John 1:
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him; and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life; and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in darkness; and the darkness did not comprehend it.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. 8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. 9 That was the true Light, which gives light to every man coming into the world.
10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to his own, and His own did not receive him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
Every cult of every description fails to grasp the truth of God's Word in one of three areas: the person and work of Jesus Christ, the nature and condition of man, or the cause, nature, and extent of salvation. Of course, some cults fall into error in two, and some in each, of these areas. Among those in error in the first category, the nature and work of Jesus Christ, are such groups as the rapidly growing Mormons, the incessantly working Jehovah's Witnesses, and even some Pentecostal churches; those for instance advocating a Jesus Only interpretation of Scripture. Cults advocating a wrong view in the second area of error, the nature and condition of man, again include both the Mormons and the Jehovah's Witnesses, as well as such groups as the Identity movement, British Israelism, and those (often found in various evangelical churches) who hold extreme Arminian views (such as all men have a spark of goodness that is sufficient, if fanned, to bring them to God). These errors, of course, lead to a denigrating view of salvation; that is, an understanding that salvation is either not entirely necessary; or that it accomplishes much less than it, in fact, does accomplish; or that man might arrive in eternity with God through his own efforts. For example, British Israelites link salvation to one's physical heritage in addition to the work of Jesus Christ. And while Arminians (taking their name from an early proponent of these views in the Christian church) acknowledge the need of salvation, they unduly emphasize the ability of man to come to Christ of his own choosing and volition, thereby denying the absolute lostness of fallen man, and are quick to state that man must be careful not to lose his salvation by his future sinful actions, at once making salvation too man centered both in its initial application and its final endurance.
It is important to understand that Christians, even you and I, do not have a full and accurate understanding of all truth. Even the best of us have embraced some error and firmly believe some falsehood. Only God is perfect in His understanding of the Truth, which is precisely why Jesus Christ could adamantly declare of Himself, I am the Truth. If an accurate and complete understanding of all truth were necessary to genuine salvation, none of us would ever obtain salvation, for we will continue to grow in our understanding and comprehension of truth throughout eternity, even beyond that time when we are instantaneously made to be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. (1John 3:2) The Westminster Confession of Faith (written in 1643) states this principle of the mixture of truth and error this way:
This universal Church hath been sometimes more, sometimes less visible. And particular Churches, which are members thereof, are more or less pure, according as the doctrine of the Gospel is taught and embraced, ordinances administered, and public worship performed more or less purely in them.
The purest Churches under heaven are subject both to mixture and error, and some have so degenerated, as to become no Churches of Christ, but synagogues of Satan. Nevertheless, there shall be always a Church on earth to worship God according to His will.
Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter 25, Paragraphs 4, 5.
To identify someone as embracing error in a major doctrine, or even as an adherent of a cult, is not to reject the person nor to necessarily assume a sinister purpose on their part. Many individuals seem to be always seeking the truth who only succeed in growing in error. 2 Timothy 3:7 speaks of those who are Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. However, we must never compromise what we know to be the truth in order to maintain or establish a relationship with others.
Since we all embrace some error, even while we think we know the truth, what is to be the standard of absolute truth? Why is my position any more sound than someone else's position? It is failing to understand the answer to these questions that leads to the lack of conviction, relativism, and degradation rampant in our society today.
When Jesus was completing His earthly work, and was preparing His disciples to face the task He was leaving for them, He gave them principles and instructions that would see them through the difficult days following His crucifixion. They had come to trust Him. They had been able to rely on His strength for over 3 years, and could neither understand nor contemplate ministry or life without Him. And this is precisely why, only hours before His death, Jesus emphasized to them, I am the Truth. Jesus might have said, During the coming pressures of rejection and threat of persecution or death; through the doubts that you have followed the true Messiah; in the turmoil of failed dreams, fear of ridicule, and despair of the future, remember this. I am the Truth. Don't doubt me. In that last prayer with His disciples moments before being led away to Pilate, He prayed in their hearing and for their understanding, "Father, sanctify them through thy truth: thy Word is Truth." John 17:17
If God's Word is Truth, is it any wonder that Jesus placed such emphasis on God's Word in His own life and the life of any who followed Him? When men falsely accused him, He pointed them to the Scriptures, saying, You are in error, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. (Matthew 22:29. And to prevent such errors by His followers, He stated, If you continue in my word, then are you my disciples indeed; And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. (John 8:31, 32)
Absolute truth is not found within any earthly individual. But it is found in God's Word, the Bible, and in the person of Jesus Christ. While you and I may never in this life understand all the Truth revealed in these divine sources, we can stake our lives, our reputations, and our eternal future on the fact that God's Word is true and that Jesus Christ is the Truth. Just how far a person may depart from an accurate understanding of truth and still experience a genuine relationship with Jesus Christ I cannot guess. But I can state with confidence that any who deny the Bible as the Word of God, or reject the atoning work of Jesus Christ, can not have a personal, saving relationship with God. Paul states unequivocally in Romans 10:3 that those who reject the righteousness of Christ in their behalf will perish. Jesus Christ prophesied, Blessed are they that hear the Word of God, and do it. (Luke 11:28) All those who know God are characterized by their obedience to His written Word and their acknowledgment of Jesus Christ as the Revelation of God.
