deaconcarl

Q5. (John 1:18) What does it mean that Jesus is the “Only God” or the “Only Begotten God”? God the Father and God the Son are one in the same, but are separate and distinct at the same time. Does the Apostle John seem to make a distinction between God the Father and God the Son? I think so - as he says that Jesus comes from the Father. That no one comes to the Father except through me. What does all this mean for our understanding of the Trinity? As the Father and Jesus are one, so are the Holy Spirit, Father and Son one, yet three separate entities.

If Jesus had not come in the flesh, to be one of us, then he could not have suffered as we suffer, he could not have understood our suffering, or better yet we could not have believed or understood how he could suffer for us, to save us. His life and crucifixion would have not meant what is is supposed to be - because we would have believed in his divinity but not in his ability to suffer on the cross, or whether he was actually there in body and spirit. I have experienced his grace in my life, in the life of my past wife, may her soul rest in peace, in my ministry and in those I have seen suffer, recover and glorify God for their being. The grace I have experience in my missionary work in the Dominican Republic as well as in West Virginia to the Hispanic community, and in Florida and now in Tennessee. I have had difficulty in staying in a state of grace, but I know that when I repent and confess my weakness I am brought back into grace with my Lord and Savior. Before my baptism, I did not know God, and did not feel that God was in my life, but the death of my wife's son brought her back to the church, and in turn brought me into the church, and into the ministry I am in now. I cannot imagine not knowing and having God in my life now. I really don't know how I made it through life without him before.I am a better, kinder, hopefully, loving individual that I was then. I actually care about people now, and want and need there love.

To receive Jesus to me, means to let him take control of my life, for me to take him as the word and to glory in the gift as a son of God. To totally trust in Jesus. It is a new birth, it is a new regeneration of life. We are brought into the light and we are no longer afraid of the dark. Those that do not have that, may the Lord have mercy, they are in the darkness and have no direction in their lives but themselves, and the Devil leading them. They have no help in conquering the evil.

John was not the light, he came to testify to the light, that Jesus was the light, and that he was a precursor to Jesus. As a Deacon in the church I am also called to represent the light, to inform the world of the light, and that the light is Jesus Christ, our savior. I am preaching and I am leading sessions in the church on various issues, specifically the next 5 sessions are on the healing ministry of Jesus and how we continue to use the healing ministry of Jesus in the church today, that we are commissioned by Christ to heal. John was killed not because of his testifying to the light, but because he accused Harod of adultry. I may be persecuted as well, or at least shuned by those that do no want to hear of Christ, but thanks be to God in our country here int he good ole USofA, we don't have to worry about being killed or our faith. And I pray that to those I testify they will receive the word and carry on with their own testimonies. That is our Baptismal mission in life.

Jesus is God, and was with God from the beginning, he is the great "I AM!" I am a deacon in the Episcopal Church, and welcome the opportunity to increase my knowledge about the LOGOS - the word - and as others have said we will in this life not know all there is about God, but I plan to keep learning until I join with Him in the heavenly home.