Jesus Christ: The Son of God and God the Son | Part 2

How is the Holy Trinity fundamental to our salvation in Jesus Christ?

Listen to Adrian Rogers. You are bought and sealed by the precious blood of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit through the glory of God the Father. That is the Holy Trinity working in your salvation. If you don't believe in the Holy Trinity, forget it. You have no Christianity. The whole thing is gone. It is all bogus. Don't just try to magnify the little babe of Christ as a sweet little Jesus child and Jesus as a great moral teacher and all of that.

Forget it. The Son of God is God the Son. Welcome to Love Worth Finding featuring the dynamic teaching of pastor and author Adrian Rogers.

Thanks for joining us on such a special day this Christmas Eve. As we celebrate the birth of Jesus this weekend, we are reminded in today's message that Jesus Christ was not only the Son of God, he was God the Son, the second person in the Holy Trinity. In part one, we learned that our God is a triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. If we try to understand it on our own, we'll lose our minds.

If we deny it, we may lose our souls. If you have your Bible, turn now to the Gospel of Luke chapter 1. We'll look at verse 35 as Adrian Rogers shares the powerful conclusion of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and God the Son. And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee. Now the angel is talking to Mary. The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee. That's the Holy Spirit, the Holy Ghost in the Holy Trinity.

Then the power of the highest shall overshadow thee. That is God the Father. Therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. There in that one verse, you have Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. That brings this question.

Who was this baby? Who was Jesus Christ? Now, the doctrine of the Trinity, listen to me, is the great Christian distinctive. It is what makes our faith different from all of the other faiths. Islam does not believe in the Trinity. Unitarianism does not believe in the Trinity. Mormonism does not believe in the Trinity. The Jehovah's Witnesses and others who will come to your doorstep do not believe in the Trinity. The Jewish people in general do not believe in the Trinity.

That's a stumbling block to them. But I'm going to show you in the Jewish Scriptures, in the Old Testament when we get to it, what we call the Old Testament. They don't call it the Old Testament. It's their Bible.

They don't think that there's something new and better that's come along. But I'm going to show you in what we call the Old Testament. They're the Hebrew Scriptures that Jesus is God. And I'm going to show you from the Bible what the Bible teaches about the Holy Trinity. Now, we're going to look in the Bible and we're going to see the Trinity in both the Old and the New Testament. And then we're going to come back and understand why we say that the Son of God is God the Son. First of all, point number one, I want you to see the sublime mystery of the Trinity. The sublime mystery.

Underscore the word mystery. The only way that you can know about the Holy Trinity is by divine revelation. Did that sink in? If it did, say amen. Only by divine revelation. You will never understand the Holy Trinity by human investigation.

Not by logic, not by philosophy, not by science, not by mathematics. The only way that you can know about the Holy Trinity is what God says in this book. If God says it in the Bible, you believe it because of divine revelation. You see the Trinity reflected in creation. You see the Trinity reflected in the great commandment. Did you know the Bible has a great commandment and the Bible has a great commission? The great commandment is found in the Old Testament. It's called the Shema. It is a beautiful verse.

Listen to it. Deuteronomy chapter 6, verses 4 and 5. Hear, O Israel, the Lord our Lord is one Lord.

Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soul and with all thy might. The word Lord. Hear, O Israel, the Lord our Lord, the Lord our God is one Lord. The word Lord is the word Yahweh or Jehovah. That's singular. Jehovah, singular. The Lord our God, remember that's Elohim.

That's plural. The Lord our God is one God. Jehovah, singular. Our Elohim, plural, is one Jehovah. Now, I want you to think about the word one that's in this verse.

If you're going to spell it, Echad, E-C-H-A-D, Echad. And what it literally means is one as a unit. One as a unit. I want to give you some verses.

I'm going to give them to you quick, so just write them down. Genesis chapter 2, verse 24. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother and cleave unto his wife, and they too shall be one flesh. Now, there are two here, but they're called one.

Now look, if you will, in Genesis 11, 6. And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one. The people, plural.

