[Donald Ward] This is Part 2 of getting to know God the Father and Jesus Christ’s distinctions within the Godhead.

Last time we talked about, first of all, the classical Trinitarian model and I’ll review some of the main points from last time as we begin – having the white board here. I asked you, when we began last time, to draw three concentric circles with God in the middle, showing how the Trinitarians view the Godhead. God is viewed as – the Father is viewed as – ingenerate, uncreated – that He has always existed. Then they contend that God the Father continually generates the Son. And then they contend that God the Father and the Son continually generate the Holy Spirit. So, if you were to draw an arrow here, that Father generates the Son, the Son and the Father generate the Holy Spirit. They say that this process is mutual interpenetration that when they act, they all act together. They act in union. This is called a triune God – three Gods acting in unison.

Then we said that the fallacy of this is, that when Jesus Christ was made flesh and dwelt among us, then we had an entity on the earth. And yet, they contend this model continues to exist in the heavens. In addition to that, if they all three mutually interact on each action that is taken, it means that the Father also suffered in the Passion of the Christ – when Christ was beaten, bruised and nailed to the stake, the Father would also suffer at the same time. And that is called patri-passianism, patri for Father and passionism – the passion of the Father, with regard to that. Also at the resurrection, you’d have a fourth person there as well. Several scriptures talk about Jesus Christ sitting on the right hand of the Father…or, with Stephen – when he was stoned – he looked up into the heavens and saw “one like unto the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.”

Now this system is a closed system. It does not allow for any other beings to be in it. And the truth of the matter is that we are going to be on the God-plane when we are begotten and eventually born into the family of God. According to Trinitarian teaching, this model is essential to the Being of God the Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. That’s why it’s called essential trinitarianism – that their essential or existential being…existential means to having their existence depending on this model.

Now John 5:26 says that the Son has life within Himself. As spirit beings in the Kingdom of God, we will have life within ourselves. We will exist independently as spirit beings. When this model of the trinity…of course, the model that was initially foisted off on the church in 1993 circa, was, they talked about instead of three persons…they talked about it being instead of persons, being hypostasis, which was defined as ways of being God. It’s essentially the same thing. I liken it unto a three-headed turtle. You know a turtle has one head and it can pull it back into the shell. So, if you wanted to be God, you put out this head. If you want to be the Son, you put out this head. And if you want to be the Holy Spirit, you put out this head – but yet all three acting together.

The Church of God is one of the few…it is the only entity that I know of that really understands the Godhead and what our potential is. And, of course, we are labeled as a cult because we deny the trinity. The orthodox position…. By the way, the word orthodox, in the literal sense means, the same opinion. The orthodox world will label you as a cult if you don’t accept the trinity.

We know that, according to the scripture, that we shall be on the same plane of existence as God the Father, Jesus Christ. Romans 8:17 clearly says, “We are heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ….” So that’s a brief review there of the Trinitarian position.

The question of immortality with regard to humans…. As we mentioned last time, according to Trinitarians, the Protestant world, Catholicism, and, basically, all the eastern religions teach that man has an immortal soul. And in Western Christendom, the immortal soul is right there from birth, and the great question is whether or not you are going to spend eternity in heaven or in hell. Of course, then, one of the great tragedies and farcical  teachings of all time would be that that an all loving Creator God – this is what they would have to contend – that an all loving Creator God would then be so cruel as to give you an immortal soul, but place it in a physical body that is subject to sin and death, then turn around and say, “Save your soul. And oh, by the way, we know you’re going to sin, so I’ll send my Son to pay for the sins of the world, so your-already-saved-soul can go to heaven instead of hell.” Whereas, we know to be saved – to have eternal life – you do not have inherent eternal life abiding within you. We’ll come back probably to that board a little later.

So the understanding of the true nature of God and the distinctions in the God head is vital for understanding the great plan and purpose of God. God reveals Himself through His name. Now as I look at you, I don’t know how many have done this model. I don’t know how many have taken their notes. You cannot learn this by just sitting there, and say, “Well, when he says turn to Malachi 3, I’m going there, and I’m going to write that down in my notes.” This is what you need to learn. But let’s turn to Malachi 3. In Malachi, chapter 3 – we read this last time as well – just bringing up to date for some who are not here. We’ll do this each time – to review some of the main points from the past sermon.

