Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped (Philippians 2:6)

Let’s zero in on the first part of text. Who, – [Christ Jesus] – being in very nature God. This verse is teaching that our Lord is made up of the nature–or stuff–of God, namely Deity. Reading this in the original language you’d get the meaning – “Who, was already existing in the very ‘form’ – or nature – or essence of God.” So what God the Holy Spirit is telling us about Jesus Christ of Nazareth is that He is a Being Who was already in existence before He became that Babe in the manger. He never stopped being God; no, He added another nature to the nature that He already had.

Do you see now; the Bible teaches that Jesus always has been God, and when He was born of the Virgin Mary, He then became Man. Whether someone wants to believe this or not is between that person and God. However, if they choose not to believe what God’s Word says they should stop telling people that the Roman Catholic Church “made this doctrine up.” Yet this is precisely what skeptics, the Mind Sciences–like Christian Science and the Unity School of Christianity–are telling others around you. Others who say that supposedly dishonest clergy “invented” the Deity of Christ are those in the non-Christian Cult of Liberal Theology and those in the New Age Movement.

Then there are others who don’t believe that the one true eternal God became man, like the Jehovah’s Witnesses, the Mormon Church and The Way International, who continue to insist that the Bible “doesn’t teach this.” While they certainly have the right to their own views, they are clearly wrong when they say that the full Deity of Jesus Christ is nowhere to be found in the Bible. Our text in Philippians 2:6 alone refutes that argument. And especially in the original Greek language where Paul wrote that Christ Jesus – “Who, was already existing in the nature–essence–or the very stuff that makes God Who He is.”

We Must Correct Wrong Beliefs

You may be wondering: Why cover this topic of the full Deity of Christ over again; we Christians already believe it? Well, how many of us can teach this to others who don’t believe it? As His witnesses we are to be able to show the tons of people here in postmodern America who deny His Deity where the Bible teaches this truth. Jesus Christ of Nazareth is the eternal God come in human flesh. For this is what it means to say – Jesus is Lord. And since this is the Christmas season, what better time to go over this central doctrine of the historic orthodox Christian faith which was once for all delivered unto the saints (Jude 3).

Did you know that God’s Word teaches us to correct the false understandings that people have about Him? It does. The Bible says – When Apollos wanted to go to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him. [Our eyewitness, Dr. Luke also tells us] – On arriving, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed. For he vigorously refuted the Jews in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ – Acts 18:27-28. I tell you the truth, many seeker sensitive church leaders today are trying to sell us a bill of goods by trying to convince us that we are to sit back and just let the world run over us. You’ll search the Scriptures in vain for the idea that the Christian is not to come into conflict with non-believers. It just isn’t true.

The truth is that while we are not to provoke conflict, neither are we to sit back as passive punching bags and just be abused by the world system. We are the children of light (Ephesians 5:8) and soldiers of the King of kings! And whether we like this fact or not we are in a real spiritual war against Satan, the leader of the dark forces of his doomed kingdom of this world-system. The Bible tells us to – have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them (Ephesians 5:11). You need to understand that the Deity of Christ is their prime target of attack.

Denials Of Christ’s Deity

And the sad thing is, there are so many, many people who are dying in their sins by denying the full Deity of Christ. For example, in the non-Christian cult known as The Way International. The Way founder, Victor Paul Wierwille, even wrote a book called Jesus Christ is Not God. The Christian Apologetics And Research Ministry tells us that The Way International teaches – “Jesus was not born of a virgin…that [He] was raised on Saturday – and that there were four people crucified with Him, not two” (http://www.carm.org/list/way.htm, emphasis added). Wierwille then writes – “I am saying that Jesus Christ is not God, but the Son of God. They are not ‘co-eternal, without beginning or end, and co-equal.’ Jesus Christ was not literally God in the beginning; neither does he have all the assets of God” (Jesus Christ is Not God, p.5, cited in Watchman Fellowship Profile, “The Way International,” emphasis added).

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Mormons, will tell you – “We’re Christians because we believe in the Savior Jesus the Christ.” The question we need to ask is: “Which Jesus Christ do you believe in?” Jesus Christ of Nazareth of the historic biblical record; or one of the myriad impostors? Consider this from Gospel Principles, an official publication from the LDS Church – “The first spirit born to our heavenly parents was Jesus Christ (see D&C 93:21), so he is literally our elder brother (see Discourses of Brigham Young,.26)(http://www.lds.org/library/display/0,4945,11-1-13-5,00.html, emphasis added).

And in the next chapter we read:

We needed a Savior to pay for our sins and teach us how to return to our Heavenly Father… Two of our brothers offered to help. Our oldest brother, Jesus Christ, who was then called Jehovah, said, “Here am I, send me” (Abraham 3:27)… Satan, who was called Lucifer, also came, saying, “Behold, here am I, send me, I will be thy son, and I will redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost, and surely I will do it; wherefore give me thine honor” (Moses 4:1) (http://www.lds.org/library/display/0,4945,11-1-13-6,00.html, emphasis added).

Or what about the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, also known as the Jehovah’s Witnesses? In their book The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived we’re informed – “Jesus never claimed to be God, but he acknowledged that he was the promised Messiah… He was a very special person because he was created by God before all other things” (pp.3,4). In the official Watchtower publication Should You Believe In The Trinity – we read – “Jesus had an existence in heaven before coming to the earth…the Bible plainly states that in his prehuman existence, Jesus was a created spirit being, just as the angels were spirit beings created by God… Jesus, in his prehuman existence, was ‘The first-[one]-born of all creation’” (p.12). And finally in The Kingdom Is At Hand Jehovah’s supposed mouthpiece, His alleged “faithful and discreet slave,” tells us – “In other words, [Jesus of Nazareth] was the first and direct creation of Jehovah God” (pp.46.47,49, as cited in Passantino, Answers To The Cultist At Your Door, 1981, ed., p.69, emphasis added).

Now certainly none of this agrees with the historic record of the actual Person-Jesus Christ of Nazareth. The true history of “the greatest man who ever lived” that we read about in the Bible. Which means according to our Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus, the “promised Messiah,” that all people who believe such things-such as those we have just seen-who deny His full Deity remain condemned to Hell. Because you’ll remember in his eyewitness deposition that the Apostle John records the real Jesus as saying – I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I Am – [the eternal God Himself come in human flesh] – you will indeed die in your sins (John 8:24). And so clearly we are not dealing with some minor issue here. Rather, this is the very Gospel of Jesus Christ itself!

But What About You?

We can see that many who would claim to be Christian truly have no idea what the Bible really says about our great God and Savior Jesus Christ (see–Titus 2:13). And they also have no idea just how important it is to tell others where the Bible clearly teaches Who Christ actually is. Not Who He was, but Who the Master is; for He is alive! Christ Jesus of Nazareth rose from the dead. We who are truly Christians need to be able to prove from the Scriptures–just like our brother Apollos did–that the very Creator of this universe itself hung on that cross. And the Bible tells us that Jesus went to that grisly death – for the joy set before Him (Heb. 12:2).

And just what was that joy set before Him? His unfathomable love for – you. Do you see this now? God doesn’t just talk about His love for His Church. O no, the Bible says – God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). To accept this free gift from the Lord God Almighty is the best present you could ever receive at Christmas. Today, if you hear His Voice, then know that your Creator, loved you enough to take your place and to receive the punishment that you deserve. If you haven’t, won’t you surrender your life to Christ Jesus today?