GOD gives His GLORY to His SONS
Pastor Isaac Livingston
www.abideinchrist.info
God gives his spirit and grace to believers
to mortify fleshly instincts. God gives his glory to those who do it.
Instincts of body will sin. But, obedient souls submit to the spirit. The
spirit mortifies the instincts of body. The believers become overcomers
and God adopts them as his own sons. God gives his glory to his sons.
God’s glory is his majesty, excellence, exuberance of
his face, etc. His glory is the visible part of his Spirit. Even angels cannot
attain his glory. God want to give his glory only to his sons. He gave his glory
to Jesus Christ. God will give the same glory to all those who followed the way
of Jesus Christ. “1
John 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God,
and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall
appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.”
Many people call him “Lord, Lord” but will walk in the way he walked.
“Matt 7:21
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of
heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.”
But, God gives his glory to those who will do the will of the Father.
1. Creator, the Most High God
Creation account in the New Testament says that Jesus Christ has created
everything. "John 1:3
All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was
made." Again it says that God the Father has created everything by Jesus
Christ. "Eph 3:9
--- God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:" Old Testament
starts with the creation account. There we see God the Most High was
says to God the Word to create one by one. The Lord Jesus Christ, who was
God the Word was creating one by one. "Gen 1:6 And
God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide
the waters from the waters."
(More
references Gen 1:14, 20, 24) And God the Word was creating them.
"Gen 1:7 And
God made the firmament, and divided the waters
which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament:
and it was so." (More references
Gen
1:15, 21, 25) All the creation was done with the power from 'God the
Spirit'. "Gen 1:2
---
the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the
waters."
But when God was
creating man, God said “let us”
(plural) make man in our (plural) image. "Gen
1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image,
after our likeness."
It is recorded as, God
(not Gods) made man, as God is one Person. "Gen
1:27 So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them."
Throughout the
complete creation all three Persons in God were involved, but it was
recorded as God as if he is singular. In the creation of man God was recorded as
plural by saying us and our and yet singular by saying in his
own image created he him.
2. Most High God - God the Father
'The
Most High God' is the highest among the Persons in God. He gives directives to 'God the Word' and 'the
Spirit of God'. 'God the Word' became a man named Jesus and died on the
cross for the salvation of His people. God raised Jesus from death and declared him
as His 'Begotten Son'. (For detail study click topic:
Christ, the Begotten Son). At this point Jesus Christ became 'the only Begotten Son of God' and by
the same declaration the 'Most High God' became 'God the
Father'. "Heb 1.5 ---,Thou art my Son,
this day have I begotten thee. And again, I will be to him a Father, and he
shall be to me a Son."
A. Most High
God
'God the Most High' is
the name for 'God the Father' before the time of the Son of man. He is the
highest among the Persons in God. "Gen 14:18
And
Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of
the most high God. 19 And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of
the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth:
20 And blessed be the most high God, which hath
delivered thine enemies into thy hand.
Heb
7:1
For
this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God,
Luke 1:32
He
shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest ---.
35 And the angel answered and said unto her,
The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall
overshadow thee: ---.
Luke 8:28
When
he saw Jesus, he cried out, and fell down before him, and with a loud voice
said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God most high? I
beseech
thee,---".
However, God Jehovah who is Jesus Christ is also called "the
Most High above all the
earth" in one context. "Psalm 83:18 That men may know that thou, whose name
alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth." This context explains
His position over all the earth and
not the position among the Persons in God. So still we can say that God the
Father holds the position of command among the three persons. But they are
equal in the status as God. "Phil 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ
Jesus:
6
Who, being in the form of God, thought it not
robbery to be equal with God:"
B. Future is as if it is Past, God the
Father
In order to become a father
He has to beget a child. The
Bible says that God has a begotten Son, who is Jesus Christ. But when did God
beget this Son? It appears to be that God begot His Son
long before the birth of Jesus Christ because God was giving the already
begotten Son to the world. "John
3:16
For
God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in him ---." But on certain occasions God
used to say things of the future as if it had already happened.
For example, the Bible says that Jesus Christ was slain from the foundation of
the world. "Rev 13:8 -- the Lamb
slain from the foundation of the world."
