Your question is deep and probing, and the answer to it has been debated among scholars, misunderstood among preachers, and confusing to the faithful. Some believe that the LORD God Himself came down from Heaven and inserted His complete self into flesh. Others believe that a portion of the LORD God, a portion of Jesus Christ, and a portion of the Holy Spirit join together to make a complete LORD God. Many believe that Jesus is God and the LORD God is a greater God. In a manner of speaking, these schools of thought are correct to a point, and most of these beliefs are harmless to the Faithful and do not prevent them from growing to the places that God wills.
In fact, early on in our beginnings, this very question of a Triune God, surfaced time after time in our studies and caused us to focus on defining and teaching about Jesus Christ in a way that our student’s human minds can grasp and that was supported completely through the Word of God.
It was that direct focus to the Word of God that opened up our understanding to a place that many things became clear. As the Holy Spirit led us from one understanding to the next, many of our Guided Bible Studies were derived from this one question. The answer centers around one verse in the Bible; but, there are many, many verses that support our place of understanding.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men.” (John 1:1-4 KJV)
Jesus Christ is the Word of God. When the holy, all powerful, all knowing LORD God spoke His Will at the start of His Creation, Jesus Christ was begotten. As a result, he received the essence of His Father, which was imputed throughout his being.
Jesus was with His Father at the creation of this world, and assisted in all things created. He is greatly loved by the LORD God, and His Glory shined brightly throughout the Heavens as he accomplished the Things of God.
To effect these Things, in the order and pattern that God had planned from the start, Jesus Christ was given human form in order that he might die, and through his experience and conquering of death through glorious resurrection, bring God’s people salvation and redemption and life eternal.
As a result of Jesus Christ’s dedicated walk and faithful accomplishment of every task given to him by His Father, He was given even greater authority and responsibilities following his Resurrection. Jesus now sits at the right hand of his Father in Heaven, and welds His power of Judgment, which will be executed completely and fully in the great Day of Judgment to come.
He has the essence and the power of the LORD God, and is glorified as well. Though he is not the LORD God in completeness, he completes the LORD God, and has been given the Things of God to accomplish His Will. His power and existence is derived from the LORD God, and without the LORD God, he would not exist. Without Jesus Christ, we would not exist.
On a personal note: Jesus Christ is my Savior, my King, my Priest, my Lord, my Intercessor, and my Love. It is only on the personal level that one can understand and know the deep things of his existence and there is only one place you can learn about Him.
The Word of God. The Bible. Just as the LORD God spoke and Christ was begotten, the Word of God IS Jesus Christ. When you read the Word, you are reading Jesus, learning of Him from the same essence that created Him. It is that Holy Word of God that truly reflects and explains the completeness of Jesus Christ which would be an impossible task by mere man’s words, but accomplished completely through His!
Kathy L. McFarland, MDiv