I’ve recently had discussions with several people about the deity of Jesus Christ.  They did not believe Jesus was God.  I believe that the Bible claims Jesus is God and is part of the trinity (3 persons in one God).  I know the 3-in-1 nature of God is confusing and hard to understand, but who wants to worship a God that is totally understandable by our human and mortal minds?  I want to worship a God who is so awesome that we, the creatures, cannot fully comprehend Him because He is so much more than we have ever seen or imagined.

Now let’s go through multiple Scriptural evidences that Jesus is God.  I don't want you to take my word that Jesus is God.  I want you to believe it because the Bible says it and therefore God says it.

## The Basic Claims of Jesus

Let’s start with the basics.

In John 10:30 Jesus says "*I and the Father are one*.”\
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This sure sounds like Jesus is claiming to be God.  I know some people claim that this is just Jesus saying that He is one with God or that they have the same goals.  I find this interpretation to be hard to believe because I think Jesus speaks clearly and the most obvious interpretation is usually the intended meaning especially when you are speaking of God’s word.  He created man and created the ability to communicate.  I don’t believe He would ever speak unclearly or in a way that would lead people to blasphemy.  The most obvious interpretation of what Jesus meant is that He is one with God.

> "**If you had known Me, you would have known My Father** also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.”\
> Philip \*said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? **He who has seen Me has seen the Father**; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?" (John 14:7-9) {Emphasis Mine}

Jesus says knowing Him is knowing the Father and if you have seen Him you have seen the Father. This can only be true if they are one.  Some may say that Jesus is just saying that seeing Him is like seeing God the Father because they are acting in agreement, but this once again is not the most obvious interpretation and I do not believe that God the Father or Jesus would speak in a misleading or unclear manner that could lead people astray.\
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Even back in Genesis there is reference to the trinitarian nature of God. Genesis 1:26a says, "*Then God said, ‘Let **Us** make man in Our image, according to **Our** likeness’*" God refers to Himself in the plural. There are lots of other similar references in the Old Testament.  This is early evidence of the trinitarian nature of God that was not clearly revealed until the New Testament (just as His plan for salvation was not revealed until the New Testament).

> "Jesus answered them, “I showed you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you stoning Me?” The Jews answered Him, “For a good work we do not stone You, but **for blasphemy; and because You, being a man, make Yourself out to be God**.” Jesus answered them, “Has it not been written in your Law, ‘I said, you are gods’? If he called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), do you say of Him, whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘**I am the Son of God**’? If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; but if I do them, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that **the Father is in Me, and I in the Father.**” (John 10:32-38) {Emphasis Mine}

In this passage the Jews accuse Jesus of "*blasphemy; and because You, being a man, make Yourself out to be God*.”  Jesus is being accused of claiming to be God, but Jesus does not deny being God. He says He does His miracles "*so that you may know and understand that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father.*” Jesus continues to claim to be God.  Even if it is possible to explain Jesus’s claim “*that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father*” could mean that they have the same goals, it would be incomprehensible for Jesus to make an unclear statement that sounds like a claim to be God if He wasn’t while being accused of claiming to be God. If He isn't God, then He is guilty of blasphemy and can't save anyone. He doesn't allow people to think He is a good man, a prophet, or a teacher, but not God.[1](#footnote-1)

Jesus’s biggest claim to be God is probably:

> Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.” (John 8:58)

Jesus started His statement with “*Truly, Truly*” (literally Amen, Amen).  This repetition is used in Hebrew literature as an emphasis to mean pay attention to this statement.  Then He claims “*before Abraham was born, I am*.”  This is a doubly stunning statement because Abraham had died more than a thousand years before Jesus was physically born and because “*I am*” is what God told Moses to call Him at the burning bush.

> Then Moses said to God, “Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you.’ Now they may say to me, ‘What is His name?’ What shall I say to them?”  God said to Moses, “**I AM WHO I AM**”; and He said, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘**I AM** has sent me to you.’ ” (Exodus 3:13-14)

Jesus claimed the exalted name of God for Himself while claiming to exist since before Abraham.  If Jesus is good, then Jesus must be God.

## The Example of Godly Men and Angels

Let’s look at how angels and godly people react when accused of being or believed to be God.

