Post by foxjj on Dec 7, 2022 17:23:19 GMT
Who Is God?
Humanity has always known that there was something greater than themselves. What could not be understood would often be called a god, consequently they worshipped the sun, moon and many aspects of nature. The Greeks had a pantheon of gods possessing human emotions who were constantly falling in love, and fighting one another.
When Rome came to power they adopted the Greek gods, sometimes changing their names. Every aspect of Roman life was influenced by the gods, even the days of the week were named for them. However, the names that we have today were changed from the Roman to the Germanic and Norse mythology where they worshipped the sun, moon, Thor, Woden, Fig, etc.
In Judaism there is but one God who is eternal - without beginning or end - the Creator of all.(Genesis chapters 1 & 2). God is independent of creation, because He is the source of creation, making Him Sovereign over all. However, the first man and woman disobeyed God by listening to the deceiver, and consequently fell into sin, creating a separation from the Holy God (Genesis Ch. 3). Through Moses God gave the Jewish people commandments by which they should live (Exodus ch. 20)
Knowing the frailty of humanity, our loving God promised to send an Anointed One - Messiah - who would redeem humanity back into fellowship with Himself.
Christianity teaches that Jesus of Nazareth was that Anointed One. The early Christians were Jewish believers who had accepted Jesus as their promised Messiah - The Anointed One, in Greek, The Christ.
The Christian understanding of God is revealed in both The Old and New Testaments, where God has revealed himself in three persons. All three persons were involved in creation, the Father and Holy Spirit in Genesis 1:1-2: "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters."
The Son (Jesus ) in Colossians 1:15-16: "The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him."
Jesus described the Holy Spirit as a person in John 14:17: "even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you."
Jesus spoke of His equality with The Father in John 14:10-11: "Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves."
In accordance with the instructions of Jesus, Christian baptism is in the name of the Triune God: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit," (Matthew 28:19)
God is love and has shown His love to humanity through Jesus Christ: "In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us." (1 John 4:9-12)
This is our God, full of compassion for humanity. "May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all." (2 Corinthians 13:14)
Today, let us give thanks for the knowledge of our God.
John Joseph Fox.
Humanity has always known that there was something greater than themselves. What could not be understood would often be called a god, consequently they worshipped the sun, moon and many aspects of nature. The Greeks had a pantheon of gods possessing human emotions who were constantly falling in love, and fighting one another.
When Rome came to power they adopted the Greek gods, sometimes changing their names. Every aspect of Roman life was influenced by the gods, even the days of the week were named for them. However, the names that we have today were changed from the Roman to the Germanic and Norse mythology where they worshipped the sun, moon, Thor, Woden, Fig, etc.
In Judaism there is but one God who is eternal - without beginning or end - the Creator of all.(Genesis chapters 1 & 2). God is independent of creation, because He is the source of creation, making Him Sovereign over all. However, the first man and woman disobeyed God by listening to the deceiver, and consequently fell into sin, creating a separation from the Holy God (Genesis Ch. 3). Through Moses God gave the Jewish people commandments by which they should live (Exodus ch. 20)
Knowing the frailty of humanity, our loving God promised to send an Anointed One - Messiah - who would redeem humanity back into fellowship with Himself.
Christianity teaches that Jesus of Nazareth was that Anointed One. The early Christians were Jewish believers who had accepted Jesus as their promised Messiah - The Anointed One, in Greek, The Christ.
The Christian understanding of God is revealed in both The Old and New Testaments, where God has revealed himself in three persons. All three persons were involved in creation, the Father and Holy Spirit in Genesis 1:1-2: "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters."
The Son (Jesus ) in Colossians 1:15-16: "The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him."
Jesus described the Holy Spirit as a person in John 14:17: "even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you."
Jesus spoke of His equality with The Father in John 14:10-11: "Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves."
In accordance with the instructions of Jesus, Christian baptism is in the name of the Triune God: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit," (Matthew 28:19)
God is love and has shown His love to humanity through Jesus Christ: "In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us." (1 John 4:9-12)
This is our God, full of compassion for humanity. "May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all." (2 Corinthians 13:14)
Today, let us give thanks for the knowledge of our God.
John Joseph Fox.