Is the Holy Spirit Really the Third Person in a Trinity? Part 1

Brethren, in a recent Sabbath visit to Jim Hamilton Correctional Facility south of Potoh, Oklahoma, in the southeast, a little place called Hodgen, which is toward Broken Bow, two of our prison volunteers, Matt Lopez and Herman Dennis, had the opportunity to conduct church services. I think Mr. Cagle may have read some of a report that Mr. Lopez had given on this particular Sabbath meeting. After services, they were questioned by the inmates regarding a number of the beliefs of the United Church of God. One in particular was the question regarding the Holy Spirit as a third person in the Trinity. Mr. Cagle, who coordinates our prison volunteer program for me, I asked him to do that because I knew I wouldn't have time to do justice to coordinating that particular program. So Mr. Cagle has done a fine job, and I certainly appreciate that. Actually, all of our elders, I think, work together very well. We have a good team of elders. In fact, is one of our elders missing today? He's in the back. Okay. I hadn't seen him today, so I didn't know if he was not feeling well, but Mr. Clement certainly is really an asset to our congregation. Mr. Hopper serves very, very well, and I really appreciate these men a great deal as I do all of you because we couldn't do this if we didn't do it together. So I certainly appreciate all of you very much. Well, anyway, Mr. Cagle was written a letter shortly thereafter, shortly after this visit, from one of the inmates requesting a visit from our ministry regarding the inmate's concerns. Mr. Lopez and Mr. Dennis no doubt did a good job explaining various verses to them regarding our beliefs, but we have limited time when we're there on the Sabbath. They weren't able to exhaust everything. So basically, they've asked that—and they also said that they weren't ministers and that if they wanted to go deeper into some of these subjects, it would be good to have a ministerial visit. So that's what they asked for. So Mr. Cagle and I will be going down for a visit with these men this Thursday. Now, in the letter, this particular inmate who has taken the lead for the other inmates, or perhaps more for himself than any of the others, it's difficult to say for sure. Sometimes men will speak for others when they may not be as at one with that particular leader. So we have to sort this out when we go down there. We can't assume anything. But they wanted to know more about the Holy Spirit and the nature of God.

In the letter, this particular man writes, it is my understanding that you do not believe the Holy Spirit is God in spite of many scriptures with proof He is. John 4, verse 24, Acts 5, verses 2 and 3. He only quotes two, but there are others that some people use to say that the Holy Spirit is God and that it's a third member or a third person or being of the Godhead. We would call it the God family, but they would not call it the God family. They would prefer a word like Godhead, which to me, I don't like that word. I don't even know for sure what they mean by that. But the God family is more the way I would refer to it. Anyway, Mr. Kegel and I will be traveling down in a few days to address these issues and a few others with the inmates. They also ask about our belief regarding British Israelism, basically, which they believe we have some racial overtones to our beliefs in that regard. However, it was a little ironic that Mr. Dennis, who is obviously black and Mr. Lopez is Hispanic, were there at that particular meeting, not the white supremacists. Mr. Kegel and Welch.

So anyway, it was kind of interesting. I think Mr. Kegel may have read some of that letter last week.