When Paul & Silas were preaching in Lystra, the people thought they were gods because of the miracles they were performing through God’s power.  Their response made it crystal clear that they were not to be worshipped.   

> But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, **they tore their robes and rushed out** into the crowd, crying out and saying, “Men, why are you doing these things? **We are also men of the same nature as you**, and preach the gospel to you that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them. (Acts 14:14-15) {Emphasis Mine}

They didn’t reply that they were God’s messengers or working through God’s power and will. They said, “*why are you doing these things? We are also men of the same nature as you*.”  There was no lack of clarity and they cleared up the misunderstanding as fast as possible.

When Peter was sent to Cornelius in answer to Cornelius’s prayer, Cornelius fell down to worship Peter, but Peter instantly made it clear that this was wrong.

> When Peter entered, Cornelius met him, and fell at his feet and worshiped him.  But Peter raised him up, saying, “Stand up; **I too am just a man**.”  (Acts 10:25-26) {Emphasis Mine}

There was no mistake in his response that would allow anyone to think he was god.  Peter gave God alone the glory.

We can even look at the example of an angel sent by God when John mistakenly fell at the angel’s feet to worship him:

> Then he said to me, “Write, ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’ ” And he said to me, “These are true words of God.”  Then I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “**Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus; worship God**. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”  (Revelation 19:9-10) {Emphasis Mine}

The angel would not allow anyone to worship him even though he was a great messenger of God.

## Jesus’s Response to Worship

Let’s contrast these responses to Jesus’s responses.

> One of the synagogue officials named Jairus came up, and on seeing Him, **fell at His feet** and implored Him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death; please come and lay Your hands on her, so that she will get well and live.” **And He went off with him**; and a large crowd was following Him and pressing in on Him. (Mark 5:22-24) {Emphasis Mine}

Notice that Jesus did not rebuke Jairus for falling at His feet.  He went to help him with the ultimate miracle, healing his servant.

> But after hearing of Him, a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately came and **fell at His feet**.  Now the woman was a Gentile, of the Syrophoenician race. And she kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter.  And He was saying to her, “Let the children be satisfied first, for it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”  But she answered and \*said to Him, “Yes, **Lord**, *but* even the dogs under the table feed on the children’s crumbs.”  And He said to her, “Because of this answer go; the demon has gone out of your daughter.”  (Mark 7:25-29) {Emphasis Mine}

This woman fell at Jesus’s feet and called Him Lord (Adonai), but Jesus did not correct her.  He gave to her her request because she believed in Him.

In the same way:

>  Therefore, when Mary came where Jesus was, she saw Him, and **fell at His feet**, saying to Him, “**Lord**, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.” (John 11:32) {Emphasis Mine}

Mary also fell at Jesus’s feet and called Him Lord without being corrected.  Jesus accept this worship because He rightly deserved the worship and being called Lord because He is God.  He confirmed His right to have people fall at His feet because He followed it up with raising Lazarus from the dead.

In this next passage, a man didn’t just fall at Jesus’s feet or call Him Lord, this man worshipped Jesus.

> Jesus heard that they had put him out, and finding him, He said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”  He answered, “**Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him**?”  Jesus said to him, “You have both seen Him, and He is the one who is talking with you.”  And he said, “**Lord, I believe**.” And **he worshiped Him**.  And Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, so that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind.” (John 9:35-39) {Emphasis Mine}

This man believed that Jesus was Lord and God and worshipped Him as such.  Jesus did not reprimand this man for worshipping him instead of God.  He accepted the worship and rebuked the hard hearted Pharisees that were in attendance.

When Jesus was walking on water past the boat holding his disciples, and Peter called out to Him.  Jesus called Peter out to join Him.  When Peter began to sink in unbelief, Jesus rescued him and calmed the sea.  Then:

> When they got into the boat, the wind stopped. And **those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, “You are certainly God’s Son**!” (Matthew 14:32-33) {Emphasis Mine}

This is yet another example of Jesus being worshipped and accepting the worship rather than rebuking them for worshipping a false god.  If Jesus was just a man.  This would be sin, but 2 Corinthians 5:21 says of Jesus, “*He made **Him who knew no sin** to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him*.”  If Jesus is sinless, He has to be God because He accepted the worship of people.

