Bible Study - Fundamental Biblical Beliefs

Well, this evening we're beginning a Bible study series covering the fundamental beliefs, as we call them. These beliefs are things that the Bible teaches us, God teaches us through His Word. And they are fundamental in the sense that they are really foundational. They're maybe the basis, you might say, of our faith and our belief system, as God has taught us. I would like for us to be very careful about adding to or taking away from anything that the Bible says. Tonight, in statement one of the fundamental beliefs, we're going to look at God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. And this is going to be not an in-depth look. We're going to hit sort of the main points about who God is as the Father, who Jesus Christ is, and what the Holy Spirit is. Now, if we're not careful, we can do like many humans and start to add to what the Bible describes as God the Father, or Jesus Christ, or the Holy Spirit. And people then become sort of filled with an idea of what this Father's like, and what Jesus is like, and then they sort of add and embellish that. Then they start painting, and they start drawing, and they come up with stories. And we don't need to go there. We certainly shouldn't go there. Part of the Ten Commandments is not to go beyond anything other than just acknowledging that God is first. God is primary, and God is harmony. So in this first statement, the first statement that we have here in the fundamental beliefs regards what we might call the Godhead. We believe that there is one God, or we believe that there is one Godhead. There are not multiple gods, Godheads, authorities in the universe, just one. But when it says God is one, the Hebrew word there, if you look at the Strongs, has a singular meaning, and that is unified. God is unity. God is one. As Jesus said in John chapter 17, God, you and I are one. You and me, I and you, we want them to be one with us.

So God wants us to be part of that God family, as we'll see later. It's Elohim is that word, and it's inclusive. It's a growing family. We believe then that there is one Godhead led by God the Father. In Mark chapter 12 and verse 28, Mark 12 and verse 28, Jesus now is going to talk to us about who God is. Mark 12, 28, then one of the scribes came and having heard them reasoning together, perceived that he had answered them well, and he asked Jesus, which is the first commandment of all?

And Jesus answered him, the first of all the commandments is, and he now quotes from the Old Testament, here, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Now, we're not counting Gods here. We're not counting members of the God family or even the Godhead. He makes a statement here according to Strongs that the Lord is united, fully one in every sense, thinking, doing.

Also, God is the same yesterday to day forever. He has the same laws, the same mind. Everything about God is one or unified. The Godhead is comprised right now of God the Father and the word Jesus Christ. Will there ever be any more Godheads? Actually, we'll find that out by the end of this study. Let's go to 1 Corinthians chapter 8 and verse 6. 1 Corinthians chapter 8 and verse 6. Yet for us there is one God, the Father. Now, once again, we're not counting Gods here, but now he's going to talk about the Father as God. God is a name that is shared by both.

But for us there is one God the Father, not comma the Father, but one God the Father, of whom are all things, and we for him, and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live. So this term, then, God here is applied to God the Father, but the term God is shared by the Godhead. Let's go to Hebrews chapter 1 and verse 8. Hebrews chapter 1 and verse 8.

We're going to read verses 8 and 9. But to the Son he says, Your throne, O God. So here is God the Father saying to the Son, and he's calling him God. Your throne, O God, is forever and ever a scepter of your righteousness, is the scepter of your kingdom. We also see that the kingdom of God is also the kingdom of Jesus Christ. In fact, it's called in one place in the New Testament, the kingdom of Christ and God. Now, you have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness.

Therefore, God, your God. Now, it's interesting here. This is another quote from the Old Testament. God, your God. They're both called gods. This term God is shared by the Godhead.

And we see that in Psalm 45, verses 6 through 7 from the Hebrew. And that term there refers, once again, to both God the Father and Jesus Christ. Now, does Jesus really have the name God, or is he just Lord? Is he just the Word? Let's go to Titus. Again, New Testament.

Titus 2, verse 13.

Looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.

So who is great God? Well, the great God is either member of the Godhead, depending on who is being referred to. Who is God? Either member of the Godhead. Who is our Savior? Well, we often say that Jesus Christ is our Savior, and here he is our Savior. But we are saved by God through Christ. So God the Father is also our Savior.