So, brethren, let's ask ourselves a few questions regarding the sermon today. Is the Holy Spirit really a third person in a Trinity? What is the true identity, the true nature of the Holy Spirit? How is the Holy Spirit depicted and described in the pages of your Bible? This is an important issue and we do need to understand it correctly. In fact, I'll read a little bit from this letter a little bit more. Oh, that's not the letter. Okay, the letter. Well, this man says there are basically three issues that we here at this facility who support your ministry are concerned about. You know that there are about five of us who attend your services. We are all concerned about these teachings, and if your church does teach as Mr. Armstrong did, we will not be able to continue to attend and support your services. Number one, the Holy Spirit and the nature of God. It is my understanding that you do not believe that the Holy Spirit is God in spite of many scriptures which prove He is. And I mentioned the two that he had mentioned, John 4.24 and Acts 5 verses 2 and 3. We believe this is a salvation-related issue, and many people believe that if you do not believe in the Trinity, then you are destined for hellfire. That is what they believe, that if you don't believe in the Trinity, you are not a Christian and that you will burn in hell. So let's be plain what people think about this doctrine. It is important that we comprehend and understand what the Bible says about it, because obviously if they were true, there would be some severe consequences for all of us sitting here today. I don't believe them to be true, obviously, and I think we can show through many scriptures that they are certainly not correct in that assertion. This man says, I began to understand what you mean by that. Oh, he says also the phrase God-family. He doesn't like the phrase God-family. I began to understand what you mean by that after reading what Mr. Armstrong says about it. You mean that God is not a being per se, but is a family. Now, we believe that God is a being, but we also believe that God is a family, that God has a family, that he is a part of a family, that he is the head of that family. So there are always some misunderstandings mixed in with what people think about what we believe. You know, I've noticed that over the many years I've pastored that very seldom do they really understand what we say, what we believe. So we're going to have to certainly make those things clear when we go visit.

He says, you mean that God is not a being per se, but is a family which is currently made up of the Father and the Son, but will later be made up of all true believers. Which brings us to question number two, that true believers will be born into the God family and will themselves become God. Now, that's very offensive to people to claim that we will become God. Now, we're more inclined to say that we'll be a part of the God family. We're not going to be God in the sense that God the Father and the One who became Christ have always existed. We were created. We haven't always existed. Now, we do believe that we will live eternally once we're changed into spirit. And we believe, as the Scripture says, we will become like Christ, that we will be like Jesus Christ. So if that means becoming God, which I believe it does, I make no apologies for that. In fact, to me, that's the most exciting thing that one could imagine, that we could actually be born into the family of God and have the very essence of God. And that's really what the divine spirit is all about, the Holy Spirit, because we will become spirit beings born into the God family. So this is an awesome, this is an awesome doctrine. It's sad that people don't understand what we believe and that they don't grasp what we believe, because God does have to open their minds. If God isn't opening their minds, they're not going to get it.

But it is an awesome doctrine. Now, I don't know how long it's going to take me to go through this doctrine. I doubt whether I'll get through it today. I'm not going to try to cover all aspects of the Trinity. We have an outstanding booklet right here, Is God a Trinity? And this goes into more issues than I will go into. At first, I thought I'd just give one sermon, but realistically, I doubt whether we'll get through this today. You know, it'll probably be at least a two-part sermon, because it is a very, very important topic. I would not want to do it, do an injustice by not covering it at least somewhat, somewhat thoroughly. So, plus, it helps me prepare for our meeting this Thursday.

So the second concern was about being born into the God family. The third concern is the origin of Israel and the identity of God's chosen people. He says, Mr. Armstrong specifically stated that God's chosen race and lineage are white people. The book that the United States and Britain have written in prophecy alludes to this, but doesn't say it quite as plainly as Mr. Armstrong. The New Testament teaches that those of us who are true believers in Christ are now the true Israel, not any specific race of people. I would agree with that last statement. That is what we believe. So again, there are misconceptions in regard to our beliefs. We will try to do our best to clear up those misconceptions and let them see what we truly do believe. He says, here's another interesting part of this letter. We are concerned about these issues as well as your Church's light regard and seeming acceptance of sin. Now, do you think that we take sin lightly?

I don't believe we do. We better not, because sin is the transgression of God's law and the wages of sin is death. And you've heard me say many times, we're all sinners. So if we take this lightly, I don't know what someone does who takes it seriously. But anyway, that's his idea. And he goes on to say, we repeatedly hear from your ministers. Now, basically, he's not talking about just our ministers, but our representatives. Mr. Dennis, Mr. Lopez, Mr. Mann, various ones who go down and speak, Mr. Brown, and I'm not going to name everyone, but various ones who go down and speak to these men, we repeatedly hear from your ministers that they are still finding themselves defeated in sin. Now, I doubt whether anyone says I'm defeated in sin. I hope our men are not saying that. I rather doubt that they are. I do not believe that I am defeated in sin. I believe that I am a conqueror through Jesus Christ. That I am more than a conqueror through Jesus Christ. So, I believe that Jesus Christ forgives my sins, and they are washed clean as the driven snow.

