Tuesday, February 23, 2021

Begotten

 

Per the Nicene Creed:

Begotten, not made



Per the Holy Bible:

In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God.

John 1:1-2

Yes, I came from the Father into the world, and now I will leave the world and return to the Father.

John 16:28

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I have to admit, this whole "begotten" thing has always been a mystery to me, so for this step in our journey through the Nicene Creed, I turned to the depository of all earthly knowledge, YouTube, for help. The One-Minute Apologist has this to say:

Now, while I find that kind of helpful, it's not really an answer. And neither is Merriam-Webster: "brought into existence by or as if by a parent", which is exactly the opposite point the creed is trying to make, that being, that even though it appeared that Jesus of Nazareth "came to the world in the usual way," he was not conceived in Mary's womb by any human union, but that the eternal God-the-Son put on flesh by miraculous means.

Truth is...there's a lot more studying that can be done to sort out terminology, and a person could do worse than deciphering through the article that is the source for this post's graphic, "Begotten, Not Made", by Josh Malone in Creedo Magazine. (To read it, CLICK HERE.)


Tuesday, February 16, 2021

God from God

 

Per the Nicene Creed:

God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God


Per the Holy Bible:

In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God.

God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.

God sent a man, John the Baptist, to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony. John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light. The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.

He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.

So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.

John 1:1-14 NLT

The Father himself loves you dearly because you love me and believe that I came from God. Yes, I came from the Father into the world, and now I will leave the world and return to the Father.

John 16:27-28

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Truth is...The Nicene Creed may be guilty of a little overkill here for the sake of poetry, but the point is that Jesus is God the Son, not Joseph and Mary's son, born in some backwater Palestinian village. He emanates from Yahweh. Stay tuned, there's more to come.


Tuesday, February 9, 2021

Eternally Jesus

 

Per the Nicene Creed:

Eternally begotten of the Father



Per the Holy Bible:

In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God.

John 1:1-2 (NLT)

Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, before Abraham was even born, I am!”

John 8:58

For through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see — such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him.

Colossians 1:16

Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to.

Philippians 2:6

We'll deal with "begotten" in two weeks. The point today is "eternally" and the assertion that, like the Father, there was never a time when Jesus didn't exist.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Truth is...infinity and timelessness are things that make my mind get all wobbly, but for Yahweh to always be the Father, there has to have always been the Son. As it's been stated before, if God could be totally explained, he wouldn't be all that worthy of worship now, would he?


Tuesday, February 2, 2021

Son of God

 

Per the Nicene Creed:

...the only Son of God...



Per the Holy Bible:

The king proclaims the Lord’s decree: “The Lord said to me, ‘You are my son. Today I have become your Father.'"

Psalm 2:7 NLT

And a voice from heaven said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.”

Matthew 3:17

For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:16

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For Yahweh to be eternally identified as "Father," there has to have eternally been a "Son". That loving, authoritative/submissive relationship has always been present in the Godhead and is beyond our complete comprehension. How can Jesus be both God and Son? That is a mystery clearly taught in Scripture, but never fully explained.

Truth is...if I could completely understand God, I don't think he'd be worth worshiping.


Tuesday, January 26, 2021

One Lord

 

Per the Nicene Creed:

"We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ..."

Per the Holy Bible:

“My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed.

John 20:28 NLT

They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with everyone in your household.”

Acts 16:31

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Truth is...there are SEVERAL more Scriptures calling Jesus Lord that could be quoted, but the point is this: there is only one Lord, and a person can't have divided loyalties. As Jesus himself said, "No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other." (Matthew 6:24 and Luke 16:13) And as Bob Dylan said, "You gotta serve somebody. It may be the devil or it may be the lord, but you still gotta serve somebody."

Bonus Truth: Serving the one lord is what makes a church body a church body. Please watch and enjoy this music video ("One Lord One Body") from the church body I call home.



Tuesday, January 19, 2021

Of All That Is, Seen and Unseen

 

Per the Nicene Creed:

"...of all that is, seen and unseen."


Per the Holy Bible:

"Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.
    He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,
for through him God created everything
    in the heavenly realms and on earth.
He made the things we can see
    and the things we can’t see—
such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world.
    Everything was created through him and for him.

Colossians 1:15-16 NLT

"God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him."

John 1:3

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Truth is...Just as "All that glitters is not gold" and "All that's gold does not glitter," so too, not everything that exists can be seen, heard, smelled, tasted, or touched. Beauty cannot be quantified, loneliness cannot be stored in a closet, and love can only be seen by the actions it inspires. "Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens." (James 1:17)



Tuesday, January 12, 2021

Maker of Heaven and Earth

  

Per the Nicene Creed:

"...Maker of heaven and earth..."



Per the Holy Bible:

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.

Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day” and the darkness “night.” And evening passed and morning came, marking the first day.