In verse 14, who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for himself his own special people zealous for good works. You can't separate God and Jesus Christ into two totally separate beings in the Godhead who have independent roles. That is fallacy. God the Father and Jesus Christ are so tight. They are so one. Yes, God the Father is the authority, and Jesus Christ is submissive, but they do things together. And God the Father also gave himself and his time and his firstborn son for us that he might redeem us from every lawless deed through his son's blood. And that you and I can be his own special people, his children, the children of God, zealous for good works. So God is a wonderful God, and we don't have to somehow separate in Scripture who does what, unless Scripture is doing so at any given time. The Godhead is also eternally existing. They are spirit beings.

They have supreme intelligence, knowledge, love, justice, power, and authority. Once again, we recognize that God the Father has the ultimate authority and the ultimate power, but they both have the spirit. They both have the laws. They both have the love. They have the intelligence, knowledge, justice, power, and authority that they either share or that they designate as they will.

Let's go now to John chapter 14 and verse 23. John chapter 14 and verse 23.

Jesus said, If anyone loves me, he will keep my word.

Once again, how do you parse that out and say, Oh, I'm going to love Jesus and keep His word, but won't love the Father and keep His word? It's the same love. It's the same Godhead. It's the same kingdom. It's the same rulership. It is the same word, except there are two beings that are performing it. He who does not love me does not keep my words, and the word which you hear is not mine. Oh, wait a minute. He talked about keeping His words. Now we find out His words aren't His, but they're the fathers who sent me. But they are His words. He is the word. He is the living word, but His words are the Father's words, we might say also.

He says in verse 26, But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, which, not whom, but which the Father will send in my name, it will teach you all things and bring you to remembrance of all things that I said to you. So this Holy Spirit, it's from the Father, but the Father sends it through the name of Jesus Christ. You know, there's through baptism, the repentance baptism, laying out of hands, the Holy Spirit comes to us fully involved here in a relationship with the Godhead. And now that Spirit, which actually is God the Father and Jesus Christ dwelling in us, will bring us to remembrance all things. We drop down to verse 31. We see that they are in an equal form of spirit existence. It says in verse 31 of John 14, But that the world may know that I love the Father, and as the Father gave me commandment, so I do. So God the Father has the greater authority. He gave the commandment, but they are equal. I love the Father, and the Father gave me commandment.

And now we go to 1 Corinthians 15 and verse 27. As we wrap up this first section, 1 Corinthians 15 and verse 27. Notice here, For he, God the Father, has put all things under his feet, Jesus Christ.

But when he says all things are put under him, it is evident that he, God the Father, who put all things under him, Jesus Christ, is accepted. God the Father didn't put himself under Christ in authority. So the Father here has greater authority. That's what Paul is saying. Now, verse 28, Now when all things are made subject to him, then the Son himself will be also subject to him, who put all things under him, that God may be all in all. So we see that Jesus Christ will have authority here on earth during this physical phase of the plan of salvation, but ultimately, God the Father is one who has the greater authority. And now I'd like to introduce my co-host, Wayne Ward, who will take us through the second section of this fundamental belief.

Thank you, Mr. Elliott. Yes, so breaking down the first fundamental belief in the second part, it reads, He, through Jesus Christ, is the creator of the heavens and the earth and all that is in them. He is the source of life and the one for whom human life exists. This is actually based on three scriptures. We'll turn to, first of all, here, Ephesians chapter 3 and verse 9.

And to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God, who created all things. So here Paul explains how all things, everything, everything that was created was created through Jesus Christ. So it's like you could probably think of it as you have an owner and he contracts out an architect and a contractor and someone who is going to make this come to happen. And that's what I guess would be Jesus Christ's role. Okay, there is turn to Colossians chapter 1 verse 15 through 17. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers.

All things created through him and for him. And he is before all things and in him all things consist.

