Jesus is God;
God is Jesus
John 12: 44 (NRSV) Then JESUS cried aloud: "Whoever believes in me, believes NOT IN ME.... but in HIM who sent me. 45 And, whoever SEES me, sees HIM who sent me.


A tablet from the on-going INTERNET BOOK, "The Doctor's Terrific Tablets"
( http://www.terrific-tabs.com )
by John N. Todd III, M. D. (link)


The web-link to this "tablet" is: http://www.terrific-tabs.com/print_jesus.htm
To send a "live" link to a friend, copy and paste this web-link in an email message.


This "tablet" correlates closely with The Sovereignty of God (link)
AND: SALVATION is GOD's decision -- not MAN's choice (link)
and with The SPIRIT of God (link)


9/00; 7/01; 11/01;12/01; 1/02; 2/02; 4/02; 5/02; 6/02; 9/02; 10/02; 11/02; 1/03; 3/03; 5/03; 6/03; 7/03; 9/03; 11/03; 12/03; 1/04; 6/04; 7/04; 8/04; 9/04; 10/04; 11/04; 1/05; 3/05; 10/21/05; 10/8/06

CLICK HERE to go to the "FRONT PAGE" of "The Doctor's Terrific Tablets"
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John 12: 44 (NRSV) Then Jesus cried aloud: "Whoever believes in me, believes NOT IN ME.... but in Him who sent me. 45 And, whoever SEES me.... SEES Him who sent me.

Mark 9: 37 (NRSV) Jesus speaking: "Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.... and whoever welcomes me, welcomes NOT ME.... but the One who sent me."

James 4: 12 (NIV) There is only one Lawgiver and Judge.... the One who is able to save, and destroy. But you.... who are you to judge your neighbor?




John 14: 7 (NRSV) Jesus speaking to Philip: If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know Him, and HAVE SEEN HIM." 8 Philip said to Him, "Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied." 9 Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has SEEN ME, has SEEN THE FATHER. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? 10 Do you not believe that I am IN THE FATHER; and the FATHER IS IN ME? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who DWELLS IN ME does HIS works. 11 Believe me that I am IN the Father; and the Father is IN me....

AND.... see numerous Bible quotations, below.

Is Jesus God? Is God Jesus? Is God the "Holy Spirit"? Is Jesus the "Holy Spirit", and the "Holy Ghost"? Did the Holy Spirit "exist" before the coming of Jesus? (See my chapter: God the Holy Spirit.)

For those who already know the answers, as clearly stated in the Bible, these questions will be superfluous. But, the questions still befuddle many "Christian" church-goers; and the answers become even more confusional when one listens to the variety of "answers" and explanations that may be "fed" to us seekers.... in the various "Christian churches".

Some argue that Jesus is only partly God. Some may say that Jesus is only one-third God, and one-third "man", and one-third "spirit". (Some "churches", I am told, teach that very concept.) Other "churches" teach that there are three different Godly "personages", and that each personage is separate from the others. Would those same churches also say that there are three different "deities"?

Some may postulate that Jesus was only a man who died, and then became a "Spirit", a "Holy Ghost" -- or perhaps they postulate a "new deity" that is in some way different from God, and different from the "Spirit of God". There are doubtless other feelings and guesses and wonderings about this fascinating question.

Perhaps some church-goers might say, simply, that "opinions vary", from one Christian denomination to the next -- and that "it really doesn't matter". Or, some "religious" pundits might attempt to answer the question based on their personal "figuring"; or based on someone's "scientific" knowledge, or on "deductive" reasoning. Some might choose to answer the question based on a personal desire to "design" a god, a "creator" -- to their own liking. Under that circumstance, the humanly "answer" would be another calculated "guess", and a mixture of man-made hopes, dreams, superstitions, and illusions.

For a long time, in my early adult life, I wrestled with these same questions. That is, I wondered and guessed.... until I learned the Biblical answers to the questions, and to the many other "spiritual" questions that came into my mind.

I must remind the reader, that all of my "religious" understanding.... all my Christian spiritual beliefs.... are based on what I see and read and "hear" and understand from the Bible -- God's book about Himself.

I must also re-state the obvious.... truth is truth, regardless of who "accepts" the truth. Contrariwise, "truth" does not become irrelevant, or false, simply because someone "rejects" it, or refuses to agree with "the truth". If the Bible is wrong, or false, in portraying God's truth.... the "truth" about God.... then my musings are as irrelevant as the thoughts of a "door-knob". If the Bible is not the "Word of God", dictated by God through the hands of God's selected individuals, then we humans have no "Gold-Standard" (see "link") of spiritual fact; and we are left adrift in a sea of "intellectual" guess-work.

And so, back to the question: Is Jesus God; is God Jesus?

I will base my "thesis" and my "argument" on what "The Bible" says. I will give a number of direct quotations from various translations of the Bible. These statements reveal very clearly the Biblical "answer" -- that Jesus is God; and, hence, that God is Jesus.
Jesus is God-on-Earth.... God is in Jesus.

Read these scriptural references carefully -- out loud; and see what you are led to "hear", and perceive..... and understand. Some of these are repeated from above:



1.) John 12: 44 (NRSV) Then Jesus cried aloud: "Whoever believes in me, believes NOT IN ME, but in Him who sent me. 45 And, whoever SEES me, SEES Him who sent me.

2.) John 10: 30 (NRSV) Jesus speaking: "The Father and I are one."

3.) Mark 9: 37 (Jesus speaking): "Whoever receives me, receives NOT me, but the One who sent me."

