Matthew 16:15b (in reference to the title ;))

We will start this study with a prayer inspired by the prayer that Jesus taught us, but paraphrased by me…

Our Father who dwells in Heaven, Most Holy is your character, Your Kingdom come, your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. So we partake and come to the knowledge of Your “TRUTH”, Your SON is “TRUTH”. Please forgive all of our sins as we will forgive all those who sin against us. We ask for Your Holy Spirit to draw us to the “TRUTH”. That we may come to the full understanding of the Love and wisdom of Our Father in heaven. That we may learn to love one another as You love us.

Some notes about the prayer above…God our Savior wants all people to be saved/reconciled and come to the knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2:3b-4. The bread of life is the body of Christ, we are meant to take of it, and eat. Matthew 26:26 Our advocate with the Father-Jesus Christ the righteous One. The only mediator between God and mankind. Who gave Himself as an atoning sacrifice for our sins, the sins of the whole world, 1 Timothy 2:5,6 and 1John 2:1,2.

32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. 7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. (Ephesians 4:32, 1 John 4:7)

[All quoted Bible verses were taken from the NKJV unless otherwise stated]

The Bible informs us that we will all be taught by God. Jesus, Himself, made it evident that no one can come to the truth about the Son (Jesus Christ/Yeshua) without first being drawn by the Father. The Father draws all to Christ, as stated in John. 44 No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. 45 It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me. (John 6:44,45). The way the Father reveals the Son is through Revelation as proven in the Book of Matthew. 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 16:15-17). The Father God through revelation has revealed to Simon Peter the truth of His Son. He (God/Yahweh) will also reveal this truth to those He decides to draw to His Son, that Jesus is the Christ and literal Son of the living God, not a second co-equal person of a trinity.

John wrote. 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. (John 1:1-3). We know and understand that God has no beginning. Therefore this verse introduced by John has to be informing us that the “WORD”, the Only Begotten Son of God, had a beginning, As the Bible makes it very evident, He, the “Word”, the Son of God, was brought forth. Another way the Bible expresses it is “begotten”, hence, not co-equal with the Father. However, the Son is very much and as equally divine. One could say the Father and Son have the same divine “DNA”, of sorts. Just like your children are no less human than you are, or woman is no less human than man.

28 ‘I am going to the Father,’ for My Father is greater than I. (John 14:28b). The word greater in the above verse, Strong’s G3173, “megas” Meaning: stature and age, great, old, the elder, authority, power, esteemed high for their importance, everything leaning towards greater, elevated, exalted, glorious or majestic. Whose goings forth are from old/everlasting. 2 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting.” (Micah 5:2). The phrase (Goings forth), In Hebrew “mosaa” Strongs H4163, meaning; origin, going out from. The translation (Of old), Hebrew, “qedem” Strong H6924, meaning; antiquity, that which is before, aforetime, ancient time, from of old, earliest time. The English word (Everlasting), In Hebrew “olam”, Strong’s H5769, meaning; antiquity, old, ancient time, long time of past, everlasting, indefinite, or eternity. However still having an origin or a beginning, as in begotten or brought forth.

22 “The Lord possessed me at the beginning of His way, Before His works of old. 23 I have been established from everlasting, From the beginning, before there was ever an earth. 24 When there were no depths I was brought forth, When there were no fountains abounding with water. 25 Before the mountains were settled, Before the hills, I was brought forth; (Proverbs 8:22-25). The phrase “the beginning” in the Hebrew Strongs H7225, pronounced “ray-sheeth” and in the Greek, Strongs G746 pronounced, “ar-khay” have the same meaning. The first person or thing in a series, that commences, beginning, origin, the start of something. Thereby, these verses prove that Jesus Christ was not a co-equal god, or a second person of a trinity. Jesus was/is the only begotten Son of the eternal Most High Father God. “I will declare the decree: The Lord has said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. (Psalm 2:7)

It has been stated earlier, the only way to know the truth about the Son, is to be drawn by the Father to the Son. The Bible also teaches, the only way to come to the Father, is through the Son. Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. (John 14:6). Therefore, the Father draws you to the “TRUTH”, and the “TRUTH” in turn will bring you to the one and only true God. This God is a Father, and He has a literal Son, Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of God. The Bible, in the Book of Proverbs declares it this way. 4 Who has ascended into heaven, or descended? Who has gathered the wind in His fists?
Who has bound the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth?
What is His name, and what is His Son’s name, If you know? 5 Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him. 6 Do not add to His words,
Lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar. (Proverbs 30:4-6).

The Father’s will is to reconcile each and everyone of us to Himself. He (GOD) is doing that through His Spirit and the life, death and resurrected life of His Son. The first fruits toward His redemption plan. 16 For if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches. (Romans 11:16). The mystery plan of salvation, which was formulated before the foundations of the earth, known only by the Father God and His only begotten Son. This plan was set in place intending to save their whole creation. Thought the Father’s omnipresent Holy Spirit, and the human life, death and resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. (John 3:17) 14 For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; 15 and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again. 16 Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. 21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (2Corinthians 5:14-21). 47 And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. (John 12:47).

4 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world. 4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 5 They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. 6 We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

Knowing God Through Love

7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

Seeing God Through Love

12 No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. 13 By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.

The Consummation of Love

17 Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. 19 We love Him because He first loved us.

Obedience by Faith

20 If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? 21 And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also. (1 John ch.4). In verse 3 in the above scripture it states “every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God.” Nevertheless most denotations allege that it was a second person of a trinity that came in the flesh. They assert that Jesus became the son of God when He came to this earth. However Simon-Peter proclaimed in Matthew 16:16 that Jesus Christ was “the Son of the living God”. Backed up by scripture in both the old and new testament. John continues by specifying “this is the spirit of the Antichrist,”, and proceeds, “they speak as of the world,” (Trinity), “and the world hears them”. Then John advances with: 6 We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. God did not send a second person of a trinity to redeem the world. God sent His one and only begotten Son. “Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting.” (Micah 5:2b) . Therefore God had to have a Son to send. Christ through His death in the flesh condemned the sin of this world. 3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, (Romans 8:3) Through His resurrection to a new and glorious life He (Christ) defeated death for all, His last enemy. 20 But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. 23 But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming. 24 Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. 25 For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. 27 For “He has put all things under His feet.” But when He says “all things are put under Him,” it is evident that He who put all things under Him is excepted. 28 Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all. (1Corinthians 15:20-28.) The questions that need to be query here are, if Adams sin is universal, would the Grace from the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ be universal? 45 And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 49 And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man. (1Corinthians 15:45,49) The next question, Who can thwart the love and the will of the Father God?

31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written:

“For Your sake we are killed all day long;
We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”

37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, (Romans 8:31-38). Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 1:7b) LOVE WINS!