Is Jesus Christ God? – Dr. Charles Stanley

what do you think of Jesus Christ that's

the most important answer you'll ever

have to give if the only thing that he's

a man simply a man and that's all he is

and one day you will be greatly shocked

who is this person called Jesus Christ

many people believe in God and they'll

tell you they do but Jesus that's a

whole different story he's just one of

those other prophets or teachers who

roamed the world of his day and talked

about other things that people may be

interested in he'll some people and so

forth but Jesus not all that important

it's God who is important that's the way

the world thinks and I want to ask you

how do you think what do you think of

Jesus Christ the most important question

you'll ever answer in your life and in

John's Gospel he has given us a picture

of Jesus unlike any other place in the

scripture and so oftentimes people will

read and they'll say well I believe this

or I believe that but the question is

what do you really ensure they believe

about Jesus and I'll say again many

people have God they believe God and

it's like little g.od they believe that

there is a God but Jesus is a whole

different story and what I want to do is

answer this question what do we believe

about him who is Jesus Christ and the

answer is that Jesus Christ is God now

you probably say well now I I don't

believe he's God I believe he's maybe a

prophet no he's God and I want to show

you who I is because all the proof that

we need is in the Word of God and you

could just

remain in the Gospel of John if you

wanted to he's everything he promises to

be and he is God turn if you will to

John chapter 1 and we can read quite a

number verses but I'll just limit this

that these first five verses of the

Gospel of John because he answers this

question throughout the gospel and we're

answering the question who is he in the

beginning was the word and the Word was

with God and the Word was God he was in

the beginning with God and all things

came into being through him and apart

from him nothing came into being that

came into being in him was life and the

life was the light of men the light

shines in the dark and the darkness did

not comprehend it who is Jesus well I

want us to think seriously about it

because your whole eternity depends upon

what you think about it and most folks

will say well if as long as I believe in

God and I try to live a pretty good life

that should be sufficient that's not the

Word of God teaches so I want us to

think about it in this light and answer

the question who is he and so I'm gonna

ask four questions that are legitimate

questions and all that give us an answer

we're to answer the question who is

Jesus Christ the first question is who

did Jesus say it was who did he say was

Jesus said in John chapter 10 verse 14

and I'm going to give you the scriptures

for all of these so you'll remember them

jesus said I am the Good Shepherd and I

know my own and my own know me so Jesus

says I'm the Good Shepherd secondly

Jesus said I am the door of the Sheep

in John chapter 10 verse 7 if anyone

enters the door or ennis through me he

will be saved John chapter 10 verse 9

jesus said I and the father are one

look at that he who sees me sees the one

who sent me in John chapter 12 verse 45

and then in John chapter 8 verse 12

Jesus said I am the light of the world

he who follows me will not walk in

darkness but will have the light of Life

and then in the fourteenth chapter of

John in the sixth verse Jesus said I am

the way and the truth and the life no

one comes to the Father but through me

so this is what Jesus said about himself

all of those verses are quotes of Jesus

this is what he said about himself and

then we're asking questions who did

Jesus say he was the second question is

where his actions consistent with who

God is because we're trying to define

who is this Jesus so we're his actions

consistent with who God is

and John the eighth chapter xxix or us

he said I always do the things that are

pleasing to him to the Father no one can

say that but Jesus always do the things

that please him a second verse is John

10:10 jesus said I came that they might

have life and have it more abundantly

that's certainly consistent with who God

is for example look at the miracles he

performed he fed 5000 He healed the sick

he raised the dead he walked on water

think of all the miraculous things he

did so when we ask who is Jesus he's

certainly a miracle worker but he's more

than that

because the one thing he did that

stirred up the Pharisees and the

Sadducees to absolute hatred and

bitterness toward him when he said

speaking to them that he forgave someone

of their sin who can forgive sin we're

talking about who he is what's

consistent with who God

then no one can take his life from him

listen to John chapter 10 verse 18 no

one can take his life from him he has

authority to lay down his life and he

says I have authority to take it up

again

is that consistent with who God is yes

it is in six chapter of John the thirty

eighth Horace Jesus said for I have come

down from heaven not to do my own will

but the will of him who sent me so the

question is were these actions

consistent with God every one of them

was we're answering the question is

Jesus God so far you have to admit yes

he is

no one could follow all of this unless

he is the third thing I want us to

notice is this what was his relationship

to God the Father we're talking about

Jesus being God what was his

relationship to God the Father now

remember in Genesis chapter 1 the 26th

verse when he said let us make man in

our own image who is us it's certainly

not angels angels aren't creators not

the devil let us make man in our own

image God the Father God the Son God the

Holy Spirit that three persons of the

Trinity that make up the Godhead

that's what the scripture teaches in

John chapter 10 verse 13 jesus said I

and the father are one he said for

example the eighth chapter if you knew

me you would know my father also and