In the Ten Commandments:

> “You shall have **no other gods before Me**.\
> “You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth.  **You shall not worship them or serve them**; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me,  (Exodus 20:3-5) {Emphasis Mine}

God makes it perfectly clear that nobody can be worshipped other than Himself.  The fact that Jesus repeatedly allows people to fall at His feet and worship Him means He is either God, a blasphemer and the worst of sinners, or a madman.  He has not left us any other options.

There are multiple additional examples of Jesus being worshipped and accepting worship.

Right after being raised from the dead:

> And behold, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they came up and **took hold of His feet and worshiped Him**.  Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and take word to My brethren to leave for Galilee, and there they will see Me.” (Matthew 28:9-10) {Emphasis Mine}

When His disciples “*took hold of His feet and worshiped Him*,” His response was “*Do not be afraid*” instead of “Do not worship me.”

>  **When they saw Him, they worshiped Him**; but some were doubtful.  And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.  Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,  teaching them to **observe all that I commanded you**; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:17-20) {Emphasis Mine}

Jesus’s response to being worshipped is to say that He has “*All authority … in heaven and on earth*” and to tell them to “*observe all that I commanded you*.”  If He was only a godly man, he would have rebuked the worshippers not talked about His authority and commands.

> While He was blessing them, He parted from them and was carried up into heaven.  And they, after **worshiping Him**, returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple praising God. (Luke 24:51-53) {Emphasis Mine}

I think I’ve have given plenty of examples to show that Jesus accepted worship and therefore is either God or a blaspheming sinner.  No good man or Godly teacher would ever allow another to worship him without rebuking them.

## The Word Made Flesh

> **In the beginning was the Word**, and the Word was with God, and the **Word was God**. He was in the beginning with God. **All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being**. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.... And **the Word became flesh**, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. John testified about Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has a **higher rank** than I, for **He existed before me**.’ ” For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through **Jesus Christ**. " (John 1:1-4, 14-17)  {Emphasis Mine}

“**In the beginning was the Word**” refers to before time and space began.  This refers to God, the first cause of all things that exist.

The Word "*was with God*" and "*was God*" and "*All things came into being through Him*" (aka He is creator). These verses are explicitly saying that the Word is God and implying He is God since He is the creator.

At the end of the verse it is made clear who “*The Word*” is.  John is referring to Jesus Christ as “*The Word*.”   John the Baptist also refers to Jesus as God when he talks of His higher rank and that Jesus existed before John (Other gospels say John was physically born first, so this refers to Jesus existing well before His physical birth).

The Bible clearly teaches that Jesus is God and I am seriously concerned that anyone who denies Jesus’s deity will be one of those referred to in this passage:

> Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’  And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’ (Matthew 7:22-23)

If you are one of those who believes that Jesus is only a good man, a good teacher, a prophet, or a righteous man created for God’s purpose, I beg you to do like these Christians who were praised for their actions:

> Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so. (Acts 17:11)

Trust Jesus.\
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your sister in Christ,

Christy

Bible verses are NASB (New American Standard Bible) 1995 edition unless otherwise stated

FYI, I’ve included this extended passage without commentary because it is an excellent passage describing the trinity and including God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

> 8Philip \*said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” 9Jesus \*said to him, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10Do you not believe that **I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me**? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works. 11Believe Me that **I am in the Father and the Father is in Me**; otherwise believe because of the works themselves. 12Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father. 13Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.
>
> 15 “If you love Me, you will **keep My commandments**.
>
> 16 I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; 17that is the **Spirit of truth**, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but **you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you**.
>
> 18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19After a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also. 20In that day you will know that **I am in My Father, and you in Me**, and I in you. 21**He who has My commandments and keeps them** is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.”  (John 14:8-21) {Emphasis Mine}

This post is scheduled to publish on Sunday, September 15th on my [Trust Jesus Substack](https://trustjesus.substack.com/), but is being published early on nostr due to a discussion that occurred here. 

 So often we hear the Disney mantra “Follow your heart.”  We hear people say, “I believe this” or “this is my truth.”  God doesn’t give us this choice.  We don’t get to decide what is true or not.  Truth is truth even if not one person believes it.  

