Pre-existence

Pre-existence

by | May 9, 2020 | Simple Bible Truth

Pre-existence

Pre-Existence (Intro)

What does the Bible teach about pre-existence?  The first question we must ask ourselves is if a human being can pre-exist his existence.  Can a person have a beginning before they begin?

God has set certain rules, or laws, for this universe.  He did not set these parameters only to break them Himself or try to confuse His creation.  He created our brains and He did not intend for us to dismiss the obvious and simple concepts by saying, “it is a mystery,” or “you have to just believe blindly.”  In contrast, the Bible says that we can know and understand God by what has been made.  In addition, we can have greater understanding if we read the Bible since all that is written is for us so that we might believe.

Pre-Existence, Reincarnation, Or Miracle?

For this reason, unless you are Morman or believe in reincarnation, you should understand the Bible’s simple teaching about Jesus.

Jesus was miraculously created in the womb of Mary and started to exist AT THAT TIME.  He was created by God’s spirit, just as God created the world by His words.  Jesus had his beginning just like every other human being (except Adam and Eve), at conception.

The only difference, his conception was a miracle because there was no sperm.  Just like Adam and Eve did not have human parents, Jesus did not have a human father.  Adam and Eve were still human beings.  They were just miraculously created, and this did not take away from their humanity.

100% Human

God gave us the understanding as to what 100% means.  If you score 100% on a test, we all know that it means that you got them all right.  If there are 100 questions on an exam, you cannot score 110.  There are only 100 questions.

According to Merriam-Webster the definition of 100% is:  completely, entirely.  If to consider Jesus being 100% human, we understand that he is completely and entirely human and cannot be any percent anything else (before or after being human).  If he is truly 100% human, he cannot be any percent of anything else.  A person cannot be 100% human and 100% angel, God, or any other being  You have to be one or the other.

God’s Pre-Existent Plan

The only thing pre-existent with Jesus or any other human being is the plan God had for them before they came into existence.  The Bible says that God knew us before we were born.  This does not mean that we were with him before we were born.  He is God and He can know things before they happen.  This does not mean that He makes them happen before they happen.  He just knows they will.

Merriam-Webster defines something that is pre-existent as existing earlier or before.  So, if a person existed before they came into existence, that is an oxymoron!

Was Superman Human?

No.  Superman was not human, he was a Kryptonian, a fictional extraterrestrial race of humanoids.  Although he looked like a human, talked like a human and lived like a human, he was not a human being.  He could fly and humans cannot fly.  He was like humans in many ways, but he was not a human.

1 John Test Says No Pre-existence

We are told to test what we hear because there are many false prophets.  There is a spirit of truth and a spirit of error.  The spirit of error says that Jesus pre-existed, that is, he had an existence before he came into existence.  On the contrary, 1 John 4:2 tells us that Jesus was a human being (came in the flesh).

By this, you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God.

The true Christ (Messiah) must be a human.  Since human beings do not exist before they come into existence, Jesus did not pre-exist.  If he were part God in any way (before his birth or after the resurrection) this would disqualify him as a human being.

Using the Mind God Gave Us

In order to understand the idea that Jesus pre-existed, one must lay aside the commonsense and understanding that God gave human beings.

God set this world in motion with certain rules and laws that govern everything.  He gave us a mind to understand who He is as Creator and who we are as His creation.  God is not a man (or even “man”) and man is not a God.

The Scriptures are simple if to read them with the mind and understanding that God gave us.  Fact:  There is a God.  He created the human race.  He chose one human from among many to be His Messiah to save the planet and mankind.  End of story.  Anything else is a myth.

Christmas

Christmas

by | Dec 23, 2019 | Bible, Simple Bible Truth

Christmas

Jesus, created by a Miracle of God, or Incarnation?

