Worship God not Jesus questions. . .

[BeautifulNameX]

I'm having a hard time explaining this to someone close when I'm questioned. He keeps saying like Why do you pray to Jesus when God said have no other Gods before me? and Hes a jealous God so why worship Jesus? and He said in Zachariah he said that the devil was gone send some one se presious (forgot the word he used) but he think they was talking about Jesus. and im like yea hes talking about the anti christ thats spoke about in Revalations. and he says the Bible was written by man. Im like the ppl that wrote the books were lead by the sprit of what to write, and if the bible is not tru didnt you just say something from Zac and didnt you quote a 10 commandment. . .

Me personally I know that the word of God has not been void. . . I read my Bible, and it makes since to me. When I first met that guy (July) he was all for God I live for God I die. . in church (not baptized yet. . or saved fully even but working on it) AND he actually inspired me to step my faith game up a knotch because he testified and said he was basically at pbr (point blank range) he kept saying Jesus Jesus Jesus the guy was like he keep sayin Jesus a guy said I aint shootin him and some one else frm the group came and pulled the trigger and it went click click. . They shook it a lil re put the bullet in and and it aint go thru and the guy just hit him upside the head with the gun and let im go. (true story) > I bought that up to him again like diddnt callin on the name of Jesus save your life he said something smart like the most highest power.

I get all these questions. . . II know in my heart the truth for myself but I dont know how to communicate it. I dont wanna see him go down.

 

[MissLawyerLady]

I have had a person challenge me with something similar. The scripture is very clear that God loves his son and gave Christ to be the sacrifice for our sin (John 3:16), that Christ is God's gift of redemption, and that God is pleased that all fullness (salvation, life, health, joy, peace) should dwell in Christ and be ours through belief in Christ as our savior. Worship of Christ is not offensive to God; it pleases God when we acknowledge Christ as Lord and worship him.

I have done some study on this, and here are scriptures which bear this out:

2 Corinthians 2:14- “Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ…”
2 Corinthians 1:21- “Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God.”
1 Corinthians 15:57- “But thaks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
1 Corinthians 11:3- “But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.”
1 Corinthians 3:23- “And ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.”
Romans 6:23- “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
2 Corinthians 5:18- “And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation.”
2 Corinthians 9:15- “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift [Christ].”
2 Corinthians 10:5- “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.”
Galatians 1:3-5- “Grace be to you, and peace, from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Galatians 3:26- “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.”
Galatians 4:7- “Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.”
Ephesians 1:3- “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:”
Ephesians 1:5- “Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself [God], according to the good pleasure of his [God’s] will.”
Ephesians 1:19-23- “And what is the exceeding greatness of his [God’s] power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his [God’s] mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he [God] raised him [Christ] from the dead, and set him [Christ] at his [God’s] own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: And hath put all things under his [Christ’s] feet, and gave him [Christ] to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all.”
Ephesians 2:10- “For we are his [God’s] workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works…”
Ephesians 2:13- “But now, in Christ Jesus, ye who sometimes were far off are mad nigh [we are made close to God] by the blood of Christ.”
Ephesians 3:11- “According to the eternal purpose which he [God] purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Ephesians 4:32- “…even as God for Christ’s sake that forgiven you.”
Ephesians 5:20- “Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;”
Philippians 2:9-11- “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him [Christ], and given him [Christ] a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Philippians 3:14- “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:7- “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:19- “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

*Colossians 1:12-19-
12 “Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light;
13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son [Christ]:
14 In whom we have redemption through his [Christ’s] blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
15 Who [Christ] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
16 For by him [Christ] were all things created, that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him [Christ]:
17And he [Christ] is before all things, and by him [Christ] all things consist.
18 And he [Christ] is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he [Christ] might have the preeminence.
19 For it pleased the Father than in him [Christ] should all fullness dwell.”

1 John 4:10- “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”
1 John 4:15- “Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.”
1 John 5:5- “Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?”



Keep this in mind, if you discuss this with your friend, unless your friend is open to the Word, he/she may still not accept that God gave us the gift of Christ for the redemption of our sins and it's God's will for us to worship Christ as our Lord and Savior.