All those people round about the Tower of Babel. He says they are one. It's the same word that is used over here in the book of Deuteronomy that says God is one. Now, in Numbers chapter 13, verse 23. In the middle of that verse, one cluster of grapes.

So here's a bunch of cluster of grapes. Many grapes, and the Bible calls it one. First Samuel 13, verse 17, talking about an army. And there in the middle of that verse, it says one company, like a company of soldiers.

Now, what it is is a unit in plurality. First Chronicles 17, verse 21. And what one nation in the earth is like thy people Israel? One nation. A whole nation is called one. Now, let's go back to this verse of scripture here in Deuteronomy chapter 6, verse 4.

Listen to it here, O Israel. Jehovah our God is one Jehovah. It's the same word. That means a plurality in a unity. Yes, there's one God. But that one God is a triune God.

It gives some people difficulty to believe that God has a son. And they think that's a New Testament concept. Friend, that's an Old Testament concept as well.

Put these verses down. Daniel chapter 3, verse 25. You remember the story of the three Hebrew children in the fiery furnace that would not burn, and the king looked into the furnace, and here's what he saw. Daniel 3, verse 25.

He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt. And the form of the fourth is like the Son of God. That's the Son of God in the Old Testament. Put this verse down. Proverbs chapter 30 and verse 4.

The writer of Proverbs is asking a question. Who hath ascended up into heaven or descended? Who hath gathered the wind in his fists? Who hath bound the waters in a garment? Who hath established all the ends of the earth? And what is his name and his son's name, if thou canst tell?

I can tell his name is Jesus. Psalm 2, put it down, verses 6 and 7. God is talking about the wicked machinations of the world and how people are warring and fighting and rebelling against him. And yet God says in Psalm 2, verses 6 and 7, Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.

I will declare the decree. Jesus is speaking now. The Lord has said unto me, Thou art my son. This day have I begotten thee. God the Son is speaking to God the Father and speaking of God the Father and saying, The Lord has said unto me, Thou art my son. And then the classic Christmas verse.

Listen to it carefully. Isaiah chapter 9, verse 6, For unto us a child is born, and unto us a son is given. And the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful.

Counselor, are you ready for this now? The mighty God, the everlasting Father. What is this son to be called? El Gabor, the mighty God. Literal translation, the God-man. He is El Gabor, the God-man. That is his name.

That is what he is called. Well, you say, Pastor Rogers, I don't understand the Trinity. Well, join the club. A wise man said, try to explain the Trinity.

You'll lose your mind. Deny it, you may lose your soul. It is Bible doctrine.

The only reason that we believe it is because the Bible teaches it. You say, well, I can't put faith in something I can't understand. Then don't turn on the lights because you don't understand electricity. No, you say, oh, I understand electricity. I'm an electrician.

Let me tell you something. Einstein said he didn't understand electricity. He said he hoped before he died he could understand electricity. He never did.

I love what Vance Habermas said. He said, I don't understand it either, but I'm not going to sit in the dark until I do. No, don't think that you have to define or explain God. The only way you know about the Holy Trinity is it is revealed in Scripture and I've talked to you about the sublime mystery. Secondly, I want to talk to you about the sacred history of the Trinity.

Not only the mystery, but the history. You see, as you open the Bible, you see the Holy Trinity working in history. For example, in the creation of the world.

I've already alluded to this. Genesis 1, 1, in the beginning, Elohim created the heavens and the earth. Well, did God the Father create this world?

Yes, but I want to tell you something else. God the Son also created this world. John 1, New Testament, verses 1 through 3, in the beginning was the Word, the Logos, and the Word was with God and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God and all things were made by Him and without Him was not anything made that was made. Well, I thought all things were made by Jehovah God.

You got it. All things were made by Jesus. There's no contradiction. Well, what about the Holy Spirit? Well, the Holy Spirit created everything.

Look, if you will, in Job 26, verse 13, by His Spirit hath He garnished the heavens. God the Father made it. God the Son made it.