Then God said, “Let there be a space between the waters, to separate the waters of the heavens from the waters of the earth.” And that is what happened. God made this space to separate the waters of the earth from the waters of the heavens. God called the space “sky.” And evening passed and morning came, marking the second day.

Then God said, “Let the waters beneath the sky flow together into one place, so dry ground may appear.” And that is what happened. God called the dry ground “land” and the waters “seas.” And God saw that it was good. Then God said, “Let the land sprout with vegetation—every sort of seed-bearing plant, and trees that grow seed-bearing fruit. These seeds will then produce the kinds of plants and trees from which they came.” And that is what happened. The land produced vegetation—all sorts of seed-bearing plants, and trees with seed-bearing fruit. Their seeds produced plants and trees of the same kind. And God saw that it was good. And evening passed and morning came, marking the third day.

Then God said, “Let lights appear in the sky to separate the day from the night. Let them be signs to mark the seasons, days, and years. Let these lights in the sky shine down on the earth.” And that is what happened. God made two great lights—the larger one to govern the day, and the smaller one to govern the night. He also made the stars. God set these lights in the sky to light the earth, to govern the day and night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. And evening passed and morning came, marking the fourth day.

Then God said, “Let the waters swarm with fish and other life. Let the skies be filled with birds of every kind.” So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that scurries and swarms in the water, and every sort of bird—each producing offspring of the same kind. And God saw that it was good. Then God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply. Let the fish fill the seas, and let the birds multiply on the earth.” And evening passed and morning came, marking the fifth day.

Then God said, “Let the earth produce every sort of animal, each producing offspring of the same kind—livestock, small animals that scurry along the ground, and wild animals.” And that is what happened. God made all sorts of wild animals, livestock, and small animals, each able to produce offspring of the same kind. And God saw that it was good.

Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth,and the small animals that scurry along the ground.” So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.”

Then God said, “Look! I have given you every seed-bearing plant throughout the earth and all the fruit trees for your food. And I have given every green plant as food for all the wild animals, the birds in the sky, and the small animals that scurry along the ground—everything that has life.” And that is what happened.

Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good! And evening passed and morning came, marking the sixth day.

Genesis 1:1-31 NLT

Then the Lord answered Job from the whirlwind:

“Who is this that questions my wisdom

    with such ignorant words?

Brace yourself like a man,

    because I have some questions for you,

    and you must answer them.


“Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?

    Tell me, if you know so much.

Who determined its dimensions

    and stretched out the surveying line?

What supports its foundations,

    and who laid its cornerstone

as the morning stars sang together

    and all the angels[a] shouted for joy?


“Who kept the sea inside its boundaries

    as it burst from the womb,

and as I clothed it with clouds

    and wrapped it in thick darkness?

For I locked it behind barred gates,

    limiting its shores.

I said, ‘This far and no farther will you come.

    Here your proud waves must stop!’


“Have you ever commanded the morning to appear

    and caused the dawn to rise in the east?

Have you made daylight spread to the ends of the earth,

    to bring an end to the night’s wickedness?

As the light approaches,

    the earth takes shape like clay pressed beneath a seal;

    it is robed in brilliant colors.[b]

The light disturbs the wicked

    and stops the arm that is raised in violence.


“Have you explored the springs from which the seas come?

    Have you explored their depths?

Do you know where the gates of death are located?

    Have you seen the gates of utter gloom?

Do you realize the extent of the earth?

    Tell me about it if you know!


“Where does light come from,

    and where does darkness go?

Can you take each to its home?

    Do you know how to get there?

But of course you know all this!

For you were born before it was all created,

    and you are so very experienced!


“Have you visited the storehouses of the snow

    or seen the storehouses of hail?

(I have reserved them as weapons for the time of trouble,

    for the day of battle and war.)

Where is the path to the source of light?

    Where is the home of the east wind?


“Who created a channel for the torrents of rain?

    Who laid out the path for the lightning?

Who makes the rain fall on barren land,

    in a desert where no one lives?

Who sends rain to satisfy the parched ground

    and make the tender grass spring up?


“Does the rain have a father?

    Who gives birth to the dew?

Who is the mother of the ice?

    Who gives birth to the frost from the heavens?

For the water turns to ice as hard as rock,

    and the surface of the water freezes.

Job 38:1-30


*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Truth is...believing in nothing but evolution or that Yahweh used evolution as a tool or that God's creation of all things was instantaneous requires an element of faith. There is no way to scientifically or logically or mathematically prove anything particular about the origin of all things. However, it is apparent that everything that exists is dependant on something existing before it, and if we follow all those causes back in time, it must eventually lead to something/someone that didn't need to be created...an uncaused cause. (Whether the chicken or the egg came first is a moot point because they each require the other to exist.)

We believe Yahweh is the uncaused cause, the original designer, and the copyright owner of the universe.