Malachi 3:13 – “Your words have been stout against Me,” says the LORD – we’ll talk a little more about the names of God – once again, you see all caps, LORD – L-O-R-D – that’s Yahweh –  the Eternal, the ever existing One – …yet you say, ‘What have we spoken so much against You?’ You have said, ‘It is vain to serve God; and what profit is it that we have kept His ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the Eternal of hosts?” We’ll have a lot more to say about the Eternal of hosts – that is the God over all gods, whether they be spirit beings or whether they be pagan gods. God is the God of all gods – God the Father.

Verse 15 – “And now we call the proud happy, yes, they that work wickedness are set up.” And that’s the way the world looks at it oftentimes – that the wicked perish and those that are trying to do the right thing, they never quite get ahead. “ Yes, they that tempt God are even delivered.”

That’s what some are saying! Some are saying it really doesn’t pay to serve God. And a lot of people have left the Church and are leaving the Church. I mean for me, I remember visiting people out in the nether land here in the piney woods back in the 70’s that left the Church, and they said, “Oh now that I’ve left the Church, I’m being blessed.” I mean, don’t we know that a Judgment Day is coming, and sooner or later, you’re going to reap what you’re going to sow, else the Bible is not true. “Be not deceived, God is not mocked, for whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap.” That’s Galatians 6, probably verse 7 or 8.

Verse 15 – “And  now you call the proud happy, yea that work wickedness are said of, yea that they that tempt God are even delivered.” Then when that is going on, Then they that feared the Eternal – Yahweh – spoke often to one another and the Yahweh – the Eternal – harkened and heard it and a book of remembrance was written before Him for them that feared the LORD, that thought upon His name. Now God reveals many characteristics and qualities about Himself through His name – the meaning of the name. And they – these, that spoke often to one another when this other was going on – “They shall be Mine,” says the Eternal of hosts, “in the day when I – the Eternal of hosts – make up My jewels. And I will spare them as a man spares his own son that serves him.” Then shall you return and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serves God and him that serves Him not.

One of the commendations to the Church at Philadelphia is that they have kept God’s Word and not denied His name. That’s Revelation 3:8. We could ask ourselves, “Am I denying the name of the Father – the One who called you, the One who begets you, the One who will bring you to birth, the One who will give you the Kingdom?” Now the whole world of Christendom, including the Protestants and the Catholics, basically, are denying in a large sense, the name of God the Father, because it’s all about Jesus. And Jesus, as we shall see plays a vital, important, critical role, and we wouldn’t be here without Him. There’s no way your  sins can be paid for, except for the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. But we’re going to go into territory that probably you haven’t thought a great deal about, but I want to…. What I just said, I want to verify by scripture. He is the One who calls us. Look at John 6:44. He – the Father – is the One who calls us. Is it an accident that you are called? According to this, it says in John 6:44:

John 6:44 – “No man can come to Me except the Father which has sent Me, draw him; and I will raise him up at the last day.”

Now the Father is the One who resurrects us from the dead. We’ll read Romans 8:11 later in the sermon. Now Jesus Christ apparently plays some role in it, like He plays some role in sending the Holy Spirit. “No man can come to Me except the Father which has sent Me, draw him…” The Father, through the Spirit of God and the Word of God, draws us. The Spirit of God is an enabler that opens the mind. The Word of God is the convicting agent, along with the Holy Spirit, that enables us to be convicted. Now look at this in 1 Peter, chapter 1 (sometimes I get this…I don’t remember if its in 1 Peter or 2 Peter. It’s 2 Peter. In 2 Peter, chapter 1, verse 2…well let’s read 1 – 2 Peter 1:1.

 2 Peter 1:1 – Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Savior Jesus Christ:

Several times in the New Testament, God is called Savior – God the Father. Several times Jesus Christ is called the Savior. They work in tandem to bring about the purpose and plan of God. Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ our Lord, according as His divine power has given unto us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that has called us to glory and virtue.
Now look at 1 Peter, chapter 1 – we covered this when we were doing the General Epistles. I’m going to start back in the first quarter of 2017, one Sabbath a week having the Bible Study. In 1 Peter, chapter 1, verse 2 – look at this verse. Tie it in with John 6:44.

