The simple answer is yes, Jesus Christ is God in bodily form.  "For in Christ all the fulness of deity lives in bodily form." (Col. 2:9)  But truly knowing this isn't as simple as being told by another person.  As the Lord Jesus said, "'No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day.  It is written in the Prophets: 'They will all be taught by God'. Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from Him comes to me.'" (John 6:45)  Those who are called by God are taught by His Holy Spirit.   

 

This is what the prophet Isaiah said about the Lord Jesus - “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6)

So Isaiah said that the Lord Jesus would be called both Mighty God and the Everlasting Father, but the JW's deny this by saying, 'he's not the almighty God, only a mighty god.'  

 

The JW's try to put God into a box that conforms to human understanding, because they have been recruited and taught by men.   They can't accept correction, because anything that contradicts their teaching challenges their very identity, so they simply strive to prove that they are right.  But no amount of human endeavour or study can substitute for hearing the voice of God.

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"When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, 'Who do people say the Son of Man is?'  They replied, "Some say 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’.” (Matt. 16:16-17).  It's clear that when Jesus walked the earth, there was a lot of speculation among the Jews about who He was.  But Peter simply declared the truth.

 

The Lord Jesus didn't compliment Peter for his insight or intellect, nor did He praise Peter for his extensive study.  Jesus credited Peter’s answer to hearing the voice of God.  

 

Truly recognising the Lord Jesus Christ is a gift from God.  This is why Jesus said, “this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven”  (Matt.16:17)  This is how it is for all of us.  As we read above, "Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from Him comes to me."  

  

The Pharisees (just like the JW's) were a very proud religious group, who did not understand the Lord's teaching.  He said to them, "You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life.  These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life." (John 5:39-40). The pharisees knew Scripture, but they didn't understand it, because understanding comes from the Holy Spirit!   

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"This is what we speak, not in words taught by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.  The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned." ( 1 Cor. 2:13-14)

Jesus is God.  This is a spiritual truth.  The JW's deny it because they cannot understand it, and openly declare it to be foolishness. 

 

Scripture clearly tells us that there is only one God and that we should worship Him alone.  "There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all." (Ephesians 4:4-6) 

So there is only one God and Father of all, yet as we read above (Isaiah 9:6), the Lord Jesus is called both Mighty God and the Everlasting Father.  This is what Jesus explained plainly to His apostles, “If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well.  From now on, you do know Him and have seen Him.” (John 14:7).  This is foolishness to the JW's. 

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Ironically, this is where the JW's arguments contradict their own teaching, because they claim that Jehovah ('the almighty God') and Jesus ('the mighty god') are completely separate.  So they actually have two Gods! 

 

Again, what the the JW's fail to understand is the significance of the change of covenant.  This is what Isaiah was pointing to in the passage quoted earlier. 

 

There are many instances where Old Testament verses which contained the name "Jehovah" are quoted by the Lord Jesus and His apostles.  However, the Lord Jesus and His apostles didn't use the name "Jehovah" in their quotes.  Instead, they used the term "Lord" or "God".

 

For example, when the Lord Jesus had an encounter with Satan -  "Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendour.  'All this I will give you' he said, 'if you bow down and worship me.'  Jesus said to him, 'Away from me Satan!  For it is written: Worship the Lord and serve Him only.'" (Matthew 4:8-10)  Once again, the JW's have inserted the name "Jehovah" into this passage in place of "the Lord", but the original Greek word is 'kyrios' - meaning "Lord" (it is a title, not a name).

 

The passage quoted here by the Lord Jesus is Deuteronomy 6:13.  I'm going to quote Young's literal translation to make a point, because Young's literal translation uses the name "Jehovah".  It says, "Jehovah thy God thou dost fear, and Him thou dost serve, and by His name thou dost swear;" (Deut. 6:13 YLT)  However, in Matthew 4:10, when the Lord Jesus quotes this verse , it says, "Then saith Jesus to him, `Go -- Adversary, for it hath been written, The Lord thy God thou shalt bow to, and Him only thou shalt serve.'" (Matthew 4:10 YLT).  The original verse (Deut 6:13) contains the name "Jehovah" but when the Lord Jesus quoted this verse in Matthew 4:10, He used the title "Lord".  This change - from the name "Jehovah" to the title "Lord" was made by the Lord Jesus Himself (not by the translator). 

