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As I was listening to chapter 28 (entitled "Levi-Matthew") I came across another good quote.

The teaching of Christ, though it was represented by the new wine, was not a new doctrine, but the revelation of that which had been taught from the beginning. But to the Pharisees the truth of God had lost its original significance and beauty. To them Christ's teaching was new in almost every respect, and it was unrecognized and unacknowledged. {DA 279.2}

Jesus pointed out the power of false teaching to destroy the appreciation and desire for truth. "No man," He said, "having drunk old wine straightway desireth new: for he saith, The old is better." All the truth that has been given to the world through patriarchs and prophets shone out in new beauty in the words of Christ. But the scribes and Pharisees had no desire for the precious new wine. Until emptied of the old traditions, customs, and practices, they had no place in mind or heart for the teachings of Christ. They clung to the dead forms, and turned away from the living truth and the power of God. {DA 279.3}

It was this that proved the ruin of the Jews, and it will prove the ruin of many souls in our own day. Thousands are making the same mistake as did the Pharisees whom Christ reproved at Matthew's feast. Rather than give up some cherished idea, or discard some idol of opinion, many refuse the truth which comes down from the Father of light. They trust in self, and depend upon their own wisdom, and do not realize their spiritual poverty. They insist on being saved in some way by which they may perform some important work. When they see that there is no way of weaving self into the work, they reject the salvation provided. {DA 280.1}

Notice the first paragraph, it has a big application for today. The teaching that Christ is the Son of God is not "new light", as it is being called, "but the revelation of that which had been taught from the beginning." But the church has lost the "original significance and beauty" of that message, so it seems totally new.

Ellen White says that of people today: "Rather than give up some cherished idea, or discard some idol of opinion, many refuse the truth which comes down from the Father of light." It's a sad truth. As always, I encourage you to read the chapter, every meal is so filling in this book!

Comment (1)

Missed Opportunity!

Quotations from Desire of Ages

On reading the seventh chapter, ‘The Passover Visit’ I have discovered a very interesting point.

Jesus, now 12 years old, was eligible to partake in the Passover and go to special classes held by the priests in the temple.

He witnessed the impressive rites of the Paschal service. Day by day He saw their meaning more clearly. Every act seemed to be bound up with His own life…..The mystery of His mission was opening to the Saviour. DA 77

Within the class, He asked them deep questions:

The doctors turned upon Him with questions, and they were amazed at His answers. With the humility of a child He repeated the words of scripture, giving them a depth of meaning that the wise men had not conceived of. IF FOLLOWED, the lines of TRUTH He pointed out would have WORKED a REFORMATION. DA 78

In the religion of the day!

A deep interest in spiritual things would have been awakened: and when Jesus began His ministry, many would have been prepared to receive Him….The words of Jesus HAD moved their hearts as they had never before. DA 79

BUT!

In their pride they would have scorned to admit. They would not admit that they had misapprehended the scriptures. They would not renounce the theories that had flattered their ambitions. DA 79

They missed a glorious opportunity…

Will this happen again ?

Will Doctors of learning misintepret, misunderstand, miss out.?

We pray not.

Comment (3)

My wife and I have been greatly blessed by the revelation of the Son of God in the Identity Wars Messages. We believe these messages are present truth for this time and are given to us to strengthen us to face the storm approaching.

Several of us have experienced trial and difficulty in seeking to share these simple yet stirring messages that show us our true value as children of God.

Yesterday I read this passage from Great Controversy and felt that it has significance for our situation now.

Different periods in the history of the church have each been marked by the development of some special truth, adapted to the necessities of God's people at that time. Every new truth has made its way against hatred and opposition; those who were blessed with its light were tempted and tried. The Lord gives a special truth for the people in an emergency. Who dare refuse to publish it? He commands His servants to present the last invitation of mercy to the world. They cannot remain silent, except at the peril of their souls. Christ's ambassadors have nothing to do with consequences. They must perform their duty and leave results with God. 