1 Peter 1:2 – Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you and peace be multiplied.

 “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God” – prognosis – that God, according to this, foreknowledge of God. He’s the One that has called you, He is the one that has begotten you. Look at James 1:17 – go back a few pages.

James 1:17 – Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness neither shadow of turning. Of His own will begat He us with the word of truth that we should be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.

He is the One who begets us – of His own will. Now look at 1 Corinthians, chapter 12. 1 Corinthians 12 is the greatest unity chapter, I believe, in the whole Bible. It shows that we are members one of another. And the way that we’re members of one another is through God’s Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 12:12 – For as the body is one and has many members and all members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body. Who gives you the Spirit? The Father gives you the Spirit, otherwise He wouldn’t be your Father. He is the One who begets you with His Spirit. …whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free, have all been made to drink into one Spirit.

It says in Romans chapter 12, verse 5 that we are members one of another. And, in essence, here it says in verses 25-26 in this chapter (I Corinthians 12):

1 Cor. 12:25-27 – That there be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care one for another. Whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it or one member be honored, all the members rejoice with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and members in particular. We are all joined together in this one body through the Spirit of God.

In Psalm 2…now with regard to the resurrection. God the Father calls us. God the Father gives us His Spirit. Now you look at Psalm 2 – a psalm in the book of Psalms (plural) – Psalm 2, and verse 1:

Psalms 2:1 – Why do the nations rage – why are the nations where they are today – and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers take counsel together, against the Eternal and against His Anointed…against God the Father – the Eternal – and His Anointed. Who is His Anointed? It is Jesus Christ.

Now when Isaiah wrote this, of course, Jesus Christ had not even been begotten, but there are many prophecies of the Anointed One – the Cristos - the Anointed One – the Messiah to come.  And the nations are saying:

Psalm 2:3 – “Let us break their bands asunder, cast away their cords from us. He that sits in the heavens shall laugh. The LORD shall have them in derision.” Oh they think that they’re going to defeat God, and eventually all the nations are gathered together under the leadership and inspiration of Satan the devil, the Beast and the false prophet at Armageddon, as you read in Revelation 16. And of course, God defeats them – God and Christ and the saints. Verse 5:

V-5 - Then shall  He speak unto them in His wrath and vex them in His sore displeasure: “Yet have I set My King upon My holy hill of Zion.” Now there is a specific geographical place named Zion and then in Hebrews 12:22-23 we learn that Zion also symbolizes the church. “I will declare the decree: The Lord has said unto Me, ‘You art My Son – the LORD – the Yahweh – this is the Father – said unto Me, ‘You art My Son, this day have I yalad (Hebrew) – it’s the equivalent of gennao in the Greek – it means to beget and to bring to birth – it has both meanings. In this case, it means to bring to birth, as we shall see in just a moment – this day have I begotten – brought you to birth – yalad.

Now go to Acts 13 – the apostle Paul. There are three especially great sermons in the book of Acts: Acts 2 – Peter on the Day of Pentecost, Acts 7 – Stephen, Acts 13 – Paul. In Acts 13, we’ll begin somewhere around verse 29. In Acts 13…. Brethren, it is high time we learn the Bible and we can do it! In Acts 13 – breaking in on the thought, which he’s talking about how they betrayed Jesus Christ, turned Him over to Pilate – let’s read verse 28:

Acts 13:28 – “And though they found no cause of death in Him, yet they desired of Pilate that He should be slain. And when they had fulfilled all that was written of Him, they took Him down from the tree, laid Him in the sepulchre. But God raised Him from the dead.” Jesus Christ didn’t resurrect Himself. God raised Him from the dead. Some people get confused with the scripture that says, “Destroy this temple and I will raise it up.” That did not mean He would resurrect Himself from the dead, because He did not. It means He would once again fulfill the mission that had been given Him. “And He was seen many days of them which came up with Him from Galilee – 40 days to be exact – to Jerusalem, who are His witnesses unto the people. And we declare unto you glad tidings – how that the promise which was made unto the fathers – remember who the fathers are, if you were taking a test – who were the patriarchs? They are Abraham, Isaac and Jacob – the promises first given to Abraham, then to Isaac, then to Jacob, then to Israel – God has fulfilled the same unto us, their children in that He has raised up Jesus again, as it is written in the second Psalm – and we just read it in Psalm 2:7 – “You art My Son, this day have I gennao You – this day have I brought You to birth; I have raised You from the dead.” And it’s concerning that He raised Him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, He said this wise: ‘I will give you the sure mercies of David.’”