We must have no misplaced sympathy for those who deny Jesus Christ, nor give place to those who reject the absolute veracity of God's Word. Truth is not negotiable. It does not change when people would rather it not be true. Regardless of the simple-mindedness or general good-naturedness of a child, if he falls from a tree he will experience pain and possibly injury, regardless of whether he was rescuing a forlorn cat or spitting on those passing by. And no matter the kindness or sincerity of a man or woman, going through this life and into eternity without a relationship with Jesus Christ and apart from the truths of God's Word will bring eternal condemnation. In matters of truth, error has serious consequences.
We may not know the truth perfectly nor completely, but we must at least know where the truth is found and know Him Who is Truth. And this is the answer to the questions I posed earlier; this is the standard of absolute truth; this is why the Believers position is more sound than a non-Believers position. I may not be able to accurately indicate an exact measure, but I know to use a yard-stick. I may not comprehend principles of mass and motion, but I don't stand in front of moving vehicles. And I may be unable to explain the intricacies of the Trinity or of the incarnation to your satisfaction, but I know where the essential Truth concerning these matters can be found.
Now why this discourse on truth? Because the introduction to Johns Gospel, these first 14 verses, address the three most profound truths of the Bible! Who is Jesus Christ? What is the condition of man? Where is the hope, he salvation, of man? To go wrong on any of these questions is to embrace serious error. And our thoughts, conclusions, opinions, or arguments on these matters are all to no avail if they are not completely in accordance with Biblical teaching.
First, who is Jesus Christ?
Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 2:17 of many who corrupt the Word of God; that is, many who twist it or pervert it so that it no longer says what it really intends. Numerous cults, including the Mormons and the Jehovah' Witnesses, contort these opening verses of John in a vain effort to have the scriptures teach that Jesus Christ is a created being, and that you and I may one day be a god like Jesus Christ now is. But if we are to place our hope in the truth of God's Word, we must be diligent to correctly understand it.
Look carefully with me at this passage:
John 1:
1. In the beginning was <2258> the Word, and the Word was <2258> with God, and the Word was <2258> God.
2 He was <2258> in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made <1096> through Him; and without Him was <1096> not any thing made <1096> that was made <1096>.
4 In Him was <2258> life; and the life was <2258> the light of men.
5. And the light shines in darkness; and the darkness did not comprehend it.
6 There was <1096> a man sent from God, whose name was John.
7 This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe.
8 He was <2258> not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
9 That was <2258> the true Light, which gives light to every man coming into the world.
10 He was <2258> in the world, and the world was made <1096> through Him, and the world did not know Him.
Now notice the numbers indicating the Greek word used for each occurrence of was in the passage. Number 2258 (Greek en) means to exist, whereas number 1096 (Greek ginomai) means to come into being. Lets go back and read the passage again, substituting already existed for every was followed by <2258> and came into being for each was followed by <1096>.
It should be obvious, first of all, that the placement of these two simple words is not random, but rather very precise. And it is clear that, if language has any meaning, Jesus Christ did not come into being; He already existed even at the very beginning. If the Holy Spirit is so precise in His language of revelation, it would behoove us to be precise in our understanding of the language of God's Word.
