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Makestraightpaths.com examines the teachings of the religious
group variously known as “the Family,” “The Family International,” the “Children
of God,” or the “Family of Love,” and evaluates these teachings from a Christian
perspective. This page is one in a series on Family beliefs regarding God.
Who is
Jesus?
Jesus Christ is the Word
of God made flesh; He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords; He is the
beloved Son of God; He is the almighty Alpha and Omega, the Beginning
and the End. Jesus Christ is the Bread of Life, the Chief Cornerstone,
the Door to eternal life. He is the Great Shepherd, the High Priest, the
Lamb of God, the Light of the world. He is the Righteous Judge, the
Prince of Peace; He is the Way, He is the truth and He is the Life.
Family members have been
taught that Jesus is also the believer's lover, bridegroom and husband;
He is the Christian's coach, big brother and best friend. The purpose of
these terms - and others like them - is to emphasise the personal,
intimate nature of the relationship between Jesus and His
followers. The usage of these expressions increased dramatically in the years following the
death of the founder of the Family (1994). Berg/Dad's successor (Maria/Zerby)
taught Family members to use many such expressions in order to visualise
their relationship to Jesus as one involving constant personal, intimate
interaction.
Maria/Zerby particularly
stressed a sexual aspect to the relationship between Jesus and His
modern-day disciples, an extremely controversial topic that is covered
in detail here.
Sexual connotations
aside, there are serious questions that must be asked of a Christian's
relationship with Jesus if it consists almost exclusively of personal,
familiar expressions of endearment: Is there something wrong with
addressing Jesus in such a familiar way? Is there something wrong if, for example, a Family
member frequently prays to "Jesus my coach," but never to "Christ
Jesus the Son of God"? Is he/she even
praying to the right Jesus?
This web page examines
what the Bible says about who Jesus actually is in relation to
humankind, and compares this with Family teaching.
Jesus on earth
Jesus came to earth as
the unique incarnation of God. As such, He was the manifestation of God
in human form, yet without sin. As the Westminster Confession of Faith
puts it:
Of Christ the
Mediator
The Son of God, the second Person in the Trinity, being very and
eternal God, of one substance, and equal with the Father, did, when
the fullness of time was come, take upon him man's nature, with all
the essential properties and common infirmities thereof; yet without
sin: being conceived by he power of the Holy Ghost, in the womb of
the Virgin Mary, of her substance. So that two whole, perfect, and
distinct natures, the Godhead and the manhood, were inseparably
joined together in one person, without conversion, composition, or
confusion. Which person is very God and very man, yet one Christ,
the only Mediator between God and man. (Westminster Confession of
Faith)
Jesus was the eternal
Word of God in human form; He was God the Creator in the shape of a man;
He was the Light of the world that had become flesh.
John 1:1-15
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 came
into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being
that has come into being. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the
Light of men. 5 The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness
did not comprehend it.
6 There came a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as
a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe
through him. 8 He was not the Light, but he came to testify about
the Light.
9 There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens
every man. 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
those who were His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as
received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God,
even 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 saw His
glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace
and truth.
NASU
Jesus was a real,
tangible, physical human being, yet He was also the Son of God, the Word
of Life.
1 John 1:1-3
What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen
with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands,
concerning the Word of Life — 2 and the life was manifested, and we
have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which
was with the Father and was manifested to us — 3 what we have seen
and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have
fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father,
and with His Son Jesus Christ.
NASU
As a man, He was a descendent of King David. His followers received
incontrovertible proof that He was the Son of God when He rose from the
dead.
Rom 1:2-4
2 which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy
Scriptures, 3 concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of
David according to the flesh, 4 who was declared the Son of God with
power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of
holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord
NASU
Because He was man, He
did not insist upon all His divine privileges. He fulfilled His role in
human form from the cradle to the grave, allowing Himself to be executed
on the cross. All people must face death, and so because Jesus was a
person, He also had to face death.
Phil 2:6-8
6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard
equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself,
taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of
men. 8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by
becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
NASU
Referring to His
humanity, Jesus frequently called Himself the "Son of Man."
John 1:51 And He said
to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see the heavens opened
and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."