Just believing that God exists is not enough.

> You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. (James 2:19)

The kind of faith in God that makes a difference in our eternity has to be done God’s way.  The God of the Bible is the creator who spoke into existence all that is, including time & space and matter & energy.  He fashioned man from the clay into His own imaged and breathed into him the breathe of life.  As creator, He gets to say what is true and what isn’t, since He made everything.  He gets to say what is right and what is wrong because He made us.  He knows better than we do what is best for us and His ability to see and act outside of time allows Him to know what will be for our eternal good.

Unfortunately, since time began we have wanted to define what we want right and wrong to be.  We have wanted to define who God is and how we should relate to Him.  We want to say to God, “No!  Do it my way!”  

### The First Sin

We don’t like being limited by rules and laws (this is probably extra true of Americans who believe in personal liberty).  We want to be free to do whatever we want, however we want, whenever we want.

> Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?”  The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it **or touch it**, or you will die.’ ”  The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die!  For God knows that in the day you eat from it **your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God**, knowing good and evil.”  When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.  Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings. (Genesis 3:1-7)  {emphasis mine}

The very first temptation was the temptation to do as we please and be like God.  This first temptation not only came from misleading statements from the serpent (Satan), but also came from the resentment Eve felt from the one and only “Thou shalt not …” given to them in the beginning.  The only limitation God gave Adam and Eve was that they couldn’t eat the fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.  Eve resented this limitation and added “*or touch it*.”  The limitation to not touch it was not given by God (although maybe it could be considered a wise way to avoid temptation).  It was man changing God’s very good commands.  It was man changing the relationship between God and His creation.  It was man trying to be in charge.

### Obey Whose Commands?

All too often we don’t like God’s commands to “Do this!” or “Don’t do that!” so we change the rules to accommodate our desires and what is comfortable to us.  Sometimes we add to God’s commands and sometimes we remove/ignore His commands, but any change we make is essentially us trying to take the place of God.

> “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.  For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.  **Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven**; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:17-19)  {emphasis mine}

Read that again.  “*Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven*.”  God does not allow us to change His commands.

### How Do We Worship?

He also doesn’t allow us to decide how we will worship Him.  During the exodus from Egypt, God commanded the nation of Israel with very specific rules for how He should be worshipped and who should have what position.

> Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took their respective firepans, and after putting fire in them, placed incense on it and offered strange fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them.  And fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord.  Then Moses said to Aaron, “It is what the Lord spoke, saying,
>
> ‘By those who come near Me I will be treated as holy,\
> And before all the people I will be honored.’ ” (Leviticus 10:1-3)

God commanded how He should be worshipped.  Nadab and Abihu decided they would worship how they wanted to worship and they paid with their lives for their affront to His holiness and power.  

There was another event where some Levites protested Aaron’s and Moses’s God given positions.  The Levites had been commanded by God to not approach the holy things of the tabernacle.  In this instance 250 of them burned incense contrary to the command of God.  God did not appreciate them trying to give themselves honor by disobeying His command.

> Moses said, “By this you shall know that the Lord has sent me to do all these deeds; for this is not my doing.  If these men die the death of all men or if they suffer the fate of all men, then the Lord has not sent me.  But if the Lord brings about an entirely new thing and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that is theirs, and they descend alive into Sheol, then you will understand that these men have spurned the Lord.”
>
> As he finished speaking all these words, the ground that was under them split open; and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, and their households, and all the men who belonged to Korah with their possessions.  So they and all that belonged to them went down alive to Sheol; and the earth closed over them, and they perished from the midst of the assembly. (Numbers 16:28-31)

God never accepts us when we chose to do our own thing and even worship in our own way.  Sometimes, like in these two examples, He acts miraculously to punish the offenders instantly.  Sometimes He is patient and allows time for learning and repentance.  Sometimes we are not punished until eternity.  We serve a might and holy God and need to treat Him appropriately.

Although Christians today don’t have a strict formula of worship, our call to honor Him and treat Him as holy is just as strong.  We don’t get to pick how we will worship Him and we definitely don’t get to call any or all “gods” the true God.  Not all paths lead to the one true God.  The only way to be right with God is through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and believing He is God; He lived a perfect life; He died on a cross to take away our sins; and He rose from the dead on the third day.  That is the only way.  All other paths, no matter how heart felt, lead straight to hell.

