Saturday, February 26, 2011

Sunday Sermonette

The Firstborn of Every Creature
February 27, 2011

"Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature." (Colossians 1:15)

A widespread cult heresy based on this verse claims that Jesus Christ was not eternal, but merely the first being created--perhaps an angel--before becoming a man. Note, however, that the verse does not say He was the "first created of every creature," but the "first born of every creature," and there is a big difference. In fact, the very next verse says that "by him were all things created" (v. 16). He was never created, for He Himself is the Creator. "All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made" (John 1:3).

He is "born" of God, not "made," the "only begotten Son" of God (John 3:16). "No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him" (John 1:18). The eternal Father is omnipresent, and therefore invisible, inaudible, inaccessible to the physical senses. The eternally existing Son is the "image" of the invisible Father, the One who declares, reveals, embodies His essence. Although He is always "in the bosom of the Father," yet He is eternally also "the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person" (Hebrews 1:3). He is the eternal, living Word, which was "in the beginning with God" (John 1:2), and which "was God" (John 1:1).

Thus the phrase "firstborn of every creature" in our text can be translated literally as "begotten before all creation." The eternal inter-relationship of the Persons of the Godhead is beyond human comprehension in its fullness, and the terms, "Son" and "begotten" are the best human language can do to describe it. Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh, is the only begotten, eternally generated, Son of the Father, forever shining forth as the image of the otherwise invisible God. HMM

h/t: HENRY M MORRIS, INSTITUTE FOR CREATION RESEARCH

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Sunday Sermonette

Fear of Witnessing
February 20, 2011

"And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus." (Acts 4:18)

Every Christian knows that he or she should witness for Christ, but most are very reluctant to speak in His name very often. The most obvious reason for this hesitancy is fear. Sometimes we may be actually forbidden, as were the apostles, to teach of Him, but their courageous answer was: "We ought to obey God rather than men" (Acts 5:29), and so they prayed: "Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word" (Acts 4:29).

More common than fear of physical persecution or personal harm, however, is fear of ridicule, or loss of prestige or position. Such fear is out of character for real Christians, "for God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind" (2 Timothy 1:7). If we love the Lord and those for whom He died, we must learn to conquer our fear of men.

One of the saddest rebukes that could come to a Christian is the indictment lodged against those believers who, because of their high position, refused to take an open stand for Christ: "Among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God" (John 12:42-43). How often do modern professional and business men--even theologians--compromise their stand for Christ and His inerrant Word because of fear of peer pressure in what should be their spheres of influence and testimony?

May God give us the courage of Paul. "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ," he wrote, "for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth" (Romans 1:16). HMM

h/t: HENRY M MORRIS, INSTITUTE FOR CREATION RESEARCH

Thursday, February 17, 2011

My absence

My apologies for the absence for the past few weeks. Both my computers toasted and I just today received a new laptop. I will be back on this following Sunday, and will attempt to bring in some more items of interest as well. Thank you all for your patience. God bless you all.