when I look at the 14th chapter of John

there are a number of verses there that

I want us to look at but look at verse

16 of the fourteenth chapter from Owen

Jesus said I will ask the Father and He

will give you another helper another in

the Greek is olives that means another

just like just like himself I will ask

the far

he will give you another helper that he

may be with you forever in that one

verse all three persons of eternity so

who is God there's God the Father God

the Son God the Holy Spirit now tell you

what this is so important the moment he

says that is the Spirit of Truth whom

the world cannot receive because it does

not see him I know him but you know him

because he abides with you and will be

in you then for example in John chapter

1 verse 1 the word Jesus was in the

beginning he was with God and the

scripture says and the Word was God the

testimony of John is that Jesus was God

in human flesh God the Father God the

Son God the Holy Spirit the Holy Spirit

is coming after the resurrection but the

three persons of the Trinity now say I'm

gonna say it again I will show you why

this is so important then for example he

says in John chapter 1 verse 3 he was

the creator with the father all things

that came into being through him and

apart from him nothing came into being

so Jesus says that he was the creator oh

wait a minute the Bible says that God

creates God the Father God the Son God

the Holy Spirit and that we have the

three persons of the Trinity let us make

man in our own image then I look for

example in the Colossians chapter 1

because all the way over here in

Colossians and Paul all the things that

he wrote and in this first chapter of

Colossians listen to what he says he

says for example in the first chapter in

the fourteenth verse in whom speaking of

Jesus we have Redemption the forgiveness

of our sins and then he says he Jesus is

the image of the invisible God the

firstborn of all creation for by him are

all things created both in the heavens

and on earth visible and invisible

where the Thrones or dominions or rulers

or authorities all things have been

created through him and for him he is

before all things and in him all things

hold together so the testimony of the

Apostle Paul is the same of the

testimony of John as God the Father God

the Son God the Holy Spirit each one

working in a different way

then all the way down to John chapter 6

verse 38 for I've come down from heaven

not to do my own will but the will of

him who sent me and what is that - down

the cross and to save us from our sin

and then the fourteenth chapter John the

eleventh verse I am in the father and

the father is in me and the fifth

chapter xxxvi verse the very works that

I do testify about me that the father

has sent me and then in chapter 8 verse

29 I always do the things that are

pleasing to him would you not say that

all that is consistent with being God

all of it is now let me show you why

this is so important in the mind of the

world there's God in our mind we know

that as God the Father God the Son God

the Holy Spirit so when you talk to your

friends about yard they said I believe

in God and in their minds there's God

out there somewhere but he's so distant

and he's so foreign and so unimaginable

and so indescribable that he's just this

big blob of spirituality of some sort

out there somewhere and they pay him

very little attention but they can't say

that they believe in God so what's his

name well I don't know well what kind of

God is a he's God

now watch this you see if he is this

invisible something out there somewhere

they believe in that they cannot

describe that he is impersonal that they

pray to him whatever he is when they get

in trouble but he's out there and

they're afraid they cry out to God and

if you ask him if they believe in God

yes I believe in God describe it well

you know you can't describe him but I do

believe in God and so when you think

about what the world thinks about God

that is sort of this big spiritual blob

out there somewhere and they just don't

want it to be personal enough that they

have to give an account and I think

about people for example who do not

believe in Jesus Christ as their

personal Savior don't believe that they

are subject to him watch this they want

a God who is impersonal enough that they

can sin and not feel bad about it you go

ahead get drunk last night and they show

up on Church on Sunday more not thinking

to think about it

do you believe in God yes or what about

Jesus well you know what I never have

believed about Jesus I don't need that I

just believe in God I think about all

these religions who believe in some God

what kind of God when you eliminate

Jesus you eliminate the Holy Spirit you

cannot have the one true God without the

son and without the spirit and so you

ask yourself this question do you

believe in God yes do you believe in his

son and remember what Jesus said watch

this carefully I and the father are one

and if you do not believe that Jesus

Christ is God you do not believe in the

one true God or you believe that Jesus

Christ is a liar and if he's alive what

about God maybe he doesn't exist if you

do not believe the biblical concept and

truth about God you end up being

confused and so one of the reasons

people don't want to believe in Jesus

that makes it too personal that too

minute verses about Jesus I am the

father 1 he said it jesus said if you've

seen me you've seen the father the

problem is that most people haven't seen

him and to have a very distorted view of

what God is like and so ask yourself the

question do you really and truly believe

that Jesus Christ is God God the Father

God the Son God the Holy Spirit

there is only one God God the Father God

the Son God the Holy Spirit three

persons of the Trinity who have a

different work in the world and so when

somebody says well III do believe in God

here's the problem when he comes to

Jesus and what he said about how we're

to live they don't want to believe that