So, right, to be the firstborn over all creation. The word firstborn here is from a proto tokos and it's a composite word. The word proto means foremost in order, right? Or first in rank. He was to be the preeminent, preeminent one of many to follow. Okay, so let's turn to John 5 verse 26. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself. And we'll get a little bit more context in this for the verse before and a little bit afterward. Most assuredly I say to you, the hour is coming and now is when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself and has given him authority to execute judgment also because he is the Son of man. Do not marvel at this for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear his voice and come forth. Those who have done good to the resurrection of life and those who have done evil to the resurrection of the condemnation. So basically we see here that the notion of life that Jesus has in himself does not necessarily mean the means to exist, but it's a power to grant life and it is a tremendous responsibility and that's part of what the Father has bestowed upon upon the Son. But he does the Son does all to serve the will of the Father. Okay, so I'll pass it back to Mr. Eliot for the third part.

Jesus Christ is the Word, he's the Lord, and he also was Yahweh in most of the Scripture in the Old Testament where that's used. Of course we know John chapter 1 and verse 1 if you'd like to turn there briefly. We see here, in the beginning was the Word, or as it says in the Hebrew, the Logos.

The Word, the one who speaks, the spokesman. The Word meaning that one that God the Father has essentially given the communication with humans to. And this Word, it says, was with God, and the Word was God. In verse 2, he was in the beginning with God. And in verse 3, all things were made through him, and without him nothing was made that was made. And as we've just heard, in him was life. So here we have an individual that is the Word, the spokesman. He also is one that most of the time is all caps, Lord, in the Old Testament. But not always, because sometimes God the Father is as well as we will see. God and Christ have a family in heaven and on earth. In Ephesians chapter 3 and verse 14, Ephesians 3, 14 through 17, let's just notice here. Paul says, For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Nowhere in the Scripture are we told to pray to Jesus Christ. And so we don't. And that's just the way it is. Jesus Christ in the New Covenant is the one we interface with as far as hearing God's Word, hearing the parables, hearing what we should do. But he does not take the limelight also in the relationship. That relationship is with God the Father. So if you think of it this way, Jesus Christ comes, he reveals the Father to us. He reveals the Father's law, words, plan of salvation, prophecies, in-time prophecies, what's going to happen. The Father's desire that Christ has a bride and that's to be us. But then Jesus points us back to the Father for the relationship. And that's very important because God the Father has the preeminence. And he wants to be very, very involved in our lives the whole way through. So here we then bow our knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named.

So we see here that there is a family. The family of God the Father, now his son Jesus Christ. And what are you? If you're baptized and led by God's Holy Spirit, you are a son or a daughter of God, children of God. And you are named by that family that he would grant to you according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened with might through his Spirit in the inner man. So we have this family mindset coming to us through God's Spirit. That Spirit is so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. We're not leaving Jesus Christ out here at all. He's dwelling in our hearts through faith. It's God's Holy Spirit that comes through Christ. They both dwell in our hearts through faith that you, being rooted and grounded in agape, the family mindset, may be able to comprehend with all the saints, what's the width and the height and the depth, to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. So this family really reaches out to us.

And we as humans have wonderful revelation from God. That there is a God, that this God loves us, that God has a plan. It's fascinating right now where perhaps you are as well, but Mary and I are going through reading the Bible in a year again. This time we're doing a little differently. We're using the link there from studyyourbible.org on the tools page. Only at the heading of each chapter there is a listen button, and we're actually listening to it. We do our own Bible study as well, but we're listening to the entire Bible, and it's amazing the different perspective you get when you hear it read to you. It's unlike reading it where you get lost in the words and and you're looking at letters and words and hear somebody's reading it to you and you hear things that you don't when you read. And it's fascinating how God directs all the events of individuals' lives and what happens to them and their families. It's just amazing how to know the love that God has and the involvement that he has with family is incredible. It's just incredible. Now Jesus is God in the Old Testament. Notice I didn't say Jesus is the God of the Old Testament. He's not the God of the Old Testament. He is God in the Old Testament. I'll show you in a minute. God the Father is also God in the Old Testament. So we can't say that one or the other is the God of the Old Testament. From time to time you'll hear people say that maybe in a sermon or in an article and say, Jesus Christ was the God of the Old Testament. Well, we understand where they're saying he has a primary role as God in the Old Testament. However, let's go to 1 Corinthians 10 verses 4 and 5. 1 Corinthians chapter 10 and verse 4.