 

In their ignorance, the JW's have chosen to change it back to the old covenant rendering of "Jehovah".  Their version of Matthew 4:9-10 is; “‘all this I will give you, if you bow down and worship me.’ Jesus said to him, "Go away Satan.  For it is written, 'It is Jehovah your God you must worship, and it is to him alone you are to render sacred service." (Matthew 4:10 - NWT Watchtower Bible and Tract Society) 

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The J.W’s have inserted the name ‘Jehovah’ into this passage.  It does not belong there!  This is not simply an alternate translation; the J.W’s have deliberately added the name ‘Jehovah’ to this passage to back up their own doctrines.  

 

However, regardless of the version, it is still made abundantly clear that God alone deserves worship. So what happens when worship is offered to Jesus?  This is what happened when Peter sank into the water and the Lord Jesus reached out His hand to save him:  “And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down.  Then those who were in the boat worshipped him, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God’.” (Matt. 14:32-33)  Jesus did not correct them or tell them to stop. 

 

Jesus told the people how God must be worshipped.  (I am quoting the J.W’s own version here, to make a point)  He said,  “Nevertheless, the hour is coming, and it is now, when the true worshippers will worship the Father with spirit and truth, for indeed, the Father is looking for ones like these to worship him. God is a Spirit, and those worshipping him must worship with spirit and truth.”  (John 4:23-24, the new world translation of the Holy Scriptures, watchtower bible and tract society Pennsylvania, source JW.org).

  

The original Greek word used for “worship” here (also in Matt. 4:9-10) is ‘proskyneo’.  The word ‘proskyneo’ (or the variant ‘proskynetes’) appears five times in this short passage, and in each case, the J.W’s have translated it as ‘worship', or ‘worshippers’, or ‘worshipping’.   However, when the same word appears in regard to the worship of the Lord Jesus, they have changed their translation to ‘do obeisance to him'.   Are they being consistent?  Are they even being genuine?

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I would rather not get bogged down in translations of Greek words because it can be distracting.  I have simply shown this discrepancy to make a point.  The JW's version of the Bible is not consistent and, therefore, cannot be trusted. 

 

But if we take out the words ‘worship’ and ‘obeisance’, and simply look at the act itself - the act of bowing down to another in reverence, we get a clear picture of what we are being told, without the distraction of the translation argument.

 

Once again, Young’s Literal Translation presents Matt. 4:9-10 as follows “All these to thee I will give if falling down thou mayst bow to me.’  Then saith Jesus to him, ‘Go – Adversary, for it hath been written.  The Lord thy God thou shalt bow to, and Him only thou shalt serve.” (Matt. 4:10, Young's Literal Translation of the Holy Bible, Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, Michigan)   This verse tells us that the act of bowing down in reverence is reserved for God alone.   Satan is only an angel, and the Lord Jesus refused to bow to him.  He said, “The Lord thy God thou shalt bow to”.

 

Whether it is called, “worship” or ’obeisance’ becomes irrelevant.  It is the act itself, and the motivation behind it that are important.  When this kind of reverence is offered to men or angels in the New Testament, it is rejected!

"Then the angel said to me, 'Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!' And he added, 'These are the true words of God.'  At this I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, 'Do not do it!  I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God!  For it is the Spirit of prophecy who bears testimony to Jesus.'" (Rev. 19:9-10)

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"As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in reverence.  But Peter made him get up. 'Stand up,' he said, 'I am only a man myself.'” (Acts 10:25-26)

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When the apostle John fell at the feet of an angel, he was told, "Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers." 