We know that it happened after God the Word became the man, Jesus of Nazareth. But the Bible use the
above statement because this
was decided before the foundation of the world. "1 Peter
1:19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish
and without spot: 20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of
the world, but was manifest in these last times for you."
Because of this, the only way to know the fact
is to search and find from the scriptures, which was the actual day that Jesus Christ
was begotten. The Word of God always have answers. If we search for them
God will reveals them to us. "Matt
7:7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye
shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:"
C. Prophesy Fulfilled, God the Son
The day that
God begot His Son was prophesied in Psalms.
"Psa 2:7
I
will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day
have I begotten thee." It says that God will declare to
Jesus on that day that He has begotten Him as His Son by His proclamation. It is
not actually begetting a child, but it is like adopting a person as his Son by
His authority. The fulfillment of this prophecy was explained in Acts.
"Acts
13:32 And we declare unto you glad tidings, how
that the promise which was made unto the fathers,
33 God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children,
in
that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second
psalm,
Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee."
First these verses bring Psalm 2 as reference and then describe the
fulfillment. God raised Jesus from the dead and declares that action of
resurrection as he is begetting his Son. The following verses also say that
the
resurrection of Jesus from the dead was declared as God has begotten the
Son.
"Col 1:18
And
he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from
the dead; ---.
Rev 1:5
And from Jesus Christ, who is the
faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead,". This action of God the Most High is consented also by
the Holy
Spirit. "Rom 1:4
And
declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness,
by the resurrection from the dead." So begotten Son is the resurrected Jesus who is
' God
the Son'. By declaring Jesus as the Begotten Son, by the same declaration 'God
the Most high' became the Father to
Jesus Christ. "Heb 1:5 --- Thou art my Son, this day have I
begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a
Son?" For detailed study
please click and read this topic : "Christ,
the Begotten
Son".
C.
Pleasure of God the Father
"Luke 12:32
Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the
kingdom." This
is the ultimate Salvation when we reach Heaven. God the Father, God the Son and
God the Holy Spirit are in this great salvation, as the same way they were
in the creation. God the Father planned everything. God the Word became a man,
Jesus Christ. He died for the sins of the world and became the author
of salvation. He forgives the obedient. Jesus Christ preached the gospel (good news) of the kingdom of
heaven to the people. "Matt 4:23
And Jesus went
about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the
kingdom,-." He called the obedient with the gospel, and lived
a sample life so that they may follow. "1 Peter
2:21 For even hereunto were ye called: because
Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his
steps:" God the Holy Spirit guides them, gives them power to follow Jesus, abides with them and raptures them to heaven.
"Rom 8:11 --- if the Spirit of him that raised up
Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall
also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you."
3.
Father sets Plan of Salvation
A.
Created
Man
as a Soul
"Gen
1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness:---
27 So
God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him;
male and female created he them." God
and man are of the same image, that is we should look like
God. But God is a Spirit and we are
from the dust of the earth, which is flesh. "John
4:24 God is a Spirit:--
Gen
2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground,"
Spirit and flesh are not of the same image.
But everybody is born with a soul which is our person. This person, our soul is
made in the image of the Person of God. "Matt
12:18 --- in whom my soul is well pleased: I
will put my spirit upon him, ---
Heb 10:38 --- if any man draw back, my
soul shall have no pleasure in him." That is,
God is a person, a Soul. We are also a person which is our soul. You
and me are made in the image of God, because of our souls.
B. God gives Spirit of Man
At our birth, we are born of the flesh and the spiritual
birth has to take place later. Most of the people may meet death without
even being born again which is born of the spirit. "John
3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily,
verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom
of God. 6 That which
is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit."
Now the question is, how to be born of the Spirit?
If a person receives Jesus Christ as Lord, not by mouth only but also in
life, that person receives power to become the son of God.
"John 1:12
But as many as received him, to them gave he
power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:"
This power is not just energy, but is a spirit
person given by God to give us power continuously. Jesus Christ
gives the spirit to the believer.