And now Jesus Christ sits on the right hand of the Father and He has been given the throne of His father, David. That’s in Luke 1. It’s also in Acts 2. And it’s in other places as well.

Now you look at Revelation 1, and verse 5, and once again this shows you that resurrection is equated with birth. Resurrection is equated with birth. Jesus Christ is the firstborn among many brethren. How did He become the Firstborn? Through a resurrection from the dead. We just read it so clearly here from Acts 13. In Revelation, chapter 1, and verse 5:

Revelation 1:5 – And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful and the – prototokos – firstborn of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. And Him that loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood.

Now quickly turn to Romans, chapter 8, and verse 11. I mean this is one of the… I guess it’s the most direct places in all the Bible with regard to the Father raising us from the dead. Seem Jesus Christ lived in the flesh. He was begotten of the Spirit. And He lived a perfect life, qualifying to become the Savior of the world. He went through the begettal process. He suffered all the trials that flesh can suffer. He was crucified and He was raised from the dead. We are begotten of God’s Spirit. We go through the various trials, troubles. We die in the faith. We are raised as glorious, radiant spirit beings, just as Jesus Christ was. Now look at this – Romans 8, and verse 11:

Romans 8:11 – But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you – you have God’s Holy Spirit and you’ve been begotten – but if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead – the Cristos, the Anointed One – He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also make alive, quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwells in you.

See, that shows that you will be on the same plane of existence as God and Jesus Christ. Now look back there at verse 17 in Romans 8 – or forward in verse 17:

V-17 – And if children, then heirs – heirs! – of God – you inherit something that God is. You are one His children, now a spirit born…not a son or daughter by creation. You are a son or a daughter by begettal and birth. …and joint heirs with Christ – joint heirs with Christ – joint heirs with Christ – if so be that we suffer with Him that we may be also glorified together.

Now look at verse 29:

V-29 – For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren – you and I to follow.

How beautiful is the scripture when the scriptures…it’s like a beautiful tapestry. When you weave all of these pieces together, you begin to see how beautiful the scripture is – like a beautiful tapestry that is woven together.

Now look at Romans, chapter 1. You cannot put all of these things just in a linear way, where the story flow is unbroken. Sometimes you’ll go all the way to the resurrection of Jesus Christ, which we’re doing here, but we’re going to go all the way back to the beginning in a few minutes. By “a beginning” is a beginning, because God, in one sense – not in one sense; in the literal sense – God and the One who became Christ had no beginning. But in Romans, chapter 1:

Romans 1:1 – Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ – verse 1 – Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, which He had promised afore by His prophets in Holy Scriptures.

I mean there’s prophecy after prophecy. The Jews knew that there was a prophet prophesied to come. Now some understood that He would be the One who would deliver Israel – not just in the physical sense, but in the spiritual sense – as in the case of Anna the prophetess and also Simeon. When they saw Him when He was brought to the temple for the purification rites, how they glorified God and prophesied at that time. There were some in Israel who knew. And there were others who looked for Him in the physical sense and who knew. Verse 3 – well, let’s read verse 2:

V-2 – Which He had promised afore by His prophets in the holy scriptures concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh. So it was prophesied that the Messiah would come from the seed of David. And so Jesus Christ, in His physical lineage – Mary in the blood sense and Joseph in the legal sense – He came through the legal lineage and the blood lineage of David. Here’s the important part: And declared to be the Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness – how? – by the resurrection from the dead. See, that begettal of Jesus Christ by God the Father in the womb of Mary then launched the family relationship, which did not exist before that time.

Now we can try to diagram this to some degree here. If we go back to [what] Isaiah said, in Isaiah 1:18:

Isaiah 1:18 – “Come now, let us reason together, though your sins be red like crimson, they shall be white as snow, and though they be as scarlet, they shall be as wool. (I may have reversed crimson and scarlet, I don’t know.) But anyhow, let us reason together.