God the Holy Spirit made it because we worship one God who revealed Himself in creation. How did the Bible come about? How did we get this book from the Holy Trinity? The Bible is inspired by God the Father. 2 Timothy 3, verse 16, all Scriptures given by inspiration of God. So this is a God book.

All this book is God-breathed. But God the Son also wrote the Scripture. Read in 1 Peter, chapter 1, verses 10 and 11, of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently and prophesied of the grace that should come unto you, searching what or by what manner the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify.

Who was in the prophets? The Spirit of Christ. Now, we just read that God the Father. Now we're reading that God the Son gave us the Bible, but also the Bible was inspired by God the Holy Spirit.

2 Peter 1, verse 21, for the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man, but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. In the creation, you see the Trinity. In the giving of the Scripture, you see the Trinity. When Jesus Christ, before He left this earth, and He commissioned the church, the commissioning of the church shows us the Holy Trinity. Listen to Matthew 28, verses 19 and 20.

Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them, watch this, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Now, remember that I told you that Jesus didn't belong on anyone's list? Do you think what a travesty this would be to put the name of Jesus on a list that begins with God the Father? Or to put the Holy Spirit on that list if they're not co-equal and co-eternal? It would be blasphemy.

Baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Now, I must bring the message to a conclusion. I've talked to you about the mystery of the Trinity.

Don't try to figure it out. You know it by divine revelation. I've talked to you about the history of the Trinity, and I've just picked out a few ways where I showed you the Holy Trinity working in creation, working in the composition of the Bible, working in the commissioning of the church.

Let me come to the final thing. Not only talk to you about mystery and history, but let me talk to you about the saving ministry, the saving ministry of the Holy Trinity. You see, it's in the Holy Trinity that we have our salvation. Now, I want you to turn to Ephesians chapter 1. And in Ephesians chapter 1, what we're going to see is how we are saved through the Holy Trinity.

Now, look in Ephesians chapter 1 beginning in verse 3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ, according as he, as God the Father, hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love, having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the blood. Now, this verse simply says we were selected by God the Father.

Now, let's talk about old-time religion. Friend, before God swung this planet into space, he had you in his heart and in his mind. You were chosen in the past. You're predestined by the future, and you are accepted and preserved in the present. That's what this verse tells us.

Thank God for that. Now, listen, we're talking about the Holy Trinity. You were selected by the Father. That's Ephesians 1 verses 3 through 6. You also are saved by the Son.

Look in Ephesians 1 verses 6 and 7. God did this to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he has made us accepted in the beloved. Who's the beloved? Jesus.

This is my beloved son. In whom, in Jesus, we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace. This is the why of Christmas. Jesus came to save us. We have redemption through Jesus.

And the Bible says it's the riches of his grace. I'm not trying to sell you salvation today. I'm not offering you salvation at a discount.

I'm not offering you salvation in the installment plan. It is the sheer gift of God's grace. You were selected by the Father, you're saved by the Son, and you are sealed by the Spirit. Now, just go right on down to verses 13 and 14. In whom, Jesus, ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. In whom also, after that ye believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest. That means the down payment of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession unto the praise of his glory. Sealed with the Spirit.

What does it mean to be sealed? Well, in the Bible times, they would take melted wax and then they would have an icon that would stamp that wax. It might be on an official document. It might be on a letter. It might be on a proclamation. But if it was a business transaction, that's what he's talking about here.

It would mean the price is paid, the ownership is transferred, and the matter is settled. Now, that's what happens when we get saved. We're selected by the Father, saved by the Son, sealed by the Spirit.

Friend, I want to tell you, you are bought and sealed by the precious blood of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit to the glory of God the Father. That is the Holy Trinity working in your salvation. If you don't believe in the Holy Trinity, forget it. You have no Christianity. The whole thing is gone. It is all bogus. Don't just try to magnify the little babe of Christ as a sweet little Jesus child and Jesus as a great moral teacher and all of that.

Forget it. The Son of God is God the Son. That's the reason God the Father in Hebrews chapter 1 said, Thou art my Son. This day have I begotten thee. You have to understand, friend, that and unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever. Now, let me come to the conclusion of this whole thing.