As the opposition rises to a fiercer height, the servants of God are again perplexed; for it seems to them that they have brought the crisis. But conscience and the word of God assure them that their course is right; and although the trials continue, they are strengthened to bear them. The contest grows closer and sharper, but their faith and courage rise with the emergency. Their testimony is: "We dare not tamper with God's word, dividing His holy law; calling one portion essential and another nonessential, to gain the favor of the world. The Lord whom we serve is able to deliver us. Christ has conquered the powers of earth; and shall we be afraid of a world already conquered?"  {GC 609, 610}

Shall we dare refuse publish this message that has so touched our hearts and blessed us? Do not the halt and broken souls of this world need an opportunity to hear this message.

Let us go forward and share these precious messages with all we come in contact that they might have fellowship with us both here and in the kingdom of our Father and His Son.

Comment (3)

 Does self-existent mean unbegotten?

If any should object to this most natural conclusion, on the ground that the one here speaking calls Himself "I AM THAT I AM," the self-existent One-Jehovah-we have only to remind him that the Father hath given to the Son to have life in Himself (John 5:26), that Christ asserted the same thing of Himself when He said, "Before Abraham was, I am" (John 8:5, 6); for which supposed blasphemy the Jews attempted to stone Him; and that by the prophet He is most plainly called Jehovah, in the following passage:- 

"Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In His days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely; and this is His name whereby He shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS;" literally, "Jehovah our righteousness." Jer. 23:5, 6. {January 1, 1891 EJW, PTUK 9.9}

Christ ‘is [sic] in the bosom of the Father;’ being by nature of the very substance of God, and having life in Himself, He is properly called Jehovah, the self-existent One, and is thus styled in Jer. 23:56, where it is said that the righteous Branch, who shall execute judgment and justice in the earth, shall be known by the name of Jehovah-tsidekenu—THE LORD, OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.” (Christ and His Righteousness. p23,24. 1890. E J Waggoner.)
It will readily be seen that the whole virtue of baptism lies in the self-existent power of Christ,-that He could lay down His life, and take it up again. {November 28, 1901 EJW, PTUK 757.9}

That is to say, the almost universal tendency is to eliminate God as Creator, and practically to deify creation, making it self supporting, which in reality means self-existent, although few stop to think that the terms mean the same thing. {June 20, 1901 EJW, PTUK 385.2} This should help us understand what self-existent means.

Waggoner believed in the same begotten Christ that I do. Few quotes from Waggoner in his later years to show he still believed in a begotten Christ when he wrote those:

He was begotten, not created. He is of the substance of the Father, so that in his very nature he is God; and since that is so "it pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell." Col. 1:19. Or, as the apostle states in Col. 2:9, "For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily." It would be difficult to frame language more expressive of the divine nature. {October 1, 1889 EJW, BEST 298.2}

A Priest Because a Son. -"Christ glorified not Himself to be made an High Priest; but He that said unto Him, Thou art My Son, to-day have I begotten Thee. As He saith also in another place, Thon art a priest for ever, after the order of Melchisedek." That is to say, the begetting of Christ as Son, constituted Him priest after the order of Melchisedek. He is both King and Priest, and the kingship and priesthood are co-existent. As the Son of God He must be King, and so His Priesthood is necessarily royal. {June 4, 1903 EJW, PTUK 358.8}

To say Ellen White was trinitarian because she said Christ was the self-existent Son of God just isn’t true as you have just seen even Waggoner who believed Christ was begotten also believed He was self-existent.

Comment (2)

The following quotation by W. H. Littlejohn might not be new to some, but it was for me.  Please notice that he speaks on behalf of S. D. Adventists, clearly explaining what the denomination believes, and does NOT believe.  Also, it is the only quotation I know of that articulates the rationale why the Father "should have antedated Christ in his being" (clearly rejecting the "incarnational Sonship" theory).  Then Littlejohn insists that SDA's only "hold to the distinct personality of the Father and Son", rejecting the notion of "distinct personality" for the Holy Spirit.  Finally, Littlejohn references the "Fundamental Principles of S. D. Adventists" as supporting everything he has just explained.   This is an important point, considering there are some who explain the "Fundamental Principles" to be "neutral" regarding the Trinity,  and therefore could be accepted by Trinitarians and non-Trinitarians alike.

