LESSON 14
What is God – really? Can man comprehend? Most believe He is a trinity – yet you’ve read many verses that speak of God as a family. Can these views be reconciled? The trinity requires us to believe the Godhead is filled, closed off forever – yet your Bible says, “we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2).
Most of the world thinks it is blasphemy to consider such an idea, even though it is plainly stated right there in black and white. They consider it sheerest heresy to consider, even in thought, that you might ever become like God. Yet your Bible says:
Philippians 2:5-6 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
Or as the Murdoch translation has it: “And think ye so in yourselves, as Jesus the Messiah also thought; who, as he was in the likeness of God, deemed it no trespass to be the coequal of God;” – so when the word of God COMMANDS you to “think ye so in yourselves”, or to think about this matter the same way Jesus thought about it, WHY does everyone consider it blasphemy?
We are told to think just as JESUS thought – that it is no sin to be considered equal with God IF you are in the LIKENESS of God! But go back to Genesis 1:26 – remember lessons 1 and 2 – God said MAN was to be made in the LIKENESS of God – and you just read that, if you are in the likeness of God, it is no crime to be thought equal with God!
But remember also that so far God has only made man in His IMAGE, but NOT in His likeness – YOU are even now helping to make yourself into the LIKENESS of God, building in yourself the very NATURE of God! And though many call that blasphemous, it is not blasphemy to follow the COMMAND of God!
Read John 10:34. Here the Jews were accusing Jesus of Blasphemy, for claiming to be a literal part of the family of God. The same thing He commands you to do in Philippians 2:5-6, and for which many will accuse you of blasphemy if you follow His command.
To prove it was not a crime for a mortal man to do that, Jesus quoted Psalms 82:6 and explained it, saying those unto whom the word of God comes – comes and really ENTERS, and for whom that word of God becomes a PART of their nature – GOD called such people Gods! (Psalms 82:6). God said that, not men! Why? Because if the word of God enters you, and you take upon yourself the divine nature, you are made in the likeness of God! And when you are made in the likeness of God, “it is not robbery to be thought equal with God”! That’s in your Bible!
And yet today, we certainly are not like God; why is that? Because our creation is not yet finished! God left us half-done in Genesis 1:27, and we have yet to be made in God’s likeness. But what exactly is that “likeness”? When our creation IS finished, what will we be like? Let’s ask the Bible...
Lesson 14: WHAT IS GOD?
To establish what God truly is, we must put aside preconceptions – as always – and remember your preacher never met God. God doesn’t talk to him. He has no more access to God than you do, through the pages of your Bible. Eusebius had never been in heaven; John Calvin did not have an angel visit him and tell him “God is like this...” – these men all had the exact same source of information you do. A Bible. So why do they have such differing opinions?
Today, many believe God is a trinity; but some believe God is only one God; some believe God is two persons; some believe Jesus wasn’t God, only the Father was God; some believe there is no God at all, just some vague “life force” that powers the universe. Some believe... well, almost anything you can imagine. Why? Because they didn’t go to the BIBLE for their answers! The Bible makes it very clear EXACTLY what God is, if you will simply BELIEVE IT when you read it!
If you go to the Bible trying to PROVE a trinity, or to PROVE that Jesus wasn’t God, or to PROVE that Jesus didn’t exist in the Old Testament – why, you’ll find a few verses that might “prove” almost anything. And since that’s what most people do, it’s no surprise that there are a thousand ideas on what God is!
But if you go to the Bible humbly, trembling before the word of God (Isaiah 66:2), interested only in what it DOES say, and not the least bit interested in confirming a doctrine you accepted on blind faith in a man’s opinion or out of some other book you read – why, it’s as plain as “who was Abraham Lincoln” or “who was Queen Elizabeth”.
THREE BEGINNINGS
Did you know there are three beginnings mentioned in the Bible? There is the one that everyone is familiar with, Genesis 1. Then there is one largely unknown, in Job 38:4-7, which describes the original creation of the Earth. But then there is another one most people should know, but seem to ignore – the REAL beginning – in John 1. This is the BEGINNING. Before the Earth, before the angels, before the heavens – in THAT beginning, what do we find existing? Read John 1:1-3.
Now that might seem confusing at first, but only because you’re instinctively trying to interpret it in light of an error you’ve believed; it says quite simply that in the beginning was the WORD. The “word” here is from the Greek logos, meaning “spokesman”. For clarity, I will refer to this Being as the Logos.
So in the beginning this Logos already existed. And the Logos was WITH God – that means there was ANOTHER God this Logos was WITH. Not the same God! But a separate, distinct God with whom the Logos existed. Then, just after saying this Logos was WITH God, it then says that it WAS God. Now is this a contradiction? Is this some incomprehensible thing beyond our grasp? Many preachers would tell you it is.
But if it is, why did God write it down, knowing only we mortals would be reading it? Isn’t EVERY WORD of the Bible profitable for doctrine, correction, reproof and INSTRUCTION in RIGHTEOUSNESS? 2 Timothy 3:16.
If this verse can’t be understood, it can’t possibly be used for our INSTRUCTION, can it? So then it MUST be comprehensible! We MUST be able to understand it, or God wouldn’t have written it at all! And it is in fact quite easy to understand – but first, let’s go back to the other beginning.
Read Genesis 1:26. Notice God said let US make man in OUR image. That means there were at least two DISTINCT Gods present. If it had been one God, or one God in three persons who are actually one, then He would have said “Let ME make man in MY image”. But He clearly said let US make man in OUR image.
The answer to all this is really very, very simple and doesn’t take any brain-stretching at all. In this verse the word “God” is translated from the inspired Hebrew elohim. This Hebrew word is composed of two parts, el and ohim. The first part, el can be used alone and is often translated as “God”, as it was in Genesis 14:18.
Notice there that Melchizedek – who we learned in the last lesson is the Being who later became Jesus Christ – was a priest OF the “Most High God”. Now in the Hebrew, that literally says Melchizedek was the “priest of the most high El”.
We know from Hebrews 8:1 that Jesus is now once again a priest after the order of Melchizedek. There it says this same Melchizedek, Jesus, today sits on the right hand of “the Majesty in the heavens” – who must be the same “most high El”. But who is that? Hebrews 9:24. And exactly who is that “God”? Who is this El that Jesus appears before? Matthew 10:32.
It is plain then that in Hebrew, the proper name for the Father is El. But the other half of that word from Genesis 1, el-ohim, signifies a PLURALITY in Hebrew; so while el means the person who is the Father, elohim means the persons who are the Fathers; which sounds strange until you think about it this way:
Consider a family named Miller; the father is named John Miller – the first name being his personal name, and the last name being the family name – also his personal name, but one which applies not just to him, but to his entire family; his wife is Jane Miller, his sons are Bill Miller and John Miller, Jr.
But the name “Miller” is a singular word; it should describe the head of the house only. But the name MillerS makes it a plural – that describes the whole family! It could be a few of them, or all of them, but the word is a singular plural NAME.