We'll see here a statement how Jesus, the one who became Jesus, the Word, the Logos, the Lord of the Old Testament, was God. It says, and they all drank from that same spiritual drink and they drank of that spiritual rock that followed them and that rock was Christ. But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. Now this is interesting. We see Jesus Christ was with them and he was leading them and that rock, that spiritual rock, was Christ. Verse 5 chapter 10 says, but most of them God was not well pleased. Who's this God that was not well pleased? Let's drop down to verse 9. Nor let us tempt Christ as some of them also tempted and were destroyed by serpents or complain as some of them also complained. He was God. He was God in the Old Testament. Jesus has seen God in John chapter 1 and verse 18. Now we're talking about God the Father.

John chapter 1 and verse 18. No one has seen God at any time, so God the Father has not been seen by anyone at any time. God in the Old Testament was seen, but not God the Father. The only begotten son who is in the bosom of the Father, he has declared him. So Jesus Christ is declaring God the Father, whom he has seen. Let's go to Luke chapter 10 and verse 22.

And I'm not trying to convince anybody who may have an alternate idea because of somebody's alternate idea, but I'm just hitting some high points here. In Luke chapter 10 and verse 22, Jesus said, All things have been delivered to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal him. So you and I here have had the Father revealed to us by Jesus Christ. A little bit in the Old Testament is mentioned about the Father, but nothing like Jesus Christ revealed to us and has revealed to us. Jesus and the Father are both YHWH or Yahweh or all caps Lord at times in Scripture. And I'm just going to show you here a few examples. Again, not to convince anyone. I did share the Doctrine Committee for six years, and some of this came through. We're going to look here in Psalm chapter 110 verses 1 through 5. I'll just give you an example of how the Father is sometimes Lord Yahweh in Scripture.

Psalm 110. We're going to start in verse 1. Psalm of David, The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, till I make your enemies your footstool.

The Lord shall send the rod of your strength out of Zion, rule in the midst of your enemies.

Your people shall be volunteers in the days of your power and the beauties of holiness. From the womb of the morning you shall have the dew of your youth. The Lord has sworn and will not relent. You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. The Lord is at your right hand. He shall execute kings in the days of his wrath. So we see here that the Lord said to my Lord, so Lord all caps, that's Yahweh. And down here the Lord in verse 4 is sworn and will not relent that Jesus is a priest forever. We go to Matthew chapter 22 and verse 44. You see this quoted Matthew 22 and verse 44 and 45. Jesus says, referring to what we just read, the Lord said to my Lord, sit at your right hand till I make your enemies your footstool. If David then calls him Lord, how was he his son? So we find here that both of them share this term, and Jesus obviously carries this term, as it were, of Yahweh. Let's go to Isaiah chapter 8 and verse 13. Isaiah 8 verse 13 and 14. The Lord of hosts, him you shall how let him be your fear, let him be your dread. This is the Lord of hosts. He will be as a sanctuary, but a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense to both the houses of Israel, as a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. So here we have the Lord, the Yahweh of hosts, will be a stone of stumbling, rock of offense. Let's go now to Exodus chapter 20 and verse 2.

Exodus chapter 20. I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

Now we're going to go to 1 Peter 2 and verse 8.

1 Peter 2 and verse 8 in the New Testament. 2 Peter 3 and verse 9. I'm quoting here, and a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.

Who is this? Well, in the previous verse in verse 7.

Therefore, to you believe he is precious, but to those who are disobedient, the stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone, and a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense. So you see here, this is Jesus Christ. And there are other examples as well. We'll just take one or two more. One is in Isaiah chapter 40 and verse 3. Isaiah 40 and verse 3.

The voice of one crying in the wilderness, prepare the way of the Lord, Lord all caps. That's Yahweh.

Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

Of course, we go to Matthew chapter 3 and verse 3, and what do we find there? Matthew 3.

Verse 3.

For here is John saying, John the Baptist saying, Repent for the kingdom is at hand, for this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. I could give you one more of these because this is something that has, I don't know, impacted some individuals and others have been confused by it. Isaiah chapter 44 and verse 6.