But I do not take sin lightly, and nor should you. And I don't think any of us do. It's a very important topic for me. It's near and dear to all of us. So, we want to straighten them out on that issue as well. And get this connection here. We repeatedly hear from your ministers that they are still finding themselves defeated in sin. Where is the victory that the Bible promises you? Well, I just told you, didn't I? We are more than conquerors through Christ who loves us, who died for us.

That's where the victory comes in. It's not of ourselves. It is God who works in us through the power of His Spirit. A Spirit not of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. That's God's Holy Spirit. But get the connection that He makes. Where is the victory that the Bible promises you?

Could this lack of victory be from the lack of the Holy Spirit's presence due to your non-acceptance of His identity? Interesting. Please answer our concerns on these issues. If your church does believe these teachings, then just send us a letter, and we will no longer attend your services. And it will not be necessary for you to make the trip up here. Well, we're making the trip. We're going. If not, then please explain your church's position better.

Okay, we will certainly give it our best shot when we go visit. So I would appreciate your prayers that we will be able to get through to these men, especially if God's calling them. If God is... if He's opening their minds, then we want to be able to communicate very clearly the truth. And if He isn't, then we will have some opposition. And it wouldn't surprise me that we will have some fairly stiff opposition from one or two men.

We'll see how that goes. Always exciting, always interesting. That's why I love my job so much. One of the reasons. All right. So is the Holy Spirit a person? Is it a third person in the Godhead? Now, that's specifically what we're going to be focusing on now for the rest of this sermon. As it is with many doctrinal questions, we must start at the beginning to get a grasp of what the Scripture does say on any given topic.

It's always good to go to the beginning, isn't it? So let's go to the beginning. Let's go back to Genesis chapter 1. Genesis chapter 1. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. God Elohim created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God—notice the Spirit of God. I think that little word of is actually a pretty important word here. This is the Spirit of God. God was the one doing the creating of the heavens and the earth.

The Spirit of God was certainly there. No doubt about it. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Now, a lot of translations say that the Holy Spirit was moving or it was hovering. I don't think I brought—no, I had those written down somewhere, but I don't believe I brought them with me. I looked up a number of translations, but they basically all meant the same—that it was hovering or it was moving over the face of the waters.

And God said, let there be light, and there was light. And so God continued to create. And actually, this is a recreation when we really understand it, because the earth became without form and void. The earth became—that's a better translation in verse 2. It became without form and void. Certainly, in the very beginning, it's unlikely that God would have created the earth. God doesn't create things that way. It was Satan's rebellion that Satan was—Lucifer was given control over the earth. There was—there were problems that developed because of Lucifer's sin, and that's why the earth became chaotic and confused.

And Satan is the author of confusion. God is not the author of confusion. So this is actually a recreation. And God went on, and day by day shows what he created and what he did. And in verse 26 of the same chapter, then God said, let us—you see, this eloem is actually a plural noun. It's speaking of a—of more than one. Frankly, it's speaking of a family—a family of beings. At this time, two beings in this family.

Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all creeping things. So God created man in his own image. In the image of God, he created him. Male and female, he created them.

This is a creation unlike any other creation. We are made in the image and the likeness of God. That makes you so very unique in the universe, on this earth. You are created in the image of God. You are created in his likeness.

Now, it clearly says that God is the Creator, does it not? We've just read it.

But the Bible goes on to reveal that Jesus Christ is actually the Creator, the actual instrument that God used, that the Father used to create. And what I'm saying will be borne out in the Scriptures that we now cover. So let us be sure to let the Bible speak for itself. Let's let the Bible speak for itself. Let's go to Ephesians chapter 3.

Ephesians chapter 3, and obviously this is the Apostle Paul who wrote this and believed this, Ephesians chapter 3, beginning in verse 9. Ephesians 3 verse 9. So then those who are of faith are blessed... I'm in Galatians, am I not? Let's go to Ephesians. Ephesians chapter 3 verse 9.