At one point in eternity, God the Father and the One who became the Word were on an equal plane. There was no Father/Son relationship. There was not a Father/Son relationship there. You look at Philippians, chapter 2. Philippians, chapter 2, and beginning there is verse 6 – one of the most important areas in all of the scripture, with regard to understanding the nature of God and what Jesus Christ did, and it is summarized in three verses. Of course, it leads up to it in the…Philippians is a book about humility. And the greatest example of all time, and for all times and ever will be, would be the humility of Jesus Christ, who went from this God-plane relationship – on the same plane, in the equality sense, with the Father – to become subservient to the Father. So we look at Philippians 2, verse 5:

Philippians 2:5 – Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. “This mind” – now this mind is described. You talk about humility! We haven’t scratched the surface with our being humble. Who being in the form – morphe…. And you look at the word being – being is very important. It’s the Greek word huparcho, and it means existing – existing in the form – morphe – of God. Let this mind be in you, which was in Christ Jesus, who being – existing – in the form of God, thought it not – harpagmos is the Greek word – unfortunate translation in the Old King James – robbery. It means a thing to be seized – thought it not a thing to be seized to be equal with God. The Greek word for equal is isos – I-S-O-S. ...existing in the form of God, thought it not a thing to be seized to be equal with God – so on that same plane – but made Himself of no reputation – so He goes from that plane of existence – and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. See, in verse 6, He’s in the form of God. In verse 7, He’s in the form of a servant, and from being in the glory of God, in verse 6, to the likeness of men. And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the stake.

Now that covers this part about Him being begotten in the womb of Mary, but at some point, even before the begettal, the Father and the Son worked out an agreement. And this agreement was that…let’s say this is the Son – that the Son would give up His equality, in the sense of quantity, and He would become subservient to the Father. At what point in…. (I might misspell some of these words, because talking is writing, but you are good spellers.) He became subservient to the Father way before He was made flesh and dwelt among us. Now how do you know that? He became subservient in the agent of creation before the spiritual creation and before the physical creation. He became subservient, so He was under the Father, in that sense – so no longer being, in that sense – if we’re looking at that as equality, that He became subservient, even before He became flesh, and He became the agent of creation. And we shall pursue that as we go along here.

In Part 1, we discussed the three primary names of God: EL – being the Strong One, Yahweh – the ever existing One, past present future, the One who was, is, is to come, and Adonai. And we noted that, in the Old Testament, EL appears in all caps – GOD – EL. And so, when you see all caps, GOD, that’s EL. Then we said there was Yahweh, and that appears as all caps, LORD. Then Adonai, and that appears as (uppercase L, lowercase ord) Lord. Now I made a mistake last time in one area here. If you go to Genesis, chapter 15, and verse 1 – I’ll come back and read it – I’ll talk through this first and then go back and read it.

In Genesis 15:2, you see Adonai – see the lowercase Lord, all caps GOD. This is confusing in the sense that the actual Hebrew word here is Yahweh (I know I spelled it differently there. There are different spellings of this, and sometimes I do this, and sometimes I do that, but anyhow….) The reason the translators did that was because, if they didn’t do that, you would have…in the translation, it would be Lord LORD – it would look like that. So they…actually, this should be… it literally is Yahweh – (pointing to Lord LORD) Adonai, the Eternal. And I did not make that distinction last time when we talked about that. So when you see, in tandem, Lord GOD, in virtually every case – I think it’s every case; it may not be every case – the actual word here – the Hebrew word – is Yahweh. It’s not EL. And they did it so you wouldn’t have this Lord LORD in tandem. So many times the name of God is used in tandem.

Now let’s look at Genesis 15, verse 8. In Genesis 15, verse 8, we’ll see a very similar thing as in Genesis 15, and verse 2, where it is Adonai Yahweh, but Genesis 15:

Genesis 15:8 – And he said, “Lord GOD – see, in the translation they have put all caps GOD, but it’s Yahweh – whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?”

And then, if we look at Genesis, chapter 2, very often in tandem you will find this tandem that we find in Genesis, chapter 2 – Genesis, chapter 2, and verse 5:
Genesis 2:5 – And every plant of the field before it was in the earth and every herb of the field before it grew. For the Yahweh Elohim…. So very often you’ll see Yahweh Elohim.