And when Cornelius fell at Peter's feet in reverence, he was told, "Stand up, I am only a man myself."

 

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           JESUS ACCEPTS WORSHIP!

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It is made clear throughout Scripture, we should worship God alone. Yet it is also made clear that the Lord Jesus accepts and expects worship.  For those who accept Him as He truly is - God in the flesh, this isn't a problem.  But for the JW's, it creates a dilemma: 

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"When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as though dead. Then He placed His right hand on me and said: 'Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last.  I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.'" (Rev. 1:17-18) 

 

The apostle John fell at the feet of the Lord Jesus, and he was simply told, "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last."   

 

Throughout His ministry on earth, the Lord Jesus readily accepted this kind of reverence and worship:

 

“Jesus said, ‘You have seen Him; in fact, He is the one speaking with you.’  Then the man said, ‘Lord, I do believe,’ and he worshipped Him.” (John 9:37-38).  When this man believed Jesus, he worshipped Him; as do all who believe, from the very beginning of the New Testament.  

 

 "After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, 'Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?  We saw His star when it rose and have come to worship Him.'” (Matt. 2:1-2)

 

"On coming to the house, they saw the child with His mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh." (Matt. 2:11)

 

"Suddenly Jesus met them. 'Greetings,' He said. They came to Him, clasped His feet and worshipped Him.  Then Jesus said to them, 'Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.'” (Matt. 28:9-10)​   

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The JW's openly declare that the Lord Jesus is not God, and should not receive worship.

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However, when He was called God by His apostle Thomas, the Lord Jesus did not correct him.

"A week later His disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them.  Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, 'Peace be with you!'  Then He said to Thomas, 'Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.'  Thomas said to him, 'My Lord and my God!'  Then Jesus told him, 'Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.'” (John 20:26-28)

Thomas wasn't corrected. He was simply credited with believing.  This is what the JW's fail to do.  Instead of believing the Scriptures, they change them to suit their own ideas.

 

Those who believe, worship Him:  "Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go.  When they saw Him, they worshipped Him." (Matthew 28:16-17)

 

“While He was blessing them, He left them and was taken up into heaven.  Then they worshipped Him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy.” (Luke 24:51-52)

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We are clearly told that the Lord Jesus is above the angels.  In fact, angels worship and serve Him!

 

 "For to which of the angels did God ever say,

 'You are my Son; today I have become your Father?' 

 Or again, 'I will be his Father,
    and He will be my Son'?

 And again, when God brings His firstborn into the world, He says,

 'Let all God’s angels worship Him.'

 In speaking of the angels He says,

 'He makes his angels spirits,
    and His servants flames of fire.'”  (Hebrews 1:5-7) 

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It's clear that Jesus is separate from the angels; it says, 'Let all God’s angels worship Him.'

 

In all the examples above, the original Greek word for "worship" is the same word used in Matthew 4:10 - "Worship the Lord and serve Him only." 

 

it is written,

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 "Therefore God exalted him to the highest place

    and gave him the name that is above every name,

 

that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,

    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

 

and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,

    to the glory of God the Father.   (Philippians 2:9-11)

   

             

           

            JESUS IS THE CREATOR

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God created the universe in which we live.  He created time and gravity and all the laws of physics that constrain the natural order of things.  The human logic with which the JW's try to explain God, is also constrained by these things.  Yet God Himself is not constrained by them.  He is beyond earthly constraints and human understanding. 

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“Oh, the depth and riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!

  How unsearchable His judgements and His paths beyond tracing out!

  Who has known the mind of the Lord?

  Or who has been His counselor?

  Who has ever given to God that God should repay him?

  For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things.

  To him be glory for ever! Amen” (Rom. 11:33-36).

 

Over and over, Scripture tells us that the Lord Jesus is the creator.  

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We are told at the beginning of John's gospel, “In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God and the Word was God.  He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made; without Him, nothing was made that has been made” (John 1:1-3).   

