The Great God and Our Savior
By Larry White July 22, 1993Jno.1:1-5
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him; and without him was not anything made that has been made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness; and the darkness did not apprehended it.Jesus was God. He was in a state jointly equal to God in his essence and power. Everything that is, was created by Jesus. "All things" without limit. There is not anything existing in the universe that has not passed through the intelligence and will of Jesus. Therefore he is not just the vehicle of creation, but the principle of its being and the reason for its development.
Col.1:14-17
…the Son of his love; in whom we have our redemption, the forgiveness of our sins: who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in him were all things created, in the heavens and upon the earth, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things have been created through him, and unto him; and he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the assembly, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he may have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in him all the fullness should dwell, and by him to reconcile all things to himself, by him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of his cross."Consists" means holds together and continues to be. Ask your evolutionist friends what the difference is between the chemicals and molecular structure of the soil and that found in man. He will say that they are the same. Then ask him what is it that makes one living and the other not? Science still has no answer for that.
In him was and is – life. There is no life in the universe that does not originate in Jesus. If there is anything living – it is because Jesus has caused it to live and continues to support its existence.
This is the one who came into the world as a man and here gave his life for the world.Heb.9:24-28
For Christ entered not into a holy place made with hands, like in pattern to the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear before the face of God for us: nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest enters into the holy place year by year with blood not his own; else he must have suffered often since the foundation of the world: but now once [for all] at the end of the ages he has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And inasmuch as it is appointed unto men once to die, and after this, judgment; so Christ also, having been once offered to bear the sins of many, shall appear a second time, apart from sin, to them that wait for him, unto salvation.Jesus offered the unblemished sacrifice of his own human life – a life without sin and one that was consecrated completely to God as a substitute for our own lives. He vicariously took our punishment so that we could be forgiven and made alive to God in the spirit.
He’s the Captain of our salvation.
Heb.2:9-11; 14-15
But we see Jesus, the one who has been made a little lower than the angels because of the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor, that by the grace of God he should taste of death for every man. For it became him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the author of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both he that sanctifies and they that are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren,
Since then the children are sharers in flesh and blood, he also himself in like manner partook of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; and might deliver all them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to slavery.The Captain is the one who goes first; the leader; the pioneer. So he went into death and came out again in his resurrection, so that wherever it is possible for us to go – he has been there first already and led the way and conquered it for us.
Rom.14:7-9
For none of us lives to himself, and none dies to himself. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; or whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living.He is Lord of every realm and master of all people in whatever state they are in. There is not any place or realm that you can go that is not wholly within his power and oversight. After he rose from the grave, he ascended to heaven and was glorified at the right hand of the throne and power of God.
Acts.2:35-36
This Jesus did God raise up, whereof we all are witnesses. Being therefore by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured forth this, which you see and hear. For David ascended not into the heavens: but he says himself,
"The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit you on my right hand, Till I make thine enemies the footstool of your feet." Let all the house of Israel therefore know assuredly, that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.In his glorification he has been lifted up in his acquired human form to the top of all the power and authority in the universe.
Mt.28:18
And Jesus came to them and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given unto me in heaven and on earth.”Eph.1:20-23
…which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and made him to sit at his right hand in the heavenly realm, far above all rule, and authority, and power, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in the one coming: and he put all things in subjection under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him that fills all in all.Eph.4:10
He that descended is the same also that ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.Jesus is now the supreme ruler over all the universe – and we are his; and not only this, but he is ours. Consider in your heart the significance of what that means to the church and to us as individual Christians. We are in him and he in us, and he is at the right hand of God.
This is the person that we worship and from whom we take our orders. This is the person from whom we draw our life. He gives us the light of understanding in truth – in reality, he gives us the love that that light brings and he gives us the life that is both the result of and the basis for our light and love.
The invitation of Christ is always held out to the world by his Holy Spirit and by his bride, the church. If you desire it, you can have eternal life in Jesus. Putting your faith in him and his sacrifice, repenting of the sin and error in your life; confess Jesus before men and be immersed into him. He will give you truth, light, life and love which all are the essences of himself, the Great God and our Savior, Jesus Christ.
LW