However, you stand strong in what you know to be true- that God is not jealous of Christ. Christ testifies of all things to the glory of God. He constantly acknowledges the glory of God. God has saved us through the blood of Christ. God gave us Christ and Christ gave himself as a sacrifice for our sins. You never have to be ashamed or questioned for worshipping Christ as your savior, because you glorify God when you do so. Nobody but the true and living God could create a redemptive plan of salvation through Christ.

 

[Prudent1]

I tried to reply to this lastnight but my laptop would not let me post so here goes again... Your friend is confused about several things. It seems that he has a very basic understanding of some things in the bible but not a working knowledge of the bible, God, and His character. Is he a new Christian perhaps? What is referred to as a baby in the Lord? That's ok as long as he is constantly trying to learn better and do better. If he is not, then maybe he's not serious and that is something for you to consider as time goes by.
Why do you pray to Jesus when God said have no other Gods before me? and Hes a jealous God so why worship Jesus? Jesus and GOD the Father are one. GOD is a tri-part being. GOD the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. To help us understand this he created us as tri-part beings too. You are a spirit, you have a soul, you live in a body (for now). There are many biblical references to support God's existence as a 3 part in 1 being. I will list 1 for times sake. John 10:30- "I and the Father are one."
God is a jealous God. He does not like it when we give the love and attention he deserves to anyone else or any other thing. He has feelings too. It is no different than a spouse who gets jealous b/c their SO does not meet their needs emotionally, spiritually, physically, financially, whatever. That type of jealously is justifiable. A spouse commits to that other person forsaking all others. It is a terrible pain to be neglected by the apple of your eye when you have given your all to them.
he says the Bible was written by man. Im like the ppl that wrote the books were lead by the sprit of what to write, and if the bible is not tru didnt you just say something from Zac and didnt you quote a 10 commandment. . . That is a non-negotiable component of the Christian faith. 2 Tim 3:16-17 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Then your friend contradicted himself by quoting 10 commandments etc. We all need to be careful about extracting parts of the bible and not reading what comes before and after. We can't pick and choose which parts we want to follow. At some point in time we've all done it but to habitually do this is not ok.
When I first met that guy (July) he was all for God I live for God I die. . in church (not baptized yet. . or saved fully even but working on it)
Remember, many people call on 'god', call themselves Christians, etc but they are not. They bible says we know the tree by the fruit it bears. IOW, you can quickly locate a person's true intent by watching their behaviors. Even the slickest of the slick slip eventually. Plus, it is God's will for his children to have a strong ability to detect who is of God and who is not. God does not want his ppl to be in the dark about things. It is up to each of us individually how close (ie knowledgeable) we will be concerning the things of God. This next sentence may seem harsh but, you really don't have to work on being saved. It takes work to grow after that salvation experience but you really don't have to work on being saved. All believers should be baptized as a public display of their commitment to a personal relationship with God. Just as all real marriages are public displays of a couple's commitment to each other and God. So, if that's something he is saying. Well, I want you to think about that. Remember the rich young ruler's question in Luke 18:18 A certain ruler asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” I bought that up to him again like diddnt callin on the name of Jesus save your life he said something smart like the most highest power.
Why is he getting defensive? When you have an encounter with the one, true, living God, you are humbled. It's interesting how many ppl don't believe in God until faced with dire circumstances. Then suddenly many call on the God that doesn't exist to them.
II know in my heart the truth for myself but I dont know how to communicate it. I dont wanna see him go down.
You sound like a good friend. Know this, God does not have favorites. Anyone who wants to can seek him honestly and he will respond. I hope you are in a good bible based church with an open dialogue where truth is being taught. I hope you are surrounded by a loving group of believers who can answer your questions and steer you in the right direction. I hope your family is supportive too. You do have the ladies here. All that being said though, at the end of the day, you can only change you. You can only grow in God for yourself. Keep praying for your friend but if he is serious, he has to reach out to God for himself.
HTH

 

[liteskinshowdy]

Jesus is God! I am a mother, a wife, a sister, a daughter etc. but I am still the same person.

 

[Laela]

Sounds like he's starting to doubt.... I hope he's not heeding doubters. Please stress to him that if he focuses on reading the Bible for himself and believe what he is reading, he'll stay on track. If he doesn't understand what he is reading, he can pray for guidance. God will make a way for him, for the understanding to come.

You may want to ask your friend who does he believe Jesus is?

