Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10 beta 3/9/83; site sdcrdcf.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!akgua!sdcsvax!sdcrdcf!glenn
From: glenn@sdcrdcf.UUCP (Glenn C. Scott)
Newsgroups: net.religion
Subject: Re: Christ: A mere man, liar, or the Son of God?
Message-ID: <1093@sdcrdcf.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 19-May-84 17:48:29 EDT
Article-I.D.: sdcrdcf.1093
Posted: Sat May 19 17:48:29 1984
Date-Received: Mon, 21-May-84 03:33:59 EDT
References: <7438@decwrl.UUCP>
Organization: System Development Corporation, Santa Monica
Lines: 60


Currently there are basically three views as to who Christ was.

	1.) That he was a goog man (and nothing else).
	2.) That he was a good man but, also a "poached egg".
	    He was a liar.
	3.) He was who he claimed to be. God incarnate.

	I hold the latter view in that Christ was the Son of God. What does
the evidence show? 

* Jesus said that He was the Son of God.

	Throughout the bible we find Jesus making claims about who He was.
     One all-important question He put to His disciples was that "Who do
     people say the Son of Man is?"  they replied, "Some say that you are 
     John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or
     one of the prophets."
       "But what about you?" He asked.
     "Who do you say I am?"
       Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living
     God."
       Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of jonah, for this was
     not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven..."

      So we see here in Matthew 16 that Christ allowed his disciples to
      call Him the Son of God. He did not rebuke Peter. On the contrary,
      He commended him.

      On another occasion He said, "I and the Father are one."  Immediat-
      ely the Jews wanted to stone Him.  He asked them for which good work
      they wanted to kill Him.  They replied, "For a good work we stone
      Thee not; but for blasphemy and because that Thou, being a man,
      makest Thyself God" (john 10:30-33).

      Throughtout the Bible we see attributes which only God has. One of
      these is in the area of forgivness of sins. One case in point is 
      when Jesus healed a paralytic that was lowered down through a roof
      and placed at His feet; He said, "Son, thy sins be forgiven thee."
      The scribes didn't like this and thought (said) in their heart, "Why
      does this man thus speak blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God
      only?"  Jesus knowing their thoughts replied, "Whether it is easier
      say to the sick of the palsy, 'Thy sins be forgiven thee,' or to
      say, 'Arise, and take your bed and walk'?" Basiclly Jesus claimed
      that He had the power to forgive sins.

  So close was His connection with God that He equated a man's attitude to
Himself with the man's attitude to God. Thus,to know Him was to know God
(john 8:19; 14:7).  To see Him was to see God (John 12:45; 14:9). To believe
in Him was to believe in God (John 12:44; 14:1).  To receive Him was to 
receive God ( Mark 9:37). To hate Him was to hate God ( John 15:23 ). And
to honor Him was to honor God ( John 5:23).

In closing I will include a portion of a song by Lamb:

     Who will you blame 
     Should you parish in eternal flame?

     Accept Him now 
     Before its too late.