NASU
Unger's Bible Dictionary
explains:
SON OF MAN
Christ employed this expression to designate Himself some eighty
times. It portrays Him as the Representative Man. It designates Him
as the "last Adam" in distinction to the "first man, Adam" (1 Cor
15:45). It sets Him forth as "the second man . . . from heaven" as
over against "the first man . . . from the earth" (15:47). "The Son
of Man" is thus our Lord's racial name, as the "Son of David" is
distinctly His Jewish name and "the Son of God" His divine name.
This term is uniformly used of Christ in connection with His mission
(cf. Luke 19:10), His death and resurrection (cf. Matt 12:40; 20:18;
26:2), and His second advent (cf. 24:37-44; 12:40). It transcends
purely Jewish limitations and has application to the salvation of
the entire race.
(from The New Unger's Bible Dictionary. Originally published by
Moody Press of Chicago, Illinois. Copyright © 1988.)
Jesus also referred to
Himself as the "Son of God," sometimes at the same time as the "Son of
Man."
John 5:25-27
25 "Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming and now is, when
the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear
will live. 26 "For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so
He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself; 27 and He gave Him
authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man.
NASU
As the Son of God, Jesus
shows His divinity.
SONSHIP OF CHRIST
This theological term, however, it is rightly held, is one that is
liable to abuse, should never have associated with it
anthropomorphistic conceptions, and should exclude all idea of time.
The idea to be reverently held is that the Son of God has the ground
of His existence eternally in the Father. The Son is in the most
complete sense partaker in the same nature with the Father. He
possesses the same attributes (John 5:21), performs the same works
(Matt 9:2-6; John 5:24-29), and claims equal honor with the Father
(5:23; 14:1).
(from The New Unger's Bible Dictionary. Originally published by
Moody Press of Chicago, Illinois. Copyright © 1988.)
The most common New
Testament title for Jesus is "Christ." Christ is the equivalent Greek
word for "Messiah" in Hebrew, and literally means "anointed." That Jesus
is the Christ means that He is the promised deliverer that God sent to a
world lost in sin. Christ is used so frequently throughout the New
Testament that it is not only a title, but it is also a proper name.
That is, to the writers of the New Testament, the Messiah's name was
"Jesus Christ" (1 Cor 1:1) or "Christ Jesus" (Rom 8:1) or "the Lord
Jesus Christ" (Acts 11:17) or simply "Christ" (Rom 8:10) or "Jesus" (Rom
8:11).
In the Family...
For some reason, most
Family members have an aversion to using the name "Christ," thinking that
this is a somewhat "churchy" expression. Clearly, the New Testament
calls Jesus "Christ" so many times that it is not only a legitimate
biblical name for our Saviour, but it is also an indispensible
way to refer to Him. In other words, Family members who never
call upon "Jesus Christ," who never use the word "Christ" when
talking about or to Jesus leave themselves open to the charge that they
may not be talking about the same person.
The New Testament uses
the word "Christ" 521 times. Family members rarely - if ever - use the
word. The New Testament identifies Jesus as "Christ." Family members who
do not know Jesus by His name "Christ" cannot be sure that they have the
right Jesus! At the very least, no non-Family Christian can be sure that
Family members are indeed true disciples of Jesus Christ if they never
use His proper name. Of course, there is nothing wrong with using the
name "Jesus" alone, but it is certainly strange when "Jesus" is
the only name used.
Jesus after His
ascension
When Jesus ascended from
earth into heaven (Acts 1:9), He returned to His Father, to the place He
had been before coming to earth.
John 6:62 "What then
if you see the Son of Man ascending to where He was before? NASU
John 16:28 "I came
forth from the Father and have come into the world; I am leaving the
world again and going to the Father." NASU
Jesus had always known
that He would eventually return to the Father.
John 7:33 Therefore
Jesus said, "For a little while longer I am with you, then I go to
Him who sent Me. NASU
Although He knew His
departure would bring sorrow to His disciples, Jesus also knew that His
reunion with the Father was something tremendously good.
John 14:28 "You heard
that I said to you, 'I go away, and I will come to you.' If you
loved Me, you would have rejoiced because I go to the Father, for
the Father is greater than I. NASU
Jesus' ascension into
heaven marked His exaltation into glory.
