The Wondrous Blessings of Belief

Jesus, as our first Advocate, prayed for us, even died to justify and free us.  He also came to deliver us from the Pharisaical religiosity and the Gentile paganism of the world to reveal the truth about Who God is and how we can be His!  He worked out the adoption details for us, bringing us in as sons.

Jesus then sends us another Advocate, Holy Spirit.  As Jesus claimed to be in the Father and the Father in Him, so is Their relationship with Holy Spirit.  Holy Spirit dwelling within us is also the Father and the Son dwelling within us! 

Can there be anything at all in this world that comes close to the relationship we have been given in Christ Jesus!?

I've heard people say that if they would rather believe in Christ and be wrong, which if there is no eternity, costs nothing, than refuse to believe and be wrong, which would be eternally costly.  That is of course true.  But I would say that the life even now, in this world, that Christ has given to us, this relationship with His Father is worth all.  But say there is no God, and I am wrong.  I would still say that this life of belief, this joy, this peace, and this living with the goal of love, kindness, and service makes life so much more wonderful and full and joyful.  No wealth, no fame, no power on earth could give me such a sweet life as my faith in Christ and my hope founded on His Word!!!

Did Jesus Claim to be God?

Mark 14:61-64 But He kept silent and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked Him, saying to Him, “Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” Jesus said, “I am. And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “What further need do we have of witnesses? “You have heard the blasphemy! What do you think?” And they all condemned Him to be deserving of death. Jesus here uses the title God uses in Exodus when Moses asked God whom he should say sent him to Egypt to get Pharaoh to free the Israelites. God replied, "I Am that I Am" telling Moses to say "I Am" had sent him. So here, and in other places in the Bible, Jesus claim to be "I Am" is His claim to be God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Moses. Jesus also reverts back to a prophecy of Daniel "I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed. Daniel 7:13-14 KJV And Jesus further claims He will be seated at God's right hand (sharing His authority and glory and power). The high priest recognizes that Jesus is claiming divinity for he tears his robes as he says "You have heard the blasphemy.". It is Jesus' claim to be God the Son, that has Him sentenced to die. Either He was a lunatic, a liar, or He was and is the Son of God, the second Person of the Trinity.