THE IGLESIA NI CRISTO BELIEVES IN
THE LORD JESUS CHRIST
DOES the Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church of Christ) believe in the Lord Jesus Christ? Yes, indeed. However, the belief of the Iglesia Ni Cristo regarding the Lord Jesus Christ is what the Bible teaches about Him, no more, no less. What the apostles teach about Christ is how the Iglesia Ni Cristo recognized the Lord, for Apostle Paul warned us that:
“But
I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds
may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes to you and preaches a
Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit
from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you
put up with it easily enough.” (II Corinthians 11:3-4 NIV)
The
Apostle Paul warned the Christians that there will be deceivers that will teach
a “different Jesus” – “preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached.”
Thus, the belief of the true Christians concerning the Lord Jesus Christ is the
belief taught by the apostles. Because the teachings of the apostles are
written in the Bible, hence, the “Jesus” that true Christians must recognize is
the “Jesus” of the Bible. Regarding those teachings not taught by the apostles,
or not written in the Bible, this is what Apostle Paul tells us:
“I
am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the
grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel- which is really no
gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are
trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven
should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be
eternally condemned!” (Galatians 1:6-8 NIV)
Apostle
Paul said, “…turning to a different gospel…trying to pervert the gospel of
Christ.” They will “pervert” the Gospel or the teachings of the Bible, thus,
teaching a “different Christ” – different from what the apostles preached (and
written in the Bible).
For
this reason, the Church Of Christ indeed believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, but our
belief regarding the Lord is what the Bible teaches about Him. The Iglesia Ni
Cristo upholds the teachings of the apostles written in the Bible regarding the
Lord Jesus Christ.
WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES ABOUT CHRIST
On
what the Bible teaches about Christ is how the Iglesia Ni Cristo recognized
Him.
Jesus is the Christ of God
We
accept Jesus as the Christ of God:
“But
what about you? he asked. ‘Who do you say I am?’ Peter answered, ‘The Christ of
God.’” (Luke 9:20 NIV)
The
Bible clearly stated that “Jesus is the Christ of God.” If Jesus is God, then
God (Jesus) is the Christ of God. This is an absurdity. Thus, let us stick to
what the Bible teaches about Jesus, that He is “the Christ of God.”
Jesus as the Son of God
We
accept Jesus Christ as the Son of God:
“Simon
Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (Matthew
16:16 NIV)
Although
the apostles teach that Jesus is the Son of the living God, however, the Bible
also tells us that Jesus, the Son of God, is a man:
“And
when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw
how he died, he said, ‘Surely THIS MAN WAS THE SON OF GOD!’” (Mark 15:39, NIV, emphasis mine).
Thus,
the Bible clearly teaches that Jesus is the Son of the living God, and not the
living God.
Jesus as Lord
We
accept Jesus Christ as our Lord:
“So,
all the people of Israel should know this truly: GOD HAS MADE JESUS — THE MAN
YOU NAILED TO THE CROSS — BOTH LORD AND CHRIST.” (Acts 2:36, New Century
Version, emphasis mine)
Christ’s
lordship does not prove that He is God, because if so: (1) God (Jesus) is only made “Lord” by another
God for the Bible said, “God has made Jesus – the man you nailed to the
cross-both Lord and Christ”; and (2) God (Jesus) is a “man nailed to the cross.”
When
the Apostle Peter teaches that Jesus is Lord, he also mentioned that Jesus was
made Lord by God and “a man nailed to the cross.”
Jesus as Savior
We
accept Jesus Christ as our Savior:
“The
God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had murdered by hanging Him on a
tree. GOD EXALTED THIS MAN TO HIS RIGHT HAND AS RULER AND SAVIOR, to grant
repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.” (Acts 5:30-31, Holman Christian
Standard Bible, emphasis mine)
Jesus
is our Savior, but He became our Savior because “God exalted this man to His
right hand as ruler and Savior.” Although, Jesus is our Savior, but the Bible
also mentioned that He is a man exalted by God.
Jesus as the Mediator between God and Men
We
accept Jesus Christ as the Mediator between the one true God and men:
“For
there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (I
Timothy 2:5, NIV, emphasis mine)
Apostle
Paul’s statement clearly said that “there is one God.” And we are certain that
the “one God” referred to by Apostle Paul is not the Lord Jesus, because he
also mentioned that “the man Christ Jesus” is the “one mediator between God and
men.”
LET US UPHOLD WHAT THE BIBLE
TEACHES ABOUT JESUS CHRIST
Let
us uphold what the Bible teaches about the Lord Jesus Christ – the man Jesus
Christ is the one mediator between God and men, for those who do not
acknowledge Jesus Christ as “coming in the flesh” such person is the deceiver
and the antichrist:
“Many
deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have
gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist.” (II
John 1:7 NIV)
Those
who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as “coming in the flesh” as those “who don’t
believe that Jesus Christ came to earth as a human being”:
“Watch
out for the false leaders-and there are many of them around-who don't believe
that Jesus Christ came to earth as a human being with a body like ours. Such
people are against the truth and against Christ.” (II John 1:7 Living Bible)
If
Jesus is not the one true God, who is? This is what the apostles teach us:
“Praise
be to THE GOD AND FATHER OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, who has blessed us in the
heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.” (Ephesians 1:3 NIV, Emphasis Mine)
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