The Focus of the Christian Faith

The Focus of the Christian Faith

by David Scott

While the advocates of world government try to unite us by claiming that all religions are similar to each other, the truth is that no religion can be compared to Christianity. The Christian faith is unique in every way. It can't be mixed with any other beliefs.

The most outstanding illustration of its uniqueness is that Jesus Christ is the only religious leader Who claimed He would rise from the dead (John 2:18-22; 10:17&18; Mt. 20:18&19). He not only prophesied the day of His resurrection (Mt. 16:21; 17:22&23), but also fulfilled it exactly as He said. Any impostor or lunatic could say such things, but it would take the real Son of God to do it. Over 500 people were eyewitnesses of His resurrection (1 Cor. 15:3-8; Mt. 28:1-4&11). He sometimes appears today to believers, which confirms the testimony of the witnesses in the Bible (John 14:21-23; Acts 9:1-6).

As for the deceased founders of all other religions, every one of them is still in their graves today. Those who follow them are greatly deceived. They have missed the mark by focusing their faith in the wrong place. Some have faith in their leaders. Some focus their faith upon demons and the idols, which symbolize them. Others trust in their denominations and works of self-righteousness. Some trust in military might and wealth. Others have faith in faith. In other words, they rely upon their faith instead of God. This is an error behind the "power of positive thinking" and "possibility thinking." Some worship creation, angels, saints, or the founders of their sect. Thus, faith can become misfocused on a multitude of false hopes.

One of the greatest tragedies includes those who believe in God, but don't see the necessity of believing in Jesus too. They think that faith in God is sufficient for salvation without any special regard for His Son. However, the Bible makes it very clear that we can't have one attitude toward God and a different attitude toward His Son. We must honor the Son equally as the Father (John 5:23; Luke 10:16). Those, who deny the Son, deny the Father also. Even if we say otherwise with our mouths, our hearts deny the Father if we deny His Son (1 John 2:23; 2 John 9; Mt. 10:33; John 14:1).

The true, born-again Christian has focused his faith on Jesus as well as God. The Christian faith is particularly focused upon Jesus' identity and upon the blood He shed for our sins on the cross. Bible-perverting cults have a mistaken sense of identity as to just Who Jesus is, so I intend to carefully elaborate on this matter.

Who is Jesus really? First, He is the Christ (Greek) or Messiah (Hebrew), Who was foretold by the O.T. prophets. He isn't a Christ, but the Christ. There will never be another Christ. Those, who reject Jesus as the Christ, cannot be saved (1 John 2:22; 5:1). To consider Jesus as anything less (a good man, a faith healer, or even a prophet), is insufficient for salvation. We must believe on Jesus as the Christ.

Second, Jesus is the only (unique) begotten Son of God (John 1:18; 3:16&18; Mt. 1:20). He is not a son of God, but the Son of God. Anyone who denies Jesus is the Son of God isn't saved (1 John 4:15; 5:5&10-12). Anyone who believes in a "Jesus," who is less than this, has been deceived into believing in a different Jesus than the One revealed in scripture (2 Cor. 11:3&4; Gal. 1:6-9).

Third, Jesus Christ is the only Savior of repentant mankind (Acts 4:12; John 14:6). Just as some have misfocused their faith on Him as being a Christ and/or a son of God, others thought their salvation could come through other saviors in addition to Him. Those, who think they can come to God any other way, are described by Jesus as "thieves and robbers" (John 10:1-10).

It is also necessary to believe that Jesus Christ is Lord in order to have God's Spirit (1 Cor. 12:3). Jesus is not a lord, having others equal to Himself. Jesus Christ is the Lord! More explicitly, He is Lord of lords and King of kings (Rev. 17:14; 19:16). The word, Lord, means "Owner." Thus, Christians are His personal property. We don't belong to ourselves, having the right to do our own thing. We belong to the Lord Jesus and we must submit our lives to doing His will instead of our own (Luke 6:46).