Advent Review, April 17, 1883 p. 250

96.—CHRIST  NOT  A  CREATED  BEING.
Will you please favor me with those scriptures which plainly say that Christ is a created being?  J.  C.

ANS.  You are mistaken in supposing that S. D. Adventists teach that Christ was ever created. They believe, on the  contrary, that he was "begotten" of the Father, and that he can properly be called God and worshiped as such.  They believe, also, that the worlds, and everything which is, was created by Christ in conjunction with the Father.  They  believe, however, that somewhere in the eternal ages of the past there was a point at which Christ came into  existence. They think that it is necessary that God should have antedated Christ in his being, in order that Christ could have been begotten of him, and sustain to him the relation of son.  They hold to the distinct personality of the Father and Son, rejecting as absurd that feature of Trinitarianism which insists that God, and Christ, and the Holy Spirit are three persons, and yet but one person.  S. D. Adventists hold that God and Christ are one in the sense that Christ  prayed that his disciples might be one;  i.  e., one in spirit, purpose, and labor.  See "Fundamental Principles of S.  D. Adventists," published at this Office.  Price, 4 cts.  (W. H. Littlejohn, p. 250)

Comment (0)

Dear Friends

Recently I found it difficult to sleep, tossing and turning I resisted the urge to get up and open my bible. My wife asked what was wrong and I told her that I needed to re read Romans 1:1-3. She asked me why and I responded I don’t know but I must be missing something as it is on my mind and I can’t settle. Well finally I rose got my bible and started reading. I couldn’t believe what I was reading.

Rom 1:1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, Rom 1:2 (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,) Rom 1:3 Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;

The points that stood out to me are:-

1. Paul was called to be an apostle to the gospel of God.

2. This gospel was promised in the old testament by his prophets

3. It concerned his Son Jesus Christ our Lord

4. Who was made a human being after the seed of David

The reference to God had to be God the Father as verse 3 refers to his Son Jesus Christ. So this the gospel from the Father's perspective. This is a different perspective to that of Jesus Christ ( Rom 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ:) which refers to his life death and resurrection as a human being. No the gospel of the Father concerns his Son Jesus Christ our Lord who was made a human being in sinful flesh. Clear as crystal the Word of God was telling me of the story of the Father and Son in Heaven. The story continued. The Son of the Father would then become a human being in sinful flesh (the Son of Man).

I rejoiced again in the knowledge of the Father and his Son. The Word of God was telling me that the Father had a Son in Heaven who had the title of Son of God and that now his Son on earth in a different way had the title of Son of God and also the title of Son of Man. My mind was taken to the statement of EG White:-

In His incarnation He gained in a new sense the title of the Son of God. {1SM 226.2}

Once again the messenger of the Lord was right. What JOY.

Comment (2)

"These are wonderfully solemn and significant statements. It was the Source of all mercy and pardon, peace and grace, the self-existent, eternal, unchangeable One, who visited His exiled servant on the isle that is called Patmos." (EGW, SDA Bible Commentary, Vol. 7, page 955.)

"Is—was—is to come; a description of Christ as Jehovah, self-existent, unchangeable, and eternal....The source of grace, mercy, and peace, is the self-existent, eternal, unchangeable Jehovah; and for the manifestation of himself as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, in redeeming and sanctifying men, he is worthy of, and will receive the highest glory for ever."  (The Family Bible: The New Testament, By Justin Edwards, 1851, p. 400)

Comment (1)

The following compilation was extracted largely from a letter titled: "The Trinity Doctrine Weighed in the Balances" by a Brother who identifies himself in the paper by the initials N.M. Some editing has been done by the person posting this article. Also to the readers of this blog, I cannot recommend highly enough the five part publication "Theos" also found on this website written by Elder Gary Hullquist.  Much of the following blog subject content is found in a more comprehensive manner in part five of Elder Hullquist's series: "Theos - The Struggle Over Spirit," starting on page seven.

