2 edits
Originally posted by checkbaiter
[quote]Witness Lee
When it comes to the matter of the Triune God, many Christians only care for their tradition, not for the clear, accurate word of the Bible. In order to preserve their tradition, they twist the words of Scripture and will not return absolutely to the pure word of the Bible. Because of this tradition, a fight is going on. Although we ...[text shortened]... ; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and we are through him."
1st Cor 8:6
Unitarians are far outnumbered by Trinitarians, and reminds me of the words of Jesus,
"13“Enter through the narrow gate, for wide is the gate and spacious is the road that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter by it. 14How narrow is the gate, and constricted the road, that leads to life, and few are those who find it.".
This passage is not that much about doctrinal beliefs but about having the highest moral living.
If a Unitarian expresses Christ in his or her living so that there is no hypocrisy which characterizes the scribes and Pharisees, then they enter the narrow gate and walk the constricted road.
I think you should agree that morality, living, genuine righteousness, highest ethics, and freedom from play acting and hypocrisy are the ingredients there qualifying one to enter the narrow gate and walk the constricted road.
Now, having said that, I would follow to say, I don't think we can make it to live that way without realizing that Jesus Christ Himself lives in us. And that touches on understanding He is in us to be our very life.
All this concerning the nature of God seems focused on achieving that result, for us to live Christ, express Christ, be in union with God as He is. In a real sense the only one who can enter the narrow gate and walk the constricted way is Jesus.
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I have seen nothing from your posts or links that have even come close to swaying me to believe Jesus is God. On the contrary it has done nothing but strengthen my belief in what the bible says.
This feeling of yours is mutual. I find that the evidence is piling up against a Unitarian understanding. They are accumulating without really being answered, from my perspective.
"6yet to us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things, and we are for him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and we are through him."
1st Cor 8:6
Yes, Paul here says the Father is above all. But in Ephesians 4:6 that same Father is "in all" - meaning all the members of the mystical Body of Christ.
"One God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and IN ALL."
In the Christian's experience there is absolutely no way to detect any separation between Christ in us and the Holy Spirit in us and the Father in us.
And this is evidenced in Paul's experiential talk in Romans 8:9-11 where he uses these titles INTERCHANGEABLY:
The Spirit of God,
The Spirit of Christ
Christ
The Spirit of the One who raised Jesus from the dead..
All this that he shares though is for the high moral living of righteousness through His indwelling.
His teaching is that they would live as sons of God following this mysterious Spirit of God.
" So as many as are led by the Spirit of God [ie. Christ (v.10)] these are the sons of God." (Rom 8:14)
That is "led" as you say, through the narrow gate to walk the narrow way as righteous sons of God.
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The Word was a He before incarnation. John does not say " IT was in the beginning with God" but -
"He as in the beginning with God" ( John 1:2)
Some may well point out that the literal would mean "This One".
"This One" is not an ITunless you want to say God is an IT too. For " ... and the Word was God." .
Jesus Christ was not an IT before incarnation to become a Person only after Jesus was born.
We know that "This One" has to be the Person of Christ because Christ tells the Father of the glory He had with Him "before the world was".
" And now, glorify Me along with Yourself, Father, with the glory which I had with you before the world was." (John 17:5)
An "IT" did not share the glory with the Father, but a "Person" shared the glory with the Father before the world was.
And this Person must be God because God will give His glory no other.
" I am Jehovah, that is My name, And I will not give My glory to another, Nor My praise to idols." (Isa. 42:8)
But Jesus speaks of the glory He had with the Father before the world was.
We also see that God streched out the creation ALONE. So the Word with God through Whom all things came into being, must be God Himself too.
"I am Jehovah who makes all things, Who alone stretches out the heavens, Who spread out the earth (Who was with Me?); (Isaiah 44:24b)
The Triune God is the reality.