Phil 2:9 For this
reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name
which is above every name, NASU
Luke 24:26 "Was it
not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter
into His glory?" NASU
Eph 4:8 Therefore it
says, "When He ascended on high, He led captive a host of captives,
and He gave gifts to men." NASU
Acts 2:33-35
33 "Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and
having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He
has poured forth this which you both see and hear. 34 "For it was
not David who ascended into heaven, but he himself says:
'The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at my right hand, 35 until I make
your enemies a footstool for your feet"'
NASU
Since the time of His
ascension, Jesus is no longer walking the earth in human form, subject
to the frailties of human flesh. Jesus is now seated at the right hand
of God, as Lord of lords and King of all Kings. Jesus now has authority
to rule over everything.
Eph 1:18-23
18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that
you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches
of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the
surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are
in accordance with the working of the strength of His might 20 which
He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and
seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above
all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that
is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And
He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head
over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of
Him who fills all in all.
NASU
Heb 1:3 And He is the
radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature,
and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made
purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty
on high, NASU
Heb 1:8 But of the
Son He says, "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, and the
righteous scepter is the scepter of his kingdom. NASU
1 Peter 3:22 who is
at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, after angels and
authorities and powers had been subjected to Him. NASU
From His exalted position
in heaven as the head of the church, Jesus constantly intercedes for and
actively assists His followers.
Heb 7:24-25
24 but Jesus, on the other hand, because He continues forever, holds
His priesthood permanently. 25 Therefore He is able also to save
forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always
lives to make intercession for them.
NASU
Heb 8:1 Now the main
point in what has been said is this: we have such a high priest, who
has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in
the heavens, NASU
Heb 9:24 For Christ
did not enter a holy place made with hands, a mere copy of the true
one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God
for us; NASU
The proper response to
the exalted Jesus is worship, honour and submission.
Phil 2:9-11
9 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him
the name which is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus
every knee shall bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and
under the earth, 11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus
Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
NASU
In the Family...
Although Family members
do acknowledge Jesus as their Lord, their emphasis on Jesus as "Friend"
and "Lover" falls far short of the worship that is due Him. In fact,
treating Him merely as a loving friend instead of worshipping Him in His
power and glory appears so familiar as to be disrespectful. Not that
Jesus is not a loving friend, but rather that when Family members fail
to understand Christ's absolute power and authority, they then do not
feel obliged to obey His commands. In the Family, obedience to the
latest Family publications is stressed above all else, but obedience to
biblical commandments, for example regarding sexual purity, are
completely ignored. Family members wholeheartedly respect the latest
"message" printed in their internal publications, but fail to give the
same respect to the words of the New Testament.
Further, if Family
members only relate to Jesus in the familiar terms given to them
by Family leadership, but do not know Jesus as the exalted God sitting
at the right hand of God, then it may be fairly said that they do not
know Jesus as He really is.
Jesus at the second
coming
When Jesus returns, it
will be in power and glory. He will not be returning to earth as a
"Lover" or "Friend" but as the mighty, victorious Conqueror.
Matt 24:30 "And then
the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the
tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man
coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. NASU
He will destroy the hold
of evil on the earth.
2 Thess 2:8 Then that
lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath
of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming;
NASU
1 Cor 15:24 then
comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father,
when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. NASU
His enemies will be
utterly defeated.
Heb 10:13 waiting
from that time onward until His enemies be made a footstool for His
feet. NASU
Rev 17:14 "These will
wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because
He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him
are the called and chosen and faithful." NASU
Then will come a time of
judgement. The Bible says in some places that God will judge all people,
and in other places it says that Jesus will be the judge. The Family was
taught that Jesus will judge Christians, while God will
judge everyone else, but this teaching assumes that God and Jesus are
separate personalities. Instead, the Bible consistently proclaims the
essential unity of God: there is one God, who has chosen to
manifest Himself in different ways. God will indeed judge, and whether
the judgement is conducted by God the Father or God the Son, makes
little difference in the long run.
Heb 12:23 to the
general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in
heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the
righteous made perfect, NASU
Rev 14:7 and he said
with a loud voice, "Fear God, and give Him glory, because the hour
of His judgment has come; worship Him who made the heaven and the
earth and sea and springs of waters." NASU
Acts 10:42 "And He
ordered us to preach to the people, and solemnly to testify that
this is the One who has been appointed by God as Judge of the living
and the dead. NASU
2 Cor 5:10 For we
must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one
may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he
has done, whether good or bad. NASU
2 Tim 4:1 I solemnly
charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to
judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom:
NASU
In the Family...