Well, let's read verse 8 along with it because it's one of these run-on verses of Paul's. I like to keep it in context. Paul says, to me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery. You know, this is a hidden truth that God has revealed to us. It's no wonder that people don't understand it. It is a mystery. That's why Mr. Armstrong wrote Mystery of the Ages. A lot of people don't grasp and understand what the Bible really says about this mystery.

To make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, this hidden truth, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God, who created all things through Jesus Christ. There you have it. All things were created through Jesus Christ. You've got to tie Genesis 1 in with this verse.

All things were created by God, speaking of God the Father, and we'll see that as we continue as we go on, who did this created all things through Jesus Christ. So it's accurate to say that the Father is the Creator. In fact, He's referred to as the Creator at times in the Bible because He truly did create through His Son. His Son was the one that was the spokesman, though.

His Son was the Word, the Logos, the spokesman. He spoke and it existed. Now, in Colossians 1, well, let's read it just a little bit further here. He created all things through Christ, verse 10, to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness. I guess Mr.

Cagle talked about boldness last week. We need to have boldness. I was afraid he might have covered my sermon last week. I came to him when I first got in here. I said, Mr. Cagle, what did you speak about? Bill, what did you speak about last week? Boldness. Ah, good! Because I knew he had gotten a letter, and it wouldn't surprise me that he would have spoken on the same topic. I would have probably gone on anyway thinking that he probably covered it differently than I would. But anyway, he spoke about boldness, and we should have boldness in Christ, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him.

Therefore, I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you, which is your glory. You know, when we handle our tribulations and our trials, it is a glorious thing. You know, when we rise above all of the physical ailments and things that God allows to come our way, it's a glorious thing. We should pray that God would strengthen all of us, that we might set the kind of example that we all need to see from each other. And we've had some wonderful examples of people who have suffered that are continuing to be faithful to God, some wonderful examples. Let's read a little bit further here. Actually, let's not read further here. Let's go back to Colossians 1, and let's read a little bit there.

Colossians chapter 1. Colossians 1 verse 9. Paul says, For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. Now, we all need spiritual understanding. We all need to be able to grasp the things of God. That you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God, strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power.

Let's ask ourselves, where does this power come from that God has? What is God's power? What is it? Strengthened with all might according to his glorious power, for all patience and long suffering with joy, giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of his love. So, we're talking about the Father here.

We're talking about his Son, in whom we have redemption through his blood. Obviously, speaking of Christ, the forgiveness of sins. So, we're talking about two beings here. We're talking about God the Father. We're talking about Jesus Christ. And we're talking about the power of God. That's what these verses are talking about here.

Verse 15, He is the image of the invisible God. He is the firstborn over all creation. For by him, that is, by Christ, 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 were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, he is the head of the church. Now he's talking to you and me. He's saying that Jesus Christ is the head of this church. He is the head of his church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead. Christ was resurrected by the Father, and he is the first born from the dead. Christ was resurrected by the Father. And what power did the Father use?

The power of the Holy Spirit. That's how Jesus Christ was resurrected, by the power of the Holy Spirit.

And he is the head of the body, who is the beginning, the first born from the dead, that in all things he may have the preeminence. Now speaking about Christ having preeminence over all his creation, accepting the Father, of course, Christ has preeminence over all things, except the Father. The Father is preeminent, but Christ is right there with him.

But he is preeminent over all of us. We should bow before Christ and the Father. We should worship them. You know, we should glorify them by our conduct, by striving to be like they are. Now this is a high, and it's a holy calling, brethren. It's something that we should never take for granted. It's something that we should never lose sight of. But we should grasp to it strongly and decisively. We must have faith in our faith. We must have faith in what we believe. Are you convicted of these things? Will you remain faithful to the truth of God until Christ returns? Now that's the important question for you. Will you remain faithful to the truth? The truth is that here it's in the Bible. It's awesome. It's unbelievable. But it isn't. It's very believable if you have God's Spirit. If God's Spirit opens your mind to believe it.

