 7but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on
Him the name which is above every name, 10so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth
and under the earth, 11and that every tongue will
confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
The Lord Jesus is The Incarnate First and the Last: Rev. 1 17When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man And He placed His right hand on me, saying, "Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, 18and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.
The Lord
Jesus is the Living Word—the Incarnate Word:
John 1 1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through
Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.
The church fathers also reveal the preeminence and supremacy of Christ. The deity of Jesus is pivotal within
Christianity and Christology. Not only
is the deity of Jesus vital to Christianity and Christology, but this doctrine
of the sufficient-Savior, Jesus Christ, is central, crucial and at the very
heart of the gospel of God, which transforms the depraved soul of man from
darkness to light. The hypostatic union
is not to be tampered with because if we know what the Holy Spirit has said in
holy Writ, we will believe it with all our hearts.
Jesus Christ
of Nazareth is totally God (John 14:9;
Colossians 1:16; 2:9) and completely man (Galatians 4:4; First Timothy 2:5;
Luke 24:39). The pre-existence of Jesus
of Nazareth is recorded in the Old Testament Holy Scriptures (Psalm 2:7). The pre-existence of Jesus is declared from
Himself in the New Testament Holy Scriptures (John 8:58).
The pre-existing Jesus was declared by the apostle Paul (Colossians 1:15-19). The apostle John wrote of the
everlastingness of Jesus (John 1:1-5) and the author of Hebrews wrote of the
divine exaltation of Jesus (Hebrews 1:4-14).
God the Son became man as the Nazarene, Jesus the Christ (John 1:14).
The divinity of Jesus was prophesied by Isaiah (Isaiah 9:6), spoken by
Jesus Himself (John 20:28-29), observed by witnesses (John 1:18) and declared by the apostle Paul
(Romans 9:5).
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