Part 3 of my study on 1 John chapter 4

1 John 4:14-15 (KJV)

14And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.15Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.

This is one of the most overlooked scriptures in all of Christendom especially the Seventh-day Adventist General Conference churches. John the beloved says that Him and the other Apostles saw with their own eyes and testify that the Father sent His Son to be the Saviour of the world. This was the eye witness testimony of the apostles. Again, this takes us back to the apostles doctrine of the Father and Son. John doesn't say that the Almighty God sent another Almighty God to be the Saviour of the world but instead he says that He and the apostles saw with their own eyes and testify that the Father sent His Son. This passage proves that the Father did indeed have a Son to send as the sending of the Son preceeded the Son being the Saviour of the world. This proves Jehoshua's pre existence and that His pre-existent identity was as the Son of God.

This clearly refutes the false teaching that Jesus Sonship began at Bethlehem and that in His pre-existence He was God Almighty. This is huge error as the scripture here, as testified by John and the other Apostles, is that Jesus was the Son of God before being sent to the world to be it's Saviour. This proves that the Father-Son relationship between Jehovah and Jehoshua is indeed literal and very real and was in place before The Son of God's earthly birth. To say otherwise is calling the testimony of John and the apostles a lie! Do we really want to go there? For those that take this route, you may have John and the Apostles rise up against you in the day of judgment.

Unlike theologians and many Pastor's who play word games, the Apostles spoke bold clearly truth. Let's look at the definition of the word "testify"

The word "testify" comes from the Greek word "martureo" (Strongs 3140) and means "to be a witness, i.e. testify (literally or figuratively): - charge, give (evidence), bear record, have, (obtain of) good (honest) report, be well reported of,  testify, give (have) testimony, (be, bear, give, obtain) witness.

Do you see how much of a serious charge it is, to say that what John and the apostles declare about the Father-Son relationship is only a metaphor?

The word testify has a heavy and weighty meaning. There is no room here for metaphor's. The Apostles are bearing record of what they saw. According to the definition of testify, they are giving charge that the Father-Son relationship is literal and that Jehoshua is the Son of God in a literal way and that He is pre-existent and the Saviour of the world.

Their testifying is an honest report of this Father-Son truth that the Apostles built their teaching around. This testifying is similar to being a witness in the court of law excepting that this has much weightier implications. The witness of the apostles has eternal implications. If the giving a false witness in an earthly court of law is a punishable offence, how much more punishable would it be by giving a false witness about God Almighty?

The apostles are giving evidence (testify) of the Father-Son relationship between Jehovah and Jehoshua and the pre existent Sonship of the Messiah. They are witnesses of this beautiful truth of the literal begotten Sonship of Messiah.

Let's look back at some of the declarations of the Apostles concerning the Father-Son relationship of Jehovah and Jehoshua.

Matthew 16:13-17 (KJV)

13When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?14And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.15He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?16And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.17And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

Jehoshua blessed and affirmed the Apostle Peter's statement of faith concerning the literal Sonship of Messiah.  It was the Father that revealed this to Peter.

John 1:47-49 (KJV)

47Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!48Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.49Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.

Take note of this, Jesus said that Nathaniel was an Israelite that had no guile in his mouth. What came out of Nathaniel's mouth after Jesus said this?

"Rabbi, thou art the Son of God, thou art the King of Israel."

Brethren, don't you want to be told this by Jesus, that you have no guile in your mouth?

Then you must make the same confession as Nathaniel and really mean it as a literal reality and not a metaphor. You must confess and truly believe that Jehoshua is the Son of God and the King of Israel.

To believe that Nathaniel meant this as some type of metaphor or role play isn't being honest and it is doing violence to the text.

The word guile comes from the Greek word "dolos" (Strongs 3188) and means "a trick, craft, deceit, guile, subtilty."

Many,of today's theologians and Pastor's in the Seventh-day Adventist General Conference churches are using guile, trickery, deceit and craft when they try to say that the Sonship of Christ isn't literal and only a metaphor, or that the Father-Son relationship isn't to be taken literal. Would Jehoshua tell these Sonship deniers that they have no guile in their mouths?

By Jehoshua telling Nathaniel that he had no guile in his mouth and Nathaniel then making his statement of faith that Jehoshua is the Son of God, means that Nathaniel's declaration of the Messiah's Sonship is absolutely 100 percent literal with no alternative possibility of a metaphorical meaning.

Let's have no guile in our mouth like Nathaniel and confess in our hearts and with our mouths that indeed Jehoshua is the Son of God!!

John 20:31 (KJV)

31But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.

John the beloved wants us to know that these things about the life of Messiah were recorded so that we know that Jehoshua is the Son of God. He says that when we believe that Jehoshua is the Son of God that we will have life through His name (identity, authority and character) which is inherently connected to His Sonship.

Acts 3:13 (KJV)

13The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go.