Take words like “team”, “group”, “church”. Each of these is used singularly; A team, A church. But they each consist of many INDEPENDENT members, who are united by a common cause or belief! And in that sense, they are all ONE – even though they contain many individuals.
So now go back to that passage in John 1:1-3; let’s put this in a modern analogy. Suppose someone was describing where Bill Miller came from; they might say “in the beginning was Jane; and Jane was with Miller; and Jane was a Miller. And the same was in the beginning with Miller.”
That makes pretty good sense doesn’t it? But this is a very critical subject, so I’m going to approach this from another angle.
Like Elohim, the English surname Johnson is two parts; literally, it means “son of John”. So Bill Johnson originally meant “Bill, son of John”. After that, it became more broad, meaning “Bill, of the family of John”, with the whole line of perhaps millions of descendants all carrying the same last name to show that they are ALL part of the family of John!
But think about the first John, the original John, from whom all Johnsons are named; his full name is simply John. There is only one of him, so there is no reason to have a last name, is there? In the same way, there is only one of the Father – in Hebrew, He is called El. There is no reason to have a last name, because He is the most high El. Everyone knows who that is.
But when He has a SON, the Son has His own name too. In the Old Testament, this name was Yahweh; but to show who His Father is, and what family He belongs to, He carries a LAST NAME too – so His full name would be, in English, “Yahweh, Son of El”, or “Yahweh, of the Els”. In Hebrew, this is written “Yahweh Elohim” – which translates best as “Yahweh of the family of El”!
Because you see, ALL the people of God are named after the Father! Read Ephesians 3:14-15. That verse is essential to properly understanding this question, so study it carefully!
ALL the FAMILY – get that, the FAMILY of God are all named AFTER THE FATHER. And the Father’s name is El, so all of God’s family are named ELOHIM – corresponding roughly to “The Els”. In English the name simply means “the Gods”! So Elohim is the last name of God – thus the last name of everyone in God’s FAMILY!
In John 1:1-3, we are introduced to the members of that family who existed before this creation began; the Father, and the Logos. Verse 3 says this Logos made ALL THINGS. You’ve read in several lessons now how Jesus made everything, but He only did so at the Father’s command. And so in Genesis 2:4, we see “the Lord God”, (in Hebrew, Yahweh Elohim), made all things; thus, Yahweh (also translated “Jehovah”), is the FIRST name of ONE of the Beings in the God FAMILY – so naturally, His last name is Elohim!
In Genesis 1:26, Elohim – the whole God-family – said “let US make Man”; and in Genesis 2:4 we see that they were actually made by Yahweh Elohim. So El (speaking for the God-family, as its head) commanded it to be done, and Yahweh Elohim did it. We know the Logos is the same being as Jesus, because Ephesians 3:9 says that Jesus created all things – and since Genesis 2:4 said Yahweh Elohim did all the creating, Jesus MUST be Yahweh Elohim as well!
So God IS a family. That’s what He is. Even His name shows that. And everyone in that family carries the surname “Elohim”. John 1 describes in great detail the relationship between TWO beings in that family. It does not mention a third Being, which is staggering to trinitarians. We’ll come back to that later. But we really haven’t answered the question:
God – Elohim – is a Family. A family of which two members are explicitly mentioned – the Father and the Son – in John 1...
BUT WHAT IS GOD?
What is God made of? Is He “everything”, the “cosmic oneness” of the Hindu? Again, ignore what you’ve been taught and ask the Bible. Is He incomprehensible to the mind of Man? Is His form unimaginable?
Can man look at God? Exodus 33:20. But did Moses see God? Verses 21-23. [Note: those verses mentioned that God specifically has both a FACE, and a BACK]. Does He also have fingers? Exodus 31:18. If we could see God’s face – through a solar filter, so to speak – what would God look like? Revelation 1:12-16, Daniel 7:9.
Did Jesus look like a man? Philippians 2:8 [Note: BBE translates it “being seen in form as a man”]. In that form, did Jesus look EXACTLY like the Father? Hebrews 1:3. Did Jesus say if we had seen Him, we had seen the Father? John 14:7-9. Did Jesus show the apostles the body He was going to have after His return to heaven? Matthew 17:1-2. [Note: This was not actually happening then. This was a VISION (verse 9), something future, not yet real].
So then Jesus, as a man, appeared just like the Father; if someone looked at Jesus, it was like looking at the Father. But notice that after His transfiguration, it said His face was “as the sun” and His clothes were “white as light”. This is a key to the substance of which God consists.
Does God dwell “in light”? 1 Timothy 6:16. Or would it be more proper to say that light dwells with Him? Daniel 2:22. Do the Father and Jesus actually produce a source of light? Revelation 21:23-24. So then God and Jesus, in their glory, are made of light? John 1:4-9. Is there a verse that says “God IS...”? 1 John 1:5.
So you see, John 1 actually answered the question; this same Logos, Jesus, is LIGHT. John bore witness of the light, but he wasn’t the light. Jesus IS light. And He had a BODY. A body therefore, that is MADE of LIGHT – just as the disciples saw on the mount of transfiguration!
But what exactly does that body look like? God plainly told us in the very first chapter of the Bible! Read Genesis 1:26 and this time keep reading into verse 27. What does this say? “So God created man IN HIS OWN IMAGE, IN THE IMAGE OF GOD created he him”.
Man has the form and shape of God! Every time you see the word God in the Bible therefore, your mind should picture a Being with the form or shape of a man. When Adam had a son, did it look like him? Genesis 5:3. And was Adam the son of God? Luke 3:38.
So when God made Adam IN HIS IMAGE, it means Adam was shaped like, APPEARED LIKE, God! Just as Adam’s son was made in HIS image, just as you are in your father’s image, so Adam was made in GOD’S image! The only difference being that Adam was made of different materials than God! Paul explained this difference in 1 Corinthians 15:35-52. We talked about this in Lesson 6, but it deserves a refresh.
Paul compares our life to a wheat seed. When we plant that seed it looks tiny, dead, and lifeless. But after it’s buried in the soil and it gets watered it sprouts up into a plant two feet tall, full of energy and life!
If you compare the seed to the full grown plant, it’s easy to see the plant is MUCH more alive and powerful than that tiny, dormant seed! Paul uses this analogy to explain that now we have a flesh-and-blood body, but that when we are resurrected we will be given a SPIRITUAL body!
We will still be us; we will still be shaped as we are. We will still have arms, legs, hair, and so on. All the same blueprints will be followed in building that new body as were used in building this present body, with ONE difference – the base material!
Our present bodies are made out of clay (Job 33:6). But when resurrected, our bodies will be made out of light (Colossians 1:12, Ephesians 5:14). So imagine the difference between a statue made of clay, by the finest artist in history; and then that same statue, made the exact same shape and with the same flawless perfection but crafted of an infinitely better material! PURE ENERGY! Paul calls this new body’s material “spirit” (1 Corinthians 15:44).
Is there a single word that sums up what God IS – what material substance He IS – what makes up His form? John 4:24.
