| From the TeachingtheWord Bible Knowledgebase |
Part 3 of a series. Read part 2.
Editor's Note: As we continue our series from Archibald Brown's sermon on the removal of Biblical landmarks in the church, he next turns to the "high and massive" landmark of the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. Once again, Brown's words of 150 years ago could not be more relevant for our own time, when the Christ of the Bible is the subject of much misinformation and disinformation, even within the nominally Evangelical church. For a more in-depth study of the doctrine of the deity of Christ, readers may also be interested in the series in our Bible Knowledgebase titled Who Is "This Jesus"? - Paul Elliott
|
|
I purpose now, by God's help, to take you with me round the frontier - to show you the landmarks planted there by His hand, and ask you to read the different inscriptions engraved upon them. For a reason I shall hereafter explain, I shall be particularly careful to keep close to the actual words of Scripture. The landmarks I shall select will be those that can only be slighted at the peril of the soul. I select them, not because I think it likely there are many if any present, who despise them, but on the principle of "forewarned, forearmed."
The first is the Deity of Christ. This landmark is high and massive, with many an inscription indelibly written upon it. Let us read them, and I ask everyone who has a Bible to turn with me to the different passages mentioned. We want tonight to have God's truth in His own words.
In Matthew, the first chapter and twenty-third verse, it is declared, "Behold a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and His name shall be called Emmanuel, which being interpreted is God with us."
In John, the first chapter and first verse, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."
In the tenth chapter of the same Gospel, and the thirtieth verse, you have Christ's own solemn declaration, "I and my Father are one."
In Romans, nine verse five, "Where the fathers, and of whom, as concerning the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen."
Colossians, two verse nine, "For in Him dwelleth all the fullness of the God head bodily."
Lastly, in First Timothy, the third chapter and sixteenth verse, we have those noble words: "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: 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."
These are but a few declarations culled from the many; but they are sufficient. In tones that can only be willfully misunderstood they proclaim the fact that He who was born in the manger - who taught in the streets - bled in Gethsemane - died at Calvary, was very God. Mot a mere man with God with Him, but God Himself veiled in flesh.
Beloved friends, the deity of Christ is no doctrine that can be accepted or rejected at pleasure. It is no mere "non-essential" - a term I much object to - which may be held or cast aside without peril to the soul. If this landmark goes, everything goes with it; or to change the figure, this doctrine is the foundation of the entire temple of salvation, remove it and every hope we have for eternity comes falling about our ears. Believe everything else in the Bible but the divinity of Jesus and you believe a collection of impossibilities. Apart from this, the atonement is meaningless, the blood powerless, the intercession valueless.
Much might be said upon this point, but time forbids; I therefore simply entreat you by your loyalty to Christ, and by every hope you have of heaven to stand by this glorious landmark and reckon every hand that touches it as guilty of a higher treason than ever Hell dared breathe, for even the devils said "we know Thee who Thou art, the Son of God" [Mark 1:24, Mark 3:11].
Next: The Landmark of Christ's Blood Atonement for Sin
sac0242
Copyright 1998-2024
TeachingtheWord Ministriesmmmmmwww.teachingtheword.org
All rights reserved. This article may be reproduced in its entirety only,
for non-commercial purposes, provided that this copyright notice is included.
We also suggest that you include a direct hyperlink to this article
for the convenience of your readers.