Isaiah 44 and verse 6. Thus says the Lord, all caps, Yahweh, the king of Israel, and his Redeemer, the Lord, the all caps, Lord of hosts, I am the first and the last, besides me there is no God. Now, you might be thinking this is, well, there's either only God, the Father, or only Jesus Christ, what's going on here? There is no God. There is no other Godhead than God. All right? And God takes the title first and the last, Alpha and Omega. Let's go back to Revelation chapter 1 verses 5 and 8.

Revelation chapter 1 verse 5. From Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, the ruler over the kings of the earth, to him who loved us and washed us from our own sins, our sins in his own blood, we know who we're talking about here, and has made us kings and priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Behold, he is coming with clouds, and every eye will see them, even those who pierced him.

This is the one who's coming, Jesus Christ. Now all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of him. Verse 8. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, says the Lord, who is and who was and who is to come the Almighty. You know, God Almighty, the Lord, the Alpha, the Omega, the Yahweh, the firstborn, these refer to Jesus Christ as well as God the Father. Let's go down to verse 17. 17 and 18. But when I saw him, I felt his feet as dead, but he laid his right hand on me, saying, Do not be afraid. I am the first and the last. I am he who lives and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore.

Chapter 22 of Revelation now. Revelation 22 and verse 13. Once again, I am the Alpha, the Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. In verse 12, I'm behold, I am coming quickly. My reward is with me. You can't just sort of parse out in Scripture and say, Oh, only God the Father is this and only Jesus Christ is that.

They really share their titles and at times their love and their responsibilities when it comes to salvation. Okay, now for the fourth part, we go back to Wayne. Mr. Elliott, yeah, the fourth part reads, We believe that he is the Messiah, the Christ, the divine Son of the living God, conceived of the Holy Spirit, born in the flesh, the human flesh of the Virgin Mary. So this has been derived or based upon a few scriptures. Let's start off in Matthew 16. Matthew 16 verse 13. And this is kind of interesting. Matthew 16 verse 13. When Jesus came into the region of Caesar, red Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?

So they said some say John the Baptist, some Elijah and others Jeremiah are one of the prophets. He said to them, But who do you say that I am? Simon Peter answered and said, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. Jesus answered and said to him, Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.

So this is kind of interesting as Mr. Eliot was talking about how the son reveals the Father. In the sense here, we have the Father revealing the Son. It is only of the Father that people can conceive of who the Son of God is. So he is not revealed to everyone. We can really even infer that not necessarily that they recognized who he was then, but even today, true knowledge and understanding of Jesus Christ and the full scope of what he has done for man and what he is doing for man. He is raising up a church ahead of all the salvation for all of mankind. The Father has not revealed that to everyone.

So that is kind of a very interesting thing. And again, how we see the cooperation of the two acting and behaving in the same way. Let's turn back to chapter 1.

Matthew 1, verse 18.

Okay, it says, Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows. After his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph. Before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Okay, so here we have a direct scriptural record that Jesus was conceived of the Holy Spirit. And really, interesting thought here is that if one believes in the Trinity, it kind of makes this passage a little bit perverse. So it is not, we do not, we understand that it is not a person. This is the power of God. Let's start to head to verse 20, 21 through 25, chapter 1. And she will bring forth a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. So this was done that it might be fulfilled, which was spoken of by the Lord through the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin will shall be with child, and bear a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which is translated God with us. And Joseph, being aroused from his sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took him to him, to his wife, and he did not know her until she had brought forth her firstborn son, and he called his name Jesus. So yeah, and so Jesus formally, as Mr. Henry Elliot was talking about, formally that rock in the desert was born a man, though of course he also remained God as well, as he would be called God with us. Turn to chapter Matthew 27, verse 43.

He trusted in God, let him deliver him, now if he will have him.

For he said, I am the Son of God. So Jesus here taught himself, he taught that he was the Son of God.

Other scriptures here, just turn to John 10, verse 36. On 10, verse 36, do you say, of him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, you are blaspheming, and because I said that I am the Son of God. So Jesus, you know, he was and is the Son of God, you know, first of many who would be born like God. Now even men and women are considered by God to be a type of God. And the scripture that Jesus was referring to here was Psalm 82, verse 6. You want to turn back to that quickly? Psalm 82, verse 6. And it says, I said, you are gods, and all of you are children of the Most High, but you shall die like men and fall like one of the princes. Okay, so here we get to understand how Jesus is referring to that we are considered by God a type of God, not one that is infallible, but there is, we're considered like that. And of course, we have now that potential with the Holy Spirit to be born as God, that tremendous potential that the world doesn't understand, and that there's an amazing, amazing potential. Let's turn to Philippians chapter 3.

