Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Only One

1 Timothy 2-Part 3
For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.
  1 Timothy 2:5


LET IT GLOW

There's only one Roger and I got him. This is what I have said about my husband of 38 years. Oh, it's a good thing, not a put down. In his younger years, he would play jokes and pranks on our family. Rarely did an April Fools Day pass without him pulling something on one of us. I guess you could say, "He's the spice of my life."
One time he called up my mother and said in a disguised voice,"Your horse is in my garden." She answered, "I don't have a horse." He said, "I don't have a garden." Other men are named "Roger" but none are like the one I have. Truly, there's only one Roger like him. We can say the same thing about us. Even though we may have look-alikes in the world, or even a twin, personality wise, there is only one of us.

The same is true about our God. There is only one God. This is a foundational truth that Paul states.

In Mary Kassian's book, Knowing God By Name, she says this:
Names are identifying marks that distinguish one thing from another. God's names reveal His identity. They define His character, His relationships, and His purpose. Here are a few:
YAHWEH-LORD (Jehovah, Self-Existent One)
ELOHIM-God (Mighty, Strong, Prominent, One)
ADONAI-LORD (Master)
ADONAI YAHWEH-Sovereign LORD
RISHON VA-ACHARON-The First and The Last

To Moses, He revealed Himself as "I AM that I AM;"  (YHWH SHR YHWH) which means to exist, to be, was, is, will be.

Thayer's Lexican defines God as an object of worship; a deity; the supreme Divinity.

There are several verses in which He says that He is the only God:
Is. 43:10;  Is.44:6-8, 21-22;  Is. 46:9-10;  Deut 4:35,39;  Deut.6:4; 1 Cor. 8:6

Do I believe in the only one God? Yes, definitely. How about you?


LET IT GROW

Our verse says that there is only one mediator between God and men. Who is it? The man Christ Jesus is our mediator. What's a mediator?

A mediator is one who intervenes between two, either in order to make or restore peace and friendship, or to form a compact, or for ratifying a covenant; Christ is called a mediator since He imposed by His death and restored the harmony tetween God and man which human sin had broken. (Thayer's Lexicon)

My sins seperated me from God. (My righteousness is as filthy rags. Is. 64:6) No works could I have done to make peace with Him nor meet His standards. Sin must be paid for with a blood sacrifice. Jesus Christ paid that price so I did not have to die paying for my sins. He met the standards which God required-perfect without sin.
Jesus Christ is the only mediator who can restore peace between God and sinners. See Hebrews 9:15 and 12:24. The Old Testament sacrifices could only cover sin, not take it away. Christ's sacrifice takes away our sins, the shedding of His blood, is the New Testament Covenant.
Jesus was God in the form of a man. That is the simplest way I can explain it. He is seperate, yet one with God. Like a yoke and egg white are seperat parts of an egg, so are Jesus and God. 

"Only the perfect God-Man could bring God and man together," says John MacArthur.

I needed a mediator, a go-between, if you will, so my Savior serves as one for me. Praise to Jesus!

Liberty Bible Commentary says:
In Paul's day the Gnostics had a vast system of mediators made up of angels but God declares, not so. The Virgin Mary, Joseph Smith, nor anyone else is such a mediator. He (Jesus) is the Mediator for prayer as well. See Hebrews 10:19-23. Jesus is my high priest who interceeds to God when I pray.

Is Jesus Christ your mediator as He is mine? It is through His name, and only His name,  that  we can pray
to God and He hears us.


LET IT GO

I believe that there is only one God.

Rejoice that Jesus Christ's blood covers my sins and that He is my mediator so God hears my prayers.

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