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THE SIGNIFICANCE OF GOD’S

NAME

BR. MARTTIN GREYFORD PHIRI


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FOR DARLINGTON DAKA

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Significance of God’s Name
2. God’s Power
3. God’s Authority
4. God’s manifested Presence
5. The identity of Jesus.

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APPRECIATION
I thank God for gift of writing He has bestowed on me and for inspiring me to write this book.
My wife Leah Nyirenda.
Darlington Daka for your support and help. Thank you and God bless you.
Rev. Lucas Ogwa for having inspired me with every content in this book.
My friends and family.

ALL SCRIPTURE QUOTATIONS ARE FROM KING JAMES VERSION UNLESS INDICATED

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PREFACE
If you know the name of God, you know God. Knowing Him by name will allow you to come to
Him bodily and into His presence and He’ll come and hear you quickly because you address Him
by name. In several circumstances, we call upon God by titles and maybe think He’s not hearing
us. He hears our every prayer and cry we make unto Him; He only wants us to address Him by
His name and knowing someone by name will make him answer us fast whenever you call upon
him.
Throughout the Bible, God is addressed with many titles in regard to what He has done for the
children of Israel. In the Old Testament, we see Abraham calling Him Jehovah Jireh because he
provided a lamp when he (Abraham) wanted to sacrifice his son as instructed by God. On
another occasion, God is called ‘Shalom’ because of the peace He gave the children of Israel. He
is called differently pertaining to what He did for Israel. There are several titles of God in the
Bible, but it is good and necessary to know His Name and address Him by His Name.
The Bible contains various names for God, each of which represents a unique way through
which God reveals Himself to humanity. These names are not just mere titles or labels, but they
are a reflection of God's character and nature. By studying the names of God in the Bible, we
gain insights into who God is and how He relates to us. Some of the names and titles of God
are:
1. EL, ELOAH: God "mighty, strong, prominent"
Nehemiah 9:17
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And refused to obey, neither were mindful of thy wonders that thou didst among
them; but hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to
their bondage: but thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger,
and of great kindness, and forsookest them not.

Psalm 139:19
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Surely, thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: depart from me therefore, ye bloody men.
El appears to mean “power” and “might.”
Genesis 31:29
29
It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt: but the God of your father spake unto me
yesternight, saying, take thou heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.

El is associated with other qualities, such as integrity.


Numbers 23:19
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God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent:
hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?

jealousy

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Deuteronomy 5:9
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Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am
a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and
fourth generation of them that hate me

and compassion
Nehemiah 9:31
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Nevertheless for thy great mercies' sake thou didst not utterly consume them, nor
forsake them; for thou art a gracious and merciful God.

but the root idea of “might” remains.


2. ELOHIM: God “Creator, Mighty and Strong”

Genesis 17:7
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And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their
generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after
thee.

Jeremiah 31:33
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But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days,
saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will
be their God, and they shall be my people.

The plural form of Eloah. Being plural, Elohim which accommodates the doctrine of the Trinity.
From the Bible’s first sentence, the superlative nature of God’s power is evident as God
(Elohim) speaks the world into existence.
Genesis 1:1
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In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

The word used for God here is Elohim – the supreme God, the powerful God. It is a plural word
used as a singular to refer to Majesty and by implication, the Triune God. The heavens and the
earth were created by the supreme and powerful God who is creative. Creation did not happen
by chance. It was brought forth by the creator. There is beauty, purpose and design in all
creation. The fall & sin has marred the beauty, purpose and design but, creation itself will be
redeemed from the fall.

3. EL SHADDAI: “God Almighty,” “The Mighty One of Jacob”


Genesis 49:24
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But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the
hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel:

Psalm 132:2,5
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How he sware unto the LORD, and vowed unto the mighty God of Jacob;
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Until I find out a place for the LORD, an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob.