It says, For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. So now He is glorified, and now those that are called out, we now await His return. There's one more scripture quickly in this part, John 20, verse 28. And Thomas answered and said to him, My Lord, my God. So the apostles here directly refer to Jesus as God, as we also learned from Mr. Eliot. So I'll turn to part five back to Mr. Eliot there.

Okay, part five is just to recognize that God is the Creator, and God the Father created all things. But He did that through Jesus Christ. We know in John chapter 1 and verse 3, John 1, verse 3, All things were made by the Word, and without Him nothing was made that was made.

So we take that on faith that anything that exists in heaven and earth, the Father created through Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ doing the hands-on finishing after they had probably designed it. Don't know how the spirit realm works, but somehow it was it was fashioned in the end by Jesus Christ. But it was done by the Father through Jesus Christ. Once again, they work together as one. Let's go to Colossians chapter 1 and verse 15 for the other scripture I'd like to cover in this. Colossians chapter 1 and verses 15 through 20. Because it's really interesting. We're going to see that Jesus created all things. In verse 15 it says, He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible. Wow! So Jesus Christ created all things. Of course, God the Father had Him do it. Whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers, all things were created through Him and for Him. And He, Jesus Christ, is before all things, and in Him all things consist. So God has really put the one who became Jesus Christ as the head of this physical realm, this plan of salvation in the earthly sense. And He's made Him the head of it. That He can have the preeminence. In verse 18 He is also the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead. That in all things He may have the preeminence. For it please the Father that in Him all fullness should dwell.

And by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Jesus Christ, to reconcile all things to God the Father, by Him, by Jesus Christ, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. So He has a really dynamic role and a very exalted role in notice bringing all things, this word peace meaning, irani, peace meaning, harmony, unity, oneness. Jesus Christ has been sent to take all of this fractured division and other ideas, and through His sacrifice and through His work and the work of God the Father and the Spirit, to pull that into unity. So ultimately as John 17 says, we can be one with God, God and us, us and God, everybody one. So now for part six we go back to Wayne. Thank you. Yeah, so part six of this is we believe in the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of God and Christ. The Holy Spirit is the power of God and the Spirit of life eternal. Now it's been very important for the Church, for United Church of God to put this into the Constitution and to make it something that can't be changed because this has obviously been perverted in recent history and it's been by the Roman Empire, you know, not too long after, two or three hundred years after Christ. So it's been very important that this is because this could easily be, we can easily get lost with this and lose the truth on it. So this is based on a few scriptures. So let's turn to start with Ephesians chapter four and verse four. There is one body and one spirit just as you were called in one hope of your calling. Okay, so this is only, there's only one spirit and the divine nature of both the Father and the Son. It's been explained here already. Let's turn to 2 Peter 1 verse 4. 2 Peter 1 verse 4, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises that these, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. So we can see that this is, there's like the medium here by which those who are partaking of the spirit, you know, we're interconnected and we're tuned in to the nature of God. Okay, so let's turn to 2 Timothy chapter 1 and verse 7. For God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power and of love and of a sound mind. So it is, this is, you can see this, there's a nature to the spirit of God. It's the power, the medium by which God has created everything and he interacts with his creation. It's the means by which he can influence us by his own nature and convicting us to do according to his will. It's likely how we feel bad when we haven't done something perhaps as we should have. So we are tuned in to this very, the very nature of God.

Isaiah chapter 11.

Verse 2 says, the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.

Acts chapter 1. Acts chapter 1 it says, but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to all the end of the earth. So for some like the apostles, God imbues the power to preach with the Holy Spirit.

Let's get to Acts chapter 10 and verse 38.

Okay, it says, how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, and went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.

So most definitely, of course, Jesus was empowered by this same spirit as well.

