JCSM's Weekly Devotions (click here to listen!)

"Jesus Christ is God"

John 1:1 and 14  "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God . . . . And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."

John 20:26-28  "And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them.  Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, 'Peace to you!'  Then He said to Thomas, 'Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side.  Do not be unbelieving, but believing.'  And Thomas answered and said to Him, 'My Lord and my God!'"

Acts 20:28  "Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood."

Romans 9:3-5  "For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh, who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises; of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen."

Titus 2:11-14  "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works."

Hebrews 1:8  "But to the Son He says: 'Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.'"

1 John 5:20  "And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life."

Insight: If we read the Bible, there is no doubt that it tells us that Jesus Christ is God.  He has many titles, abilities, and duties, but we must recognize Him as not only the Son of God, but God the Son, the second person of the trinity (the triune Godhead).  Know these verses and be able to refer to them or quote them when people challenge Jesus' deity.

Prayer: "Dear Lord, thank you for loving us so much.  Thank you for being awesome.  Thank you for sending Jesus Christ to Earth to die for our sins and rise from the dead.  There is no other like You.  Increase our faith in You.  Increase our love for You and others.  Praise You for giving us the scriptures and revealing yourself and your Son to us.  Help us to know them well and be able to defend them to critics and cultists.  Keep us from false teachings and convict and lead us with your Holy Spirit.  In Jesus' name, Amen."

Sir William Blackstone (1723-1780), was the renowned English jurist who played a leading role in forming the basis of law in America.  Blackstone lectured at Oxford, and between 1765 and 1770 published his highly influential work, Commentaries on the Laws of England, which by 1775 sold more copies in America than in England.

His Commentaries, which almost served as the "bible" of American Lawyers, set the foundation for our great legal minds, including Chief Justice John Marshall.  When scholars examined nearly 15,000 items written by the Founding Fathers between the years 1760 and 1805, (including books, newspapers articles, monographs, pamphlets. etc.), it was found the Sir William Blackstone was quoted more than any other author except one.

James Madison, the "Chief Architect of the Constitution," endorsed Blackstone, saying:

"I very cheerfully express my approbation of the proposed edition of Blackstone's Commentaries."

Blackstone expressed the presuppositional base for law:

"Man, considered as a creature, must necessarily be subject to the laws of his Creator, for he is entirely a dependent being....  And, consequently, as man depends absolutely upon his Maker for everything, it is necessary that he should in all points conform to his Maker's will... this will of his Maker is called the law of nature."

"These laws laid down by God are the eternal immutable laws of good and evil....  This law of nature dictated by God himself, is of course superior in obligation to any other.  It is binding over all the globe, in all countries, and at all times: no human laws are of any validity if contrary to this...."

"The doctrines thus delivered we call the revealed or divine law, and they are to be found only in the holy scriptures... [and] are found upon comparison to be really part of the original law of nature.  Upon these two foundation, the law of nature and the law of revelation, depend all human laws; that is to say, no human laws should be suffered to contradict these."

"Blasphemy against the Almighty is denying his being or providence, or uttering contumelious reproaches on our Savior Christ.  It is punished, at common law by fine and imprisonment, for Christianity is part of the laws of the land."

"If [the legislature] will positively enact a thing to be done, the judges are not at liberty to reject it, for that were to set the judicial power above that of the legislature, which would be subversive of all government."

"To deny the possibility, nay, actual existence, of witchcraft and sorcery, is at once to contradict the revealed Word of God in various passages both of the Old and New Testament."

"The preservation of Christianity as a national religion is abstracted from its own intrinsic truth, of the utmost consequence to the civil state, which a single instance will sufficiently demonstrate.

"The belief of a future state of rewards and punishments, the entertaining just ideas of the main attributes of the Supreme Being, and a firm persuasion that He superintends and will finally compensate every action in human life (all which are revealed in the doctrines of our Savior, Christ), these are the grand foundations of all judicial oaths, which call God to witness the truth of those facts which perhaps may be only known to Him  and the party attesting;

"all moral evidences, therefore, all confidence in human veracity, must  be weakened by apostasy, and overthrown by total infidelity.

"Wherefore, all affronts to Christianity, or endeavors to depreciate its efficacy, in those who have once professed it, are highly deserving of censure."

If you'd like to see more quotes from those that framed and founded America, please click here: http://jcsm.org/AmericasFounders/.

(This explanation came from "The Skeptic's Annotated Bible: Corrected and Explained", by Jason Gastrich.  This book is on CD and gives over 4,000 answers to alleged Bible errors, regarding the entire Bible at http://www.skepticsannotatedbible.org.  There is also a 300 question workbook that accompanies the CD-ROM.)

There are no new quotes this week, but we have we have thousands in our archive!  Visit http://quotes.jcsm.org.  Plus, if you'd like to read a new quote every day, please go to http://jcsm.org/Wisdom.htm and bookmark it!