and so therefore if they can kept sue

God over here

whose impersonal and really can't define

him really though oftentimes they

describe him like this what God

understands mm-hmm and so they've got

him in such general out there somewhere

they can't define and do not want to be

talking about any judgment or being

subject to or responsible to they want a

God that they can control in their mind

he's only there when they need him think

about living that kind of life and

coming to the point when you're gonna

die and you know that you maybe have an

hour so to live I wonder what happens to

this nebulous indescribable invisible

God out there who has been in the

background of your life all the life and

now you're getting ready to die and you

think maybe maybe I'll meet God my

friend you better know Jesus before you

die because if the only gods you have if

the only God you have is this

indescribable non biblical God then you

don't have a lot of true God and so I

want you to think about this why did he

say he came into the world and he

answers this Jesus came in the world

that we might have life and have it more

abundantly

he came for a specific purpose and you

look at his whole life the life that

Jesus lived what is it about Jesus you

don't like you see most people want to

God

that will pacify them and that will

agree with them and won't scold them

won't keep them up at night and just not

tamper with their business they want a

convenient personal God they describe

that helps them get what they want in

life but no accountability whatsoever

have a God but if he's not a God that

matches what we just read in the word

which is God's Word you don't have the

one through God who is this God that you

believe in is he real if he's not the

God of the Bible Jesus Christ you don't

have a true God it's your imagination

you say well what about all those other

millions and people in the world they

have their imagination also and you see

the Bible's made it very clear and John

who walked with Jesus

the last disciple to die the youngest

one of them all but when he wrote the

gospel he wrote the gospel inspired by

Almighty God to describe for us so

intimately so beautifully who Jesus was

and what he's like and the only way you

can have a relationship with him is to

begin by asking him to forgive you of

your sins and surrender your life to Him

you got to believe in him so as long as

you have your personal God out here who

doesn't mess with your conscience

doesn't bother you when you commit

adultery a living sin and you're talking

and all the things that go on in a

person's life as long as that doesn't

bother you that's your God but I'll tell

you one thing there's gonna be death

it's gonna be a judgment you're gonna

give an account and guess to whom Jesus

Christ the Son of God that I want you to

understand you need to surrender your

life to him here and now because He is

God then of course listen to John 3:16

which you know so well for God so loved

the world that He gave His only begotten

Son that who

ever believes in him would not perish

but have everlasting life

but in your life at this moment what

kind of relationship do you have of

Jesus because the Word of God

there's witness that Jesus Christ is a

god who walked in flesh watch this

this is the awesome expression of a holy

God not only was it not only was it

sufficient for him to give the truth

through the prophets all the way back to

Moses and all the things that happened

with the prophets but he sent Jesus to

walk in human flesh to be tempted by the

devil but to perform all of these

miracles so that man does not have any

excuse for not believing in him as the

Son of God that is an example of God's

awesome love for us why he came into the

world motivated by love and you said

well you know what I don't know I don't

know that I think God's all that

important wait till you come to die and

the only person who's gonna be important

is not your doctor

he can't keep here no Lord not your

family you're gonna you're gonna leave

them the only person that's going to

matter is Jesus Christ the only person's

gonna matter is Jesus because only he

can forgive sin only he can write your

name in the Lamb's Book about life only

he can take you from this life into

heaven you can have everything else in

the world you want everybody thinks

you're fantastic

you have all power whatever it might be

if you don't have Jesus except a man be

born again he will not see the kingdom

of God that means unless you have a

spiritual relationship with Jesus Christ

and accept him as your Savior you're

going to be lost

who is Jesus God the Father God the Son

God the Holy Spirit a person of eternity

when he said let us make man in our own

image who is he talking about God the

Father God the Son God the Holy Spirit

there isn't anything you and I need it's

not in the Word of God he answers all

the questions that I need have answered

if a person does not believe in Jesus

but they have a God mark it down there's

a watch that says something about Jesus

that interferes for their lifestyle

something about Jesus that bothers their

conscience something about Jesus that

demands of them something that want to

give something about Jesus that sort of

cramps their style of living and so they

decide I do believe in God don't ask me

to define him don't ask me to describe

him there's none of your business I do

believe in God you have your God I have

mine you'll die with your God and be

sorry that you rejected Jesus Christ as

your Savior he's the only Savior now

let's think about something for a moment

because in light of all of that suppose

Jesus is not God if Jesus is not God

think about this Jesus has been

untruthful about his relationship with

the father he said I'm the father of

warning if that's not true Jesus has

been untruthful about his relationship

with the father if that's not true

secondly Jesus can't be trusted if he is

not the Son of God in the Savior and

that he's not God he said if you've seen

me you've seen the father and the father