One more verse regarding the creation. Hebrews chapter 1. Actually, we'll go to two more places. This one in Hebrews. Hebrews chapter 1. I'm establishing who is the creator. Who is there with Jesus Christ, who was the creator. We already showed, we already clearly showed that it was the Father who did the creating through His Son, that all things were made by Christ. Now let's see that confirmed in Hebrews chapter 1. Verse 1. God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets. Now he's talking about the Father here. That'll be clear in verse 2. God the Father, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets. Now how did He do that? Primarily, He did it through His Son.

But it was God who was preeminent. The Father is preeminent. The Son was His instrument. He was His spokesman. He was His logos. And He has in these last days spoken to us by His Son.

Actually, the one who became the Son was very intimately involved in the Old Testament, as we all know. You know, I don't have time to go into that subject in depth, but Jesus Christ was essentially the God of the Old Testament. The one who acted with Moses and Aaron and Joshua. In most cases, in a few cases, the Father is spoken of, but in most cases it is speaking of the one who became Jesus Christ.

He has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. Again, we see that God made the world through Christ, who, being the brightness of His glory and the expressed image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power. Again, where is this power coming from? What is this power? By the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high, having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. So again, we see that Jesus Christ was the logo for the spokesman that the Father used in the creation. And now, when we go to John 1, it really ties it all in and is very clear. John 1, John 2, in the beginning was the Word. Okay, the Word is the Logos, the spokesman. And the Word was with God, clearly speaking of the Father here. And the Word was God. The Word was a part of the divine family. In the beginning, there were two beings, the Father and the One who became known as the Son, the Word, the Logos, the spokesman for God, the Father. He was in the beginning with God. When you're with someone, there's more than one of you, isn't there? There's more than one being there. Now, there is a oneness at the same time because it is a family. But there are clearly two beings here. Speaking of two beings, he was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him. Speaking of Jesus Christ, we already showed that. Now, this is John speaking now. It's not the Apostle Paul, but he's confirming what Paul has already said. And other scriptures will confirm this, many other scriptures. All things were made through him, and without him nothing was made that was made. In him, in Christ, was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. Most people do not understand the truth. Most people do not comprehend the truth. God is not calling everyone now. God is not revealing the truth to everyone now. This is not the day of salvation for all people, but it is the day of salvation for those who are converted, those who have been enlightened by the Holy Spirit of God. Judgment has begun at the house of God, the church of God. Christ is the head of that church. We can comprehend the light because of God's grace, of His graciousness, of Him calling us and giving us, granting us repentance, working with us, allowing us to accept Christ as our Savior. Let's drop down to verse 14.

And the Word became flesh. This spokesman, this logos, this one that was the Creator in Genesis 1 that we talked about. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. So someone who was a divine being has become flesh, has emptied himself of his divine nature in the sense that he is now born of a virgin, which is a miracle in itself. He was not conceived by a human father. And Mary was just a womb, in many ways. I mean, God obviously used her, her physical body for Jesus to develop, but she was conceived. How was she conceived? What does the Scripture say? We'll get to that. So the Word became flesh, dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. John bore witness of him and cried out, saying, This was he of whom I said, he who comes after me is preferred before me, for he was before me. That's right, Christ existed. The one who became Christ existed long before John. John understood that. John the Baptist. Now let's go to Psalm 33 and tie in a verse here in the Old Testament. Psalm 33.

Psalm 33 verse 6. Psalm 33 verse 6. By the word of the Lord, the heavens were made, again, the spokesman, the Logos, by the word of the Eternal, by God's the Father's right hand being, you might say, by the word of the Eternal, the heavens were made, and all the host of them, by the breath of his mouth. He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap. He lays up the deep in storehouses. Let all the earth fear the Eternal, the Lord. Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in all of him. For he spoke, and it was done. Do you have the power to speak and make things happen? Well, it takes a little bit more than that, doesn't it, for you? But with Christ, all things. Are done and are possible. He spoke. Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in all of him. We stand in all of Jesus Christ today. For he spoke, and it was done. He commanded, and it stood fast. Now, this universe still stands fast, doesn't it? As incredible as that is, I mean, when you go out tonight, look up into the sky and consider that you are on an orb hurtling through space. I mean, I don't know a lot of the physics of it all, but I know this. It's amazing. You know, it is absolutely amazing. And it was put into force by the power of God, by the Spirit of God, and by the Word of the One who became Christ. Now, that is awesome.

