SHEPHERD OF THE LOST SHEEP

THREE THAT BARE RECORD

"For there are three that bare record in heaven, the Father,

the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one."

(1 John 5:7)

Chapter 12

  If you are using any other bible than the Authorized Version (K.J.V.), do not bother trying to find the verse above. It will either be changed or removed altogether. If you want to know why, I suggest you do your own research with an open and unbiased mind. In the preface of this book I give a few good materials to read and learn the origins of the lines of text we have today.

  The trinity is one of the biggest controversial talking points in and out of Christianity. Lets focus on the topic within Christianity. After all, that is where the apostasy is taking place. It is alarming how many people that call themselves Christians that deny who Jesus is. Why is this? Mainly, it is because the world tells them otherwise and Christians become ashamed of Christ. As mentioned in chapter 11, if you are ashamed of Christ, He will be ashamed of you.

  Like I have stated before, there are many different beliefs on who Jesus actually is. What does the Bible say? Paul wrote that the mystery of godliness should be without controversy. The mystery he is referring to is that God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory (1 Timothy 3:16). The Bible is very clear that Jesus is God manifest in the flesh. No matter how much you deny this, it does not change the fact of who Jesus is. If you do deny this fact, you deny the Bible, and if you deny the Word of God, you deny the Father. Same goes for the Holy Spirit. They are one!

  How can that be? You might ask. Well the apostle John sheds a little more light on the subject in John 1:1-3, calling Jesus the Word and that all things were made by the Word. If you turn over to Ephesians 3:9 Paul confirms that all things were made by Jesus Christ. "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us," (John 1:14a). You see Jesus is the Word of God and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (John 1:1 b). Jesus is the same Word from the old testament that made heaven and earth and was sent to the mouths of the prophets to speak unto the people.

  Well what did Jesus say of Himself? You may ask. Jesus tells us in Matthew 12:8 that He is the Lord of the sabbath. Is not God the Lord of the sabbath? In John 8:58 He refers to Himself as the I AM from Exodus. In John 10:30 He said that He and the Father are one. Just as 1 John 5:7 says the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Ghost are one. Jesus also tells us in John 14:7-11 that if we have seen Him, we have seen the Father.

  Jesus never denied who He was. He did not say it outright because He had to fulfill all prophecy of His first coming before He laid down His life. Even when He gave His hints, the Jews knew what He was getting at. They took up stones many times to kill Him because they understood what He was saying. They just did not believe Him.

  Mark 2:7-11 gives us major evidence that many seem to over look. The Jews asked a true question here. "Who can forgive sins but God only?" This is true! Only God can forgive sins. Jesus Christ was given power on earth to forgive sins. Even now, through His blood, we have forgiveness of sins (Ephesians 1:7). So if only God can forgive sins and Jesus forgives sins, who does that make Jesus?

  Well how about the prophets? You may ask. Lets start in the beginning with Genesis for a bit of a build up. Genesis 3:15a gives the first prophecy of the promised seed. "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, between thy seed and her seed;" Now is it not a man that carries the seed? Here it clearly states the woman's seed. So here is prophecy of the virgin birth from the very beginning. Just wanted to give some proof text on the virgin birth for all who deny it.

  Nobody described the first coming of Jesus better than Isaiah the prophet in his 53rd chapter. However, there is another chapter by Isaiah that sheds light on the trinity. "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." (Isaiah 9:6).

  There are many other prophets that connect the God of the old testament and Jesus. However, lets end with the beginning "And God said, Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness:" (Genesis 1:26 a). God was not talking to the host of heaven here. Man was made after God's image alone. So the "Us" and "Our" in this verse is Himself.

  So what did God Himself say about all this? You may ask. "But unto the Son He saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom." (Hebrews 1:8). Just because we do not understand something does not mean that it is not true.

  Remember also that Thomas called Jesus God to His face (John 20:29) and Jesus did not rebuke him. You would think that if Jesus was not God, He would have been quick to shut Thomas down. That was not something people took lightly back then. Unlike this time of apostasy where everyone blasphemes the name of the Lord.

  Most people I have came across has no problem saying that the Holy Spirit and God are one. They just do not see Jesus being one with them. However, there are some that do also deny the Holy Spirit being one with God the Father. Obviously, 1 John 5:7 is by far the best proof text of this but many deny that verse because their bible does not have it. Read 2 Corinthians 3:17 carefully, "Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." Then Paul affirms in 2 Corinthians 3:18 that we are changed by the Spirit of the Lord. This is the Holy Spirit! The Father is Lord, Jesus is Lord, and the Holy Spirit is Lord. You can not exclude any of them. I do not care if this may anger some because this is what the Bible teaches. Stand in the scriptures, not your own understanding.

  The word trinity may not be in the Bible, but the doctrine is. Do not let this apostasy over come you and cause you to doubt the Lord Jesus Christ is one with the Father and they are one with the Holy Spirit. God has three parts/persons (Father, Son, Spirit) just as He made us with three parts (body, soul, spirit). However, when Adam and Eve fell into sin the spirit of man died. That is why we are incomplete until we trust in the gospel and God sends us His Holy Spirit. May the Holy Spirit guide you to all understanding. The Father, the Word (Jesus), and the Holy Ghost and these three are one.