Last, we must not only believe Jesus is the Son of God, but we must also believe He is God the Son. The cults stumble over this essential truth more than any other. By denying His deity, they are guilty of believing in a different gospel (2 Cor. 11:3&4). They can't receive salvation from the real Jesus because their faith is focused on an imaginary "Jesus." Anyone guilty of preaching a different Jesus will be accursed (Gal. 1:6-9).

Because recognizing Jesus' deity is so crucial, let me elaborate more fully. The cults go to such great lengths to attack this essential truth that I want to go to equal lengths to uphold it.

First, we must see that Jesus preexisted in heaven before coming to earth as a man (John 3:13&31; 8:23; 6:33,38,42&50). The prophet, who predicted Christ would be born in Bethlehem, also stated, "His goings forth have been from everlasting" (Mic. 5:2). Thus, having an eternal preexistence, Jesus Christ could not be a created being like Michael the archangel. Since God is eternal and Jesus is eternal, then Jesus must be God incarnate.

Another important reference to His preexistence is Phil. 2:5-11. These verses clearly state Jesus was equal with God before He became a man. Yet, these verses also state He emptied Himself of His deity when He became human. Thus, during the time Jesus walked this earth, He didn't use His deity to overcome sin or perform miracles. He functioned completely as a man through the power of the Holy Spirit. This does not mean, however, that Jesus ceased to be God during His incarnation. One of the attributes of deity is eternality. Thus, He retained His deity while living on earth, but He refrained from using His deity to function as a man. After His resurrection and return to heaven, Jesus was glorified to a position of equality with God once again (John 17:5). Thus, His first coming to earth was as a man, but His next coming will be as God (Tit. 2:13). His first coming was as a humble sacrifice for sins. His next coming will be in great power and glory (Mt. 24:30; Mark 13:26).

In the O.T., God revealed Himself to the Jews by different names. God used these names to identify Himself because each has a specific meaning and revealed a different aspect of His character and abilities. For example, El-Shaddai means "The Almighty." Other names reveal Him to be our Healer, Provider, and a God Who will not break His covenant.

There was one name, which the Jews regarded with such reverence, they were afraid to pronounce it - YHWH (modern English) or JHVH (old English). When they wanted to refer to Him by that name, they said, "Hashem," which idiomatically meant, "The Word we can't pronounce."

In the Greek version of the O.T., YHWH was referred to as the "Logos." In the Greek N.T., the apostle John began his gospel record, "In the beginning was the Logos; the Logos was with God, and the Logos was God. And the Logos became flesh and dwelt among us..." (John 1:1&14). Since Jesus is the Logos, and the Logos is God, then Jesus is God. The Aramaic version (Peshita) states it even more clearly: "In the beginning was the Word; the Word was with God, and God was the Word."

The Bible clearly states that God alone is to be worshipped (Exo. 20:3; Rev. 19:10; 22:8&9). Thus, if Jesus isn't God, He should not have been worshipped nor addressed in prayer. However, the following references tell how people did worship Jesus and pray to Him: Acts 7:59&60; Mt. 2:11; 8:2; 9:18; 14:33; 15:25; 20:20; 28:9&17; John 9:38. Even the angels of heaven were told to worship Jesus in Heb. 1:6 because in vss. 3&8, Jesus is addressed as God.

Another way to recognize the deity of Jesus Christ is by comparing certain O.T. prophecies referring to God and how they were fulfilled by Jesus. Let's first look at Exo. 3:14, where God revealed Himself to Moses by the name - "I AM." Then, in John 8:24,28&58; 13:19, Jesus referred to Himself as being "I AM." This is most clearly seen by looking at these verses in the Greek Septuagint and the Greek N.T.

