Monday, October 09, 2006

Jesus Christ, the Father and the Son

Josoph Smith's First Vision of God the Father and Jesus Christ clarified almost 2,000 years of debate over the nature of God in an instant. Joseph Smith said, "[he] saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!” This is exactly what Stephen described in Acts while being stoned to death, "Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God” (Acts 7:55). However, if Jesus Christ is a separate being from God the Father (Eloheim), why does the Bible in many instances call Jesus Christ, the Eternal Father? How is Jesus Christ both the Father and the Son? And, if a separate being, how is Jesus Christ "one" with the Father?

Jesus Christ is the rightly called the Eternal Father of Heaven and Earth because:
1. Jesus Christ existed with God the Father in the beginning as the first spirit Son of God and became the only begotten Son of God (John 1: 1-10, John 3: 16).
2. Jesus Christ volunteered to perform the Atoning sacrifice for the salvation of mankind in a grand heavenly counsel before creation (Rev. 13: 8, Isa. 6: 8, Abr. 3: 27).
3. Jesus Christ, under directions of the Father, created both the heavens and the Earth. Therefore, just as the writers of the Constitution are considered the Fathers of the Constitution, Christ is considered the Eternal Father of the Heavens and the Earth (John 1: 1-10).
4. Jesus Christ of the New Testament is Jehovah of the Old Testament (Ex. 3: 14, John 8: 58).
5. Jesus Christ gave the Law of Moses and the Ten Commandments to Israel (3 Ne. 15: 5).
6. Jesus Christ speaks on behalf of God the Father though divine investiture of power, which is akin to a divine “ durable power of attorney” (John 5: 19, 30).
7. After accepting Christ as Savior, He becomes the granter of, or the father of our eternal life. The righteous are considered his sons and his daughters (Rom. 8: 16-17, Mosiah 5: 7).
8. Jesus Christ received all that the Father hath (Rom. 8: 16-17).
9. Jesus Christ is the perfect revelation of God the Father (John 14: 6-11).
10. Jesus Christ is one in purpose with God the Father (John 17: 19-23).

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