Our experience doesn’t give us a proper vocabulary to discuss what God is; “light” was the best analogy in Biblical times, although fire was also used since it expresses the same basic concept (Deuteronomy 4:24). The best term for our modern times is “energy”. God has a body shaped like ours that exists in a pure energy form.
The Bible calls this form “spirit”. And so far we have identified only two beings who are made of this light/spirit/energy – the Father, and Jesus. But no mention has been made of the “spirit” of God. What is it?
WHAT IS SPIRIT?
Read Genesis 2:7. God formed Adam from the dust of the Earth. At that point, he was just a statue made of clay. Adam was not alive until God breathed into Adam “the breath of life”. Notice it was at that moment that man “BECAME a living soul”. Before then, Adam was a statue – a beautiful one no doubt, but not alive. There was no spirit in Adam! No energy to power his body!
He had no thoughts, no will, but the breath of life changed that by giving man the POWER to be alive; the energy to start his heart beating, his lungs breathing, his blood flowing. It wasn’t until that moment man became alive!
Does the exact opposite happen when someone dies? Genesis 35:18. Does the soul leaving cause death? 1 Kings 17:21. Does its returning resurrect someone? Verse 22. But does anything else leave when someone dies? Luke 23:46. [Note: if your Bible says “ghost”, it means “spirit” – check another translation, such as Weymouth or YLT].
So when you die, your body gives up both the soul, and the spirit. So there are BOTH in the body? Hebrews 4:12. The word translated as “spirit” is also translated as “breath”. And when that breath or spirit leaves, what happens? Psalms 146:4. If God takes away your spirit (breath), what happens? Psalms 104:29. And if He gives it to a statue, what happens? Verse 30. And where does our spirit go when we die? Ecclesiastes 12:7.
God breathed into Adam the breath of life. God gave man one of His own breaths, a piece of His own spirit. Did that make man alive? John 6:63. So did the spirit CAUSE the soul to live? Job 33:4. And what happens when the spirit leaves again? Job 34:14-15.
The spirit is the energy source for our life! When God created us in His image, in order to give us life He had to give us a spirit to power that life! (Micah 3:8). God IS spirit; He IS energy. It is by Him that we ALL live! (Acts 17:28).
When God created Adam, it says He “breathed into his nostrils the breath of life” (Genesis 2:7). This breath of life is later explained to be “the breath of the spirit of life” (Genesis 7:22 KJV margin, or NKJV). It was the spirit of life – the spirit of God – that made Adam alive!
The spirit is our battery, that mysterious “spark of life” that continues to elude science! In order to exist we must have that energy! And when that energy disappears, it’s like pulling the battery from a radio – it simply stops working.
Does every living thing have a soul and a spirit? Job 12:10 [remember, breath=spirit]. Is the spirit of God in our nostrils the source of our breath? Job 27:3. What is the body without the spirit? James 2:26. Does everyone have their own individual spirit? Haggai 1:14. Is God the Father of all these spirits? Hebrews 12:9.
So it is that spirit-battery which makes us alive and gives us consciousness. But the spirit is much more than simply an energy source; it communicates with the body and manages its functions, rather like a basic operating system in a computer.
Does the spirit directly affect health? Proverbs 17:22. And if it’s strong, it can overcome illness? Proverbs 18:14. But does the spirit also interact with the mind? Proverbs 20:27. Does our spirit search our hearts (I.E., for sin)? Psalms 77:6. And is it through our spirit that God gives us understanding? Job 32:8.
Our spirit is what makes us alive. And because it is the operating system, it knows everything about us – what we want, what we think, what we are deep inside. And believe it or not, God has a spirit that is EXACTLY like ours – in pattern at least!
You just read that our spirit is like a candle that searches our hearts; now read 1 Corinthians 2:10-11. Do you see the connection? God’s spirit knows the things of God! IN THE SAME WAY that OUR spirit knows the things of US! The spirit of God is to God as the spirit of man is to man!Because WE ARE MADE IN HIS IMAGE! So of COURSE we are just like Him in construction!
We are a direct copy of God – made in His image, and in the process of being made after His character. We are a physical copy of God and are working to become a spiritual copy. You’ve read many scriptures that say “there is a spirit in a man”, and that we each have our own unique spirit powering and operating our bodies, and knowing everything there is to know about us! And God has His own spirit doing the same thing for Him!
Did God also make angels out of spirit? Psalms 104:4. And are the fallen angels also called spirits? Luke 7:21. Can we see spirit? John 3:8. And are we made lower than the angels? Psalms 8:5. How much lower? (Same verse). And do angels die of natural causes? Luke 20:36.
A being made of spirit need never die because they are themselves full of energy. With the energy of a strong spirit, you already read that the bones would be healthy (Proverbs 18:14). This is the power of the spirit that healed people (Romans 15:19). This is the “power” (poorly translated “virtue” in most Bibles) that went out from Jesus to heal people (Luke 8:43-46).
But while we have a spirit – that is, a tiny portion of spirit tied to a clay body – God IS a spirit. He is COMPOSED of this substance, through and through (John 4:24). For us, it’s just a tiny piece powering a clay body, but for God it’s His entire body.
HOW GOD WORKS
We are made of one substance – clay. But even though God formed us from one substance, He molded that clay into distinct parts. We have a liver and eyes and hands – all made from clay. God presumably sifted the clay to pull out the minerals He needed to make bones and separate them from the minerals He needed to make hair. But it’s all made from that one source – clay.
In a similar way, tractors are made of one substance – metal. But just because they’re all made of one substance, it doesn’t mean they’re one solid lump of metal, or all of the exact same type of metal! Far from it! There are thousands of differently shaped parts, made of different types of metal, each a separate, self-contained “package” that fits with the others to make the whole tractor function.
God is also made of one substance – spirit. But rather than picturing God as a man-shaped ball of light, stop and remember: we are made IN HIS IMAGE. That cannot be stressed enough. We showed above that God has all the usual external organs – eyes, hair, hands, and so on. But God also has INTERNAL organs as well!
Does God have a heart? Genesis 6:6. Does God have “bowels” (organs in the belly)? Jeremiah 31:20. Does God have tears? Isaiah 16:9. Does God have internal organs? Verse 11. Does He have ears? Numbers 14:28.
Just because you’ve never thought about God having a spiritual counterpart to your physical liver, it doesn’t mean it isn’t true. There are many other verses that speak of God’s internal and external parts. Most people just read over these without stopping to think what they mean; God has ears... do they not hook up to anything on the inside? Is God’s hair attached to anything? I’m serious! You are made in God’s image, how different do you suppose He is?
You can’t know what God is unless you read it in your Bible! You have no way of knowing what He looks like EXCEPT from what He said in your Bible! Men today don’t have any idea what God is; they say He is incomprehensible, vague, indefinable – because every time they read one of these verses that says God has eyes, ears, nose, mouth, heart or chest, they dismiss it! Every time God TELLS THEM what He is like, they sweep it aside and say, “Oh, that’s just symbolic” or “He was just speaking metaphorically”.