JESUS OFTEN SPOKE OF HIMSELF IN THE THIRD PERSON

‘Third person’ is a grammatical term. Jesus often spoke of Himself in the third person:

“For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be….And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” Matthew 24:27,30.

In this passage (and many others) Jesus was talking about Himself, not someone else. It is Jesus who is the Son of man who will come again. But He was speaking about Himself in the third person, not in the first person. This was not an uncommon way for our Lord to speak. Jesus would at times speak of Himself as if He were speaking of someone else. He would seem to be talking about someone else, yet it would be Himself. Notice (On the walk to Emmaus):

“Thus Christ discoursed to His disciples, opening their minds that they might understand the Scriptures. The disciples were weary, but the conversation did not flag. Words of life and assurance fell from the Saviour's lips. But still their eyes were holden. As He told them of the overthrow of Jerusalem, they looked upon the doomed city with weeping. But little did they yet suspect who their traveling companion was. They did not think that the subject of their conversation was walking by their side; for Christ referred to Himself as though He were another person.” {EGW, DA 800.1}

“After that he appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the country.’ Mark 16:12

When Jesus appeared in “another form” it was still Him. When Jesus talks about “another Comforter” is it possible that it also could be Him?

“And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever” John 14:16

Who is this “another Comforter”? Who is this “Comforter” that will abide with us for ever? Jesus plainly answers these questions for us:

“I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” “And, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” John 14:18; Matthew 28:20

“Christ is formed within, and by His Spirit He fulfils the promise, "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee." {ST, September 27, 1899 par. 9}

Praise the Lord! It is so clear and simple. Jesus is withdrawn from the eye of sense but His personal presence is with us still. You see, Jesus was referring to Himself as though He were another person. The reason is that when He comes as a Comforter He will be in “another form”, that is, Spirit form. Just like Jesus appeared to the two disciples in “another form” which they did not recognize, so He also comes to us to today in “another form”, He is in Spirit form as “another Comforter.” Even though He comes to us by His Holy Spirit as “another Comforter”, yet we should still be able to recognize Him. Notice:

“He is coming to us by His Holy Spirit today. Let us recognize Him now; then we shall recognize Him when He comes in the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory.” {EGW, RH, April 30, 1901 par. 8}

“Cumbered with humanity, Christ could not be in every place personally; therefore it was altogether for their advantage that He should leave them, go to His father, and send the Holy Spirit to be His successor on earth. The Holy Spirit is Himself divested of the personality of humanity and independent thereof. He would represent Himself as present in all places by His Holy Spirit, as the Omnipresent.” {MR14, p. 23}

“The sanctifying power of Christ upon the heart will produce precious fruit, and His Spirit and power will make our works acceptable to God. If by His Holy Spirit Christ abides in the soul, our features, our attitude, our words will reveal Him to the world.”  {ST, January 6, 1898 par. 10}

There is grave danger if we do not recognize Christ now. Like the two disciples of Emmaus, there are many today whose eyes are holden. But little do they suspect who their Comforter really is. It is Christ in the third person.

“That Christ should manifest Himself to them, and yet be invisible to the world, was a mystery to the disciples. They could not understand the words of Christ in their spiritual sense. They were thinking of the outward, visible manifestation. They could not take in the fact that they could have the presence of Christ with them, and yet He be unseen by the world. They did not understand the meaning of a spiritual manifestation.” {The Southern Work, September 13, 1898 par. 2}

“Christ walks unseen through our streets. With messages of mercy He comes to our homes. With all who are seeking to minister in His name, He waits to co-operate. He is in the midst of us, to heal and to bless, if we will receive Him.” {MH, p. 107}

“Remember that Jesus is beside you wherever you go, noting your actions and listening to your words. Would you be ashamed to hear his voice speaking to you, and to know that he hears your conversation?” {YI, February 4, 1897 par. 3}

Not only Christ, but Ellen White also spoke of herself in the third person. She spoke of herself as though she were another person. (Please note this is Ellen White writing about herself in this passage):

