One True God - Transgression & Exaltation part 4
Transgression of the Doctrine of Christ
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It is a transgression to assert that Jesus Christ's title "Son of God" originated solely from the Incarnation, limiting His divine sonship to His human existence.
It is also a transgression to attribute the title exclusively to His role in the economy of redemption.
This notion is particularly relevant in Mormon/Latter-day Saint theology, where it is believed that Jesus attained Godhood through His redemptive acts. Such a view diminishes the eternal relationship between the Father and the Son.
Denying the eternal Fatherhood of God and the eternal Sonship of Jesus Christ undermines the fundamental distinction and relationship within the Godhead, misrepresenting the very nature of God.
The essence of salvation resides in the person of Christ, who is eternally the Son of God, not merely a being who became divine through actions or roles.
Scriptural Support
John 1:1-2: This passage affirms the eternal existence of the Word (Jesus) with God and as God from the beginning, emphasizing His pre-existence and divinity.
Hebrews 1:1-13: God's communication through His Son, the appointed heir of all things and creator of the universe, highlights the Son's divine nature and role. The Son's radiance and exact representation of God's nature, sustaining the universe, further affirm His deity.
Psalm 2:7 (prophetic affirmation): "You are my Son; today I have become your Father." This is often cited in reference to Jesus' divine sonship.
2 Samuel 7:14 and 1 Chronicles 17:13 (promise of Davidic lineage): "I will be his father, and he will be my son." These verses point to the unique relationship between God and the Messiah.
Psalm 97:7 (worship of angels): Let all the angels worship Him, indicating Jesus' supreme authority and divinity.
God calls the son "god": Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, and the scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of justice.
The heavens are the works of your hands. They will perish, but you remain. They will all wear out like clothing.
Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool.
1 John 3:8: The manifestation of the Son of God was to dismantle the works of the devil, illustrating His divine power and purpose.
John 1:14: The Incarnation, where the Word became flesh, demonstrates the fullness of grace and truth embodied in Jesus Christ.
John 1:29: John the Baptist identifies Jesus as the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, revealing His sacrificial role.
John 1:49: Nathaniel's declaration, "You are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel," acknowledges Jesus' divine sonship and messianic identity.
Hebrews 12:2: Fixing our gaze on Jesus, the originator and perfecter of faith, who endured the cross and is now seated at God's right hand, underscores His divine status and victory.
1 John 2:22-23: Denial of Jesus as the Christ equates to being an antichrist and forfeits having the Father, while confessing the Son ensures fellowship with the Father.
1 John 4:1-5: Discernment of spirits reveals that confessing Jesus Christ's incarnation aligns with God, while denying it embodies the spirit of the antichrist.
2 John 1:9: Remaining steadfast in Christ's teaching ensures fellowship with both the Father and the Son, while straying from it results in losing God.
Exaltation of Jesus Christ as Lord
Jesus Christ, after accomplishing the purification of sins, ascended to the right hand of divine Majesty.
Angels, principalities, and powers are subjected to Him, signifying His supreme authority.
Having been designated both Lord and Christ, He bestowed the Holy Spirit, prompting all to acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord, thus glorifying God the Father.
Ultimately, the Son will submit to the Father, ensuring God's complete and universal sovereignty.
Scriptural Support
Acts 2:32-36: God resurrected Jesus, exalting Him to His right hand and conferring the promised Holy Spirit, which He then poured out.
Romans 14:11: The prophecy that every knee will bow and every tongue will confess God's glory underscores the comprehensive acknowledgment of Jesus' Lordship.
1 Corinthians 15:24-28: The culmination occurs when Christ relinquishes the kingdom to God the Father, subsequent to subduing all enemies, including death. The Son's ultimate submission ensures God's absolute dominion.
Hebrews 1:3: As the effulgence of God's splendor and the precise representation of His essence, Jesus maintains the universe through His mighty word, and following His atonement for sins, He took His seat at the pinnacle of divine majesty.
1 Peter 3:22: Jesus ascended into heaven and occupies the right hand of God, with all celestial beings and authorities in submission to Him.
Equal Honor to the Father and the Son
Given that the Father has entrusted all judgment to the Son, it is incumbent upon everyone to venerate the Son.
We must attribute to the Son all divine attributes, bestowing upon Him the full measure of honor and glory inherent in the Godhead's names and titles.
The honor rendered to the Son should mirror that given to the Father, in accordance with paragraphs b, c, and d.
Scriptural Support
John 5:22-23: The Father delegates all judgment to the Son, ensuring that all may honor the Son commensurate with the Father. Disregarding the Son equates to dishonoring the Father.
Philippians 2:8-11: Jesus' profound humility, culminating in His sacrificial death on the cross, led to His supreme exaltation by God, who bestowed upon Him the name above all names. Consequently, every knee will bow, and every tongue will proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord, to the exaltation of God the Father.
1 Peter 1:8: Despite not having physically seen Him, believers cherish Him, and though presently unseen, they maintain faith in Him, rejoicing with boundless and sublime joy.