Family members are taught
to look forward to Jesus' second coming with excitement and longing.
They are taught that Jesus' return will signify the end of their earthly
problems, ultimate rescue from their enemies, vindication over the
accusations made about them, reward for their sacrifice and labour,
celebration with all their friends and loved ones, and entrance into the
beautiful heavenly city. They are also aware that that they will face
the "judgement seat of Christ" (2 Cor 5:10), which is an incentive to
sacrifice more and win as many converts as they can.
However, Family members
have more to worry about than the number of people they have "won" to
Jesus. Many of the Scriptures that tell of the coming judgement are
coupled with severe warnings.
Hebrews 12:23 (quoted
above) says that God is the Judge of all. The author of Hebrews
continues by warning his readers not to reject God's words.
Heb 12:25 See to it
that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For if those did not
escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less
will we escape who turn away from Him who warns from heaven. NASU
2 Corinthians 5:10
(quoted above) says that we will appear before Christ the Judge. In the
next verse, Paul says that this awareness of pending judgement inspires
"fear."
2 Cor 5:11 Therefore,
knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are made
manifest to God; and I hope that we are made manifest also in your
consciences. NASU
A few
verses later, Paul warns his readers not to receive God's grace in vain,
but to be sure not to give offence and to keep themselves - among other
things - in purity.
2 Cor 6:1-6
And working together with Him, we also urge you not to receive the
grace of God in vain — 2 for He says, "At the acceptable time I
listened to you, and on the day of salvation I helped you." Behold,
now is "the acceptable time," behold, now is "the day
of salvation"
— 3 giving no cause for offense in anything, so that the ministry
will not be discredited, 4 but in everything commending ourselves as
servants of God, in much endurance, in afflictions, in hardships, in
distresses, 5 in beatings, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors,
in sleeplessness, in hunger, 6 in purity, in knowledge, in patience,
in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in genuine love
NASU
2 Timothy 4:1 (quoted
above) says that Christ Jesus will judge both the living and the dead.
Paul then goes on to warn Timothy to continue preaching the word for the
specific reason that many people who call themselves Christians will
turn away from biblical truth to "myths."
2 Tim 4:2-4
2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove,
rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. 3 For the time
will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to
have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves
teachers in accordance to their own desires, 4 and will turn away
their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.
NASU
Family members who esteem
the internal Family publications above the words of the Bible are to be
warned that they are in grave danger. There is much that is not "sound
doctrine" in Family material, and following these errors can only lead
to eternal regret.
Jesus our Friend
Family members have been
taught that Jesus is their "Best Friend," like a big brother who is
always looking out for them, always ready to provide protection, supply
needs and give advice. More, as a friend, He is close, personal and
intimate, devoid of the empty ceremonialism of some traditional
churches. For Family members, Jesus the Friend is kind, intimate and
caring, in contrast with Almighty God the Lord of the universe, who is
holy and just, but somehow distant and impersonal.
Jesus calls His disciples
friends in the fifteenth chapter of John.
John 15:11-17
11 "These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you,
and that your joy may be made full. 12 "This is My commandment, that
you love one another, just as I have loved you. 13 "Greater love has
no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. 14
"You are My friends if you do what I command you. 15 "No longer do I
call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is
doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have
heard from My Father I have made known to you. 16 "You did not
choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and
bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you
ask of the Father in My name He may give to you. 17 "This I command
you, that you love one another.
NASU
There are several things
worth noting in this passage, in light of the Family's emphasis on
intimate familiarity:
Luke 17:10 "So you
too, when you do all the things which are commanded you, say, 'We
are unworthy slaves; we have done only that which we ought to have
done.'" NASU
Romans
1:1 From Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, called to be an
apostle, set apart for the gospel of God. NET
Phil 1:1 From Paul and Timothy, slaves
of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are
in Philippi, with the overseers and deacons. NET
John 13:13 "You call
Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. NASU
John 15:20 "Remember
the word that I said to you, 'A slave is not greater than his
master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if
they kept My word, they will keep yours also. NASU
Therefore, Jesus did not
redefine the essential relationship between Himself and His followers.