"John 1:9
That was the true Light, which lighteth every man
that cometh into the world. John 8:12
Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that
followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."
The light of life
is the
spirit of man.
C. Spirit Mortify the deeds of Flesh
"Romans 7:12
Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy,
and just, and good. --14
For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.
15 For that which I do I
allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. --18
For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,)
dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to
perform that which is good I find not." The deeds that dwell in
my flesh are sin and it is not a good thing. But the will to do good,
which is the spirit of man, is present with me. By the spirit we
admit that the commandment is holy and the law is spiritual. But the
spirit do not have enough strength to pull a punch against the flesh. We
need more strength. So our spirit with obedience approach the Holy Spirit
for help and he receives the strength from the Holy Spirit.
"Acts 5:32
--- the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him." Man
will mortify the body of sin with the power of the Holy Spirit and he become the son of God.
"Romans 8:13
For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do
mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. 14
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God."
D. Jesus was
sent to Show the Way
God the Father decided and God the Word has accepted for him to become a man.
"Heb 10:7
Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do
thy will, O God." God was made flesh, that is, he
became a mere man without any power attributes of God.
"John 1:1 In the
beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2
The same was in the beginning with God.
14 And the Word was
made flesh---." He came with the purpose to save his people from their sins. "Matt
1:21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou
shalt call his name JESUS." He lived as a Perfect
Man as an example to us so that we may follow his steps in our living.
"1 Peter 2:21
For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving
us an example, that ye should follow his steps." He humbled
Himself, was obedient to the Father, offered Himself as a sacrifice on the cross
as the Lamb of God for the forgiveness of our sins.
"Phil 2:7 But made
himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made
in the likeness of men:
8 And being found in fashion
as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of
the cross." He
became the author of our salvation, if we obey Him.
"Heb 5:7 Who in the
days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong
crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in
that he feared; 8
Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; 9 And being made
perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;"
Jesus as a man showed us that we can live also live a holy life if we want to
obey as Jesus obeyed God the Father.
E. Man becomes the Son of God
The worldly people cannot receive the Holy Spirit. If we are
obedient to the leading of the Spirit, then he will abide in us.
"John 14:17
Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot
receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he
dwelleth with you, and shall be in you." The
abiding of the Holy Spirit,
which is the Spirit of adoption, makes us the
rightful son to God the Father.
"Romans 8:15
For ye have not received the spirit of bondage
again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry,
Abba, Father. 16 The
Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:"
The catch here is that we should suffer for the cause of Christ. This is a
test because every true christian will suffer and the counterfeit will not
stand suffering. "2 Tim
3:12
Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus
shall suffer persecution."
If
we suffer with him we will be glorified together with him and we will rule with him. "2 Tim
2:12 If we suffer, we shall
also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:
Romans 8:17
And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be
that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together."
4. Father God in Heaven
Christians should know that God is the Creator who is Three in One. But they seldom
recognize it. An ordinary Christian will readily say that his/her God is
Jesus Christ. For all practicality they ignore God the Father and God the
Holy Spirit. But the New Testament consider them more. As for the
works of God in the world is concerned, God the Holy Spirit is given a greater
roll than God the Son and God the Father.
We should give our allegiance to the Lord Jesus Christ in
our
obedience. Regarding our worship of God
in Heaven, God the Father has a greater prominence than God the Holy Spirit and
God the Son. Christian churches should learn this.
5.
Conclusion
He is the Creator of the Universe. He is three Persons in one Spirit. The
three persons are equal in status as God. However God the Most High is the
highest in position among the three persons in God. He is the designer of
all things including the salvation plan.
God is three Persons and each person is a Soul and he is also a
Spirit. As a Spirit God
is Omnipotent, Omnipresent and Omniscient. Man can never posses any of these
godly nature. So God does not require any of these attributes from man.
But God has created man in
his own image as a soul. So as a person, we are as God. God is a
holy Person. Man is born in sin because he has a body that can sin (body
of sin). God wants man to become holy because God is holy. That is,
the soul of man should grow to be perfect as God is perfect so that it cannot sin. "1 Peter
1:15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be
ye holy in all manner of conversation; 16
Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy."
God bless you.