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Grounded-In-Biblical-Truth | |
Sovereign Grace Doctrines
Concerning 'THE GOSPEL' - JESUS CHRIST
CHRIST AS THE EVERLASTING GOD
GENESIS 21:33
GOOD NEWS FROM THE REDEEMER
DANIEL E. PARKS, PASTOR
JULY 3, 1999 - RADIO MESSAGE #274
Abraham, patriarch of the Christian faith, when making a covenant with his neighbor Abimelech, “called on the name of the LORD, the Everlasting God” (Genesis 21:33). In the Hebrew text in which the Old Testament was written, the name “LORD” is Jehovah, emphasizing God’s self-existence (as in Exodus 3:14).
And the name “Everlasting God” is El Olam, emphasizing His eternal existence. The self-existing Jehovah therefore has neither beginning nor ending of existence, and is thereby distinguished from all other “deities.”
This name Everlasting God belongs to Christ! Proofs?
1. The name Everlasting God belongs to Jehovah alone -- and Christ is Jehovah! Christ asserts this truth when He declares “I and My Father are one” -- two persons of one indivisible substance (John 10:30). What is true of the one (apart from what Christ experienced in His incarnation) is therefore true of the other. Jehovah the Father Himself asserts this truth when He ascribes to Christ the sovereignty and righteousness and immutability which are His alone (Psalm 45:6f & 102:25-27 / Hebrews 1:8-12). The Father therefore requires “that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father” (John 5:23). Jehovah is the Everlasting God, and Christ is Jehovah! Christ is therefore the Everlasting God!
2. Christ’s existence had no beginning. Micah the prophet (c.700 BC) prophesied the birth of Christ in Bethlehem and in the same breath declared “[His] goings forth have been from old, from everlasting” (Micah 5:2). That is, the birth of Christ was the beginning of His incarnation and assumption of humanity, but not the beginning of His existence. His existence is from eternity. Many other texts affirm this truth. John the apostle identifies Christ as “That which was from the beginning” (1 John 1:1). John amplifies this truth by affirming “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
He was in the beginning with God” (John 1:1f). Paul the apostle declares “He is before all things” (Colossians 1:17). Christ Himself, in His high-priestly prayer to His Father at the conclusion of His earthly ministry, prays, “And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was” (John 17:5; see also v.24).
3. Christ is the “Everlasting Father” (Isaiah 9:6). The term “Father” here designates the relationship of Christ to His people: He is their Father and they are His children. The term “Everlasting” identifies the extent in time to which the relationship extends, as being throughout eternity.
4. Christ identifies Himself as “the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last” (Revelation 1:8,11,17f; 2:8; 21:6; 22:13). “Alpha” is the beginning of the Greek alphabet (with which the New Testament was written), as it is its first letter. “Omega” is the end of that alphabet, as it is its last letter. These two letters therefore enclose all the rest of the alphabet. Since Christ is the “Alpha,” His existence extends back throughout eternity past. Since Christ is the “Omega,” His existence extends forward throughout eternity future. Since Christ is both “the Alpha and the Omega” -- “the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last” -- His existence is boundless and encloses all time and eternity.
5. Christ is “the true God and eternal life” (1 John 5:20; also v.11). With His Father Christ shares deity and eternity, being co-eternal and co-equal with Him. Christ is the Everlasting God. Here is good news for believers in Christ. Christ is their God. And Christ is eternal. Christ is therefore their El Olam, “Everlasting God.” They therefore sing to Him, “LORD, You have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever You had formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God” (Psalm 90:1f). And they declare of Him, “Doubtless You are our Father .... You, O LORD, are our Father; our Redeemer from Everlasting is Your name” (Isaiah 63:16). Do you?
Your servant for Jesus' sake.
Address all questions to pastor
Daniel E. Parks (2 Corinthians 4:5) e-mail RedeemerBC@aol.com
Pastor, Redeemer Baptist Church
2801 Cleveland Boulevard, Louisville, KY 40206 / 502.899-9205