### Judgment is the Lord’s

We need to be very careful not only judging ourselves, but also judging others.  Are we judging by God’s law and His measure or we judging by our own fallible judgment?

> Do not speak against one another, brethren. He who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks against the law and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge of it.  There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and to destroy; but who are you who judge your neighbor? (James 4:11-12)

We are called to teach God’s written word and to lead people to follow it as written, but we are not to be judge and jury.  We are not the ones punishing sins.  That is God’s prerogative.

>  Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.  **How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God**, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace?  For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge His people.”  **It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God**. (Hebrews 10:28-31) {emphasis mine}

When we say there is another way to God, our way, we are “ *trampl(ing) under foot the Son of God*.” (tense change mine)  When we say we can be good enough or we can put something or someone else first, we will be judged.  “*It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God*.”

So many of our wrong decisions come because we do not have a high enough view of God.  We do not have a fear of the God who can snuff us out if He chooses to stop upholding our lives.  The God of the Bible is a loving and merciful God, but there is a limit to that mercy.  We must honor and trust Him before our time on earth is ended, otherwise we receive His righteous judgment.

### Continue in the Things You Have Learned

The Bible tells us to to “*continue in the things you have learned*.”  We can’t continue in the things we have learned if we haven’t learned God’s word.  Reading and deep study of God’s word, the Bible, is critical if we want to serve God and grow in wisdom and service towards Him.  We need to put in time.  We need to read the Bible daily.  We need to find time to study the Bible and to figure out what is true.

> You, however, **continue in the things you have learned** and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.  **All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness**; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:14-17)  {emphasis mine}

Scripture is essential for everything in the Christian life.  It helps us to grow in faith and unity with God.  It helps us minister to and train others.  It equips us “*for every good work*.”

> and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. (2 Timothy 3:15)

The Bible should be the foundation of everything we learn and everything we accept as true.  Nothing should be believed as true that contradicts the Bible in any way.  

It is useful, however, to find wise teachers to help us understand the Bible.  This may be a person who will disciple us face-to-face.  This may be a pastor at our church.  This may be a Christian writer.  When we use any of these other sources, we always need to double check what we learn and verify that it matches the Bible.

> Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, **examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so**.  (Acts 17:11)  {emphasis mine}

We need to examine “*the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so*.”  During the Reformation, this was called *Sola Scriptura*, Scripture alone.  Our reference of truth and righteousness comes from the Bible alone because it is the word of God.

### Deceivers:  Don’t Be Deceived And Don’t Be a Deceiver

There have been deceivers since the beginning of time, but the Bible says that we will see more and more deceivers as the end of time approaches.

> For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist.  Watch yourselves, that you do not lose what we have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward.  Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son.  If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting; for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds. (2 John 1:7-11)

If we don’t know the word of God well, we can be easily misled.  There are many who quote the Bible out of context to mislead.  If a tiny piece of scripture is taken out of context, it can be made to say almost anything.  Any time there is any question on what the Bible is saying, we need to take the Bible as a whole in order to understand the truth.  The Bible never contradicts itself.  It may come at a truth from different angles regarding different situations, but it never contradicts itself.

> But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.  For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you bear this beautifully.  For I consider myself not in the least inferior to the most eminent apostles.  But even if I am unskilled in speech, yet I am not so in knowledge; in fact, in every way we have made this evident to you in all things. (2 Corinthians 11:3-5)

Only by knowing the whole Bible can we keep ourselves from being misled.  Be like Paul and know the Bible so you can not only avoid being misled, but have the knowledge of the Bible necessary to defend God’s word and prevent others from being misled.

> For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand **marked out for this condemnation**, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and **deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ**. (Jude 1:4)  {emphasis mine}

It isn’t just those openly hostile to God that are misleading people.  Sadly, there are many in the church, including pastors and others in positions of power who claim to be Christians and claim to be speaking the word of God, but who “*deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ*” and are “*marked out for this condemnation*.”