Second Corinthians, there's two more scriptures left. Second Corinthians chapter 1 and verse 21 and 22. Now he who establishes us with you in Christ has anointed us, has anointed us, is God, who also has sealed us and given us the spirit in our hearts as a guarantee. God has given us his spirit as a deposit, as a down payment on eternal life. One more scripture that's like that. Ephesians chapter 1, verse 13, it says, in him you also trusted after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom also having believed you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who or it should be which is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the of the purchased possession to the praise of his glory. So here it is, we see that we have a guarantee of our inheritance that is given to us with this spirit, that this is so precious to us for life. So it is very valuable to us and something we don't want to lose. So that's it for part six. So let's give the conclusion back to Mr. Eliot. Okay, now briefly we have part seven. God is a family. The Bible reveals God, when we use the term God, as being comprised as father and son. And this shouldn't be lost on us. Sometimes we talk about God the Father and Jesus Christ the Son, and those just become titles. And we forget that we are children in a family, if we are led by their spirit. The United One Godhead is shown from the very beginning. Let's go back to Genesis chapter one and verse 26. Genesis one and verse 26. Then God said, let us make man an hour image. If we just pause there, it's a verse we all know well, but God, the word there in Hebrew is Eloim. It comes from I-M attached to the word Elo. E-L-O-A-H. I-M is like adding E-S in English. It pluralizes it. So this Elo, God, is Eloim, plural. And God said, let us make man an hour image according to our likeness. So right from the beginning, you see how one they are, just in the term God, and then the term us, an hour. That is total oneness, unity. And then they want us to become like them. You know, it says in Matthew 5 verse 48, Jesus said, be you therefore like your Father in heaven is. We are to be more than just sort of physical likenesses. We're to develop a spiritual likeness. And that's the whole idea that God has in creation. This Eloim term is also open-ended in reference to God's divine family. It's not a closed Godhead of two beings. Let's go to John chapter 10 in verse 34 and see it again. John chapter 10 verse 34. Jesus answered them, is it not written in your law? I said, you are gods.

And in the law where he's quoting from, the term gods is Eloim. And he's saying, you are Eloim. Verse 35, if he called them Eloim, gods, to whom the Word of God came, right, just pause here, he's calling people Eloim that the Word of God came to. Jesus Christ is the Word of God. He comes to you and me through his Spirit. God the Father comes to us. And we then are called the Children of God. And consequently, the Word of God leads us to be sons and daughters of God. And we are included then in this term. And what he's saying is, you are Eloim also. You're part of this family. God is a family. God has a family, however you want to say it. And he presents himself as a father, as a son, as a husband, us as children, as a bride. You can't get more family than that. The Word of God then, as prophecy shows, has us joining in that family relationship, even as spirit beings. However, the prophecy also shows that God and the Son will always remain supreme with their divine children serving them. Let's conclude tonight by turning to Revelation chapter 21. We'll begin in verse 1. Revelation 21. John now sees after the lake of fire burns up the rest of the wicked. We see the heavens and earth are burned up in this lake of fire in 2 Peter 3. And now I saw a new heaven and a new earth. For the first heaven, the first earth, had passed away. And here under this condition in verse 3, I heard a loud voice from heaven, saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people. So here is the relationship, the divine relationship, that spirit beings and the God family has.

He will dwell with them. They will be his people. God himself will be with them and be their God.

Now we go to chapter 22 and verse 1. Revelation 22 and verse 1. What do we see here? Do we see all of us as being God beings? Now there's billion God beings all equal. Now we see a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal. This is typical of God's Holy Spirit, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. That's who's on the throne in New Jerusalem.

God the Father and the Lamb.

And in verse 3, there will be no more curse, but the throne of God and the Lamb shall be in it, and his servants shall serve him. And they shall see his face, and his name shall be on their foreheads. So we will have the identification of the family of God, but we will be servants to God and Christ. Well, thank you very much for joining us. We're just up at eight o'clock now, and I appreciate the opportunity to go through these things. They may sound very familiar in some ways to all of us, but hopefully there's a little thing here or there that we can either be reminded of or that we can glean or see through a new light. Next week we will go through statement number two next Wednesday night, the Word of God.