In Gen. 1:1, we see that God (Elohim in Heb.) is the Creator. But in John 1:1-3; 1 Cor. 8:6; Eph. 3:9 and Col. 1:16&17 we see that Jesus is the Creator. It's also interesting to note that Elohim is a plural noun in the Hebrew language. The particular plural ending for His name denotes three, not two, nor a plural of more than three. Thus, the very first verse of the Bible reveals God is Triune - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Now compare Gen. 18:25; Jdg. 11:27 and Psa. 50:6 with John 5:22; Acts 10:42; 17:31. Here you will see that in the O.T., Elohim is the Judge of mankind, but in the N.T., Jesus is the Judge. Thus, Jesus and Elohim are one.

In Psa. 97:9, we see that the Lord (YHWH in Heb.) is the Exalted One. Then, in Eph. 1:21, Jesus is the Exalted One, making YHWH and Jesus the same Person.

By using the following references, you will see further proof that Jesus Christ is the incarnation of Elohim/YHWH of the O.T.:

Isa. 8:13&14 = 1 Pet. 2:7&8 - YHWH/Jesus the Stumbling Stone

Isa. 40:3&4 = Mt. 3:1-3; Luke 1:76 - John came to prepare the way for YHWH/Jesus

Isa. 40:25 = Acts 3:14 - the Holy One is Jesus Christ

Isa. 43:11; 49:26 = John 4:42; 1 John 4:14 - YHWH/Jesus is both Redeemer and Savior

Isa. 44:6 = Rev. 1:11&17; 2:8; 22:13 - YHWH/Jesus is the First & Last/Alpha & Omega

Isa. 45:22&23 = Phil. 2:10&11 - every knee bows to Elohim/Jesus

Isa. 60:19 = Luke 2:30-32; John 1:1-9 - YHWH/Jesus is the Light and the Glory

Jer. 11:20; 17:10 = Rev. 2:18&23 - YHWH/Jesus judges everyone

Zech. 12:10 = John 19:34-37 - YHWH said, "They shall look upon Me, Whom they have

pierced," and it was fulfilled by Jesus

Three more comparative references are especially interesting. Another name of God in Hebrew is Adonai. Sometimes it is spelled Adoni. The difference is that Adonai is plural like Elohim and El-Shaddai, but Adoni is singular. In the plural, this name refers to the whole Godhead, but in the singular, it refers to the Son. With this in mind, compare Psa. 110:1 with Luke 20:41-43. The O.T. reads, "YHWH said to my Adoni..." Thus, the Father was speaking to the Son, Whom Jesus said is Himself.

A similar comparison exists between Isa. 7:14 and Mt. 1:23. Adoni/Jesus is Immanuel, meaning, "God with us." The same is true between Mal. 3:1 and Mt. 11:10. Here we are told to, "Prepare the way for Adoni/Jesus."

Some other key references, which reveal Jesus as the incarnation of God, are: John 5:18&23; 10:30&33; 14:9; 20:28; Col. 2:9; 1 Tim. 3:16; Rev. 1:8; 21:6&7; 1 John 5:20.

With so many verses pointing to Jesus' true identity as the Christ, the Son of God, the Savior, the Lord, and even God Himself in the flesh, it is heresy to alter His identity as the cults have done. They have focused their faith on lies and placed themselves outside the realm of God's forgiveness and salvation until they repent.

Not only is it important to focus our faith on the correct identity of Jesus Christ, but it's also important to correctly focus our faith on the redemptive sacrifice He made for us on the cross. Some people think Jesus' death at Calvary was an accident - that He died a premature death. They go on to assert His mission on earth was a failure because He didn't survive to complete it. However, a careful study of scripture indicates such faith is badly out of focus.

Jesus' crucifixion was neither an accident nor a stroke of bad luck. It was planned in heaven even before creation because God foresaw the sin of Adam and the need to redeem fallen mankind (Rev. 13:8; Acts 2:23). After proving Himself to be the promised Messiah, Jesus' mission on earth was to die for our sins before He could set up His kingdom (John 12:24-27; Eph. 1:4-7; 1 Pet. 1:18-21; 1 John 3:8). What good would His government be if it was full of corrupt sinners?

