Q & A -- with LB
Questions
What is the Trinity about?
Response by LB.
To understand the Trinity is to understand God in a more complete sense.
Although the concept of Trinity is not labeled as such in the Bible, the idea is mentioned and the term is appropriate in explaining God. In the Old Testament we are presented the aspects of God as provider, lawgiver and patient caretaker who loves us.
In the New Testament, we see God as being with us in the person of Jesus Christ.
In John 10:30 Jesus states that, "I and the Father are one." Later, in John 14:9 he tells us that, "He who has seen Me has seen the Father." And, in John 12:45 Jesus says, "He who beholds Me behold the One who sent Me."
Further, we're given another facet of God in the New Testament, the Holy Spirit, who resides within us always, this was God's gift and plan for us. In John 14:16-17 Jesus told His followers, "And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not behold Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you, and will be in you."
God wants us to know Him, but He wants us to seek Him. He wants us to use our free will to love and obey Him. He wants us to choose to spend eternity with Him. He loves us that much.
Does the New Testament teach that Jesus is God ?
Response by LB.
Here are a few verses from the NT that are relevant to this question.
John 1 :1,14 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ...the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us." God came to us in the flesh as the person of Jesus Christ! How exciting is that?
Colossian 1:15 states, speaking of Jesus, "He is the image of the invisible God." God made Himself known by coming here as Jesus. That's great news!
Hebrews 1:3 tells us that "The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being." He has let us know the power of His love and good intentions by living with us as Jesus Christ. Beautiful!
Colossian 2:9 explains "In Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form." Jesus is the total picture of what God wants from us and for us. God has provided us with everything we need to spend eternity with Him in Heaven and follow Him in every way. He's also given us the gift of the Holy Spirit as guide when things get tricky for us or we need extra help. Salvation is a free gift, the Holy Spirit is a free gift, His love and provision are all for free and lead us to the best life, we need to repent and ask Jesus into our heart and let go of our sinful life, start over with Him. The best thing you'll ever know in your life is your relationship with Jesus Christ!
Did Jesus claim to be God?
Response by LB.
Yes he did and that's great news for us! We have a living breathing example of the love and wonder of God because He came to live with us in person as Jesus Christ.
The Old Testament prophesized that he would come in many ways. You might refer to the Matthew write-up on the Bible section on this site to see just a few of the Old Testament prophesies that Jesus fulfilled.
In John 8:58 Jesus states, "Before Abraham was born, I am", also in John 14:9 He states, "Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father" indicating that He and the Father are one.
God performed miracles as Jesus. And God further showed His glory in resurrecting Jesus body.
God knew that we needed someone concrete, someone to whom we could directly relate. So He gave us Himself, in the person of Jesus so that we'd know how to love one another and love Him. He wants us to spend eternal life with Him but He wants us to accept Him of our own free will, love him willingly not through force. God also knew our nature. We sin. We had everything we could ever want or need in the Garden of Eden yet we choose to break His one rule. We have the 10 Commandments and can't seem to stick to those either. He also knows that in order to release ourselves from sin, we need an opportunity to release those sins (whether they are sins we've done or sins done against us) and start all over. Jesus took on our sins so that we could start all over.
Philippians 2:5 tells us that, God as Jesus, "made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-even death on a cross."
God knew what He was doing when He came here as Jesus to show us the way. He really loves us and wants us to live with Him in Heaven. He brought us the best news, the most wonderful hope in the world by showing His love, provision and care as Jesus. We are free to be born again and start a whole new life here with a path to eternity with Him! He loves us a whole lot!
Thanks to LB for answers to the questions above.