Article 8. Christ The Mediator Series

ARTICLE 8. CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. 1 TIM 2:5.

THE 9TH ARTICLE OF THE BAPTIST CONFESSION OF FAITH TELLS US THAT CHRIST IS OUR MEDIATOR.

I AM SURE YOU ARE ALL AWARE OF WHAT A MEDIATOR IS WE SEE IT SO OFTEN IN SITUATIONS WHERE THERE ARE DISPUTES WHETHER IT IS BETWEEN NATIONS – FAMILIES - COMMERCIAL BUSINESSES - MEDIATOR LITERARY MEANS “A GO – BETWEEN.”

AND IS USED IN TWO WAYS IN THE NT....

(A) ONE WHO MEDIATES BETWEEN TWO PARTIES IN ORDER TO BRING PEACE AS IN 1TIM 2: 5FOR THERE IS ONE GOD AND ONE MEDIATOR BETWEEN GOD AND MEN, THE MAN CHRIST JESUS.

FOR THE SALVATION OF MEN AND WOMEN MUCH MORE IS IN VIEW HERE OF THE MEDIATOR THAN BEING A MERE GO BETWEEN OUR MEDIATOR NEEDED TO BE FULLY DIVINE AND FULLY HUMAN (SIN APART) ONLY IN THIS WAY COULD HE (1) COMPREHEND THE CLAIMS OF ONE (GOD) (2) AND THE NEEDS OF THE OTHER (HUMAN). IN OFFERING HIMSELF IN THIS WAY AS A SINLESS SACRIFICE HE FULFILLED THE REQUIREMENTS OF ONE AND ON BEHALF OF THE OTHER SECURED A BETTER AND NEW COVENANT WHICH BROUGHT HUMANITY BACK INTO RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.

(B) JESUS ACTS AS A GUARANTEE SO TO SECURE SOMETHING WHICH OTHERWISE WOULD NOT BE OBTAINED AS IN HEB 8: 6BUT THE MINISTRY JESUS HAS RECEIVED IS AS SUPERIOR TO THEIRS AS THE COVENANT OF WHICH HE IS MEDIATOR IS SUPERIOR TO THE OLD ONE, AND IT IS FOUNDED ON BETTER PROMISES. 9:15, 12:24. ALL THESE VERSES POINT TO CHRIST AS BEING OUR SURETY/GUARANTEE OF THE NEW AND BETTER COVENANT , GUARANTEEING TERMS TO HIS PEOPLE.

SERMON MESSAGE: 1TIM 2: 5FOR THERE IS ONE GOD AND ONE MEDIATOR BETWEEN GOD AND MEN, THE MAN CHRIST JESUS.

1. HERE WE SEE EXCLUSIVITY IN REGARD TO GOD (FOR THERE IS ONE GOD AND ONE MEDIATOR )

CHRISTIANITY IS A MONOTHEISTIC (GREEK WORD – ONLY) RELIGION, IT CLAIMS EXCLUSIVITY WHEN IT COMES TO GOD ALL OTHER GODS ARE MERE IDOLS (MANUFACTURED) THE CENTRAL TEACHING OF THE OT DEUT 6:4. HEAR O ISRAEL: THE LORD OUR GOD, THE LORD IS ONE. IN THE NT GOD FURTHER REVEALED HIMSELF AS BEING TRIUNE IN NATURE SO IN CHRISTIANITY HE IS BOTH MONOTHEISTIC AND TRINITARIAN (JESUS ONENESS WITH THE FATHER IS EXPLICIT (JOHN 1:1) AND JESUS HIMSELF CLAIMED DIVINITY ( JOHN 10: 30- 33.) OF COURSE THERE ARE OTHER RELIGIONS WHICH TOO CLAIM EXCLUSIVITY IN THE GOD STAKES FOR INSTANCE ISLAM CLAIMS ONE GOD AND OTHER RELIGIONS HAVE A PLETHORA OF GODS LIKE HINDUISM , HERE WE KNOW THEY MUST BE IDOLS, BUT WHAT ABOUT RELIGIONS WHO CLAIM EXCLUSIVITY.

WE NEED TO ASK THE QUESTION AMONGST THE MONOTHEISTIC RELIGIONS LIKE ISLAM AND CHRISTIANITY ARE THESE TWO ONE OF THE SAME GOD OR IS SOMEBODY WRONG SOMEWHERE? THIS CAN PROVE TO BE A CONCERN FOR MANY........ WHO IS RIGHT AFTER ALL? IF THERE IS ONLY ONE GOD BOTH CAN’T BE RIGHT?

WE NEED TO BE VERY CAREFUL TODAY WITH PEOPLE WHO SAY SOMETHING LIKE THIS......

• “THERE ARE MANY RELIGIONS IN THE WORLD AND THERE ARE MANY WAYS TO GOD. SOME CALL GOD BY THE NAME ‘ALLAH’ AND OTHERS BY THE NAME ‘JEHOVAH’ AND OTHERS BY MANY OTHER NAMES, BUT THERE IS ONLY ONE GOD, REGARDLESS OF HOW HE IS ADDRESSED. ALL RELIGIONS HAVE THE SAME GOAL, NAMELY, TO GET TO GOD, AND IT DOESN’T SO MUCH MATTER WHAT A PERSON BELIEVES, AS LONG AS HE IS SINCERE AND BELIEVES HE IS DOING RIGHT IN HIS HEART. EVENTUALLY WE WILL ALL END UP IN THE SAME PLACE.”

BUT IF SINCERITY IS ALL WE NEED TO GET TO GOD? 9/11 AND 7/7 MUST OF DAMAGED THAT NOTION. BECAUSE THOSE 9/11 HIJACKERS 7/7 BOMBERS WERE ALL SINCERE IN WHAT THEY WERE DOING WAS FOR ALLAH, THEY WERE DEDICATED TO THE POINT OF SACRIFICING THEIR LIVES. OTHERS MIGHT CALL THEM EXTREME TERROSITS, BUT THEY BELIEVED THEY WERE FAITHFUL TO THE TEACHING OF MUHAMMAD AS SET FORTH IN THE KORAN AND OTHERS CALL THEM MARTYRS FOR THE CAUSE OF ISLAM.

SO THE NEXT TIME SOMEONE SAYS TO YOU IT DOESN’T MATTER WHAT YOU BELIEVE AS LONG AS YOUR SINCERE DON’T BELIEVE IT BECAUSE ITS CRUCIAL, MANY PEOPLE CAN BE SINCERE BUT THEY CAN BE SINCERELY WRONG, TO BELIEVE THE RIGHT THING MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE.

THE WONDERFUL TRUTH ABOUT OUR GOD IS THAT HE IS THE ONE TRUE GOD. 1TIM 2:4. HE DESIRES ALL PEOPLE TO BE SAVED AND COME TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUTH.

TRUTH IS IMPORTANT TO GOD - THE LAW OF SELF CONTRADICTION IS TWO ANTITHETICAL PROPOSITIONS CANNOT BOTH BE TRUE AT THE SAME TIME AND IN THE SAME SENSE.

MEASURE THAT UP WITH THE GOD OF CHRISTIANITY AND ALLAH OF ISLAM. COMPARISON - THE NATURE OF GOD CHRISTIANITY - JEHOVAH AND ISLAM - ALLAH