We are human beings. We are composed of flesh. Our power comes from energy that is produced within the human body by the creative process. You know, we're amazing creations ourselves. You know, we refuel ourselves. We eat food, and somehow it's turned into energy. And the sun has a part to play in it, and the leaves and the flowers and the trees and everything. It's amazing how it all works. I don't comprehend it. I don't understand it all, but I'm amazed by it all. God fashioned us. We are fearfully and wonderfully made. He fashioned us so we could refuel, so we could have power, so we could have energy. But God is not flesh. It's not where His power comes from. Some physical process that took a divine being, a spirit being, to do, to create, to make. Now, let's go to one of those verses that the writer of the letter in the prison went to, John 4. He uses this as a proof that the Holy Spirit is a third person of a Trinity. John 4, verse 23. John 4, verse 23. But the hour is coming, and now is. This is, of course, Jesus Christ speaking here. The hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth. For the Father is seeking such to worship Him. That's what God wants. He wants somebody who will worship Him in spirit and in truth. You brethren, that's why we come here every Sabbath, is it not? To worship God in spirit and in truth. We come here to worship. We're not coming here because of any other person. We're coming here because we want to worship God. We are seeking to worship Him in spirit and in truth. God is spirit. I have no problem with that. He's certainly not flesh. God is spirit.

That's what He is. He's spirit. And those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth. God, again, reveals truth to us by the power of His spirit. This is an awesome, again, this is an awesome doctrine, and it's very, very important that we comprehend and understand it. So we must worship God in spirit and in truth if we are to please God. Now, the Apostle Paul understood the true God. He did. He had tremendous understanding that He shared with us, and we gain a lot from Paul. Paul had some shortcomings. He didn't always write in the clearest manner. In fact, Peter, thankfully, let us know that. I think we would have figured it out without that. But Peter confirmed it by stating that some things are hard to understand that Paul writes. But Paul really did understand the true God. And this Bible was written exactly the way it was written because it was God's will. That's how God inspired it. And if you understand Paul's writings, it's because God has given you understanding. If you understand what Paul says about the law of God and the nature of God, then it's because God has opened your mind to understand it and to believe it. And that's a miracle. In 1 Corinthians 8, again, we see that Paul did understand the true God. 1 Corinthians 8.

1 Corinthians 8, verse 6. Now, let's go back to verse 5, another one of these long sentences here by Paul. For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth, as there are many gods and many lords, he's talking about the paganism of this society, this civilization, throughout history. There have been pagan gods, pagan ideas, mythology, tremendous misunderstanding and confusion because of the God of this world, Satan the devil, who's been a confuser from the very beginning. He says, for even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth, as there are many gods and many lords, yet for us there is one God. The truth is, for God's people, we understand that there's only one God, the Father of whom are all things, and we for Him, and one Lord Jesus Christ. Now, we already showed that Jesus Christ is God. Did we not? Go back and consider the scriptures that we've already gone through. Jesus clearly is God. John 1 revealed that very clearly, and a number of the other scriptures did as well. So he's not saying here that Jesus Christ is not God. He's saying there is one God. Now, the only thing that really makes sense to me is that he's talking about a family, the God family. That's what he's talking about. He says, yet for us there is one God, the Father. Father is the head of that family, and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through Him we live. Paul understood God. He understood that there was God the Father and that there was God the Son, Jesus Christ the Lord. Now, there's no contradiction there. Don't let anyone try to tell you that there is. There's no contradiction. The scriptures, when you look at all the scriptures, it is clear and it is plain that this is what the Bible reveals.