4.) Colossians 1: 15 He (Jesus) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; 16 for in Him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers -- all things have been created through Him and for Him. 17 He Himself is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. 18 He is the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He might come to have first place in everything. 19 For in Him, ALL the fullness of God was pleased to dwell.

5.) John 14: 7 (NRSV) (Re-quoted from above) Jesus speaking to Philip: If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know Him, and have SEEN HIM." 8 Philip said to Him, "Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied." 9 Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me, has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father; and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who DWELLS IN ME does HIS works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father; and the Father is in me....

6.) Mark 12: 29 (KJV) And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord.... 32 And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but He.

Same (NEB) 29 Jesus answered, The first is, "Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God is the only Lord".... 32 The lawyer said to Him, "Well said, Master. You are right in saying that God is one, and beside Him, there is no other."

7.) Luke 19: 44 (NIV) Jesus speaking: They (your enemies) will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of GOD'S COMING to you.

8.) John 1: 18 (NRSV) No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father's heart, who has made Him known.

Same (NASV) No man has ever seen God, at any time; the only begotten God, who is in the bosom of the Father; He has explained Him. (JNT note: I am fascinated by this translation referring to the Christ as "the only begotten God"; and the NRSV translation, shown above as "It is God the only Son who is close to the Father's heart.")

9.) Hebrews 1: 3 The Son is the radiance of God's glory, and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful word.

10.) Colossians 2: 9 (NIV) For in Christ, all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form.

11.) Philippians 2: 5 (NIV) Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made Himself nothing.... taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.

12.) 2 Corinthians 4: 3 (NRSV) And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

13.) (MAJOR) Isaiah 9: 6 (KJV) For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The MIGHTY GOD, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Same (NIV) 6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

14.) John 5: 41 (NRSV) (Jesus speaking) I do not accept glory from human-beings. 44 How can you believe, when you accept glory from one another -- and do not seek the glory that comes from the ONE who ALONE is God?

15.) John 1: 1 (NRSV) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God.... and the Word was God.


I rest my case. If the Bible is wrong, then all of my "musings" are in vain. But if, as I believe, the Bible is dictated by God, through the hands of God's people; then there is nothing more important in our understanding of God and Christianity and the Bible, than this basic spiritual truth -- Jesus is God, and God is Jesus.



(Here is an interesting "post-script" thought, concerning an oft-quoted scripture:
Jesus said in John 14: 6 (KJV) ".... no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."

Jesus also said, in John 6: 65 (NRSV) "....I have told you that no one CAN come to me unless it is granted by the Father."

QUESTION : Since Jesus is God; and God is Jesus -- do these quotations from Jesus (God-Incarnate) mean.... when "combined".... that "no one can come unto God, except through God.... and unless granted by God?"

My answer.... YES, it is "Biblically" stated, hence spiritually true -- that "No one can come to God, except through God". Is there anyone who can argue with that conclusion?



ADDENDUM:

And, of course, it must be remembered that God is also the "Holy Spirit".... just as we have always recited -- "God the Father; God the Son (Jesus; God-Incarnate); and God the Holy Spirit". (See link, God the Holy Spirit)

Concerning God's being the Holy Spirit, I want to quote here, 3 paragraphs from my chapter ("tablet") on "God the Holy Spirit" (see link in paragraph above), because these three paragraphs pertain closely to this very same subject -- that is, the churchy effort to "fragment" God into various "entities" -- based on doctrinal variations and interpretations. Quoting these three paragraphs:

(1.) My understanding is that the effects of God, and the works of God, and the indwelling power of God, and the bestowing of the "gifts" of God, are ALL of the SAME "ORIGIN".... the SAME "CAUSE".... the SAME "SOURCE" -- whether one refers to this "source" as "God", or "Lord", or "Lord God", or "God of Abraham", or "God-Incarnate"; or "Yahweh", or "Lord Jesus", or "Jesus", or "Christ", or "Christ Jesus", or "Jehovah", or "Savior", or "God-the-Father", or "Messiah", or "Spirit of God", or "God-the-Son"; or "Creator", or "Holy Spirit of God", or "Comforter", or "Advocate", or "The Eternal", or "Holy Spirit", or "Holy Ghost", or "Spirit of Truth".... or "Allah".

(2.) In some "Christian" denominations, there seems to be an inordinate emphasis on worshipping Jesus.... separating Jesus from God -- as if Jesus, in some way, represented an "essence", or a "being", or a "deity", that is different from God (our One God).... and distinct from the "Spirit of God" ("the Holy Spirit"). It seems almost as though certain denominations have concluded not that God came into the world, incarnate, as Jesus; but that Jesus-the-Man, in some unexplained way, became a "god"; and that this new "deity" displaced the supremacy of Almighty God, the Creator of all things.

(3.) I cannot find Biblical justification for that denominational approach of dividing and fragmenting our Supreme Being, our Creator. In fact, if anything, this befuddling doctrinal riddle is at least partially responsible for the breakdown of what otherwise could be a much clearer and closer "Christian" understanding among God's people. (I use the term God's people [see link] to refer to those individuals throughout the world, whom GOD has accepted or approved or saved or claimed or "chosen".... for His own reasons, and for His own purposes and plans.... irrespective of human traditional doctrinal "religious" attachments -- or "church" affiliation.)


Now note this helpful Biblical reference:
1 Corinthians 1: 30 (NRSV) He (God) is the source of your life in Christ Jesus.... who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption; 31 in order that, as it is written (quoting Psalm 34), "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord (God)."



What are your thoughts and beliefs on these fascinating subjects?