THE CHOSEN PEOPLE THE FIRST COVENANT God made the first covenant with the Israelites as they were on their way to the promised land. The covenant contained laws, regulations, holy days, sacrifices with the blood of animals and the ten commandments. The majority of the Israelites were not faithful to the covenant and God allowed all who came out of Egypt to die except Joshua and Caleb. God promised the people that he would make a new covenant with them. Under the first covenant the Israelites were the chosen people (Exod. 19: 5 - 6; Psalm 33: 12). "The time is coming," declares the Lord, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah" (Jer. 31: 31). THE NEW COVENANT The new covenant was put into effect through the precious blood of our Savior/ Messiah and LORD, Jesus Christ. Although God through the prophet Jeremiah, announced the new covenant to the people of Israel and the people of Judah (Jer. 31: 31), Scripture asserts that the new covenant is for the world. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3: 16). The apostle Paul stated concerning believers under the new covenant. Through faith in Christ Jesus, both Jews and Gentiles become children of God. They are one in Christ Jesus. Anyone who belongs to Christ becomes a seed of Abraham and an heir according to the promise (Gal. 3: 26 - 29). See COLOSSIANS 3: 11 - 12; 1 PETER 2: 9. NOTE: (italic - mine) scriptural quotation scriptural paraphrase CopyrightⒸ 2023 by Joseph E. Mahabir (B.A Hons. (York University), M.Ed. (University of Toronto), Divinity M. A, (magna cum laude), (Regent University, Virginia Beach, VA). " Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright c 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers." JEHOVAH WITNESSES "Jehovah's Witnesses believe God, Jehovah, is the supreme God and Jesus Christ is his agent for reconciling sinners to God. The Holy Spirit is not a spirit but the active force of God on earth. Witnesses also believe they are living in the final days before Christ's presence will establish the kingdom of God on earth." Jehovah's witnesses please read the following and learn from the Scriptures, the inspired word of God. Each person will have to account for rejecting the truth of Scripture.
ONE GOD REVEALED IN THREE PERSONS
Scripture declares that there is one God. "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one" (Deut. 6: 4). But He is revealed in three persons - God the Father (Matt. 3: 17; John 17: 24), God the Son (Jesus Christ) (John 1: 18; John 3: 16) and God the Holy Spirit (Gen. 1: 2; John 14: 26; Acts 16: 6 - 7; 2 Cor. 1: 22; Eph. 4: 30).
GOD THE FATHER
God spoke from heaven, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased" (Matt. 3: 17). God has not been seen by anyone. But Jesus has made him known. Jesus is seated at his right hand (John 1: 18). When Jesus was on the cross, he cried out to his Father. "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me" (Matt. 27: 46)? Jesus said to the Jewish people, you are desirous of killing me, but I have told you the truth that I heard from my Father (John 8: 40). God the Father is supreme, he is the only one in the universe who knows when this age will end. Jesus said: "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father" (Mark 13: 32).
GOD THE SON
Jesus, the Son of God (Luke 1: 31 - 35), is identified with God the only Son (John 1: 17 - 18). The "son" is called "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace" (Isa. 9: 6). The "Word" is God and Jesus is the "Word". "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1: 1). Jesus said: I always do what my Father commands me to do (John 14: 31). He tells us plainly: " ... for the Father is greater than I" (John 14: 28).
GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT
The Holy Spirit has been shown to be the Spirit of God the Father (2 Cor. 1: 21 - 22) and the Spirit of Jesus (Acts 16: 6 - 7; Eph. 1: 13). Peter said to Ananias: " ... how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit ... (Acts 5: 3). "You have not lied to men but to God" (Acts 5: 4). The Holy Spirit is the third person of the "trinity". The Holy Spirit is God.
"THE TRINITY" The word trinity is not found in the Scriptures but the concept is. At the baptism of Jesus, we observe the Spirit of God (the Holy Spirit) and God the Father (Matt. 3: 16 - 17). All three persons of the Godhead were mentioned. Other contexts are (Gen. 1: 1 - 2; Luke 1: 26 - 36; Matt. 28 - 19; John 14: 26; John 16: 7 - 11; Gal. 4: 4 - 6; Titus 3: 4 - 6). God is not only a trinity, He is a unity. In each of the three persons dwell the other two (Deut. 6: 4; John 14: 7, 10). The Spirit of God is the Holy Spirit (2 Cor. 1: 21 - 22). The Spirit of Jesus is the Holy Spirit (Acts 16: 6 - 7). God is also a plurality - "Let us make man in our image" (Gen. 1: 26). (see Gen. 3: 22; Gen. 11: 7; Isa. 6: 8). When Jesus returns on the day of judgment, he will gather all nations before him. The righteous will go into eternal life and the unrighteous into eternal punishment (Matt. 25: 31 - 46). And God will establish his eternal kingdom in the Holy City, the new Jerusalem (Rev. 11: 15 - 18; Rev. 21: 1 - 7).
NOTE: (italic - mine) scriptural quotation scriptural paraphrase concepts held by Jehovah's witnesses
CopyrightⒸ 2000 by Joseph E. Mahabir (B.A Hons. (York University), M.Ed. (University of Toronto), Divinity M. A, ( magna cum laude), (Regent University, Virginia Beach, VA).
" Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright c 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers." PLEASE VISIT MY BLOG AND VIDEOS
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Name: Joseph Mahabir