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-speaks to God’s ultimate power over all. The Almighty, the bountiful, the all-sufficient one.
After God’s promise of a heir in Genesis 15, Abram heeds Sarai’s counsel regarding Hagar in
Genesis 16 and Abram was 86 years old when Ismael was born. God visits Abram when he was
99 years old and introduces Himself as the all-sufficient one, reminds him about His promise
and re-names Abram to Abraham and Sarai to Sarah.
Genesis 18:14
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Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee,
according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.

The bountiful, all-sufficient One – He is sufficient for all our needs, even in the face of what
seems to be contrary to all natural circumstances.

4. ADONAI: “Lord”

Genesis 15:2
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And Abram said, LORD God, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the
steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus?

Judges 6:15
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And he said unto him, oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is
poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house.

– used in place of YHWH, which was thought by the Jews to be too sacred to be uttered by
sinful men. In the Old Testament, YHWH is more often used in God’s dealings with His people,
while Adonai is used more when He deals with the Gentiles.

5. YHWH / YAHWEH / JEHOVAH: “LORD”


Deuteronomy 6:4
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Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:

Daniel 9:14
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Therefore hath the LORD watched upon the evil, and brought it upon us: for
the LORD our God is righteous in all his works which he doeth: for we obeyed not his
voice.
– strictly speaking, the only proper name for God. Translated in English Bibles “LORD” (all
capitals) to distinguish it from Adonai, “Lord.” The revelation of the name is given to Moses “I
Am who I Am.”
Exodus 3:14
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And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the
children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.

This name specifies an immediacy, a presence. Yahweh is present, accessible, near to those
who call on Him for deliverance,

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Psalm 107:13
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Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them out of their
distresses.

Forgiveness,
Psalm 25:11
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For thy name's sake, O LORD, pardon mine iniquity; for it is great.

and guidance.
Psalm 31:3
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For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore, for thy name's sake lead me, and guide
me.
6. YAHWEH-JIREH: "The Lord Will Provide."

Genesis 22:14
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And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah Jireh: as it is said to this day, In
the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.

– the name memorialized by Abraham when God provided the ram to be sacrificed in place of
Isaac. We observe that Genesis 22:5, 8 are declarations of faith that Abraham makes. The Lord
is our provider. He is a generous giver. Psalm 23:1 - The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

7. YAHWEH-RAPHA: "The Lord Who Heals."

Exodus 15:26
26
And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do
that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his
statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the
Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.

– “I am Jehovah who heals you” both in body and soul. In body, by preserving from and curing
diseases, and in soul, by pardoning iniquities. The Lord took the Israelites through the Red Sea.
They were in the wilderness of Shur for 3 days without water and came to Marah but were
disappointed as the waters were bitter. We read in Vs. 25 that upon obeying the instruction of
the Lord, the bitter waters were made sweet. He further instructs the Israelites in Vs. 26 and
reveals Himself as the Lord who heals. The Lord, in His instructions, is inviting us to walk in
divine health. This invitation to walk in divine health is connected to walking in fellowship with
the healer. Let Jehovah Rapha lead us in paths of divine health as we walk with Him – heed His
voice, give ear to his commands, keep His statutes, and do what is right.

8. YAHWEH-NISSI: "The Lord Our Banner"

Exodus 17:15
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And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovahnissi:

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where banner is understood to be a rallying place. This name commemorates the desert victory
over the Amalekites in Exodus 17. The Lord will give us His supernatural strategies and lead us
into victory. Do not be afraid of the battle.” Receive wisdom and strategies through His Word
by His Spirit. May the Lord be your banner of victory as He leads you.

9. YAHWEH-M'KADDESH: "The Lord Who Sanctifies, Makes Holy"


Leviticus 20:8
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And ye shall keep my statutes, and do them: I am the LORD which sanctify you.

Ezekiel 37:28
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And the heathen shall know that I the LORD do sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary shall
be in the midst of them for evermore.

– God makes it clear that He alone, not the law, can cleanse His people and make them holy.