Here are some Scriptural references for him to read for himself. I've posted certain verses, but it's best if he reads the full Chapters, in context.

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 1:14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 10:9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture.

1 John 5:20 We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true--even in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.

God bless...

I'm having a hard time explaining this to someone close when I'm questioned. He keeps saying like Why do you pray to Jesus when God said have no other Gods before me? and Hes a jealous God so why worship Jesus? and He said in Zachariah he said that the devil was gone send some one se presious (forgot the word he used) but he think they was talking about Jesus. and im like yea hes talking about the anti christ thats spoke about in Revalations. and he says the Bible was written by man. Im like the ppl that wrote the books were lead by the sprit of what to write, and if the bible is not tru didnt you just say something from Zac and didnt you quote a 10 commandment. . .

Me personally I know that the word of God has not been void. . . I read my Bible, and it makes since to me. When I first met that guy (July) he was all for God I live for God I die. . in church (not baptized yet. . or saved fully even but working on it) AND he actually inspired me to step my faith game up a knotch because he testified and said he was basically at pbr (point blank range) he kept saying Jesus Jesus Jesus the guy was like he keep sayin Jesus a guy said I aint shootin him and some one else frm the group came and pulled the trigger and it went click click. . They shook it a lil re put the bullet in and and it aint go thru and the guy just hit him upside the head with the gun and let im go. (true story) > I bought that up to him again like diddnt callin on the name of Jesus save your life he said something smart like the most highest power.

I get all these questions. . . II know in my heart the truth for myself but I dont know how to communicate it. I dont wanna see him go down.

 

[BeautifulNameX]

Thanks ladies. I really appreciate the info and scripture references. (printing the posts) I'm study them next time the convo comes up ill be prepared. All I can do is pray in the mean time

 

[HeChangedMyName]

Jesus is God in the flesh, whom God himself manifested for the purpose of reconciling us to himself through the sacraficial splilling of blood.
There is only One God BUT he is available to us in three persons, God(our creator) Jesus(our savior) and the Holy Spirit(our guidance that is the remnant of the spirit of Jesus that was left for us when He died on the Cross)
In Genesis, the scripture says, "Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness,"---the "us" in that scripture is not a mistake.
The Bible was divinely inspired by God. True, man physically put it to paper, BUT it was God to whispered the truths in their ears to be put to paper.

Deuteronomy 6
4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.

John 1
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 14
15 “If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be[c] in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.

2 Corinthians 3
17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate[a] the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Titus 2
13 while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

Hebrews 1
1 In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. 3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.

 

[HeChangedMyName]

Thanks for this thread. Gave me a chance to study a bit. I remember a time when I too was stuck when people challenged me with the question of God and Jesus.

To God be the glory because I tell ya, The spirit was hitting me with those scriptures like nobody's business. lol

 

[Crown]

Jesus is GOD expressed in a body. Worshiping The Son is worshiping The Father.

Mat. 2.2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.

Mat. 2.11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshiped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh.

Mat. 28.9 And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshiped him.

Mat. 28.17 And when they saw him, they worshiped him: but some doubted.

Lu. 24.51 And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven. 24.52 And they worshiped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy

Jn. 9.35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God? 9.36 He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him? 9.37 And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee. 9.38 And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshiped him.


However, Jesus asks to pray to The Father in His name (example : Our Father in Mat. 6 : 9..).

Jn. 23 “And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. 24 Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.
25 “These things I have spoken to you in figurative language; but the time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but I will tell you plainly about the Father. 26 In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I shall pray the Father for you; 27 for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from God. 28 I came forth from the Father and have come into the world. Again, I leave the world and go to the Father.”

 

[Crown]

Maybe he is talking about this :

Rev. 22.8 And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things. 22.9 Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.


But this person was an angel, not The Messiah.

Rev. 1.1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John...

 

[Nonie]

LOVE THIS THREAD!!!! The idea of Trinity really warms my heart.

We once had a discussion with a denomination that does not believe in Trinity. They had their own Bible and so referencing some of the verses above to show that God is the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit didn't really cut it because in their version of the Bible, words were changed so that for example the part in John 1 where it says "and the Word was God" in their version, it read as "and the Word was a god" -- which wasn't the same thing.

