My Personal Testimony on the Godhead
[Deyan writes from Bulgaria and is caring for maranathamedia.bg. He is translating materials for Maranatha Media into Bulgarian. This is his testimony for his brethren on the Father and Son. - Adrian Ebens]
I believe that the on true God of the Bible and the only one Source of life for everything that exists is God the Father:
1 Cor. 8:6 But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.
John 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
Jude 25 To the only God our Saviour, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and power, before all time, and now, and for evermore. Amen. (ASV)
John 5:43, 44 I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive. 44 How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour thatcometh from God only?
1 Tim. 6:16 Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.
John 1:18 No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
I believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of the eternal Father was begotten by God the Father in eternity and that through this act He was invested with the whole fullness of the Godhead, including His right to possess and give the immortality that He has from His Father. He was made equal with the Most High God. Through His Son, God made and continues to uphold all that exists:
Proverbs 30:4 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 8:23-26 I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. 24 When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there wereno fountains abounding with water. 25 Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth: 26 While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world.
Psalm 2:7 I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. (The author of Hebrew applies the birth described in Psalm 2 to the past eternity and not to Jusus Christ's resurrection)
John 3:16, 18, 34, 35 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life... He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.... For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him. 35 The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand.
John 5:18 Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.
John 5:26 For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;
John 8:42 Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.
John 16:27-30 For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God. 28 I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father. 29 His disciples said unto him, Lo, now speakest thou plainly, and speakest no proverb. 30 Now are we sure that thou knowest all things, and needest not that any man should ask thee: by this we believe that thou camest forth from God.
John 17:7, 8 Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee. 8 For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.
Col. 1:15, 16, 19 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: 16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:... For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;
1 John 1:2, 3 (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) 3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
I believe that the Spirit of God also known in the Scripture as the Holy Spirit or the Spirit of Christ is the fullness of the very personal presence of God and His Son Jesus Christ, and not any other person. When Jesus called it „another“ it was because it is a different non-physical way that God and Christ reveal themselves through to the believers. It is similar as when Christ spoke about Himself as the Son of Man in third person (Look for example Matthew 13:41), as if He was somebody else, because the Son of Man is His other personality, but not another person. I believe that it was because of this that sister White spoke about the "three living personalities of the heavenly trio“ and several other statements of hers similar to it:
Psalm 139:7Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
Matthew 18:20For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
John 14:17-23 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. 18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. 19 Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. 20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you. 21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. 22 Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? 23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
Romans 8:9-11, 15 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. 10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 But 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... 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.
Gal. 4:4-6 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. 6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
So, my faith, in accordance to the faith of our adventist ancestors, could be summarized in a single sentence as follows: I believe in God the Father, His Son the Lord Jesus Christ and in Their Spirit.
