From: emery@tc.fluke.COM (John Emery)
Subject: Re: Top 10 Reasons for Believing in the Deity of Jesus Christ.
Organization: John Fluke Mfg. Co., Inc., Everett, WA
Date: Fri, 10 Apr 1992 23:00:45 GMT


Mohamed Yasser writes:

>       TOP 10 BIBLICAL REASONS FOR "NOT" BELIEVING IN THE DIETY OF CHRIST 
>     ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> (1) Did nothing on his own authority (Jn. 5:30, 14:31, Matt. 20:23).
>
> (2) Spoke not of his own authority (Jn. 14:10, 8:28-29).
>
> (3) Said that the father is greater than him (Jn. 14:28).
>
> (4) Was temted (Matt. 4:1-11), but God can not be tempted (James 1:13).
>
> (5) He denied knowledge of the unseen (Lk. 13:32, Matt. 24:36).
>
> (6) Was subject to change (Lk. 2:21, 52), but God is immutable.
>
> (7) Did not accept to be called good, and defered to God (Mk. 10:18).
>
> (8) Prayed to God (Mk. 14:32, Lk. 5:16).
>
> (9) Referred to himself as a prophet (Lk. 13:33-34).
>     Others also called him a prophet (Lk.  7:16, 24:19, Jn. 6:14, 40, 
>     Heb. 3:1).
>     Referred to a servant of God (Acts 3:13, 4:27, 30, Matt. 12:18).
>
>(10) Made a distinction between himself and the father (Matt. 23:8-10).

Hello all.  In a spirit of respect, I wish to respond to those who are
indeed believers and are seeking understanding of this issue of the diety
of Jesus.  I would also invite Mohamed Yasser and Wayne to be a part of
this reponse.  However, I would like to emphasize this to believers.

As followers of Jesus, we do indeed acknowledge that there is only one
God.  The question to be answered is "how is this one God described"?
As I have prayed and asked God for guidance I have realized that the
attributes that describe God are relationship attributes; or in other words,
attributes that can only be described in the context of more than one person.

I see this in the attribute of love.  In 1 John 4:18,16 it is written that
"God is love".   For God to be a loving God requires someone for Him to love.
As theists, we believe that God is eternal, or that He has always existed.  
We also believe that His attributes are eternal.  In other words, God has 
been eternally described by love.  

As a result of this, it would seem reasonable for God to be described as
a relationship, an eternal relationship.  That is what has been
revealed to us in Jesus Christ.  An eternal relationship of the Father and
the Son.  In this relationship all godly characteristics are revealed.
The godly nature of obedience is seen in the submission of Jesus to His
Father, even to the point of death.  He was perfect in obedience to His
Father, submitting to Him in everything.  Obedience being a godly character,
God must then be obedient.  Yet for Him to be all authoritative and all
obedient it must be understood that God is a relationship in which eternally
exists more than one person.

Likewise the godly attribute of honor is seen in this relationship.  
Although the Father is the final authority, He honors the Son and
has given Him charge of all creation:

"All things have been committed to me by my Father."	-Matthew 11:27

"When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted.  Then Jesus
 came to them and said, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been
 given to me.'"			-Matthew 28:17-18

"Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgement
 to the Son, that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father.
 He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent Him."
				-John 5:22-23

Likewise the Son glorifies the Father and acknowledges Him in everything 
and does only what the Father says:

"But the world must learn that I love the Father and that I do exactly
 what my Father has commanded me."	-John 14:31

"For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will
 of Him who sent me."			-John 6:38

Thus we see in this relationship that God is loving, all-authorative,
obedient, submissive, honoring, kind, etc.:  all godly characteristics
that are seen in God through the relationship of the Father and the Son.

Likewise, it is written in Bible that man is created in the image of
God.  Thus, if the One God were described by a relationship, then I
would expect that the core of man's existence would  exist likewise
in relationships.  And that is what I see!  I see this in marriage,
in parental-child relationships, friendships, etc.  Our existance 
revolves around relationships.

In the Bible it is written that a man shall leave his parents and be
joined to his wife and the two shall become one flesh (Genesis 2:24).
Athough there are two people, they have become "one" so to speak.
The "one" spoken here is not referring to singularity but to unity.
The One God according to the revelation of the gospel is a perfectedly 
united love relationship between the Father, the Son Jesus Christ, and
the Holy Spirit.

Here is an excerpt of the words of the Lord Jesus:

"My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.  I
 give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can
 snatch them out of my hand.  My Father, who has given them to me,
 is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's
 hand.  I and the Father are one."	-John 10:27-30

Jesus is referring to the perfection of unity between His Father and
Himself: God is One (God is United).

Also, it is reasonable that if God, who is infinately higher than us,
wanted to make Himself known to us, that becoming incarnated in the
form of a man would be the best way to reach His precious creation
to reveal the truth about Himself.

In light of this knowledge these Scriptures that to the undiscerning might
seem to condradict the diety of Jesus, actually confirm it:

> (1) Did nothing on his own authority (Jn. 5:30, 14:31, Matt. 20:23).

Only a perfect obedience could live totally selflessly.  This reveals the
perfect selfless love nature of Jesus in His love for the Father.  Only
God could be perfectly selfless and obedient.  As it is written:  "And
being found in *appearance* as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient
to death-- even death on a cross!" (Philippians 2:8)

> (2) Spoke not of his own authority (Jn. 14:10, 8:28-29).

Again what man could be this submissive?  As it is written, "We all, 
like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way"
(Isaiah 53:6).

> (3) Said that the father is greater than him (Jn. 14:28).

And indeed this is true: the Father is God the all-authoritative and the
Son is God the all-obedient.  Jesus is in total and perfect submission
to His Father as only God could be.

> (4) Was temted (Matt. 4:1-11), but God can not be tempted (James 1:13).

Our dear Lord took on the weakness of human flesh and subjected himself
to this weakness: "but he made himself nothing, taking the very nature
of a servant, being made in human likeness."  (Philippians 2:7).  Through
a man, the human race was plunged into sin.  And through a man, victory
over sin was to be accomplished:  "For just as through the disobedience of
of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience
of the one man the many will be made righteous." (Romans 5:19).  Jesus
was tempted in the human flesh so that He could overcome sin and so be
the representative for mankind.  The only man with out sin: 

"For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our
 weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way just as
 we are-- yet was without sin."		-Hebrews 4:15

My faith has been confirmed for myself also when I put Jesus to the test
and invited Him to prove to me, today, that He is who He claimed to be.
Since that time over 8 years ago, my life has completely changed and filled
with such peace and love unlike I've every known.  In short, He has proved
to me beyond a shadow of a doubt that He is indeed the divine Son of God.

Finally I would like to share that Jesus is for all people, not just
Christians.  He loves everyone, Moslems included.

May His peace be upon you,

John Emery
emery@tc.fluke.COM