Jesus is God. He is God's Son. He existed before he was born of the Virgin Mary. Let's go to Matthew chapter 1, verse 20. Matthew chapter 1, verse 20.

Speaking of the birth of Jesus the Christ.

But while he thought about these things, Joseph was wondering what was going on. How could she be pregnant? I didn't do it. She claimed she was with no other man. That doesn't make sense. So he was considering these things. He thought about these things. Behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream saying, Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you, marry your wife. For that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.

Conceived of the Holy Spirit. The divine power of God. The divine essence of God. She was conceived of the Holy Spirit. If the Holy Spirit were a person, then the Holy Spirit would be the Father.

That's not what the Bible teaches. That's not what the Bible shows.

The Father is the Father, the one who was there in the beginning with the Word, the Logos, the spokesman. The power of God was also there at creation. We showed that in Genesis 1. The Spirit of God was moving. The Spirit of God was moving. The divine essence, the power of God, was moving. God is Spirit. God was moving to create. He spoke, and it existed. In the Holy Spirit, the power of God carried it out. Christ spoke. It happened. It's the power of God. It's the power of God, including the power to beget or to conceive.

The Father is the Father. The Holy Spirit is the divine power of God. Again, Jesus is God. Let's go to Hebrews chapter 1, where we see that clearly Jesus is God. Hebrews chapter 1. We read these first five or six verses. We'll go and read a little bit more in Hebrews 1. Hebrews chapter 1 verse 8. But to the Son, he says, the Father says to the Son, the Father to the Son, your throne, O God, Jesus is God. The Father says he's God. Let's believe what the Scripture says. Your throne, O God, is forever and ever. A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness, and you have hated lawlessness. Sin is the transgression of the law. Christ did not come to do away with the law. Christ came to fulfill the law, to keep the law, to set the example for us. We do not take sin lightly. Sin is the transgression of the law, and sin is why Jesus Christ had to lay his life down for us, because we are all sinners. And to be forgiven our sins, it has to be through the blood of our Savior, Jesus Christ. You have loved righteousness, you have hated lawlessness. Therefore, God, your God, again, two beings in the God family, therefore God, your God, your Father, has anointed you with an oil of gladness more than your companions. No one else compares. There is no other Son, in the sense that Christ, the one who became Christ, is the Son. Unique, preeminent over the creation.

Let us now go to Matthew 11, where we see that the Son of God had a mission when he came.

He had a very important mission to fulfill. One of the missions that he had to fulfill was to reveal his Father. Matthew 11, verse 27. Matthew 11, verse 27. And no one knows the Son except the Father. No one really knows the Son. I mean, these people didn't understand who Jesus was at this point, as he's addressing them. Even his own disciples didn't comprehend. Even his own brothers and sisters didn't comprehend. No one comprehended like the Father. All things have been delivered to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son. And the one to whom the Son wills to reveal him. And you see, that's where we and you and I come in. That's where we come in. Jesus has purpose to reveal the Son to us. God's one that does the calling, John 6, 44. No one can come to me except the Father draws him. And they work in conjunction together. The Father and the Son working in perfect unity to fulfill their goals, their mission, their purpose for mankind.

So, here in Matthew 11, 27, we see that Christ came, nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal him. Count your blessings, and this is the greatest of all, is that Christ has revealed the Father to you. He's revealing his plan to you. It's an awesome truth that we know. Now, Jesus prayed to his Heavenly Father and was with the Father from the very beginning, before time, before matter, before space, before any of it was created. The one who became Jesus was there with the Father. Let's look at John 17, verse 5. John 17, verse 5. There's a lot of evidence in the Bible regarding the nature of God, the power of God, the Spirit of God. Some people just want to pick out a few verses and make up a doctrine. I mean, there's more to it than that. If you want all the history about the Trinity doctrine, this book is excellent. It goes into the pagan origins of the doctrine of the Trinity. I don't know that I'll do that in the sermons that I'm going to be giving on this subject. You can find this book if you don't have it at home. You can pick one up here. But this is a fascinating book, and it goes into the origins of the Trinity and how it came to be and how it is steeped in paganism. And God says, learn not the way of the heathen. That's why we're not going to observe January 1st. We're not going to make a big deal of January 1st. We're not going to stay up until midnight and usher in the new year. If you do, you're actually being a part of a pagan festivity. So if you want to do that, that's your choice. Not me. I'm not planning on it. But it's all steeped in paganism, this doctrine of the Trinity. I didn't keep Christmas. I'm sure you didn't either. It's because it's steeped in paganism. And God says, don't learn the ways of the heathen. Now, John 17, verse 5. John 17, verse 5. And now, O Father, glorify me together with yourself with the glory which I had with you before the world was. There you have it again. More proof of what we've been reading about and what we've been talking about. And now, O Father, glorify me together with yourself with the glory which I had with you before the world was. Christ created the world.