But He wasn’t! They don’t understand God because when God described Himself, it was too simple for them! They couldn’t accept that God looked no different than we do, only made of vastly better stuff! They wanted a complex, unknowable God who was totally unlike them, so they invented one! But God is quite knowable, and EASY to understand, if you just LISTEN when He tells you what He is like!
God is made of spirit. One substance. But just like your clay body, God’s body is made up of individual PACKAGES of spirit. Individual spiritual organs He used as a pattern for yours and mine. I don’t pretend to know what these are used for, but the Bible is clear that they exist, and that’s enough for me.
To understand it better, think about it like this; suppose spirit is like lightning. Imagine if you could shape lightning into the shape of a hand, and hold it there, trapped in that shape. Suppose you had the control over the energy and could direct it to do exactly what you wanted it to do. Now multiply that for all the organs, put them all together, and you’d have a spiritual statue; a statue made, like Adam was made, but out of spirit; BUT ONE THAT STILL ISN’T ALIVE!
It is made of an immortal substance, but for it to be alive it must have CONSCIOUSNESS. And it must have a method whereby all of its parts can communicate with one another to start the spiritual heart beating and the spiritual blood flowing. So it must have a SPIRIT to tie all of these spiritual PARTS together, just as your clay body needs a spirit to make it alive!
Now go back and read 1 Corinthians 2:10-15 again. God’s spirit SEARCHES the things of God – and according to your Bible, it does it in the EXACT SAME WAY as YOUR spirit searches the things of YOU! Your spirit KNOWS what you are. It knows what you think, and it knows what you do... because it IS you! It is what makes you alive!
And in the same way, God’s spirit IS Him; it knows what HE is, it knows what HE thinks, because it is what makes Him... Him!
I know that’s a lot to absorb all at once. But it’s only hard to absorb because you have to UNLEARN decades of ideas borrowed from a false Christianity. Because what God is... isn’t that hard to understand. It’s quite easy, because we can use ourselves as a DIRECT pattern knowing we are made in the image of God!
And don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t know – because if you can look in a mirror and imagine yourself made of pure energy, any child can clearly grasp what God is.
WHAT ABOUT YOU?
We belong to the human species, the Man-kind. We are made of flesh, and our species is as inferior to God as an acorn is to an oak tree. But just as in the acorn, there is potential in each of us to become that oak tree. Not of ourselves – we have no power on our own to do that. But if God waters us (Isaiah 58:11), and hoes and fertilizes us (Luke 13:6-9), and when necessary prunes us (John 15:1-2), then we have the potential to grow up into that oak tree. The potential to be CHANGED into the species of God; into members of the God-kind, the “Elohim” family of God!
Is the Father going to adopt us? Ephesians 1:5. [Note: “predestinated” simply means “planned”; “I predestine to have rice for dinner”; for more details on exactly what Predestination means, request the free booklet]. And as adopted sons, are we real, literal sons? Galatians 4:5-6. And as sons, do we have a part of the inheritance? Verse 7. Have we been given power to become the sons of God? John 1:12. Is anyone led by the spirit of God the son of God? Romans 8:14. Does God therefore promise to be our Father? 2 Corinthians 6:18. And one day, will we be JUST LIKE HIM, because we are His SONS? 1 John 3:1-2.
There are dozens, maybe hundreds of verses that say these things. It leaps off every page of the Bible that you are called to be the SON of God – not a servant, nor an angel, nor a peon somewhere carrying water for God, but a SON. A son made in the same shape, and of the same glorious material! A son who is literally a part of the Family of God! A son entitled to the INHERITANCE of the most powerful, rich, influential Being in the Universe!
The exact same inheritance Jesus Christ now possesses will be shared with YOU! Just as God has given Him a place beside Him in the Godhead, ruling the universe, so God has promised YOU the chance to inherit those same promises He made to Jesus! To sit in the same throne He shares with His Father! (Revelation 3:21). It may be the most shocking truth you’ll ever learn, but the plain promise of God is to make YOU a member of the Godhead – to be a God just as God is a God!
To deny that is to practically rip the New Testament out of your Bible! And yet if you quote a single one of those scriptures I cited above to any professing Christian, they will be dismissed as a “beautiful allegory”, or some such nonsense; denying the plain scripture so they can hold to their tradition. But you can’t dismiss the most basic, most fundamental purpose of Man’s existence!
God created man with the words “let us make man in our image, after our likeness” – God’s plan is to make Man be LIKE HIM! Both in appearance, and in character! For now we are merely the clay model any good sculptor makes before He makes the REAL work of art!
Psalms 82:6 I have said, Ye are gods [Elohim]; and all of you are children of the most High.
The New Testament confirms this in a hundred places! Jesus explained this verse, telling us it was referring to those people “to whom the word of God came” (John 10:34-35). That word has come to you and me. We are children of the Most High.
And yet those same words are blasphemy to most Christians! To think we ARE members of the Elohim, the CHILDREN of God entitled to the use of God’s last name! The name of the Godhead!
But we are not fully the children of God yet. First...
YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN
To become a true member of the family of God you must have a body made of the same stuff as God. To receive that, you must be born again. This is a concept completely misunderstood by modern Christianity. Some ignore it altogether, others think they have been born again already – and both are wrong.
Read John 3:3-8. Does that describe people you know who believe they are “born again”? Suppose you have a friend who is a born-again Christian. Can you see him? Can you tell where he came from or where he goes when he leaves you? If so, then he is NOT born of the spirit, according to YOUR Bible!
What will you be like when you’re born again? Read 1 John 3:9. If you are born of God (born again) it is IMPOSSIBLE to commit sin. You CANNOT sin, if you are born of God! And yet the same book makes it clear even the best Christians today DO sin inadvertently! 1 John 1:8-10. Meaning they are NOT born again! Yet!
But as is ALWAYS the case if you only READ the Bible, the answer leaps off the page! Jesus in John 3:6 makes the obvious statement: “That which is born of the flesh is flesh”. Now compare what Jesus said in that verse to 1 Corinthians 15:42-50. You shouldn’t need me to explain this; at least try to figure it out for yourself first before you keep reading. WHAT is Jesus trying to explain?
Do you see it? There are TWO types of bodies; one we have now. ONE we’ll have then. One made of mud, one made of light. One made of flesh, one made of spirit. Now if you are BORN from the flesh – as we all are – then we ARE flesh and blood. We’re not made of spirit! You can SEE and FEEL and HEAR us!
Likewise, if you’re born of the spirit, you’re not flesh and blood! As Jesus later said, “a spirit hath not flesh and bones” (Luke 24:39). Spirit beings have a body, we have already shown; but that body is not made of flesh and bones. And to get that body you have to be BORN AGAIN!
Not by entering your mother’s womb again when you are old, like Nicodemus thought, but by entering a NEW WOMB, in a NEW MOTHER, to be born again with a NEW BODY, as part of a NEW SPECIES!
BORN OR CONCEIVED?
Part of the confusion on being born again, or born of the spirit, is the Greek word isn’t clear. The word “born” is translated from the Greek “gennao”; it means, according to Strong’s Greek Lexicon, “to procreate... bear, beget, be born, bring forth, conceive, be delivered of...”.