Therefore, Jesus planned to die to make the citizens of His kingdom holy. His death came as no surprise to Him. His mission was accomplished and not a failure as the cults would like us to think. Rev. Moon only proclaims himself as a new Messiah because he sees it as a clever way to use his followers to make himself rich and powerful. He plays on their ego, making them think they will rule the world under him. We should not be motivated by a lust for power, however. We should only want to follow the Lamb wherever He goes. We should only want to see the government upon His shoulders and cast our crowns at His feet.

Why did Christ die instead of overthrowing the evil kingdoms of earth and setting up His Own kingdom? It is a divine law that any soul, which sins, must die (Ezek. 18:4&20). Death is not only physical, but also spiritual (Rev. 2:11; 20:6&14; 21:8). There can be no miscarriage of justice in God's kingdom as there often is in the wicked governments of mankind. However, there is another divine law which states that sin can be forgiven if another life is forfeited in place of the sinner (Lev. 17:11; Heb. 9:22; Mt. 26:28). This was symbolized by a scapegoat in the O.T. (Lev. 16:5-26). The only acceptable substitute is another person without sin, and Jesus was the only man Who never sinned (Num. 28:3,9&11; 29:17&26; Heb. 9:14; 1 Pet. 1:19; 2:21&22).

Jesus chose to die in our place so we might be released from the penalty of death. However, divine law also goes one step further to prevent sinners from taking advantage of Jesus' vicarious sacrifice. If everyone was automatically pardoned by His death, they would try bringing their sinful nature with them into God's holy kingdom. So God has placed a requirement upon us, which will rid us of sin and make us righteous. We are required to repent and believe on Jesus as our only Lord and Savior (Mark 1:15; Acts 2:38; 4:12). Repentance is a decision to die to our sinful nature, and faith is the means by which we receive a holy nature. This process is enacted symbolically in water baptism (Rom. 6:3-6; Gal. 3:27; Col. 2:11-13). Faith can appropriate the righteousness of Jesus Christ only when it is properly focused.

If we believe Jesus' death was God's plan for our redemption and not an accident nor a failure, then our faith is focused properly. If we don't spiritualize Jesus' resurrection, but believe He physically rose from the dead to complete the redemptive plan, our faith is again properly focused. If we believe Jesus doesn't need to be sacrificed over and over again as in the Roman Catholic mass, but He only needed to die once and for all (Heb. 7:27; 9:26; 10:10,12&14), then our faith is still focused correctly. If we believe we are saved by grace through faith and not by works of penance, kind deeds, etc., then we've kept our faith in focus. But religious deceivers have substituted all sorts of false things as objects for our faith.

When Benjamin Creme advertised in several newspapers in 1982, "The Christ is now here," some professing Christians believed him. A woman, who was previously respected by Evg. W. V. Grant, Sr. as a prophetess, was one. He devoted a whole church service to prove how she was deceived so his congregation wouldn't follow her. Dr. Mary Relfe also knew some ministers who succumbed to this deception. I'm inclined to believe that the people promoting world government didn't present their false Messiah when announced because Dr. Relfe exposed their diabolical plans in her books, When Your Money Fails and The New Money System.

After the plan to set up the Antichrist failed in 1982, another plan went into operation. According to a Christian FBI agent named Stan Deyo, antigravity was discovered at Princeton U. in 1942. While some UFO sightings are demonic manifestations, others have been real. However, they were not from outer space. They belong to Uncle Sam. Efforts are now being made to counterfeit the second coming of Jesus Christ by having the Antichrist appear in a UFO. Even NASA promoted a secret project, "Operation Indigo," to use occult methods to contact space aliens.

Therefore, it matters what you believe. The truth will set you free, but lies can lead you to accept the "mark of the beast," and then to death and hell (John 8:32; 2 Thes. 2:10-12). Where have you focused your faith? I am looking for "this same Jesus, Who has ascended into heaven," to return in like manner. He didn't leave in a UFO. He will not return in one either. If we keep our faith properly focused on Him, we will be like the wise virgins, who kept sufficient oil for their lamps to meet the bridegroom. Maranatha!