“I understood that some were anxious to know if Mrs. White [third person] still held the same views that she [third person] did years ago when they had heard her [third person] speak in the sanitarium grove, in the Tabernacle, and at the camp-meetings held in the suburbs of Battle Creek. I [first person] assured them that the message she [third person] bears today is the same that she [third person] has borne during the sixty years of her [third person] public ministry. She [third person] has the same service to do for the Master that was laid upon her [third person] in her [third person] girlhood. She [third person] receives lessons from the same Instructor. The directions given her [third person] are, "Make known to others what I have revealed to you. Write out the messages that I give you, that the people may have them." This is what she [third person] has endeavored to do.” {EGW, RH, July 26, 1906 par. 20}

Did you notice how in the same passage she alternates between speaking in the first person (I) to the third person (she, her)? But in the whole passage she is referring to herself, not two people. This is manifestly clear to any who read that passage. Well, Jesus talked in exactly the same way! In His discourse on the Holy Spirit He alternated between speaking in the first person and in the third person. Notice:

“And I [first person] will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he [third person] may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him [third person] not, neither knoweth him [third person]: but ye know him [third person]; for he [third person] dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I [first person] will not leave you comfortless: I [first person] will come to you. Yet a little while, and the world seeth me [first person] no more; but ye see me [first person]: because I [first person] live, ye shall live also. At that day ye shall know that I [first person] am in my Father, and ye in me [first person], and I [first person] in you.” John 14:16-20.

Yet He was speaking of Himself all the time! How so very wonderful indeed. Anyone with any knowledge of grammar will recognize how simple and clear is the above passage. Notice how Jesus said “he…shall be in you” (v.17) speaking in the third person, and then a few breaths later Jesus says “I in you” (v.20) speaking in the first person. Is that not plain enough for anyone? So it is not strange that the prophet refers to the spirit of God also in the third person.  The expression 'third person' does not mean a trinity when it is harmonized with the Bible and other Spirit of Prophecy quotes.

Comment (26)

To the Editor of the “Gospel Standard.”

Sir, As there is a belief held here and elsewhere by some who profess to love the truths advocated in the “G. S.,” that faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as the Eternal Son of God is not vital or essential to the salvation of the elect, I would be glad to have your mind as to whether such belief is in accordance with the Spirit of Truth.

J. P.
April 11th, 1885.


Answer

The above question is one of deep interest to the church of the living God, and embodies a doctrine, the belief of which is essential to salvation and eternal life.

It is the work of the Holy Spirit to give faith to all the elect of God, which enables them to believe that Christ is God and that he was the Eternal Son of God from everlasting.

There are many ways of believing, but only one right way; there are many kinds of faith, so called, but only one true vital faith, which is the faith of God’s elect.

This faith never denies that Christ ever was and is now the Son of God, and that he took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men. He says, “If ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.” (John 8:24)

There was nothing difficult in believing that Christ was the Son of David after the flesh, for his mother, Mary, and his supposed father, Joseph, were of the house and lineage of David. This the Jews knew, and said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know?”

But they knew him not as the Son of God; therefore, through the blindness of their minds and the hardness of their hearts, they could not believe.

Even so is it with those who deny his Eternal Sonship, for they only believe in him after the flesh: “Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is Antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.”

He that denieth that Jesus is the Son of God is destitute of vital, saving faith.

Who is he that is not Antichrist but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

But before a man can rightly believe this sweet and essential doctrine he must be born again, and he that believes in this Christ as the Son of the Father before all worlds is born again; as the Word declares: “Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God.”

As there is base coin that much resembles pure coin, so there is a false faith that may appear like true faith. There is such a thing as heart experience and a living vital faith which unites the soul to Christ, and enables it to say, “Thou art the Son of God.”

There is also a faith which believes that Christ was not the Son of God until he was born of the virgin, which is only dead faith, and is a faith which will leave the soul at last to die in sin; whilst heart faith in Christ, however small, will be owned and honoured of God and the soul that possesses it will live with Christ for ever and ever. It is a deadly error to deny that Jesus Christ ever was the Eternal Son of God:

“Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ?…Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father.”

In the erection of buildings scaffolding is used, but it is not part of the building; so there are many preachers and hearers amongst the true church of God who are not living stones in the building.

