mutzrein said:
lovely said:
Jesus is God, the second person in the Trinity, the Son, and those who deny it are deceivers, and deceived, of the spirit of the antichrist. 1 John 4:3
Lovely, this is not what 1 John 4:3 states.
Here is 1 John 4:1-6
1 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
2 This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God,
3 but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.
4 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
5 They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them.
6 We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.
Now I acknowledge everything that this scripture says. And I hold fast to it because I am born of the Spirit of God. And it is by this same Spirit that God has given me understanding of who Jesus is.
And yet, if I state that Jesus is the Son of God, but not God, how is it then you need to add to scripture in order to make the accusation that I am a deceiver and of the spirit of the anti-christ?
Lovely – you have seen my posts. You know the manner in which I write and I believe you would acknowledge the Spirit which has given me understanding of the gospel and the righteousness that is ours through faith in Christ.
So I believe you have a dilemma. How can I write these things and how can I be born of God and yet not believe as you do? It confounds you doesn’t it.
It doesn't confound me, and I believe that you have the dilemma, for the demonic spirits believe as you, so what spirit do you have that indwells you?
23 And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, 24 Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God. 25 And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. 26 And when the unclean spirit had torn him, and cried with a loud voice, he came out of him. Mark 1:23-26
28 And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way. 29 And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time? 30 And there was a good way off from them an herd of many swine feeding. 31 So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine. 32 And he said unto them, Go. And when they were come out, they went into the herd of swine: and, behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished in the waters. Matthew 8:28-32
I will repost my initial response again.
Jesus is the one and only Christ. He came to his own and they did not receive him. Jesus explains to the Jews that he is the Son of God, the one who "proceeded forth and came from God". The Jews heard Jesus claim to be the "I am" God, so they gathered up stones to cast at him for blasphemy, claiming to be God.
58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. 59 Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by. John 8:58-59
The high priest asked Jesus is he was the Christ. Jesus replied in the manner whereby the high priest rent his clothes saying, "He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy. 66 What think ye?" The scribes and the elders replied, "He is guilty of death" (Matthew 26). They recognized that by claiming to be the Christ, he was claiming to be God.
60 And the high priest stood up in the midst, and asked Jesus, saying, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee? 61 But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him,
Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? 62 And Jesus said,
I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. 63 Then the high priest rent his clothes, and saith, What need we any further witnesses? 64 Ye have heard the blasphemy: what think ye? And they all condemned him to be guilty of death. Mark 14:60-63
In the winter at Jerusalem, the feast of the dedication, Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch where he was asked whether he be the Christ. Jesus answered that he was, so the Jews picked up stones to stone him. Jesus asked them for what good works were they going to stone him for, and they replied that it wasn't for the good works that he was going to be stoned, but because he was a man claiming to be God.
24 Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly. 25 Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me. 26 But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. 30 I and my Father are one. 31 Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. 32 Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? 33 The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God. John 10:24-33
With the understanding that the Jewish leaders had at that time, the Christ would be God; therefore, when Jesus spoke of being the Christ, they believed he was a blasphemer which required being stoned by the law. Today the New Age theology teaches that other individuals can attain the "Christ" position with the "Christ Consciousness", and this teaching has watered down the meaning of Christ. The Jewish leaders recognized that Jesus claiming to be the Christ meant that he was claiming to be the "I am", God Almighty.
With the understanding that the Christ is God, then the spirit of antichrist is that which denies that Jesus is God.
22 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. 23 Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also. 1 John 2:22-23
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