alone if that's not true then you can't

trust him three his death had no effect

upon us therefore we're still in our

sins if he's not who he says he is his

death on the cross was just another

Roman execution that's what the

Sadducees the Pharisees thought that's

why they sneered at him on the cross if

Jesus were not God is not God his death

on the cross did

any more than the two thieves who died

on the cross they died because they were

guilty of something Jesus died because

of our guilt not his guilt think about

it think about the guilt of all your sin

throughout your life

if Jesus death on the cross didn't pay

your sin debt in full who paid for it

nobody you have to pay for it you stand

before Almighty God and give an account

for your life Jesus is our salvation he

paid our sin debt in full for every

single person who will trust them as

their Savior we know salvation comes

from him think about this the story of

the resurrection is the false claim by

his followers if Jesus is not who he

says he is that's a false claim that

even rose from the dead that he was the

son of God and so therefore there's no

resurrection then we have no assurance

of life after death the resurrection of

Jesus Christ is our one awesome

assurance of life after death and that

we really experience the resurrection so

when people don't believe in Jesus then

I ask the question what are you gonna do

when you die where are you going what's

going to happen to you every once in a

while somebody say well I'll just

disappear no you won't you may like to

disappear but you can't what happens to

you when you die well I don't know don't

you think it's important enough to find

out what you should do it's important

under men once to die and after this the

judgment you should know what's going to

happen you don't have to know all the

details what you have to know is this

that jesus promised eternal life but

those who would trust him as their

Savior listen to this Christianity is

just another world religion if Jesus is

not who he says he is only Jesus Christ

gives us the

and the proof that he is the son of God

that He is God

suppose you don't have that what do you

have thinking about the people who don't

give Jesus Christ a second thought but

they have in their pocket their little

security and that is they believe in God

and somehow when it's all over that

everything is gonna be okay though

everything is not gonna be okay because

he said it is appointed unto man who

wants to die and after this the judgment

we're gonna have to give an account for

our life if I were lost and I don't want

to believe that I just say well that's

what I have heard many attempts well I

have my own god you've got yours yeah

that's true you may think about things

that have happened in your life and say

well God helped me out God may have

helped you out they know to give you an

opportunity to trust him as your Savior

does not mean that God judges every

single person every single day no he's a

God of awesome mercy or none of us would

be here so I will mention this last

thing if Jesus Christ is not God we are

all hopeless and helpless in this life

but Jesus is God and listen to this

Jesus is God all he said all he did has

resulted in the forgiveness of our sins

the gift of eternal life and heaven is

our home there's one God and if somebody

asks you who is God God is Jesus God is

the father God is the Holy Spirit three

persons of the Trinity so jesus said to

them to make it very clear I'm going

away and if I go away I will send the

comforter to you the Holy Spirit he'll

be in you with you and upon you and so

what happened Jesus rose from the dead

spoke to those disciples and then at

Pentecost he sent the Holy Spirit to do

what to enable you and me

who come along afterwards to live a

godly life he didn't leave us and you

think about how absolutely thoughtful

God was it's not enough for them to have

seen him even walk among them but the

Holy Spirit to live in them he says we

are sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise

under the day of redemption if you don't

have Jesus what do you have you said

well I have my god let me ask you this

describe my God to me I'll tell you how

to describe him you describe him in a

way that suits what you want what you

hope for but you can't describe him by

facts by the truth your God is a false

God your God is an empty God if your God

is not Jesus Christ as Savior our Lord

our God and amen

and it is my prayer that you'll be

honest I'm not being critical I'm just

saying here's the truth you can't deny

the truth everything we've said is the

truth and the question is what would you

do with the truth you have two choices

accept it or deny it and going your way

having put behind you what you heard you

will regret it for all eternity if you

did not make a decision and my prayer is

that you would say yes what you've said

is true I do believe that what you said

is true and by faith I will accept Jesus

Christ as my personal savings the one

true God surrender my life to him and

watch him work in my life he will do an

awesome work in your life and all of us

who believers can bear testimony that

Jesus Christ is not on the Son of God

but there is the Spirit of God and the

father who is God that's our prayer for

you that your life had be radically

changed by believing trusting the Word

of God that Jesus Christ came into this

world lay down his life at the cross and

made it possible for us to be forgiven

father how grateful we are you did not

leave us to guess or wonder our dream or

fear you gave us a very clear answer to

the question who is God and I pray that

every person who hears this message will

be honest enough to examine their life

their belief system

and what they really believe and who

they really trust in for their future

and I pray that many people will turn

from that false belief and accept Jesus

Christ as their personal Savior and this

we ask it in Jesus name Amen

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