The Father instructed Jesus Christ, and the Word carried out the Father’s instructions. So we have here, Yahweh, meaning the Eternal Ever living Godhead, created everything. The Father instructed Jesus Christ, and the Word carried out the Father’s instructions. And Elohim is a uni-plural noun. And the Father directed the Son in the act of creation, but God is the Creator and the Son the agent of creation, as is clearly stated in the gospel of John. So let’s look at John, chapter 1:

John 1:1 – In the beginning was the Word – showing existence – the Word was – here’s the English equivalent to “to be,” meaning to exist – een – to exist. In the beginning the Word existed. The Word was with God – showing relationship. They were in perfect unison. And at some point, this part about becoming subservient took place, which of course we’ll have more to say about that. The same was in the beginning with God, all things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made.

Now you look at Hebrews, chapter 1. In Hebrews, chapter 1:

Hebrews 1:1 – God – Theos or Theon – who at sundry times and different manners spoke in times past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken unto us by a Son….

So in Genesis 1:26 – Genesis 1:26 and 27 – you will see Elohim being used – capital G, lowercase od.

Genesis 1:26 – And Elohim said – God said – “Let Us – plural – the reverent pronoun is plural. Same thing in verse 27:

V-27 – God created – Elohim – created man in His own image, in the image of God – Elohim –  created He him, male and female, created He them.

Once again, I’m going to read two quotes from Mystery of the Ages, written by Mr. Armstrong. Here is the direct quote: “Mr. Ford was called the maker of the Ford car, but he made the cars by these workmen, who used the power of electricity and machines. In the same manner, God the Father is Creator, but He created all things by Jesus Christ, the Word. It is written: ‘He spoke and it was done.’”

So turn to Psalm 33, and verse 9. Now the scientific world talks about the big bang. In one sense, I guess you could say there was a big bang – “He spoke and it was done.” In Hebrews, chapter 11, it talks about, “and the things that we see were made from things not seen. And science is trying to get to the very…what they call the God Particle – the Higgs Particle – the Boson – and they claim that they have identified – though Higgs didn’t want to call it that – the God Particle, which is still in debate. These experiments are being carried out in Cern, Switzerland with the giant collider there, in which they are trying to get to the very smallest particle of matter, and they’re crashing molecules together at the speed of light. In Psalms 33, and verse 9:

Psalm 33:9 – For He spoke, and it was done. He commanded, and it stood fast.

God tells Christ what to do, and then Christ performs the act. Look at John 8 – John 8, and verse 28. Brethren, I’m hoping that, as we go through this, if we master all of this – this is essentially what I have taught at Ambassador in Fundamentals of Theology many years and then at ABC – and most people really never get down into this and really study what is here. In John 8, and verse 28:

John 8:28 – Then said Jesus unto them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then shall you know that I am He and that I do nothing of Myself, but as My Father has taught Me, I speak these things. And He that sent Me is with Me, the Father has not left Me alone, for I do always the things that pleases Him.”

So Jesus then speaks as the Workman and the Holy Spirit – I’m quoting now – “The Holy Spirit is the power.” Remember that the Holy Spirit is the essence of God and through God’s Spirit, He does works of power. Direct quote: And the Holy Spirit is the power that responds and does what Jesus commands.” And here is another direct quote from Mystery of the Ages: “God is the Creator of all, of everything in the vast universe – the stars, the galaxies and endless space, the earth, man, everything in there. That is what God is – what He does. He creates. He designs forms and shapes. He gives life. He is the great giver and His law – His way of life – is a way of giving, not getting, which is the way of this world.” Both quotes are found in Chapter 1, Mystery of the Ages.

So have you ever wondered when the Word took on this subservient role to the Father? So here we go back into eternity, as we have tried to picture here. At one point they’re on the same plane. Then at some point in eternity, they work out this great plan of salvation. God and the Word, they don’t want just created beings. They want begotten and born beings, who literally come out of the essence of God. And that is…just imagine the genius of this whole process of salvation. So going back into eternity, let’s note how this happened. At some point, this One who was, like we read from Philippians 2:6: “Who being – huparcho – being on the same plane of existence as God, in the form of God, God did not think it harpagmos – a thing to be seized – to be equal with God, He humbled Himself – He became subservient. He became subservient before the spiritual and the physical creation.