So you see this same Greek word has two distinct meanings; to be born, and to conceive! But these meanings describe two completely different processes, which happen at opposite ends of the period of gestation! “To conceive” begins the pregnancy; “to be born” ends it! And begins new, independent life!
Now when we are actually BORN in the Kingdom of God we will have a new spirit body, one Jesus said “is like the wind”. But being born only happens when the “pregnancy” is finished! So today we are not born into the family of God, but merely CONCEIVED into the family of God – this life is a gestation period!
God does things in types, as you have already learned. And in John 3 Jesus used human pregnancy as an analogy of our spiritual growth and development. He uses that to explain how we are BORN into the Family of God – the only way we can be CHANGED from the Man-kind to the God-kind, and actually become a part of the very God-SPECIES!
The creation of this body of flesh was begun at conception. By then our shape, sex, and nature – all the potential this body had – was already decided by the DNA blueprint. But we had a long way to grow from that scrap of DNA into a body ready to be born! We spent nine months in the womb, being given air, food, and water through our mother’s bloodstream. Only then were we actually born.
Certainly, at conception something new was begun; a new life was started on a course that should lead to a new creature being born. But to say this creature was born at the day of conception would be absurd! And now apply that thinking to the spiritual. We will be given a God-like spirit body at the RESURRECTION. This is when we are to be BORN as a member of the God-kind.
But we are first given a chance at spiritual life when God calls us, and gives us the earnest of the spirit as you studied in Lesson 11. Think of that as the sperm and the egg dancing around one another – the spirit is there, but you and it haven’t really bonded yet and created a new life!
It’s not until a person is truly converted and adopts a change in their life that is permanent – when they COMMIT to God, something you have not yet formally done (see the soon-coming lesson on Baptism), that they are CONCEIVED by God! Then their true spiritual life begins!
That is when they are conceived – one meaning of gennao – then they GROW in the womb for the rest of their lives, and if they have taken in the spiritual food, water, and air from their mother, then they will be healthy when they are actually BORN – the other meaning of gennao – in the Kingdom of God!
1 John 5:18We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.
Here, both “born of God”, and “begotten of God” (or “conceived by God”), are translated from the same word, gennao; and here the translators guessed the meaning correctly. If you are truly BORN of God, if the divine nature remains in you, then you CANNOT sin! (1 John 3:9).
But if you are merely BEGOTTEN, or CONCEIVED by God, then you work to KEEP YOURSELF from sin; you CAN sin! But you AVOID it!
Isn’t that clear? A truly converted person has repented, decided to follow God, and has a changed attitude! They have truly begun a NEW LIFE (Romans 6:4). They have a new purpose! Their friends don’t recognize them anymore! And their character begins to change! Ever-so-slowly it changes into the nature of God!
But even when that happens, you still aren’t composed of spirit! Other people can see you, touch you, and so on. But you have the spirit of God in you! Your spiritual life and your future spiritual body have begun! And now a tinypiece of the divine nature is in YOU, and if you nourish it and value it above all things, it will grow into a larger piece – and a larger piece – and if you fully surrender your will to the example of the spirit of God you will GROW spiritually – and when the time comes for you to be born, you will be ready to be changed into a SPIRIT BODY, and truly BORN AGAIN into the Kingdom of God!
THINK OF IT THIS WAY...
It’s kind of like a computer; all computers ship with a BIOS, which stands for Basic Input-Output System. This powers the hard drive (your memory), turns on the CPU (brain) and the various fans (lungs), and does all the key functions of the computer. But by itself, you can’t do anything fun with just a BIOS. It just turns the computer on. It can’t respond to commands, you can’t write things on it, you can’t play music – it just exists like a dumb animal. It eats power, it makes noise and is sort-of working, but it isn’t a computer as we know it!
But when you build a computer, it doesn’t come with an operating system, just a BIOS. The operating system must be purchased and installed AFTER you build it. An operating system such as Windows is what makes all the fun stuff possible. Without that, it can’t “communicate” or interact with its creator (you) except on the most basic, rudimentary level.
When God created Adam, he was “as a beast” (Psalms 73:22, 2 Peter 2:12). He could live, eat, sleep, procreate, but any of the things that are important to God – righteous character, nobility, goodness – the things that are “spiritual”... those were not installed, so to speak. Man was (and is) just as carnal and selfish as an animal (Jeremiah 17:9). The initial tiny piece of the spirit God gave Adam was like the BIOS – a simple system to allow him to exist and interact, but nothing compared to his real potential!
When we are called and conceived by God, we receive the spirit of God; but while Adam only received the BIOS, we receive the full operating system! While the BIOS had only a few lines of computer code, the new operating system has billions; permitting us to interact with God on a level never before possible. It allows us to receive input from our creator and process it intelligently and return a proper response.
The difference between us and God, even after this installation, is like the difference between Windows 3.1 and you – but nonetheless, you are at least able to receive and process spiritual facts you couldn’t receive until you had received this “spiritual software update” (1 Corinthians 2:13-14).
As God works on upgrading and tweaking our operating system, we gradually become more and more intelligent and better and better aligned with His requirements of us and even more able to help out; until finally God decides we are ready to be installed into a better body – a better machine, not a silicon-based one like your computer... nor a carbon based one like you and I – but a spirit-based one!
But for any upgrade like that to take place the computer has to be shut down – you have to die, trusting God to resurrect you in that better body! Then you will be freed from the machine and the silicon chips and able to exist on your own, the energy that powered you having finally reached a point where you no longer need to exist within the pathways of the computer circuits but can roam freely through space, independently from your old silicon body.
While it sounds like cheap sci-fi, it is almost exactly what God has planned for you. Your mind is coded just like a computer. Far more advanced to be sure, but every scientist knows we are made up of math – trillions upon trillions of lines of code. It is the spirit that powers the processing of that code. And when we prove to God our program is worth saving, He will shut us down so He can make us a new body – one that isn’t dependent upon the confines of this flesh but which exists as pure energy like He does.
Now the natural man – the man before the operating system upgrade – cannot understand these things (1 Corinthians 2:14) any more than your BIOS can understand the command “play chess”! It simply isn’t programmed to interpret that command! So God must give you the software – the spirit – to help you grasp this! (Verse 12). Once you have that, you can UNDERSTAND the deep things of God! (Verse 10).
WHO DOES WHAT
What I said just defined a “God”, an adult member of the family of Elohim. There are at this time two members of this family – Jesus and the Father. Each of these members are clearly distinct from one another as you see in Revelation 5:6-7. There, one Elohim – Jesus, the Lamb – is taking the book from another Elohim on the throne – the Father.
The jobs they do are also distinct. In fact, there is very little overlap between what the Father does and what Jesus does. They each play separate and pivotal roles in your salvation. Jesus reveals this very clearly in...
John 6:44-45 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and a hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.