As belief in Christ is essential to eternal salvation, we must say that all who do not believe in him as the everlasting Son of the everlasting Father do not believe in the truth as set forth in this magazine, nor do they believe in the Lord Jesus Christ according to the Scripture which says, “I was set up from everlasting;” and again: “The Word was made flesh, and dwelt
among us (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father), full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)

No man who denies that Christ is the Eternal Son of God and lives and dies in that error can go to heaven. The Scripture calls such men liars, and we read: “There shall in no wise enter into it any thing that denieth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie; but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.” (Rev. xxi. 27.)

This lie, we believe, has special reference to the lying doctrines of men, which the children of God reject as unscriptural and contrary to the Spirit of truth and the faith which he has wrought in their hearts; but this doctrine, which is of the world and which the world heareth, the saints overcome:

“Who is he that overcometh the world but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God ? (I John 5:5)

Hundreds of years before Christ was born of the virgin, Agur asked this question, which none of the deniers of the eternity of the Son of God have ever been able to answer:

“Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? Who hath gathered the wind in his fists? Who hath bound the waters in a garment? Who hath established all the ends of the earth? What is his Name, and what is his Son’s Name, if thou canst tell?” (Proverbs 30:4)

We cannot conceive how those who hold the doctrine that Christ is the Eternal Son of God and those who deny it can dwell together in union and peace.

(By James Dennett, [Baptist] Gospel Standard Editor – 1885)


"And then, the idea that God's co-eternal Son died—he 'who was begotten before all worlds,' as it has been ten thousand times expressed—is certainly a contradictory one. God has but one 'begotten' Son, and he is the only begotten. This only begotten Son was begotten during the life of the virgin Mary, and she lived long after the worlds were made. If there was one begotten before all worlds, then He who was born of the virgin was not the Only begotten Son, nor the first begotten; for the virgin did not live before the world was. Now, the proposition that the Savior, who was born only nineteen centuries since, was begotten before the sun rose and set, is a gross absurdity, and, as an article of faith, might as well be presented to the dark sensorium of the quadrumana as to the human species; one can understand it just as well as the other."
(THE MYSTIC STAR, BELIEF IN GOD A TEST OF ADMISSION TO THE MYSTERIES OF FREEMASONRY, by M. W. Alfred, A.M., M.D. 1872)

Comment (1)

I have been reading through the book of Luke lately and many interesting things are surfacing.

In Chapter 9 Jesus gives the Disicples power to preach and heal.

Luke 9:1,2: Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases. And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick

The work of the Disciples comes to the notice of Herod and causes him perplexity. Next Jesus feeds the 5000 which led to a move to seek to crown Him as King.

It is at this point that Jesus does an identity check with the disciples. They were in danger of being carried away by influencing the king and seeing that their man - Jesus was stirring the crowd to political and social change. This ragged little band of disciples had hit the motherload and now they were apparently moving into a powerful circle of influence.

Jesus asks them concerning His identity. In Matthew Peter states

Matthew 16:16: And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

This "Son of the Living God" is the one who Satan has been trying to kill since before this world was created. Any profession of the Son of the Living God will meet with fierce opposition and will not place you in a powerful sphere of influence for very long. Notice the words of Jesus.

Luke 9:22-25 Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day. And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?

Jesus makes it plain that if they truly believe that Jesus is the Son of the living God, they will face hardship, conflict, difficulty and sorrow, for Jesus is a "man of sorrows and acquainted with grief" yet we can be of good cheer for He has overcome the world.

Then Jesus gives this warning:

Luke 9:26: For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels.

To be ashamed of Jesus means at its heart to be ashamed of the Son of the Living God, the one who comes in His Father's name. The world looks for who comes in His own original life unborrowed and underived, but the Son of the Living God comes in the name of His Father. All He possesses came from His Father.

If we are ashamed of this Jesus then He will be ashamed of us when He comes. To embrace the name of the Son of God does cost greatly and involved sacrifice and discipline, but I will faithfully seek to endure this for my own character development according to God's will than ever face the sad state of Jesus being ashamed of me when He comes. May that never happen to any of us.

Comment (2)