See, eternity has no beginning and eternity has no end, but it’s not a circle, like the Orientals might teach of a circle. It’s like the distance between east and west. It’s like infinity – no beginning and no end. That’s probably the best I can do with regard to trying to describe eternity. So at some point, the Word took on a subservient role to God the Father. And it happened before the spiritual or physical creation. How do we know this? Jesus is the agent of creation, as we’ve already noted – John 1, and verse 1 through 3. Also, let’s look at Colossians. Turn to Colossians, please – Colossians 1. Now what we’re seeing here – what we’re talking about – that the Son took on this subservient role before the spiritual or physical creation took place. The spiritual creation – the angelic realm – was created before the physical creation.  In Colossians, chapter 1, and verse 13:

Colossians 1:13 – Who hath delivered us – that is, God the Father…. Maybe we should back up a verse and read this – this is verse 12:

V-12 – Giving thanks unto the Father, which has made us fitting to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints and lights, who – God the Father – has translated us from the power of darkness and has translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son. This is one of the few places where you see “kingdom of His dear Son” - most places, it’s “the kingdom of God.” And when it is actually carried out, of course, it is the Father’s kingdom and the Son’s kingdom. …in whom we have redemption – that is, buying back power – through His blood. I mean, the wages of sin is death. If we didn’t have a Savior – Jesus Christ – who humbled Himself and took on the form of man, and being obedient unto death  to pay the death penalty, we would yet be in our sins. ...in whom we have buying back power through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins, Who is the image…. Remember what Christ told Phillip when Phillip asked in John 1? Phillip says, “Now show us the Father,” and Jesus says, “If you’ve seen Me, Phillip, you’ve seen the Father.” …who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn – prototokos – of every creature. He is the first one to have lived in the flesh and to be born as a spirit being, just as we shall be, as I read from Romans 8:11. For by Him were all things created…. “For by Him were all things created” – so this subservient position had to be taken on before the creation of anything. …for by Him were all things created that are in heaven, that are in earth, visible and invisible – of course, the spiritual realm is invisible – whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers, all things were created by Him, and for Him. And He is before all things and by Him all things consist.  And He is the head of the body – the Church – who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead.

Now you look at Job 38, and you will see, that upon the hanging out of, as it were, the suspension of the earth into space, the morning stars – which are called sons of God by creation and other places – sang for joy. By the way, the next few days will be – six days – the days of the super moon, in which the moon will be the closest to the earth it has been since 1948. And the reason being the moon is elliptical – sort of egg shaped, instead of perfectly round – and when that apex is closest to the – and it could be, I guess, from either end – when it’s closest to the earth, on Monday, it will be the closest of all. It will be 22,000 miles closer to the earth than it normally is. It will look 14% larger and it will be 30% brighter. The best view of it really is going to be in the Eastern US. And, of course, hear the prophecy people out there: “Oh, the great heavenly signs!” I mean, it’s going to happen again in 2034 – supposed to happen again – what they call the Super Moon. The moon is going to be full when it’s the closest that it ever comes to the earth. And it’s a natural phenomenon. It’s not God supernaturally intervening and giving heavenly signs and all that. So Elihu finally gets Job’s attention, and then God begins to speak to Job. In Job 38, verse 1:

Job 38:1 – Then the Yahweh answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said: “Who is he that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Gird up now your loins like a man for I will demand of you and answer you Me. Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?”

“When I suspended the earth out there in space?” I mean, it’s just out there in space, and it’s held in place, the various gravitational pulls. Its slanted 23 point something degrees. It goes around the earth every 27 point something days – round off to 28. It’s spinning on its axis and you have day and night. It spins – does it spin counter clockwise or clockwise? It spins counter clockwise, from West to East, and the revolution is also…. The revolution is difficult – sometimes it depends on whether you’re in the northern hemisphere or the southern hemisphere with some of this. “Where were you when the foundations were fastened? Or who laid the cornerstone thereof, when the morning star – see the angels have already been created – and all the sons of God shouted for joy?”