He did not say that He was no longer the Master and His followers
were no longer slaves. Rather, He said that, in light of His forthcoming
sacrifice and the copious teaching He was giving them, the word "slave"
was no longer adequate to describe all aspects of the relationship. It
is not "friend" instead of "slave" but "friend" as well as
"slave." The expression "no longer" in John 15:15 does not refer to the
term "slave" but rather means, "from this time on." In other words,
Jesus did not say that the word "slave" could no longer be used but
rather was referring to the change that had occurred in the relationship
between God and His people with the coming of Christ. "No longer" means
"from now on, with "now" referring to the time of the life, teaching and death of the
Christ on earth.
John 15:14 "You are
My friends if you do what I command you. NASU
The footnote to the NET Bible says of John 15:14:
This verse really
explains John 15:10 in another way. Those who keep Jesus’
commandments are called his friends, those friends for whom
he lays down his life (v. 13). (NET Bible, John 15:14 footnote).
John 15:13 "Greater
love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his
friends. NASU
John 15:15 "No longer
do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is
doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have
heard from My Father I have made known to you. NASU
Matt 26:50 And Jesus
said to him, "Friend, do what you have come for." Then they came and
laid hands on Jesus and seized Him. NASU
There are a couple of excellent Bible studies on John chapter 15 at
Bible.org:
Abiding in Christ by Bob Deffinbaugh and
Exegetical Commentary on John 15 by W. Hall Harris.
To summarise: it is a mistake to give the word "friend" in John 15:15 a
familiar buddy-buddy meaning that is not present in the original
context.
Jesus said that His disciples are His friends, which means that
He explained things to them, gave them the word of God, and ultimately
sacrificed Himself on the cross. By contrast,
Christians are friends through obedience to Jesus' commandments, or
rather, they show they are His friends by obeying Him. Jesus certainly
implied that His followers would attain an intimacy with Him that mere
slaves do not have, but this intimacy does not come at the cost of the
Master-Servant relationship. That is, Jesus is still Master, and
Christians are still His servants. It is just that there is a closeness
between Master and servant that is particularly demonstrated in Christ's
self-sacrifice and Christians' willing obedience, so the term "slave" no
longer gives the full picture. The word "friend" adds meaning to a term
that is no longer sufficient.
Jesus Christ the Son of
God graciously condescended to treat His disciples with friendship, and
His saving work on the cross has forever proved Him the sinner's Friend.
He is indeed the best Friend anyone could have. It is important to
remember, however, that the word "friend" aptly describes many aspects
of Jesus, but it is not accurate in every regard.
For example, Jesus is a
true Friend because He is forgiving and kind. He is always ready to
listen to our problems, and give advice and assistance as He knows best.
He does not allow our sin to separate us from Him, but is always ready
to help us overcome our sin through the transformation of the Holy
Spirit. He is a friend because we may know Him, trust Him and like Him.
We may share with Him the most personal, intimate details of our lives
and know He will not love us any less. There are also many other ways
that Jesus may be seen as our Friend.
However, there are some
aspects of human friendship which do not apply to Jesus. For
instance, human friendship is primarily a relationship based on
equality. Neither partner in the friendship is superior to the other;
neither partner has the right to judge the other's decisions. One of the
friends may or may not approve of the other's actions, but if s/he
begins judging his/her friend's moral character, the equality within the
friendship has been lost, and if this equality is not speedily restored,
the friendship itself will end. There is no such equality in the
'friendship' between Jesus and a person. Jesus is the victorious Son of
God, the Lamb who was slain for sinners, the King of all kings, the
creator and ruler of the universe. People are sinners saved by the mercy
and grace of a loving God. There is no equality between Jesus and a
Christian.
To give another example,
human friendship is also typically defined by reciprocity. There
is positive give and take between the friends. Each one feels obliged to
help the other as needed, for no other reason but that they are friends.
Each one gives and helps the other whenever s/he can. A 'one-way'
friendship rarely lasts. However, any such reciprocity between Jesus and
a person is severely limited, simply because Jesus is God and therefore
does not need anything. We may 'give' Him praise and honour and
worship, but that is not because He needs it, but because He deserves
it:
Rev 4:11 "Worthy are
You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for
You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and
were created." NASU
In fact, giving praise
and worship to God is one of the duties of humankind.