Paul says that God glorified His Son Jehoshua. This is in regards to the resurrection. This means that God is the Father and Jehoshua is His Son denoting possession, meaning that Jehoshua belongs to the Father. This shows us that they have a real Father-Son relationship. This was no role play my friends.

Colossians 1:12-13 (KJV)

12Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:13Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:

The Almighty Father Jehovah translated us upon our new birth experience into the Kingdom of His dear Son. Again, the Father-Son relationship is highlighted and the terms of endearment "His dear Son" could only be talking about a real Father-Son relationship between Jehovah and Jehoshua. It also denotes the intimacy between the Father and Son. They are one in every way excepting their being.

Acts 8:35-38 (KJV)

35Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.36And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?37And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.38And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.

Philip preached Jehoshua to the Ethiopian eunuch. We can safely conclude that Philip preached that Jehoshua was the Son of God to the eunuch as the enuch had seemingly not heard of Jehoshua due to his statement in verse 34. After asking the Ethiopian whether or not he believed with all his heart to prove himself acceptable for baptism, the enuch made the confession that Jehoshua is the Son of God. Philip knew who Jehoshua was and preached that He was the Son of God.

Brethren, take inventory of your faith and your evangelizing. Are you preaching the doctrine of the Apostles or are you preaching another "Jesus"?

Matthew 3:16-17 (KJV)

16And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:17And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

Matthew the Apostle records the baptism of Jehoshua and the Father's declaration that Jehoshua is His beloved Son in whom He is well pleased.

Matthew 1425-33 (KJV)

25And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.26And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.27But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.28And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.29And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.30But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.31And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?32And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.33Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.

This passage above is very noteworthy. Jehoshua rebuked Peter for doubting. What was Peter in doubt of? He obviously doubted that Messiah would grant him to walk on the water without sinking. However, there seems to be a deeper doubt that gave birth to Peter's lack of confidence in being able to walk on water. What was this doubt? We don't know for sure but we are given a strong indication by the following declaration of the Apostles upon the wind ceasing and the ship settling. Let's read the confession of the apostles upon seeing all this:

"Of a truth thou art the Son of God"

Right before this they worshipped Jehoshua. What was their worship of Jehoshua based on? Clearly from reading their statement of faith concerning the Sonship of Messiah, it was just that, Jehoshua's Sonship!!!

Can we now put to rest the satanic SDA GC Trinity doctrine that denies the literal Sonship of Messiah and the literal Father-Son relationship between Jehovah and Jehoshua?

1 John 4:15 (KJV)

Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him and he in God."

I have highlighted various instances of people confessing that Jehoshua was the Son of God. When we make this confession we recieve the Spirit of God (Holy Spirit) as this is how the Father dwells in us. Not only that but we dwell in the Father as He carries us in his mind (Spirit), we are in His bosom (heart).

John 16:27 (KJV)

27 For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God.

This verse goes hand in hand with the confession that Jehoshua is the Son of God. Look at what the Messiah tells His disciples, that the Father loves them because they believe in Jehoshua's literal begotten Sonship i.e. "have believed that I came out from God"

The phrase "came out" comes from the greek word "exerchomai" (Strongs 1831) and means "go out, depart, go forth, to come forth from physically, arise from, to be born of, of those who are expelled or cast out, to go forth from one's power, to flow forth from the body, emitted as from the heart or mouth, to emanate, issue, used of a sudden flash of lightning."

Jehoshua is commending the disciples because they believed that He (Jehoshua) literally came forth, emitted from, flowed from and was born of the Father's substance.
When believe as the disciples, that Jehoshua literally emanated from the Father's substance then we can know that the Father loves us for our belief.

There are so many mockers today in Christendom that make fun of the belief that Jehoshua was literally born of the Father's substance. They may be in for a rude awakening!!
In verse 28 of John 16, Jehoshua reiterates that He came out (emitted, emanated, issued, born, flowed) from the Father.

"I came forth from the Father, and come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father."

When we harmonize the various passages of Jehoshua being begotten from the Father, this emanation of Him from the Father's substance was prior to the creation of all things hence Jehoshua is the firstborn of all creation:

Colossians 1:15 (KJV)
15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
Jehoshua is the firstborn of all creation. Jehoshua wasn't created but rather He was born i.e. begotten from the Father.

The phrase "firstborn" comes from the greek word "prototokos" (strongs 4416) and means "firstborn, first begotten"

A pretty straight forward meaning that theologians and pastor's have over-spiritualized and twisted. By taking this meaning of firstborn literally we stay harmony with the rest of scripture that says Jehoshua was begotten from the Father. By over-spiritualizing it, you make none effect of God's word and His testimony that Jehoshua is His only begotten Son.

One has to ask how can Jehoshua be the very image of God if He isn't of the same substance and wasn't literally born from Him. Not only is Jehoshua the image of God, Holy scripture declares that he is the express image of God (Hebrews 1:3). This is why the Father can refer to His Son as God (Hebrews 1:8).

The phrase "express image" comes from the greek word "charakter" (strongs 5481) and means "express image, the exact expression (image) of any person or thing