Christmas should be a reminder of Jesus’ humanity, and not some incarnation of God becoming man.  Jesus was miraculously conceived in his mother, just like Adam was miraculously made from dirt.  Both Adam and Jesus were called “sons of God,” and both were unique human beings miraculously created by God. (Luke 1:32; Luke 3:38)

Most of professing Christianity sounds ludicrous!  God did not become a baby, nor did Mary change God’s diapers; in fact, they didn’t even have diapers back then!  How can people believe that God, or a part of God, actually grew in Mary for nine months?  That sounds more like a Greek myth rather than a teaching from the Bible.  Seek God’s simple Bible truth.  It really is quite simple.

If to Celebrate Christmas, it Should Celebrate Jesus’ Humanity

In Luke 1:31-33 it says that an angel told Mary, “you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, (MIRACLE) and you shall name Him Jesus. (Mary would conceive a child in her womb, not have a child put into her womb.)  He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most-High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.”

Jesus was human and he had human ancestors through his mother Mary.  Romans 1:3 says that (Jesus was a) son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh.

Mary asked the angel in verse 34, “How can this be, since I am a virgin? (It could be ONLY because it was a MIRACLE!)  Again, we see that Jesus’ conception was a miracle.  

Luke 41-45 say that Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.  And she cried out with a loud voice (in her own language, not in some unknown tongue) and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!  And how has it happened to me, that the mother of my Lord would come to me?  For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy.  And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord.”

As Elizabeth stated, Mary was blessed because she chose to believe what the angel said.  Mary believed that God could and would do a miracle, even though it was physically impossible under her circumstances.

Giving Birth to Sons

Then in Luke 1:57, it tells us that the time had come for Elizabeth to give birth, and she gave birth to a son.

Luke 2:6-7 says in the same way, that while they were there, the days were completed for her (Mary) to give birth.  And she gave birth to her firstborn son.  Jesus’ birth was no different than the birth of John’s.   Both ladies gave birth to baby boys.

Elizabeth and Mary both gave birth to babies that were miraculously conceived, Mary’s conception was just a bit more miraculous.  They both had babies growing in their uteruses for nine months and then when the babies were done growing inside and it was time for them to come out, the mothers gave birth to human sons.

Baby Jesus

Jesus was a real baby, and I am sure he did baby things and acted like babies act.  Luke 2:40 & 52 tells us that, “Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.”  Jesus gained wisdom and knowledge as he grew.  He did not have it magically put into his brain.  He spent time in the Scriptures and talked about them with the rabbis (Luke 2:46-47).  God gave him wisdom and understanding as he faithfully did these things.

“Christmas” Miracle

So, why is this miracle not the center point of celebrating the birth of Jesus, that is if someone desires to celebrate that he was born?  Why do many Christians celebrate his birth, but not the miracle of his conception and the unique human being that God created in Mary, even when they know this fact? 

Most of the world celebrates Christmas and proclaims the birth of Jesus (and if you dig a little deeper you would see that it is not his birth, but the incarnation of God becoming a man that is really celebrated.)

People put up decorations in their homes and yard, stores and churches make elaborate decorations announcing the holiday.  Christmas is all over the television; and radio stations play Christmas music non-stop.  This goes on every year for a month or more. 

Christmas:  Tradition or Biblical?

Unfortunately, Christmas was never commanded, or even suggested in Scripture.  Jesus did not tell his disciples to commemorate his birth.  If Christians were so diligent in doing what he did command for a month out of every year, the nations would have heard the message of the kingdom long ago!

Can you imagine if Christians, for a month straight every year, advertised and promoted the miraculous conception and birth of a human messiah and the coming kingdom of God that he preached and promoted throughout his whole ministry, and even the forty days after his resurrection?! 

Even the angel focused on these things when he announced to Mary what her son would do.

“He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.” (Luke 1:32-33).

Please consider these things prayerfully.  Do research.  Seek truth.  Love God, and obey Jesus and follow his example and commands.  If you believe in the human messiah Jesus, shine the true Light at this time as many people celebrate. They are already talking about Jesus.  Use this opportunity to share the human baby that grew into a man, that was anointed by God, and that will be coming again in the clouds and with great glory to inaugurate God’s kingdom rule over all the Earth.

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