Notice the clear distinction between their respective jobs; NO ONE can come to Christ unless the FATHER draws them TO Christ! (Psalms 53:2). And how does that happen? They hear, and LEARN of the Father FIRST – and THEN the Father introduces them to Jesus! (John 6:65).
That is a pivotal scripture. One I’ll use frequently in coming lessons as I explain this process in more detail as it applies to you. But for now we’re only concerned with WHO does which part of the job of YOUR salvation! NO ONE can come to Jesus, unless the Father FIRST works with them (John 10:27-29)!
Then once the Father works with them, handles their initial calling and understanding, He hands them off to Jesus (Galatians 4:6). Then it is Jesus who must prepare us to meet the Father – in person this time! (John 14:6-7).
Many suppose the Father has no direct part in calling you, or working with you, and that is simply not what the scripture teaches.
Do we pray to Jesus, or to the Father? John 16:23. Is the Father the one that inspires us to respond when we’re called to testify? Matthew 10:20. Does He also manage the sealing – and revelation – of understanding? Luke 10:21. Did the Father give the revelation to Jesus? Revelation 1:1. Does the Father do ALL the mighty works? John 14:10.
So you see that the Father is intimately involved in our salvation. He personally loves us, not just Jesus (John 16:27-28). But Jesus also has an active part – although a unique one.
Whose spirit is required to be considered a member of God’s church? Romans 8:9. To whose spirit do we owe salvation? Philippians 1:19. Who must be IN us, to have the “hope of glory”? Colossians 1:27. Which spirit was IN the prophets, even in the Old Testament? 1 Peter 1:10-11. Does Jesus have His own spirit – one that was SEPARATE from the Father’s spirit? Luke 23:46.
Remember, each of the Elohim – the Gods – have two ears, two legs, one nose, and so on. And each of them also has one spirit, which is constantly referred to SEPARATELY – the spirit of CHRIST does this, the spirit of the FATHER does that, and so on. Because each of them have their own unique spirit!
But some would argue there is just ONE holy spirit, used by both the Father and Jesus. I believed this myself for a long time. But now read Romans 8:9-11. What does that say? First it says if you don’t have CHRIST’S spirit, you aren’t a Christian. Then Paul makes the difference plain:
First he says in verse 10, “if Christ be in you...” but then immediately contrasts “BUT IF the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you...”! – WHO raised Jesus from the dead? Romans 6:4.
So you see a direct contrast: “if ONE spirit is in you, then...”, “but if the OTHER (or BOTH) spirits are in you, then...”. Do you see the distinction? I realize this is not something you’ve ever heard before, but that is exactly what it says. “If Jesus’ spirit is in you... but if the FATHER’S spirit is in you...”!
Both spirits mentioned together in contrast in one place conclusively proves they are unique! Just as your spirit and mine are unique! And repeatedly, over and over again, we see one spirit or the other spirit mentioned, doing distinct and separate things!
There was a time when I didn’t understand this, so I know exactly how hard this is to grasp; but ask yourself, is it your job to twist God’s words to fit what you’ve always believed... or is it your job to make what you believe fit what God clearly says?
One reasonable objection starts with this verse: 1 Corinthians 12:13. What does that say? There is only one spirit in the universe? Or that we are:
- Baptized into one spirit (the spirit of Christ, Romans 6:3 tells us) and
- Drink of one spirit (also the spirit of Christ, 1 Corinthians 10:4).
That’s all it says – and everyone in the church has that same one spirit – the spirit of Christ! (Romans 8:9). The other objection verse is Ephesians 4:4. The same answer applies here; we all have ONE spirit. The spirit of Christ. The same spirit. There is ONE body of Christ, and it has ONE spirit throughout (Romans 12:5).
As usual, the context answers the question; the verse before the first objection scripture, 1 Corinthians 12:12 makes it clear which “one spirit” this is that we all have – and why! The short answer is Ephesians 2:18. We all have access through ONE spirit – the spirit of Christ – to the Father and HIS Spirit!
To summarize who does what, the Father chooses candidates to call. Then He shows them some truth, and if they like it He leads them to Christ who puts HIS spirit in them. Then those called change their own spirits to be like the spirit of Christ, and then after they are finished, and “the spirits of just men” are “made perfect” (Hebrews 12:23), Jesus takes them before His Father (John 17:22-24).
BUT AREN’T CHRIST AND HIS FATHER ONE?
Yes, they are. But not in the way you’ve been taught. Not in some incomprehensible fashion, but in the exact way a child would understand it if he read those verses.
The world believes Christ and His Father are one being, and yet emanate or appear as two separate beings on occasion. Churches plainly say, boast even, that this makes no sense, but require Christians everywhere to believe it or be deemed a cultist.
Suppose for a moment it’s true. Suppose that when the Bible says “I and my Father are one”, it means what everyone thinks – that they are the same being. Surely then, it is impossible for YOU to be one with the Father in that sense; surely it is impossible for YOU to be one with Christ, for the trinity closes off the Godhead to you!
Think that through clearly! If Jesus and His Father being “one” proves the trinity exists, then it is impossible for YOU to be one with them! Right? So now read John 17:20-23. Read it carefully. Try to forget what you’ve heard and read it for what it says. It says Jesus and His Father are one. Jesus then asks His Father for US to be one as well!
Do you suppose that means all of us in the church are to become one being, like Jesus and His Father are one being? Keep reading!
Jesus says, “As you Father, are in Me, and I in You”; that is, in the EXACT SAME WAY as Jesus is in the Father and the Father is in Him... In the same way THEY ARE ONE, Jesus asks... “that they also may be one IN US”! Did Jesus ask for US to be a part of the trinity? If Jesus being ONE with His Father made HIM a part of a trinity, and if we are to be made ONE with them in the EXACT SAME WAY, then we MUST be a part of that same trinity!
Think this through! This is one of the “best” scriptures people use to support the idea of an incomprehensible nature of God, and if you just stop and READ IT, it absolutely proves that WE can be one with the Father in the SAME WAY Jesus is one with the Father!
And then Jesus says that the SAME glory which God has given Jesus, He will give us! (Verse 22). Why? “That they may be one EVEN AS WE ARE ONE”!
But it gets even better – or more blasphemous, depending on whether or not you think the words of Christ blasphemy! For Jesus asked God to make us PERFECT IN ONE! (John 17:23). Jesus asked His Father to make us a perfect part of the oneness of God, just as Jesus is a perfect part of the oneness of God!
SO WHAT IS THAT ONENESS?
If anyone ever stopped to ask the Bible, they’d never have had the first problem understanding it.
Do a man and woman become one literal being? Genesis 2:24. Did all of Israel have one literal heart? 1 Chronicles 12:38. Did God give Judah one heart? 2 Chronicles 30:12. And what did that “one heart” help them do?(Same verse). Was all Israel “one man”? Ezra 3:1.
Did God give them one heart? Jeremiah 32:38-39. Why? (Same verse). Was Jesus one with His Father? John 10:30. When you follow God, are you ALSO one with the Father? 1 Corinthians 6:17. How is that possible? 1 Corinthians 12:12-14.