What do you do? Do you simply believe this? That's not enough. Boys and girls, I want to ask you a question. There were three frogs on a log. Two of them decided to jump off. How many are left?

Anybody think you know the answer? There are three left. Three frogs on a log, no matter what they decided, they're still there until they jump. Now, look, you can decide anything.

You got to do something about this thing. It's not just simply accepting some intellectual premise. You can believe in the Holy Trinity and go straight to hell. You say, well, I decide that you're right.

I agree with you. Have you given your heart to Jesus? You say, well, I know the plan of salvation. You're not saved by the plan of salvation. You're saved by the man of salvation. His name is Jesus.

We are not worthy of such love, but he died for us. And if you will, by faith, receive him as your personal Lord and Savior, give your heart to him, trust him. He will forgive every sin, every one. He will cleanse you as well as forgive you. The Holy Spirit of God will seal you to the day of redemption. I promise you on the authority of the Word of God, you say, well, now, pastor, what if I get saved and sin again? Listen to me. Jesus is a Savior.

He is not a probation officer. He will keep you all the way to the end. Now, if you sin, and you will sin, he will carry you to the woodshed, whom the Father loves, he chastens. That doesn't mean you lose your salvation.

When you get saved, you're not going to sprout wings and get a halo. You're going to have to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus, but he will keep you, and his blood will continually cleanse you. Now, listen to me.

Listen. God sent me here to tell you he loves you, and he wants to save you. And if you want to be saved, Jesus, the Son of God, who is God the Son, with his own blood, purchased your salvation. I want to lead you in a prayer. Now, I want you to pray this prayer after me if you want Jesus. Dear God, I need to be saved. Jesus, you died to save me and promised to save me if I would trust you. I do trust you right now as my personal Savior.

This moment, I give you my heart, my life forever. Come into my heart. Forgive my sin. Save me.

Save me, Lord Jesus. Did you pray that? If you did, then I want you to pray by faith this way. Thank you for doing it.

That settles it. Begin now to make me the person you want me to be. I will live for you the rest of my life for your glory and by your grace. In your name I pray.

Amen. And if you prayed just now to receive Jesus Christ, we want to celebrate with you and invite you to our Find God's Love page on the website. There you'll find answers you may need about your newfound faith.

We have a response section. You can share your testimony with us or tell us how this message has made a difference in your life. Go to lwf.org slash radio and click the tab that says Find God's Love. Welcome to God's forever family.

We can't wait to hear from you today. Now, if you'd like to order a copy of today's message in its entirety, call us at 1-877-LOVEGOD. Mention the title Jesus Christ, the Son of God and God the Son. This message is also part of the insightful series The Mystery of History. For that complete collection, all four insightful messages, call 1-877-LOVEGOD or order online at lwf.org slash radio.

Or you can write us at Love Worth Finding, Box 38600, Memphis, Tennessee 38183. It's not enough to simply accept the intellectual premise of the Holy Trinity. Give your heart to Jesus, the Son of God and God the Son. Adrian Rogers said, before God swung this planet into space, he had you in his heart and in his mind.

You were chosen in the past, predestinated by the future and accepted and preserved in the present. From all of us here at Love Worth Finding, Merry Christmas to you and yours. We hope you'll be here next time for more from Adrian Rogers on Love Worth Finding. You know, Adrian Rogers said, if you woke up this morning and you're still here, God still has a plan for your life.

I love, I love his heart. I love how dedicated he was to disciple and equip believers for their Christian walk, don't you? You know, at Love Worth Finding, we're also passionate about creating and sharing resources that will help you cultivate and nurture your relationship with Jesus. And right now, I want you to know about our new three-pack of writing journals. With these, you can take sermon notes, you can write out prayers, you can jot down profound thoughts from your quiet time. These are practical and useful journals and there's a beautiful new leather cover that holds them in our online store. If you'd like to order them, go to our website right now, lwf.org slash radio, and you can find out more at the online store. And thank you so much for your continued support of Love Worth Finding.