 

So Jesus is God - the creator.  It says, "and the Word was God."  The Word (the Son) was there in the beginning and nothing was created without Him:  "Without Him, nothing was made that has been made."  

 

But again the JW's deny this by saying, 'he is not God - he is only a god'.  To back up their own doctrines, they have changed their own version of the Bible to read; "and the word was a god", instead of "and the Word was God." 

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The JW's claim that the Lord Jesus is a creation, merely an angel, but even their own version of the Bible says, "All things came into existence through him, and apart from him, not even one thing came into existence." (John 1:3, New World translation of the Holy Scriptures - watchtower Bible and tract society) 

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If all things came into existence (were created) through Him.   Without Christ, there would be nothing!  He is the creator.  This is not an isolated thought.  It is consistent throughout the New Testament: 

 

"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.  For by Him all things were created; things in heaven and things on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by Him and for Him.  He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.  And He is the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything, He might have supremacy.  For God was pleased to have all His fulness dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile Himself to all things". (Col. 1:15-20)  (Of course, the JW's have made substantial changes to this passage in their own version of the Bible.).  

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Hebrews 1:10-12 says of the Lord Jesus: "

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“In the beginning, O Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth,
   and the heavens are the work of your hands.
They will perish, but you remain;
   they will all wear out like a garment.

 You will roll them up like a robe;
   like a garment they will be changed.
But you remain the same,
   and your years will never end.” (Hebrews 1:10-12)

 

So the credit for creation is given to both God the Son (as above) and God the Father.

 

Through Him are all things.  Scripture is consistent.  “In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God and the Word was God."  This simply means that the Father and the Son are one.  And this is what we are consistently told in Scripture. 

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    JESUS IS THE FACE OF GOD (GOD IN THE FLESH)

 

Jesus said to Thomas, “If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well.  From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” (John 14:7).  Again, I have to emphasise that recognising Christ is a gift from God, without His calling, this is all just theory.   

 

A case in point is a man who was healed of both physical and spiritual blindness.  In the early verses of John 9, the man is healed of his physical blindness.  Then;

"Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when He found him, He said, 'Do you believe in the Son of Man?'  'Who is he, sir?' the man asked. 'Tell me so that I may believe in him.'  Jesus said, 'You have now seen Him; in fact, He is the one speaking with you.'

 Then the man said, 'Lord, I believe,' and he worshipped Him." (John 9:35-38)

 

His eyes were opened firstly to the world, so that he could see.  Then Jesus also opened his eyes to the truth of who He was, and when the man believed, he worshipped Him.  Those who do not believe will simply continue to make excuses and arguments against the truth, which is exactly what the JW's do. 

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For example; during a conversation with a JW, I quoted Colossians 1:15 - "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation."  'He is the image of the invisible God', I said, 'He is how God shows Himself to us in bodily form.'   The JW argued against this, saying, 'That just means he's like his dad.  It's like when some one says, 'he's the spitting image'.'  This is what the JW's do over and over.  They try to explain God within a human framework.  Of course, it's not uncommon for children to look like their parents, or for a boy to be 'the spitting image' of his dad.  But God doesn't fit into a this human framework.  God is invisible!  It is not possible to 'look like' someone who is invisible! 

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John 1:14 it says “The Word became flesh and dwelled among us”.  He was not flesh in the beginning but He “became flesh” for our benefit, because no human can see God in His true form, so He appeared as a man that we might know Him. 

Paul continued to explain this in his letter to the church at Colosse; “For in Christ, the fulness of the deity lives in bodily form.” (Col. 2:9)

Then, “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness’, has made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.” (2 Cor. 4:6)

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He presented himself to us as flesh, because no one can see God in his true form and live.  We are told in Exodus, “The Lord would speak to Moses face to face as a man would speak to his friend.” (Ex. 33:11) Yet God said to Moses, “You cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live”. (Exodus 33:20)   

How was it possible for Moses to speak to God “face to face”, if no one can see God’s face and live?  This is impossible for the JW's to explain, so they simply deny it by claiming that it is only figurative language. 