Your body has ten toes, ten fingers, two eyes, thousands of strands of hair. And yet ALL THESE PARTS ARE ONE. They all go where the others go, they all agree with one another, they all are united in purpose and attitude!
There is ONE true church; it is spread around the world and its members may not even know one another, but there is ONE CHURCH and that church has MANY MEMBERS. (Don’t worry, a lesson on that is coming soon!) But these members all have one thing in common: they all serve God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength. So they keep His commandments, the Sabbath, and other things you’ll learn about soon. And so they are ALL ONE in purpose, all part of ONE divine organization (Philippians 1:27).
And what organization is that? The organization of the ELOHIM! They are all a part of ONE FAMILY, the FAMILY OF GOD!
Ephesians 3:14-15 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
Do you SEE? The whole family in heaven AND ON EARTH are named after the Father! Meaning that right now, PART of God’s family is in heaven (Jesus and the Father)... but PART of the family is on Earth! Part of the Elohim is HERE today – part of that family is YOU AND ME, those “to whom the word of God came” (John 10:34-35)!
This is why God said “you are Gods
ONE GOD?
But what about those verses that speak of one God? Isn’t it hard to reconcile one God with what is clearly at least two Gods?
1 Corinthians 8:4 As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one.
This does not contradict the earlier scriptures and say there is ONE God! It says there is one true God FAMILY. One true Elohim. (Of course, this is written in Greek, so it doesn’t use the Hebrew word Elohim.) Further, Paul specifically says there is NO OTHER GOD (family) but this ONE:
Verses 5-6 For though there be that are CALLED gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,) But to US there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.
Paul goes on to say there are many who are CALLED Gods; many that CLAIM to be a part of this GOD family. But they are NOT Gods! There is only ONE God family, composed of, at present, the Father, and Jesus. Notice it mentions no other members in this familial hierarchy!
And what about that verse in Isaiah 43:10 (and several similar quotes in Isaiah 44 and 45)? Very easy; the word translated as “God” there is “El”. We are not ever going to be El, any more than Fred Johnson can ever be the ORIGINAL John for whom he is named.
But Fred is John’s son. Fred can inherit John’s land, Fred can look like John, Fred can have the same blood John has – Fred can be part of John’s family, but Fred will never REPLACE the original John, who will always hold the unique title of head of the Family.
You will never be El, for El will always exist. Neither will you be Jesus, for Jesus will always exist. Nor will you be me, nor will I be you. But we can all be part of the same family! We can all have the same type of immortal spiritual bodies, we can all share the same goals and inheritance and take part in governing the same universe!
In every literal sense, we will be a God JUST LIKE GOD IS A GOD! That is the glorious beauty of God’s plan!
BUT IS IT EVEN POSSIBLE FOR US TO BE A GOD?
No, of course not – by ourselves.
Contrary to what you see on TV and hear from eastern religions, no amount of meditation, mantras, or pure thoughts will cause you to spontaneously change into spirit – we cannot, with any amount of thinking and meditation, even add an inch to our physical body (Matthew 6:27)! Much LESS change it into spirit!
Is this impossible for God? Luke 1:37. Is this the one thing almighty, omnipotent God cannot make happen? Jeremiah 32:27. Did even the disciples frankly ask Jesus HOW it was even POSSIBLE to be saved? Matthew 19:25. And what did Jesus reply? Verse 26. Did Jesus come specifically to MAKE it possible, to GIVE us this power? John 1:12.
It would be quite impossible for us to become a God on our own. On our own, we’d live out our lives and go back to the dust from which we were made (Genesis 3:19). God must GIVE US this power to become the Sons of God. And that power comes in the form of HIS spirit!
Think about humans – again, we are made after God’s pattern. Before we were born we had the potential to be human; we were shaped right, we had the proper organs; but we did not have the power to be human! If we were pulled out of our mother’s womb after only a couple of months of gestation, we would die!
We would not be able to breathe on our own, couldn’t resist bacteria, couldn’t eat, wouldn’t even have all the body parts developed! Doing any of the basic things necessary for survival in this world would kill us!
Only a mature, healthy baby can handle being born into the kingdom of Man. Now take that pattern and apply it one step higher; we are now merely Elohim-fetuses. We are in the proper shape, we have the proper organs and the potential to become like God, but we lack the power! If we were to be placed in the Kingdom of God right now we would die instantly! Flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God because flesh and blood cannot SURVIVE in the Kingdom of God!
Spirit is pure energy. God dwells in pure light and shines like the sun; so suppose God keeps the thermostat set at 1000 degrees in His throne room. Could you survive a second in there? No! First you have to have a new body, one designed to live in that Kingdom! And that is precisely what God is going to give you, when you are born as a God!
Is it blasphemy to think of yourself as the literal child of God? Not as some spiritual metaphor, but a LITERAL fetus that will one day grow to be EXACTLY like God Himself? Again, just THINK about the question and the answer is obvious!
Does a father look at the bulging stomach of the mother and say, this is my child? Of course he does! But is this child BORN yet? Of course NOT! Is it as strong as he is? Is it as intelligent? If plucked prematurely from the womb, could it hope to survive in the world his father calls home?
Has it a fraction of his experience, his character, his wisdom or his beauty? Of course not! But is it his child nonetheless? Does he think of it as his child? Will it one day grow up to be JUST LIKE HIM in EVERY SIGNIFICANT WAY?
You are an unborn child of God. As you are, you are a mere fly speck compared to God. Nevertheless, God calls you His child. God has given you His name, and He has called you one of the Gods. Now if your development goes badly, you may have a “miscarriage”, and not make it to the birth at the resurrection. But for now, and for as long as you obey your Father, you are His son or daughter and worthy of the title “child of God”.
IS THERE A TRINITY OR NOT?
I have made no special effort to disprove the trinity in this lesson. From the beginning of this course I have made a conscious choice to discuss only what the Bible DOES teach, and not worry about disproving all the ideas men have that it does NOT teach. There are many scriptures the false Christianity uses to try and show a trinity, and I have made no effort to disprove them here. I have shown what the Bible clearly says God IS, and what you will be, which is a part of the Godhead just like Jesus is – because you’ll be receiving the exact same inheritance according to your Bible (Romans 8:17).
So I have shown what God is. I have not shown what God isn’t. Request the free booklet, “Is God A Trinity?” to learn the history and Bible facts about what God isn’t. For now, I will merely point out some key facts for you to think about while you wait on the booklet:
Most of the false Christianity worships a trinity composed of three equal, yet distinct beings. All three persons are deemed worthy of equal worship and glory. If that is true...
1. Why is the word “trinity” not found in the Bible?
2. Why is there not a single verse in the Bible where we are told to pray to the holy spirit?
3. Why does Paul address salutations in the beginning of his books in the name of the “Father and Jesus”, but NEVER in the name of the holy spirit? (Galatians 1:1-3, Ephesians 1:1-3, Philippians 1:2, etc.). What blasphemy to ignore the third member of the supposed Godhead! Why is the spirit conspicuously absent from God-lists like John 1 and 1 Corinthians 8:4-6?
