Topical Bible: Christ is God: Saints Live to Him As God

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Topical Encyclopedia

The doctrine that Christ is God is a central tenet of Christian theology, affirming the divinity of Jesus Christ and His co-equality with God the Father. This belief is foundational to the understanding of the nature of God and the relationship between the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit within the Holy Trinity. The saints, or believers, live their lives in devotion to Christ as God, acknowledging His divine authority and lordship.

Biblical Affirmation of Christ's Divinity

The New Testament provides numerous affirmations of Christ's divinity. In the Gospel of John, Jesus is explicitly identified as God: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1). This passage establishes the pre-existence and divine nature of Christ, the Word made flesh (John 1:14).

The Apostle Paul also affirms the deity of Christ in his epistles. In Colossians, he writes, "For in Him all the fullness of the Deity dwells in bodily form" (Colossians 2:9). This statement underscores the complete and undiminished deity of Christ, who embodies the fullness of God.

Worship and Devotion to Christ as God

The saints, recognizing Christ's divine nature, live in worship and devotion to Him. The Book of Revelation depicts scenes of heavenly worship where Christ is honored alongside God the Father. In Revelation 5:12-13, the heavenly hosts proclaim, "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing!" . This worship is directed to Christ as God, acknowledging His sacrificial role and divine authority.

The Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Philippians, emphasizes the exaltation of Christ and the call for every believer to live in submission to His lordship: "Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name above all names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth" (Philippians 2:9-10). This passage highlights the universal recognition of Christ's divine authority and the call for believers to live in obedience to Him.

Living to Christ as God

The life of a saint is characterized by living to Christ as God, which involves a commitment to His teachings and a life of holiness. In Romans 14:8, Paul writes, "If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord" . This verse encapsulates the believer's dedication to Christ, acknowledging His sovereignty over life and death.

The call to live to Christ as God is also reflected in the Great Commission, where Jesus commands His followers to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19). This commission underscores the authority of Christ and the believer's responsibility to live in accordance with His divine mandate.

Conclusion

The recognition of Christ as God is integral to the Christian faith, shaping the worship, devotion, and daily lives of the saints. Through scriptural affirmations and the lived experience of believers, the divinity of Christ is celebrated and revered, guiding the faithful in their journey of faith and obedience.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Romans 6:11
Likewise reckon you also yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Galatians 2:19
For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live to God.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

2 Corinthians 5:15
And that he died for all, that they which live should not from now on live to themselves, but to him which died for them, and rose again.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

What the Difference is Between Christ and the Saints.
... Moreover there is between Him and all the saints the same difference that there
is between a dwelling and one ... You say that God dwells in Christ as in a ...
/.../cassian/the seven books of john cassian /chapter iv what the difference.htm

Union and Communion with God the End and Design of the Gospel
... While the saints are not wholly one, uni tertio, they ... Consider this, I beseech you
Christ's union with the Father ... the foundation of our union to God, and our ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/lecture ii union and communion.htm

Saints and Faithful
... They were 'saints in Christ Jesus,' though they were 'saints in Ephesus ... It is possible
for us to keep ourselves in the love of God, and in the fellowship ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture ephesians peter/saints and faithful.htm

Of Divers Gifts of God's Chosen: and How Saints Come to Love in ...
... OF DIVERS GIFTS OF GOD'S CHOSEN: AND HOW SAINTS COME TO ... that which forsooth ilk holy
lover of God hates. ... And Christ's lovers cease not to cut away all obstacles ...
//christianbookshelf.org/rolle/the fire of love/chapter vi of divers gifts.htm

My Creed Leads Me to Think that Prayer is Efficacious...
... because of the prayers of the past; a man can live holier because ... The prayers of
God's saints are the capital stock in heaven by which Christ carries on ...
//christianbookshelf.org/bounds/purpose in prayer/chapter i my creed leads.htm

How no one is Righteous or Can Truly be Said to Live in Comparison ...
... To them the light of the saints will shine ... immortality." [4709] No living being besides
God has life ... Even Christ did not share the Father's immortality; for He ...
/.../origen/origens commentary on the gospel of john/11 how no one is.htm

God's Inheritance in the Saints
... inheritance belongs, and can only belong to, 'the saints.' So, then ... faith is the
means of union with Christ, by and ... You cannot have heaven unless you have God. ...
/.../gods inheritance in the saints.htm

The Communion of Saints.
... as Christians, that is, as belonging to Christ, enjoy "The ... of misunderstanding is
the idea that "the Saints" mean only ... have attained by the grace of God such a ...
/.../burbidge/the kingdom of heaven what is it/chapter x the communion of.htm

The Communion of Saints.
... in the Holy Spirit, who does not live apart from ... one result: that there is in all
God's saints but one ... in all who love the appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ. ...
/.../kuyper/the work of the holy spirit/xxv the communion of saints.htm

Fenelon -- the Saints Converse with God
... THE SAINTS CONVERSE WITH GOD. ... hearts, all others, however pious they may be, can
not please God. ... not be attributed to insincerity in his zeal for Jesus Christ. ...
/.../various/the worlds great sermons vol 2/fenelon the saints converse.htm