Throughout our discourse, those of us who believed in Trinity were praying in our heart's for wisdom/guidance from above and the verses mentioned above were part of our "ammunition" and we were making some progress but it got to a point where the Spirit was no longer the main question but proving that Jesus was God was. Because of their insistence to use only their version and not all the others we had for cross-reference, it seemed as if we would get nowhere. Just then God led us to Hebrews 1 and (I get misty-eyed remembering excitement of this revelation which was as clear as day). As we all read the chapter, everyone became quiet as the truth of the words sank in and left no question about the Deity of Christ:

1 In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. 3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. 4 So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.

5 For to which of the angels did God ever say,

“You are my Son;
today I have become your Father”?

Or again,

“I will be his Father,
and he will be my Son”?

6 And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says,

“Let all God’s angels worship him.”

7 In speaking of the angels he says,

“He makes his angels spirits,
and his servants flames of fire.”

8 But about the Son he says,

“Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever;
a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.
9 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions
by anointing you with the oil of joy.”

10 He also says,

“In the beginning, Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth,
and the heavens are the work of your hands.
11 They will perish, but you remain;
they will all wear out like a garment.
12 You will roll them up like a robe;
like a garment they will be changed.
But you remain the same,
and your years will never end.”

13 To which of the angels did God ever say,

“Sit at my right hand
until I make your enemies
a footstool for your feet”?

14 Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?​

Another passage that comes to mind which I believe is a prophesy about Christ is Isaiah 9:6-7. I find it interesting that the names He is given are the names we use when we talk of the Spirit (Counselor), the Father (Everlasting Father) and the Son (Prince of Peace)...and God as a whole (Mighty God)

6 For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the greatness of his government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the LORD Almighty
will accomplish this.​

 

[Prudent1]

Thanks ladies. I really appreciate the info and scripture references. (printing the posts) I'm study them next time the convo comes up ill be prepared. All I can do is pray in the mean time

@DTWgrl,
Satan has many tricks he employs. Most of them are mental. Never think 'all I can do is pray'. Our prayers are powerful weapons! They are often understated intentionally. Perhaps b/c we don't always have an immediate manifestation of the subject we are praying for. Never-the-less, prayer is powerful. Try to get in the habit of praying first. BTW, I'm not reprimanding you. I'm sharing something I wish I'd known at your age. Most of the time our mindset is 'I've tried everything else, I guess I'll pray'. So, I don't want you to make that mistake. Hope you're having a good day. I am still praying for you and your friend.

 

[HeChangedMyName]

You know what's funny Nonie is that Hebrew 1 was never a part of the Bible that I really read and remembered or even focused on. The fact that you mentioned it again is confirmation to me that THAT is a very important message.

So much in the Bible points to the explanation of God. So much.

 

[Nonie]

You know what's funny Nonie is that Hebrew 1 was never a part of the Bible that I really read and remembered or even focused on. The fact that you mentioned it again is confirmation to me that THAT is a very important message.

So much in the Bible points to the explanation of God. So much.

HeChangedMyName Until that day we were having that discussion, I too thought I was familiar with Hebrews. I mean, I know several verses from Hebrews by heart that I had to have come across in my reading of the book but somehow that first chapter never stood out to me until the day we needed God to reveal that truth to us. It reminded me of Jesus' words to his disciples (Matthew 10:16-20):

16 “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. 17 Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils and be flogged in the synagogues. 18 On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. 19 But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, 20 for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.​

Granted, we were not arrested but we had gone into that meeting having not prepared anything but just trusting that God's Spirit will guide us to all truth (John 16:13) and He did not let us down.

 

[Laela]

@Prudent (bolded) Amen to that! Prayer without legs won't work- generally speaking.

@DTWgrl,
Satan has many tricks he employs. Most of them are mental. Never think 'all I can do is pray'. Our prayers are powerful weapons! They are often understated intentionally. Perhaps b/c we don't always have an immediate manifestation of the subject we are praying for. Never-the-less, prayer is powerful. Try to get in the habit of praying first. BTW, I'm not reprimanding you. I'm sharing something I wish I'd known at your age. Most of the time our mindset is 'I've tried everything else, I guess I'll pray'. So, I don't want you to make that mistake. Hope your having a good day. I am still praying for you and your friend.

 

[Laela]

Hebrews...yes