"The Deity of Jesus" Kathryn Kuhlman The Apostle's Creed Part 2

I am bringing you a series of heart -to -heart talks on the Great Christian Pledge, or as is better known, the Apostles' Creed. And I do pray with all of my heart that these heart -to -heart talks will prove a real blessing to you and will make God the Father. will make Jesus Christ, the Father's only begotten Son, more real to you than he has ever been before. As I continue in this my second in this series of Heart to Heart Talks, I want to, first of all, again, give you the Apostles' Creed as literally millions. Repeat it. every Lord's Day morning. I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried. He descended into hell. The third day he arose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Holy Catholic Church. the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. And in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. It has been correctly said. that the New Testament is held together not through literary excellence, nor in its historic precision, but the one consistent character of Jesus portrayed by the writers. As he held men by his fascinating duty while in the flesh, so he holds Men today, those who know the Savior intimately, those who know this glorious presence, his power, his person, share the attitude of the writers of the creed in taking him out of the man class and putting him in the God class. I remember something. that as he came and walked among men on this earth, came in flesh, he was as much God as though he were not man, and as much man as though he were not God. The preexistence of Christ prior to his incarnation is a fact accepted by all who worship him as Lord and Master. Now, the testimony of Scripture is very explicit on this subject. John said, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. Our Lord was with God even before the foundation of the world. The language used here indicates conscious, personal existence, distinct from God, but inseparably associated with him. Let me give it again. God in substance, essence, and all the essential qualities of deity. No man hath seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. That's the word. That's the scripture. I give it again. No man hath seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. As a member of the eternal Trinity, our Lord shared the exertions of creation. He was there. He was present. the time of the creation we find that all three persons of the trinity were present at the time of the creation the father the son the holy spirit thus paul's letter to the colossians describes him as the image of the invisible god the firstborn of every creature now the term firstborn means the first begotten implying Priority. Superlative dignity. The writer of the Hebrews says, The worlds were made by the Son of God. Literally translated, worlds means ages, including all things and persons belonging to them. The universe, including all space and periods of time. Things material and things spiritual. This is the exalted being who... stooped low, fashioned for himself a human body, and then, beloved, dwelt among us, dwelt among men. He was not an ordinary man. The Old Testament records speak of his preexistence. Read it. There in the second psalm, in the seventh verse, the psalmist calls him the Son of God. 16th chapter of Genesis. It's there. Begin with that seventh verse. The word describes him as the angel of the Lord. And again there are references over and over referring to him as Jehovah. In Daniel, the book tells us that the story of the three boys thrown into the fiery furnace and a fourth appearing with them, designated as the Son of God. This event took place about the year 600 B .C. and over and over there are Old Testament quotations which refer to preexistent manifestations of the Christ reproduced in the New Testament. An established person. His preexistence established as a fact. He was with God, active with God the Father at the time of the creation of the world. Continue. Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary? Look at the glorious prophecy in Isaiah. The Lord himself shall give you a sign. Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. Now go a little further, that glorious, that marvelous annunciation. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found favor with God. And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee. Therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of... And then look at that marvelous fulfillment in the second chapter of Luke. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. Consider something just a moment. Prior to this discipleship, Luke was a physician. He practiced medicine according to the regulations of Roman law. He would have been the very last man of his day to be conceived by false claims. Know that. And it was Luke who was speaking. It was Luke the physician. It was Luke the doctor who said, For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. He practiced medicine. Believe me, he would have been the very last man to be deceived by false claims. The record of events in Judea contained in his gospel reads like a birth certificate, substantiating the claims made for the virgin birth. Matthew's report is equally clear and satisfying. Both writers, both Luke... and Matthew knew Mary personally and were therefore within reach of original sources of information. No, they were not fooled. They were not deceived. On a certain occasion, the birth of Christ was a subject of discussion between himself and a group of religious leaders. The conversation is recorded in the 8th chapter of John. Our Lord's claim to supernatural birth is stated in the words, I proceeded forth and came from God. Jesus made a very definite statement. He said with his own lips, I came from God. and his words provoked ridicule and anger on a part of those to whom he spoke. They hurled a terrible insult at his mother. They said, We are not born of fornication. They sought to imply that he was thus born. Oh, how Christ must have resented the slur. That they should have had your... to blacken the name of the fairest among women. It's not difficult to imagine his fingers twitching, his cheeks flushing, and words taking the form of barbed arrows. And his answer was quick. His answer was sharp. As he turned to them and said, Ye are of your father, the devil. Consider something that's very marvelous and very precious. Immediately after the annunciation, Mary sought out her closest kin. The word says that she arose and went into the hill country with haste into a city of Judah. The hill country was a mountainous track running along the middle of Judea from north to south. and the city was probably Hebron. She entered the house of Zacharias and saluted Elizabeth. Her behavior reflected a purity of soul which the enemies of Christ have never, never been able to deface. And she greeted Elizabeth with this glorious shout. My soul doth magnify the Lord. Had Mary been guilty of the charges named above, she would not have sought the association of close friends and relatives. She would have been sorrowful. She would have been crestfallen. She would have desired seclusion. But instead, her general deportment and ecstasy of spirit is therefore psychological in support of the virgin birth. It's impossible to level our Lord down to human proportions. In the argument with the religionist who falsely accused his mother, he uttered this challenge. Which of you convinces me of sin? He's the only person ever to live. on this earth entirely immune to sin. His bitterest enemies never proved that he committed a single sin in the days of his flesh. Only God could live a sinless life in a sin -filled world. The miraculous life of Christ is an unanswerable argument for his miraculous birth. The announcement in the 22nd Psalm is this. A seed shall serve him. Referred to the preparation of a human body in which the infinite would be housed for 33 years. A seed shall serve him. This seed conceived by the Holy Ghost. contained all the potentialities of deity which became manifest in the most sublime life ever known on this earth. Beloved, here's something. The eternal sun incarnate was and is very God. complete and perfect in essence, in qualities, attributes, love, will, and purpose. He assumed the limitations like those of man, physical and spiritual, in order to consummate the plan of human redemption. He demonstrated power over sin, over disease, over death, and the elements of nature. as much man as though he were not God, as much God as though he were not man. He is this hour. He was very God. He fulfilled Old Testament prophecies proclaiming this deity. He referred to his pre -existence by saying, Before the world was, I am. Wonderful is my Savior. Wondrous the peace in my soul since I at the fountain of cleansing was redeemed. and fully made whole. Wondrous the joy he bestoweth since I from my guilt am free, but the wonder of wonders forever is the love of my Savior for me. Wonderful is his power who holdeth the earth in his hands. Angels in heaven adore him and bow at his holy commands. Wonderful is his glory, great is his majesty, but, beloved, the wonder of wonders forever is the love of my Savior for me. Do you know him like? that it's the most wonderful thing in the world, this salvation which he made possible to us.