 

But we should look to Scripture for answers to such questions, rather than depending on human logic. 

When God appeared to Moses and others in the Old Testament, He was in the form of a man (or an angel), so that they could see Him and still live.  This is why it says that Moses “saw Him who is invisible” (Heb. 11:27), Moses saw the Christ;      

 

As the Lord Jesus said to His apostles, “He who has seen me, has seen the Father” (John 14:9)

God has shown himself to chosen witnesses in bodily form; that bodily form is “the Christ”.  

 

We are clearly told in “No one has ever seen God, but the only begotten Son, who is at the Father’s side, has made Him known”.  (John 1:18)  Once again, this scripture is very difficult for the J.W’s.  

It tells us that God has only ever been made known through the Son.  

However, when He appears in bodily form in the Old Testament, He is referred to as "God" or “Jehovah”.  This completely contradicts J.W. doctrine, so they simply deny that the Old Testament appearances took place.  (This is covered in much greater detail in the next chapter)

 

​God is not limited by the doctrines or rules of men, or by our lack of understanding.  He appears to us how he chooses to appear to us.

We will see in the following pages, that in some Old Testament scriptures, when God appears in bodily form, He is referred to at first as the “Angel of God” or the “Angel of Jehovah”, but then, He is simply recognised as “God” or “Jehovah”.  The word “angel” refers to his appearance (the bodily form in which he appeared).

In the same way, the Lord Jesus is referred to as “the man Jesus Christ” (1 Tim. 2:5), but He was also recognised as “the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matt. 16:16).  The word “man” refers to the bodily form in which he appeared.  As it is written,  “The Word became flesh and dwelled among us." 

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          THERE IS ONLY ONE SAVIOUR

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​We are told that there is only one Saviour.  This is consistent in throughout Scripture.  During the reign of the old covenant, Israel were told that their only Saviour was God Himself (Jehovah). 

"For I am the Lord your God (Jehovah), the Holy one of Israel, your Saviour;" (Isaiah 43:3)

"I, even I, am the Lord (Jehovah), and apart from me there is no saviour." (Isaiah 43:11. See also Isaiah 60:16 and Hosea 13:4). 

 

But the old covenant is no longer in force, and now, people from all nations have been told that they can call on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ as the Saviour.  Again; for those who accept the truth about who the Lord Jesus is, this isn't a problem, because we know that the God came in the form of a man, to give us redemption from our sins. The Lord Jesus is declared to be both God and Saviour!  This change of covenant, and the way God has revealed Himself to mankind is made clear throughout the New Testament. 

 

"The people of Israel.  Theirs is the adoption as sons; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises.  Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all, forever praised!  Amen."  (Romans 9:4-5)  

 

""For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.  It teaches us to say 'No' to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope - the glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for Himself a people that are His very own, eager to do what is good." (Titus 2:11-14)

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Again; reading this is easy, but knowing this is a gift from God.  The revelation of who Christ is, and the joy of knowing His salvation are revealed to us by the Holy Spirit.  Joining an organisation created by men cannot do these things.  Endless study does not substitute for hearing His voice.

    

“Oh, the depth and riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!

  How unsearchable His judgements and His paths beyond tracing out!

  Who has known the mind of the Lord?

  Or who has been His counselor?

  Who has ever given to God that God should repay him?

  For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things.

  To him be glory for ever! Amen” (Rom. 11:33-36)

 

None of us understand God fully!  But this does not give us licence to create a 'god' that suits our own ideas.  God does not fit into any box that we create for Him. He is God and He is unfathomable.  However, it is promised that one day, His faithful will know him fully. 

 “For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.”  (1 Cor. 13:12).  It says “we shall see face to face”; This will happen when the Lord Jesus returns to judge mankind.

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