Ps 50:23 "He who
offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors Me; And to him who orders
his way aright I shall show the salvation of God." NASU
This is, of course, not
at all characteristic of human friendship.
In the Family...
Family members emphasise the closeness of Jesus so much that in many
cases they have lost the fear of God that comes from submission to the
Lord of Lords and King of Kings (see Matthew 10:28). A more appropriate
attitude is to remember that Christians are indeed God's servants - the
Bible actually says "slaves" - to whom our Lord has been so gracious as
to give His words, and even sacrifice Himself for us. We are deeply,
eternally indebted for such gifts.
Family members should take especial note of the fact that Jesus said
that He has showed His friendship by giving the disciples the word of
God: "all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to
you" (John 15:15). This means, for example, that Jesus' commandments,
instructions and explanations about
abstaining from extra-marital sex are gifts of His friendship.
Family teaching, policy and practice, however, specifically rejects
Jesus' words on the subject. Family members, therefore, may not
call themselves Jesus' friends unless and until they heed and obey
Jesus' command to keep themselves sexually pure in mind and body by
abstaining from all extra-marital sexual activities.
The emphasis in the Family on intimacy between Jesus and His disciples
assumes an equality and reciprocity that simply does not exist.
In other words, if Family members act as though Jesus is in any way on
equal footing with them, then their supposed intimate relationship is
actually nonexistent.
Jesus the King
More than a mere friend, Jesus is the King of His
kingdom. In the Gospels, it is simply called the "Kingdom of God."
Matt 16:28
"Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here
who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His
kingdom." NASU
Even to those disciples who He counted as His friends,
Jesus appeared as King. The Apostle John was
especially close to Jesus. Four times in his Gospel, John refers to
himself as "the disciple whom Jesus loved" (John 19:26, 20:2, 21:7 and
21:20). Yet when Jesus appeared to John on the island of Patmos, the
encounter was not like a reunion of long-lost friends. The meeting was,
in fact, terrifying.
Rev 1:17 When I saw
Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right
hand on me, saying, "Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last,
NASU
Jesus did not identify Himself as "friend," or
attempt to bypass His divinity. Rather, He came as He was, in power and
glory.
Rev 1:8 "I am the
Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is and who was and who
is to come, the Almighty." NASU
God's people worship
and fear Jesus as the righteous and holy Lord God Almighty.
Rev 15:3-4
3 And they sang the song of Moses, the bond-servant of God, and the
song of the Lamb, saying, "Great and marvelous are Your works, O
Lord God, the Almighty; Righteous and true are Your ways, King of
the nations! 4 "Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Your name?
For You alone are holy; For ALL THE NATIONS WILL COME AND WORSHIP
BEFORE YOU,
FOR YOUR RIGHTEOUS ACTS HAVE BEEN REVEALED."
NASU
God is love, most
certainly (1 John 4:8), but God is not only love; He is also
holiness, righteousness, justice and authority.
Rev 19:11-16
11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who
sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He
judges and wages war. 12 His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His
head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one
knows except Himself. 13 He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood,
and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies which are
in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following
Him on white horses. 15 From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that
with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a
rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of
God, the Almighty. 16 And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name
written, "KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS."
NASU
Jesus is - and always has
been - the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the ultimate authority on
earth.
Ps 89:27 "I also
shall make him My firstborn, The highest of the kings of the earth.
NASU
Isa 9:6-7
6 For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the
government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. 7
There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace,
On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to
uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and
forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this.
NASU
Conclusion
Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the King of Kings and
Lord of Lords. He is the mighty God to whom all praise and honour and
worship is due. He is the sinner's friend, but at all times He is also
the sinner's Lord and Master.
Family members who see Jesus in such familiar terms as
'Best Friend,' 'Lover,' 'Coach' and so on quite possibly do not know
Jesus at all.
1 Tim 6:13-16
13 I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things,
and of Christ Jesus, who testified the good confession before Pontius
Pilate, 14 that you keep the commandment without stain or reproach until
the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which He will bring about at
the proper time — He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of
kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone possesses immortality and dwells
in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be
honor and eternal dominion! Amen.
NASU
See also
Where is God?
Jesus the Bridegroom
God is Love... Love is God?
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