We are to daily study God’s word and to daily pray for wisdom and to daily be led by the Holy Spirit.  God doesn’t want us to spend our lives sitting in the pews taking in information.  He wants us to share His word and be a light unto the world.  He wants us to chose Him over anything or anyone else.

> I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom:  **preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction**.  For the time will come when **they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires**, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. (2 Timothy 4:1-4)  {emphasis mine}

We need to be the person who is “*ready in season and out of season*” and not the person “*wanting to have their ears tickled …  in accordance to their own desires*.”  Those that seek their own way will be spending eternity suffering in hell.

As the end times approach, we will see more and more of this falling away from God’s word.  We will see this in culture, but we will also see it in the church (and are seeing it today).

> Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, “**Where is the promise of His coming?** For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.”  For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water, through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water.  But by His word the present heavens and earth are being **reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men**. (2 Peter 3:3:7)  {emphasis mine}

Don’t choose to do things your way.  Don’t choose teachers who tickle your ears with what you want to hear.  Don’t say in your heart, “*Where is the promise of His coming*?”  All those who reject Jesus and the only way to God as described in the Bible are being “*reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men*.”

Don’t regret your choices.  Choose Jesus today.

Trust Jesus.\
\
your sister in Christ,

Christy

Bible verses are NASB (New American Standard Bible) 1995 edition unless otherwise stated

For more posts check out my \[Trust Jesus Substack\](<https://trustjesus.substack.com/>)

I am also testing out a couple of different nostr editors, so this article might be posted more than once, so I can test how they come out.  This post was composed in [highlighter.com](http://habla.news) . 

 Today is the official publishing day of this post.  I already tried scheduling this post in another editor that went out early.

I’ve mentioned multiple times that I feel our time left is short and that the rapture and the tribulation are coming soon.  I feel it with every ounce of my being.  I see it in the rush to evil around us.  I see Biblical prophecy coming to fulfillment and technologies that could not be fathomed 2,000 years ago coming into being in a way that will make prophecy possible.  The question is, what do we do with the time left to us?


### Don’t Be a Foolish Virgin


Matthew gives an analogy of believers waiting for Christs return:


> “Then the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.  Five of them were foolish, and five were prudent.  For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the prudent took oil in flasks along with their lamps.  Now while the bridegroom was delaying, they all got drowsy and began to sleep.  But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’  Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps.  The foolish said to the prudent, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’  But the prudent answered, ‘No, there will not be enough for us and you too; go instead to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’  And while they were going away to make the purchase, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut. 11Later the other virgins also came, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open up for us.’  But he answered, ‘Truly I say to you, I do not know you.’  Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour.  (Matthew 25:1-13) 


Christians have been waiting for around 2,000 years for Christ’s return.  It is easy to get drowsy and begin to sleep due to the delay to His return, but we are called to be ready.  “*You too, be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not expect*.” (Luke 12:40)  Our wait may be long or short, but we are supposed to live our lives like he will arrive today.  We don’t want to miss out on joining Him at His return, but we also don’t want to have to face Him knowing that we were not focused on what He had called us to do.  We don’t want to admit that we didn’t share the gospel to that friend, that we didn’t stand up for the truth when the crowd was speaking contrary to the word of God, or that we acted in an unloving way to fellow believers or to the lost.

The Bible clearly tells us that we “*do not know the day nor the hour*,” but that doesn’t mean that He has not given us signs that the time is short.


### What Should We Be Doing?


If Jesus is coming soon, how should we spend our time?  What should we be doing?  Should we just sit back and wait?


> For even when we were with you, we used to give you this order: if anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either.  For we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined life, doing no work at all, but acting like busybodies.  Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to work in quiet fashion and eat their own bread.  But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary of doing good. (2 Thessalonians 3:10-13)


The Bible is clear that we should work.  This not only means that we should not quit our jobs, but should continue working as we have been doing, but it also means we should put time and effort into kingdom work.  God has given each one of us a purpose and a job to do.  We should study His word and pray and keep our eyes open so we don’t miss out on what He intends as our purpose.  Another analogy is given in Matthew:


