Topical Bible: Christ is God: As the Object of Faith

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The doctrine that Christ is God and serves as the object of faith is a central tenet of Christian theology, deeply rooted in Scripture. This belief asserts that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is fully divine and worthy of worship, trust, and devotion. The New Testament provides numerous passages that affirm the deity of Christ and His role as the object of faith for believers.

Divine Nature of Christ

The Gospel of John opens with a profound declaration of Christ's divine nature: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1). This passage identifies Jesus as the "Word" (Logos), affirming His preexistence and oneness with God. Further, John 1:14 states, "The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us," emphasizing the incarnation of the divine Word in the person of Jesus Christ.

In Colossians 2:9, the Apostle Paul writes, "For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity dwells in bodily form." This verse underscores the complete and undiminished deity of Christ, affirming that He embodies the fullness of God.

Christ as the Object of Faith

The New Testament consistently presents Christ as the central object of faith. In John 14:1, Jesus Himself instructs His disciples, "Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in Me." Here, Jesus places belief in Himself on the same level as belief in God, indicating His divine status and the necessity of faith in Him.

Acts 16:31 records the apostolic proclamation, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household." This statement by Paul and Silas to the Philippian jailer highlights the essential role of faith in Christ for salvation.

Worship and Devotion to Christ

The New Testament also depicts Christ as the rightful recipient of worship and devotion, further affirming His deity. In Matthew 14:33, after Jesus walks on water and calms the storm, "those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, 'Truly You are the Son of God.'" This act of worship by the disciples acknowledges Jesus' divine authority and identity.

In Revelation 5:12-13, a heavenly scene unfolds where countless beings proclaim, "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing!" The Lamb, a title for Christ, is worshiped alongside God the Father, signifying His divine status and worthiness of worship.

Faith in Christ for Eternal Life

The promise of eternal life is intricately linked to faith in Christ. John 3:16, one of the most well-known verses in the Bible, declares, "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." This verse encapsulates the gospel message, emphasizing belief in Christ as the pathway to eternal life.

In John 11:25-26, Jesus proclaims, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me will live, even though he dies. And everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die." Here, Jesus identifies Himself as the source of resurrection and life, inviting faith in Him as the means to overcome death.

Conclusion

The New Testament consistently affirms the deity of Christ and His role as the object of faith. Through His divine nature, His rightful place as the recipient of worship, and His promise of eternal life to those who believe, Jesus Christ stands as the central figure of Christian faith and devotion.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Psalm 2:12
Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

1 Peter 2:6
Why also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believes on him shall not be confounded.
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Jeremiah 17:5,7
Thus said the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusts in man, and makes flesh his arm, and whose heart departs from the LORD.
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John 14:1
Let not your heart be troubled: you believe in God, believe also in me.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

On Faith in God and Christ
... The object of faith is not only the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, but
likewise Christ himself who is here constituted by God the author of salvation ...
/.../arminius/the works of james arminius vol 2/disputation xliv on faith in.htm

On the Justification of Man as a Sinner, but yet a Believer ...
... 9. Or, which is the same thing, Is the object about which God is occupied ... an elect
person, unrighteous indeed in himself but righteous in Christ his head ...
/.../arminius/the works of james arminius vol 2/on the justification of man.htm

On the Object of the Christian Religion: And, First, About God ...
... Christian religion is that towards which the faith and worship of a religious man
ought to tend. This object is God and his Christ " God principally, Christ ...
/.../arminius/the works of james arminius vol 2/disputation xiv on the object.htm

On the Worship of God in General
... V. The object is the same as that of the whole of religion, and of the first part
of it, which is faith; and this object is God and Christ, in which the same ...
/.../arminius/the works of james arminius vol 2/disputation lxvii on the worship.htm

Faith and Righteousness
... of His word, and here it is God's word as to the future. Our faith has to do with
the future, but also with the past. Its object is Christ, the historic Christ ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/faith and righteousness.htm

Miracles Alone, Without Prophecy, an Insufficient Evidence of ...
... This, therefore, is the unavoidable inference, that neither your god nor your Christ
is an object of faith, because God ought not to have been unknown, and ...
/.../the five books against marcion/chapter iii miracles alone without prophecy.htm

God's Covenant with Abram
... Whether God speaks promises, teachings of truth, or commandments, faith ... Christ is
revealed to us for our faith by ... This same thought of the true object of faith ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/gods covenant with abram.htm

On the Christian Religion, with Regard to the Matter Generally
... may and ought to be performed to the object. (3.) The very act of faith and worship,
and the method of each, according to the command of God and Christ. ...
/.../the works of james arminius vol 2/disputation xiii on the christian.htm

Faith in the Sacred Scriptures.
... as tho He had saving faith like every child of God. ... refers only to the sinner, and
that Christ in the garments of the Sacred Scripture is its only object. ...
/.../kuyper/the work of the holy spirit/xxxvii faith in the sacred.htm

Justification
... Christ and his obedience are the object of our faith, but not the object of
justification or divine imputation, as if God imputes Christ and his righteousness ...
/.../arminius/the works of james arminius vol 2/justification.htm