This beautiful creation – the physical creation.  And the angels – why were they created? So now we go to Hebrews 1. See, the creation of the angels ties into – very intimately – into the plan of salvation – a place for human beings. It says in one place in the Psalms, “The earth hath He reserved for the sons of man.” Of course, one of the headlines, either yesterday or today, was, they’re still probing Mars. They found some kind of funnel shape thing on Mars, which might indicate that there’s life on Mars. They really want it to be there. We want to discover how life came to be. In Hebrews 1:5:

Hebrews 1:5 – For unto which of the angels said He at any time – which angel? Angels were by creation – which of the angels said He at any time, “You are My Son, this day have I begotten you?” See, as we read from Philippians, chapter 2, verse 6 through 8, “And again, ‘I will be to Him a Father, and He shall be to Me a Son?’” And again, when He brings the first begotten into the world, He said, “And let the angels of God worship Him.” And of the angels He said,“Who makes His angels spirit and His ministers a flame of fire.” But unto the Son He said,“Your throne O God is forever, a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom. You have loved righteousness, hated iniquity; therefore God, even Your God hath anointed You with the oil of gladness above your fellows.” And, “You, LORD, in the beginning have laid the foundation of the earth and the heavens are the work of Your hands. They shall perish but You remain. And they shall wax old as does a garment, and as a vesture shall You fold them up, and they shall be changed. There will be a new governmental system in form. But You are the same, and Your years shall not fail.” But to which of the angels said He at any time, “Sit You on My right hand – He never did! – until I make Your enemies Your footstool”? Are they not all ministering spirits sent to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation? – those who are going to be begotten and born into the family of God and of the same essence of God.

So they developed a plan so that they could bring sons and daughters to glory through the begettal and birth process. They could and did create spirit beings, but these spirit beings were not spirit begotten and spirit born beings on the God plane, as we just read from Hebrews, chapter 1.

The Word – the Lamb of God – was slain from the foundation of the world. Look at 2 Timothy, chapter 1, verse 9. We’re going to wrap up Part 2 here in just a moment. We still have a lot more to go with Part 3. I don’t know what the schedule is. I didn’t look at the schedule for next week – whether I’m scheduled or not. I guess I am, whenever it is. In 2 Timothy, chapter 1, and verse 9:

2 Timothy 1:9 – Who has saved us and called us with an holy calling…let’s back up and read verse 7…well, let’s read 6:

V-6 – Wherefore I put you in remembrance, that you stir up the gift of God – what is the gift of God? It is the Holy Spirit – which is in you by the putting on of my hands. And we have, after baptism, the laying on of hands. For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. Be not you therefore ashamed of the testimony – the witness – the  - marturion – of our Lord, nor of me, His prisoner, but be you partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God. See, when Paul wrote this, he was in prison, and Timothy was becoming like, “I wonder what this is all about.” He’s like, “I’m ashamed to be a part of this.” Later he says: Be not ashamed of me, the prisoner of the Lord, but that’s not our purpose here. Verse 9 is:

V-9 – Who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before time began.

The word that is translated world in the King James is chronos, and it literally means time – before the creation, before time began.

Now you look at Revelation 13:8. At some point in eternity, the One who became Jesus Christ took on this subservient role, He became the agent of creation. And a part of that creation – the angelic realm – they were created to help us make it into the Kingdom of God.

Last week we had the blessing of the little children. And it says that their angels behold the face of God. We pray that God sets His angels round about His little ones – and for that matter, all of us. I mean, I really needed an angel Thursday night. The dogs were barking like crazy, and it’s 2:00 in the morning, and I get out with my flashlight, and I stepped out, and they had dug forty-seven holes in the backyard! One hole you could bury both of them, literally! And so I walk out there, and I’m trying to look and see was there anybody over by the gate? Was the gate open or what? And I step in one of these holes, and it was like stepping off the cliff at the Grand Canyon.  I’m gone. The first thing it hits is my left chest breast area, and just seemed like all my weight landed right there, and I sort of twisted my knee. And so, as it says, in Psalms 119, along about verse 105, Your word is a lamp unto my feet…. So don’t just hold the flashlight out there. Watch where you’re going! I’m still trying to recover from that. It was…I’ve been hit hard a lot of times in football, but none more than that. I was returning a kick off one Saturday afternoon in Birmingham – we were playing Sanford – and this guy – I didn’t see him – he hit me from the blind side, right here on this kidney, and the next day blood came forth…. But anyhow, that’s a different story!

In Revelation 13, verse 8:

Revelation 13:8 – And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship Him whose names are not written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

So we are, hopefully, getting to know the Father and the Son and the work of the Holy Spirit much more intimately as we strive to put all of these scriptures together in as much of a linear flow as we can. You can’t just put it all together perfectly in linear flow, because you know how the Bible is written. So we will pick it up there the next time we speak here and go from there.