4. Why are there very clearly TWO holy spirits revealed in the Bible, doing different things at the same time? (John 6:44-45, Romans 8:9-11, etc.)
5. Jesus made it plain the Father was His Father. I shouldn’t even need to quote those verses. That’s why He called Him... the Father. And yet the Bible plainly says Jesus was conceived BY THE HOLY SPIRIT! (Matthew 1:18). That would make Jesus the Son of the Holy Spirit, not the Son of the Father!
Unless... the holy spirit wasn’t a separate entity at all, but merely the spirit OF the Father. Just the spiritual essence of what makes the Father... the Father. That would make perfect sense, wouldn’t it?
6. Why is there not a single verse where it ever calls the holy spirit “God”, or speaks of “God the Holy Spirit”? Some might offer you verses like “the holy spirit OF God” as proof, but that doesn’t say “God the Holy Spirit”!
It says the holy spirit OF God – in the same way it might refer to the holy SHOES of God, or the holy hair of God; it’s something God possesses, perhaps a part of Him, but it in no way implies it is a coequal, separate, divine entity. This, incidentally, is why I do not capitalize “holy spirit”; because it is a thing, not a person apart from God, just as your spirit is just a THING, not a separate ego different from the rest of you!
7. Why is the 3-in-1 doctrine not found at all in the Bible? (1 John 5:7 doesn’t count, for it is believed, even by most trinitarians, to have been added to the Bible in 1522 by a Catholic monk! Specifically to provide proof of the trinity that was so lacking in the Bible! The verse isn’t even found in most modern Bibles!)
The main goal of God is to make people into Gods. And so naturally, the false Christianity fights against that idea with all of its might. It DESPISES the idea we will be like the Most High, because the HEAD of that false Christianity – Satan – HATES the idea, because that is the position HE coveted for himself, and himself alone! (Isaiah 14:14).
But God never offered that position to the angels (Hebrews 1:5), only to us, those made in His image who CHOOSE to be made after His likeness! God is grooming us to take a place in His throne (Revelation 3:21), though we did nothing to earn this place (Hebrews 2:6-7), it is simply the purpose for which God made us. But He has not given us a place ruling with Him yet (verse 8). That’s yet in the future.
The false Christianity has deceived the whole world, and has probably deceived you – but now it’s time to demand proof of the trinity, and you’ll find it can’t hope to compete against the true plan of God which is to bring us to an eternal crown of glory (1 Peter 5:4, 11), and to call us to glory and virtue (2 Peter 1:3), so we can be partakers of the divine nature, HIS NATURE (verse 4)!
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
We are made in God’s image. We are BEING made in His likeness. We SHALL be like Him. We have been given the POWER to become the children of God. We will be given the same inheritance Jesus has. We are the sons (and daughters) of God.
When we look like God; act like God; rule with God; have God’s nature; are immortal like God; are made of the same material as God; have the same name as God; what can possibly be blasphemous about being called “Gods”?
We are members of the Elohim – we are Gods. Unborn, weak, fetus-like Gods, but nonetheless we have the germ of a new life growing within us, which if nurtured will become a new life when we are born again with a spirit body.
God and Jesus are made of spirit, and at present are the only members of the Godhead – the God-species. God and Jesus each have their own spirit. Those spirits each have their own part to play in your salvation, working hand-in-hand to bring “MANY SONS unto GLORY” (Hebrews 2:10).
The world would deny that and smother it under an incomprehensible trinity, closed off to man forever. They do that in the name of “exalting God”. But are they really exalting God by saying it is IMPOSSIBLE for God to make Man to be literally and fully LIKE HIM in every sense?
No, in the name of honoring God they demean God by saying this is one thing God CANNOT do! And by doing that, they deny the glorious purpose of the plan of salvation, and the entire reason God created you!
And the true reason they teach that is that their God is that OTHER Jesus, whom they worship in ignorance! And THAT pseudo-Jesus desperately wants to be the most important “power arm” of the Godhead, and then close the Godhead off forever to any newcomers like you and me!
As I said above, I’ve made no attempt to address the various trinity scriptures. Most fall of their own weight if you just READ them without preconceptions. But there is one, probably the most well known trinity “proof”, that deserves to be quoted... because ironically, it not only doesn’t prove a trinity – but in light of what you’ve studied in this lesson, it actually PROVES your awesome destiny! The verse is Matthew 28:19. Now WHAT DOES THAT SAY?
Does it say “baptize them in the name of the trinity?” No! It says baptize them in the NAME OF THE FATHER! It does NOT say “IN the name of the Son, and the name of the holy spirit”! It only says to baptize them in the NAME of the Father (and of the Son, and of the holy spirit). Only ONE NAME is mentioned!
It says to baptize new believers into the (singular) NAME of all three! The name of the Father that they share! And what name do the Father, the Son, and everyone who has the holy spirit have in common? Elohim! They are ALL a part of the family of GOD! Because ALL beings who have the holy spirit, or who belong to the Godhead, whether in heaven OR IN THE EARTH... ARE CALLED BY WHAT NAME?
Ephesians 3:14-15 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
THE WHOLE HOLY FAMILY OF GOD IS NAMED AFTER THE FATHER!
And when someone is baptized, they are CONCEIVED by the Father and officially become a new being, part of the family of God! And when they are conceived and begin their life in this glorious family, THEY ARE GIVEN A NEW NAME – so we BAPTIZE them into the FAMILY OF GOD!
And when they are baptized, they all share ONE spirit (1 Corinthians 12:13), which explains still another verse used to support a trinity!
2 Corinthians 13:14 (Philips) The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship that is ours in the Holy Spirit be with you all!
We are baptized into the name of the Father; the family of God. As such, we receive the GRACE of Christ, the LOVE of God, and the FELLOWSHIP with others who have the holy spirit – those other members of the family of God on Earth!
When we become a part of God’s true church, we leave behind our Earthly family, but we get a NEW FAMILY, a family connected by BELIEF in the one true God, a family we truly BELONG to because we all share ONE spirit, because as Jesus prayed, “that they may be one in us”; we become ONE with them and with each other through their spirits!
This verse doesn’t prove the trinity! This verse proves the FAMILY OF GOD, which is the opposite of the trinity! And every member in that family is named AFTER THE FATHER! So ALL of them are baptized into the Elohim! And when they are conceived, they become the part of that family THAT IS STILL ON EARTH!
Part of the Elohim family, the fetuses of God’s new household are HERE, on the Earth – and when a new life begins, it receives the holy spirit and is baptized into that same family and worthy to be called a child of God!
The rest of the family is in heaven where Jesus and the Father await the resurrection, and the birth of the first sons into the newly enlarged family of God; and if you fulfill all the requirements, you could well be a part of that resurrection!
Don’t let a doctrine invented by Satan the devil blind you to the most awesome, daring, glorious plan ever conceived – the plan to elevate a being made of mud to a being incorruptibly, immortally righteous, even as God is Himself!
No wonder the devil and his churches hate that!
LESSON 14