And he divested himself of the divine nature in that sense. He was conceived of the Holy Spirit, so the Spirit was ever present in him, but he was also flesh, physical. He could hurt. He could be crucified. He could die. I don't comprehend how all that works. I mean, to some degree I do, but I don't know that we can fully comprehend how all that works. One day we will understand it better, much better. Now, John 20, verse 17. John 20, verse 17.

Jesus said to her, Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to my father.

Christ had not yet ascended to the Father, but go to my brethren and say to them, I am ascending to my father and your father and to my God and your God.

God the Father and Jesus Christ, two beings in the God family. The Holy Spirit is left out in many of these verses because there are only two beings in the God family. There is the Father and the Son. And the Holy Spirit is their power. And we'll see that more and more clearly as we go along. Do not cling to me, I have not yet ascended to my Father. Go to my brethren and say to them, I am ascending to my Father and your Father. He is your Father as well. Christ is the firstborn among many brethren. God is calling many sons to glory. We will become like Christ.

In John 17 verse 22, and the glory which you gave me, I have given them. This is what Christ says about you and me, about the people of God, the children of God. And the glory which you gave me, I have given them, that they may be one just as we are one. That is our goal to become like God, to become unified and united together with one mind. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, which is in the Father. We are to have the mind of God, the mind of Christ. We might go back to verse 21. Well, verse 20 as well. I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in me through their work. So not just the ones that were living that Christ was talking to, but you and to me. That's what this is saying. I don't pray for these alone, but all those who will come later, who will believe in me through their word, that they all may be one as you, Father, are in me and I in you, two beings, one family. That they also may be one in us, that the world may believe that you sent me. And the glory which you gave me, I have given them, that they may be one just as we are one. Okay, that is our destiny to become one with God, to become one with Christ, to become one in the God family for all eternity. That is the destiny of those who are being called out at this time. It is a high and a holy calling. Now, as I said, I knew I wouldn't get through this, and I certainly have not. Much more to cover here. But, brethren, let's again be praying for God's will to be done for those of us who have an opportunity to go make a difference when we go out into prisons, or all of you can make a difference in your own lives. The people that you know, you should be able to give an answer of the reason of the hope that lies within you. These doctrinal sermons are important sermons. I've been giving a lot of sermons that are Christian living sermons. Surviving life's storms, becoming builders. Those types of sermons, but it's been a while since I've given a doctrinal sermon. This is a good doctrinal sermon. We all need to understand this doctrine, and I plan to give more doctrinal sermons. I think in 2013 you'll probably hear a lot more doctrinal sermons than you have in the past. I want to bring us back to the basics, go through a lot of our doctrinal beliefs. I want you to be well grounded. I'm expecting you to be doing your own homework, your own study, not just coming here. You should already be grounded. You're here for a reason, because you are grounded, but this can only help us become even more grounded. We need to have faith in our faith. We need to have faith in what we believe. We need to know the Bible. We need to be able to help others understand and know the Bible. So when these men go into prisons, they are challenged by people who are intent on questioning them and in sometimes trying to prove their points. So I would appreciate your prayers as we go forth down to a prison in Hodgin, Oklahoma, this Thursday. I pray that God will work in us through the power of His Spirit.