> “For it is just like a man about to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to them.  To one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he went on his journey.  Immediately the one who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and gained five more talents.  In the same manner the one who had received the two talents gained two more.  But he who received the one talent went away, and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.<br><br>
“Now after a long time the master of those slaves *came and *settled accounts with them.  The one who had received the five talents came up and brought five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you entrusted five talents to me. See, I have gained five more talents.’  His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’<br><br>
“Also the one who had received the two talents came up and said, ‘Master, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have gained two more talents.’  His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’<br><br>
 “And the one also who had received the one talent came up and said, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed.  And I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’<br><br>
 “But his master answered and said to him, ‘You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I scattered no seed.  Then you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest.  Therefore take away the talent from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.’<br><br>
“For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away.  Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.  (Matthew 25:14-29)


God has given each of us different skills, gifts, and opportunities.  He wants us to make the most of them.  If God gave you skill in business, you can use your wealth to fund ministries, churches, and missionaries.  If God has gifted you with the ability to teach, you can disciple many to grow in their faith and knowledge of God.  If God has brought you into a relationship with someone influential, you can share the Gospel with them and be used to draw them into saving faith in Jesus.  Whatever skills, gifts, and opportunities God has given to you, you need to make the most of them.  You need to grow and make the most of what God has given you.


### What is the Best Use of Our Time and Money?


God wants us to shine a light for Him.  He wants us to make a difference.  There are many ways to do this and we can’t do them all.  We have to pick and chose what is God’s will and what will make the best use of what God has given us.

There are lots of good things we can do, but what is the best?

I used to focus on prepping to be able to provide for my family and others if times get bad.  That was good, but was it best?  I used to grow a garden and grow healthy food.  That was good, but was it the best?  I used to be highly involved in politics and worked hard to support and elect godly men and women into government positions where they could have a positive influence on our culture and our country.  That was good, but was it the best?


> According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it.  For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.  Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw,  each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work.  If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward.  If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. (1 Corinthians 3:10-15) 


The best way to judge which actions are best is to see which actions have an eternal influence and to look and see what God is doing and to join His work.  The difference between gold & silver versus wood, hay, and straw is the gold & silver can survive fire.  Whether something is good or best depends on whether the action makes a difference in eternity.  Providing for my family and friend’s physical needs and health is good, but it doesn’t make an eternal difference.  Electing Godly officials makes life here on Earth better, but does it actually make a difference eternally?  Probably not.

What does make a difference?  Sharing the Gospel with others makes an eternal difference.  Standing up for the truth, especially the spiritual truths from the Bible, makes an eternal difference.  Writing a book or a blog sharing the truths of the Bible and Jesus makes an eternal difference.  I’ve tried to focus my time on this type of activity more than the former.  I don’t want one soul to go to Hell because I was too busy to share the Gospel.  I don’t want one Christian to regret their life on Earth because I was too busy to disciple them.  I don’t want to be like the man who received the single talent and buried it in the ground, who, when facing his master, was told, “You wicked, lazy slave.”


### What Is Most Important?



> “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal;  for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:19-21) 


What are the most important things in our lives?  The most important things are people.  

<ul><li>Some people in our lives have never heard about Jesus.  We need to share the gospel with them.</li>

<li>Some people in our lives are hurting and need to be helped and encouraged and taught to trust in Jesus.</li>

<li>Some people in our lives are new Christians or just immature Christians, who have trusted in Jesus, but haven’t grown much since salvation.  We need to teach and disciple them to grow in their understanding of God and who He is.  We need to build up their faith.  We need to encourage them to study the Bible.</li>

<li>Some people in our lives know God and His word, but are unsure how to live out their faith and share it with others.  We need to encourage them and train them, so they can multiply their faith among others in their lives.</li></ul>

What are you doing to make an eternal difference in service to our Lord Jesus Christ?  Are you one of the lazy, unprepared virgins?  Are you hiding the gifts God gave you in the ground or shining a light that can be seen by everyone around you?  Are you so busy doing good, that you don’t see God’s best?

Are you excited about meeting Jesus in the air at the rapture of the Church?  I am!  I hope you are, too.



[Trust Jesus](https://trustjesus.substack.com/).

your sister in Christ,

Christy

Bible verses are NASB (New American Standard Bible) 1995 edition unless otherwise stated