By Justin Edwards
 |
| Opinions may be hazardous to your soul - read the source of Truth. |
The opening paragraph provides a brief contrast between today's liberal and missional postmodern jesus that has plagued the visible church and the Jesus who is clearly shown to be God in the inerrant and sufficient Holy Scriptures. The false jesus of postmodernism tells us the church should be only concerned with social justice and healing the world with a positive message of "love". They aim to redefine Christianity so to rid it of the Gospel, which is the power of God unto salvation for everyone who believes (Romans 1:16). The god of this world has blinded them to the glorious Gospel (2 Corinthians 4:4) and they have exchanged the truth of God for a lie (Romans 1:25). They are ignorant of the One True God of Scripture: the Lord Jesus Christ, the God of both the Old and New Testament.
Let's take a look at Scripture to see who Christ really is. By observing just a few verses (not exhaustive by any means), we can easily see that neither the God of the OT nor Jesus changes, we see that Jesus is the God of the Old Testament, we see that both God of the OT and Jesus is Lord, and we see that both are one in the same - the Alpha and Omega. If we do not base our understanding of Christ on the Word of God, then all we are left with are opinions based on the figment of our imagination, the consequences of which are fatally hazardous to the soul.
God Does Not Change
For I the Lord do not change... - Malachi 3:6
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. - James 1:17
God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind... - Numbers 23:19
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. - Hebrews 13:8
God of the OT and Jesus Are Both Lord
For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe. - Deuteronomy 10:17
They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.” - Revelation 17:14
I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, 14 to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which he will display at the proper time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen. - 1 Timothy 6:13-16
Jesus Is God
God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘I am has sent me to you.’” - Exodus 3:14
Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” - John 8:58
See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily. - Colossians 2:8-9
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. - John 1:1
The Alpha and Omega
Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: “I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god. - Isaiah 44:6
“Listen to me, O Jacob, and Israel, whom I called! I am he; I am the first, and I am the last. - Isaiah 48:12
When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last - Revelation 1:17
And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: ‘The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life. - Revelation 2:8
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” - Revelation 22:13
Now having established that Jesus is the God of the Old Testament, let's take a look at a few Scriptures showing God having compassion and showing grace toward His people (even to the wicked) in both testaments.
God Is Merciful, Gracious, and Love
The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. - Exodus 34:6
For the Lord your God is a merciful God. He will not leave you or destroy you or forget the covenant with your fathers that he swore to them. - Deuteronomy 4:31
For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you. - Psalm 86:5
For your steadfast love is great above the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. - Psalm 108:4
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. - John 3:16
Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. - John 13:1
He did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness. - Acts 14:17
But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. 36 Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. - Luke 6:35-36
Yet even though Jesus is a God of love, grace, and mercy, Scripture reveals He is also a holy, righteous, just, and wrathful God. We'll take a look at these attributes of God later this week. Please continue to Part 2.
