"In the Beginning"

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:1-5 ESV)

Here, the apostle John tells us exactly who Christ was, is, and will be forever. He was there in the beginning, our beginning, not His because God is eternal. Disputing the Jehovah’s Witnesses created son, The Word (Christ) was with God, and the Word (Christ) was God. Not a created Son, but an eternal Son; nowhere in Scripture does it say that Jesus was created. God spoke creation into being through Christ, and without Him, nothing was made. Again, refuting the Jehovah’s Witnesses' belief in the creation of Christ.

In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. In the incarnation, Christ humbled Himself by taking on the form of man, the form of a servant. (Philippians 2:8) He took this form so that as a man, he could pay for the sins of man, yet could withstand the wrath of God. His sacrifice was substitutionary, and Jesus bore our sins on the cross, paying for them in full. His death was a propitiation, meaning His death satisfied the anger of God against sin, granting all those who, through grace, to come to have faith in Christ as their Savior, eternal life in heaven. All those who reject Christ will spend eternity in hell, where there is only torment. Written in the scriptures, this refutes the Seventh-day Adventists' beliefs in annihilation, or the idea that the wicked will simply cease to exist, being destroyed permanently.

We know hell is real, and of all those in the Bible, it is Christ who speaks most frequently about hell. Jesus spoke on the reality of hell in the following verses, not including all parables:

Mark 9:43–48                    Matthew 22:13; 24:51

Matthew 5:22; 18:9           Matthew 25:46

Matthew 8:12                    Matthew 13:42

Matthew 25:41                  Luke 13:28

If we were not sinners, if we could save ourselves, if we could work to be righteous, Christ would not have had to die in our place. As He died and rose again from the dead, defeating death and evil, He made available to us the free gift of eternal life. This gift is available to all people, regardless of their age, race, religion, ethnicity, or the nature and volume of their sins. One can turn to Christ at any time and, by grace through faith, ask to be saved from one's sins and hell.

Some say Christianity is exclusive in nature; it is. However, not only is it exclusive, but it is totally inclusive, meaning anyone whom God has chosen can find salvation through Christ Jesus.

How does one know if God chose them? The Holy Spirit will awaken you to the understanding of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the “good news” of salvation through His finished work on the cross. Are you interested in learning more about Christ? Is there an urge to understand who He is and what He did on that cross? It's possible that you are being called right now.

Call out to Christ and ask Him into your life. Ask Him to save you from your sins. You will come to understand the peace of the Lord in your life.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us at In Messiah Ministries. We can help answer your questions and point you to the Lord.

Grace and Peace!