Eternal Verities 3A

Continuing the study on Eternal Verities (Eternal Truths) -

I'm going to copy parts of a thought paper and we're going to delve into more about what I was talking about yesterday, the Godhead and eternal truths. I'll interject it with my own thoughts and probably end up breaking it up into digestable pieces, meaning give it bit by bit so it's not overwhelming and gives us time to think about what's being presented. If you're reading this you'll have access to the internet and as such it's easy to check various facts such as the meaning of Greek and Hebrew words. Don't hesitate to take time to check things for yourself. We are accountable for what we can do and that means seeking the knowledge where we can. In our time we live in something called the 'Information Age' and it is. Information is right at our fingertips and we have to avail ourselves of it.


May God bless us as we seek to understand more fully His will, His way, the truths that we need to know and believe as this world becomes more and more deceptive.

******* RECAP -

1998 Jan -- XXXI -- 1(98) WWN

The Eternal Verities - Part 1 -- THE GODHEAD -- The great divide between two eternities; the great divide in time, and in the chronological reckoning of time, was the Incarnation.

However, had there been no God, there would have been no Incarnation; and if no Incarnation, there would have been no atonement; and if no atonement, no Intercessor. Thus the "eternal verities" - the Godhead, the Incarnation, and the Atonement - are inseparably linked as a chain connecting and reconnecting earth with Heaven, and Heaven with earth.

As we study the Godhead, we shall note various verses of Scripture and seek to exegetically analyze them. Having done so, we shall draw certain conclusions, and where there is apparent mystery in reconciling the revelation, we shall leave it as a mystery until other texts which we will consider illuminates that mystery. It will be a progressive study with the sole objective to comprehend truth as far as a mortal can.

Luke 1:35 The angel [Gabriel] answered and said unto her, The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that Holy [One] which shall be borne of thee shall be called the Son of God.

{The word, "thing" is not in the Greek text, and we have substituted the word, "One" inasmuch as the word, "holy" is an adjective, and requires an object to modify. The word, "Spirit" could just as well be substituted. Such usage is found in the Writings. See 4BC:1147}

This text reveals the following data: 1) To speak "after the manner of men," the Holy Spirit was
paternally related to Jesus Christ; thus the Holy Spirit pre-existed Bethlehem.
2) The "Holy One" born of Mary "shall be called the Son of God." Twice Gabriel reiterated this fact. In Luke 1:32, he declared that this Holy One "shall be called the Son of the Highest." Gabriel, who had "firsthand" information of relationships involving God, did not say, "was" or "is" the Son of God, but "shall be" called the Son of God.
3) There was to be conceived in the womb of Mary a unique Being, never before known in the Universe from all eternity - a God-man. Yet this unique Being inherits eternity through the Eternal Spirit. He had a pre-existence in Spirit, and now would become "flesh."

*******


Now follow closely the conclusions which this data permits one to draw:

1) The Holy Spirit existed prior to Bethlehem as the "Eternal Spirit." (See also Heb.9:14)
2) Jesus "had a beginning at Bethlehem." (Note the name designation of "Jesus," the God-man, begins at Bethlehem)
3) With God as a "given" factor, you have Two Beings - God and the Eternal Spirit - before Bethlehem, and Three Beings - God, the Eternal Spirit, and Jesus - after.


One further factor to the "mystery" - He who had a beginning at Bethlehem as a unique Being, Jesus, of Him it could be prophesied that His "goings forth [were] from of old, from everlasting" (Micah 5:2).

My thoughts--


Heb 9:14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?


Can there be any doubt whatsoever about the eternal Spirit - the Holy Spirit existing prior to Bethlehem? There was a Spirit that moved over the face of the waters --Gen 1:2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. The Holy Spirit and God the Father existed and we know Jesus was there at the beginning and by Him were all things made. Joh 1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. Yet it was decided that God would take on flesh and when that happened the result was the birth of Jesus- Emmanuel Mat 1:23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. Jesus wasn't born before Bethlehem. The God in the flesh was not born until that baby came forth and then Jesus- God lived with us. He truly was a new creation - created by God.


Truly the mystery that we are delving into something that has to leave us in complete awe. We can't relate things the same way we do to ourselves if we do we are trying to bring God down to our level. God the Father, God the Spirit, God the Son - to say they are just one Being would be wrong when it is so obvious they are not. They are one in their beliefs. And the mystery of their all knowing, all being, is bound up in the wondrous fact that they are Gods. Their ways are not our ways.


Rom 11:33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
Isa 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
Isa 55:9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.


May God continue to bless us and keep us as we study as we are able and find the understanding He would have us understand. Yes, His ways are past our finding out, but He will teach us all we need to know. Comprehending the majesty of our amazing God the Father, God the Holy Spirit, and God the Son is something we need to do so we are not deceived because Satan would deceive us all in any way that He can, mixing truth with just enough error to lead people to Him and away from God, away from Salvation.


By the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, by His righteousness, by His love, His forgiveness now and forever in Him.


Amen.