We have learned first, then, that Jesus Christ is eternal. He was not created. He always was. But we also see right away that Jesus Christ is the expression, or revelation, of God. He is called the Word. Just as I may think deep and profound thoughts with no benefit to you unless I somehow convey my thoughts to you, in exactly the same way God can be (and is) the most awesome Being, but I can have no indication of His Being unless He chooses to reveal Himself to me. And Jesus Christ is that Revelation. He told us, All things have been delivered to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son but the Father, nor does any one know the Father, but the Son, and he to whom the Son may be pleased to reveal him. (Matthew 11:27)
Jesus Christ is a distinct person. God is not a mass of feet and tails and heads all piled together like a litter of indistinguishable puppies. The Holy Spirit through John here tells us clearly that the Word, while He Himself also was God, was with God. He was not just with the Father, but with God, which would also include the Holy Spirit.
Verse 3 informs us matter-of-factly that this Word is the creator of all things; not even one thing that was made was made apart from Him. That would necessarily mean that He Himself was not created, because absolutely everything that has been created has been created through Him.
Verse 4 tells us that this same Word, this Revelation of God Who is also an Eternally Existent One and the Creator, is the source, the repository, of Life Itself. And that our Life is our Light; that is, He is our Guide, our Revealer, our Hope and Beacon.
Who is Jesus Christ? He is God. He did not become God, or grow and mature into God. He is not a second God or subservient God. He is equally God with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. Equally eternal. Equally powerful. Equally God in every way. Is our God an aloof, untouchable Being Who leaves us to grope in ignorance, to please Him if we can, find Him if we dare? No! Our God chose to make Himself known. He created us and all things, He gave us life and gave us light. So that we might know Him.
John carries this theme into his first epistle, where he writes:
1. That which was from the] beginning, that which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes; that which we contemplated, and our hands handled, concerning the word of life;
2 (and the life has been manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and report to you the eternal life, which was with the Father, and has been manifested to us:)
3 that which we have seen and heard we report to you, that *ye* also may have fellowship with us; and our fellowship is] indeed with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
4 And these things write we to you that your joy may be full.
Our God, revealed in the person of Jesus Christ, desires that we have fellowship with Him and that we be full of joy. But even as John carefully identifies the person of Jesus Christ, he intimates the awful condition of man in the 5th verse of his Gospel:
And this wonderful, eternal, life-giving] Light our very Creator], shined into our darkness, and we failed to comprehend Him.
John 1:5
The application today is 3 fold:
1. Toward the world. Do not allow the mere arguments of men to dissuade you from the Truth of God's Word. Recognize the fundamental distinction between Biblical truth and men's opinions: the Bible is eternal, unchanging truth applicable at all times in any situation while any opinion contrary to Scripture, though it seems right, always leads to destruction. (Proverbs 14:12; 16:25)
While Christians generally agree that the Bible is the truth concerning spiritual matters, we too often lean to our own understanding in secular matters. But the Bible has an answer to the national health care crisis, the homeless situation, Americas role in Haiti, and the coming collapse of the Social Security program. But because we've lost sight Biblical truth relating to such issues, we've lost our voice concerning abortion rights, gay rights, and various other major issues. We've bought into a pluralistic society when God has called us to be a peculiar people.
2. Toward false religious teaching. Stand firm against the subtleties of cultic teaching. Know your Bible, and use it and rely on it as THE FINAL AUTHORITY. Good and Godly men may strenuously disagree over the meaning of some passage of Scripture, but this is not the same as men disagreeing over whether the Bible is to be trusted or believed. The Bible is God's Word. When it says that Jesus is God, that settles it. Because it says Jesus existed eternally, we know it to be true. The truthfulness of Biblical teachings are not subject to debate.
Today, people who call themselves Christians openly reject such clear teachings of Scripture as its condemnation of sodomy, adultery, lying, or murder. If we begin taking issue with Scripture, we lose all basis for truth and embrace humanism and relativism. And we are no longer Christians, in spite of what we may call ourselves.
3. In your personal life. Acknowledge the individual personality, divinity, eternality, creativity, and necessity (light and life) of Jesus Christ. If He is not God, then we have no salvation and our only difference from all other men is our delusion. But He is God. And to acknowledge Him as God Who came in the flesh is a necessary part of embracing Him as Savior.
And this is eternal life, that they may know You the Father], the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
John 17:3 (in Jesus' prayer)
Michael Parham 07/31/94