10. YAHWEH-SHALOM: "The Lord Our Peace"


Judges 6:24
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Then Gideon built an altar there unto the LORD, and called it Jehovah Shalom: unto this
day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

– the name given by Gideon to the altar he built after the Angel of the Lord assured him, he
would not die as he thought he would after seeing Him. Shalom – health, prosperity, peace,
safety, well-being, rest. In the face of sickness, poverty, confusion, danger, restlessness, the
Lord Himself is our Shalom. The Lord promises Gideon that He will be with him. The Lord
declares to Gideon ‘Shalom be with you’ The Shalom of God enabled Gideon to overlook his
past, discard his old identity and move forward into God’s assignment for him to be one of the
Judges of Israel.

11. YAHWEH-ELOHIM: "LORD God"


Genesis 2:4
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These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in
the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens,

Psalm 59:5
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Thou therefore, O LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel, awake to visit all the heathen:
be not merciful to any wicked transgressors. Selah.

– a combination of God’s unique name YHWH and the generic word for “God” signifying that He
is the Lord who is God.
12. YAHWEH-TSIDKENU: "The Lord Our Righteousness”

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Jeremiah 33:16
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In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and this is the
name wherewith she shall be called, The LORD our righteousness.

– As with YHWH-M’Kaddesh, it is God alone who provides righteousness (from the Hebrew
word tsidkenu) to man, ultimately in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ, who became sin for us
“that we might become the Righteousness of God in Him” - 2 Corinthians 5:21.

13. YAHWEH-ROHI: "The Lord Our Shepherd"


Psalm 23:1
1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

– After David pondered his relationship as a shepherd to his sheep, he realized that was exactly
the relationship God had with him, and so he declares, “The LORD is my shepherd [Yahweh-
Rohi]; I shall not want.” In Psalm 23, we see that: The shepherd leads, restores, cares,
accompanies, provides nourishment and rest, anoints, so that we don’t lack any good thing and
we can declare that His goodness and mercy comes after us. In vs. 6 the word ‘follow’ is from
the Hebrew Radaph, which is also translated chase, hunt. This is the psalmist’s declaration -
that goodness and mercy will chase and hunt him down as he is led by the Shepherd

14. YAHWEH-SHAMMAH: "The Lord Is There”


Ezekiel 48:35
35
It was round about eighteen thousand measures: and the name of the city from that
day shall be, The LORD is there.

– the name ascribed to Jerusalem and the Temple there, indicating that the once-departed
glory of the Lord had returned
Ezekiel 44:1-4
1 Then he brought me back the way of the gate of the outward sanctuary which looketh
toward the east; and it was shut.
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Then said the LORD unto me; This gate shall be shut, it shall not be opened, and no man
shall enter in by it; because the LORD, the God of Israel, hath entered in by it, therefore it
shall be shut.
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It is for the prince; the prince, he shall sit in it to eat bread before the LORD; he shall
enter by the way of the porch of that gate, and shall go out by the way of the same.
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Then brought he me the way of the north gate before the house: and I looked, and,
behold, the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD: and I fell upon my face.

15. 6755YAHWEH-SABAOTH: "The Lord of Hosts"

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Isaiah 1:24

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Therefore saith the LORD, the LORD of hosts, the mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will ease me
of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies:

Psalm 46:7
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The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.
– Hosts means “hordes,” both of angels and of men. He is Lord of the host of heaven and of the
inhabitants of the earth, of Jews and Gentiles, of rich and poor, master and slave. The name is
expressive of the majesty, power, and authority of God and shows that He is able to accomplish
what He determines to do.

16. EL ELYON: “Most High"


Deuteronomy 26:19
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And to make thee high above all nations which he hath made, in praise, and in name,
and in honour; and that thou mayest be an holy people unto the LORD thy God, as he
hath spoken.

– derived from the Hebrew root for “go up” or “ascend,” so the implication is of that which is
the very highest. El Elyon denotes exaltation and speaks of absolute right to lordship.

17. EL ROI: "God of Seeing"


Genesis 16:13
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And she called the name of the LORD that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she
said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me?

– the name ascribed to God by Hagar, alone and desperate in the wilderness after being driven
out by Sarah. When Hagar met the Angel of the Lord, she realized she had seen God Himself in
a theophany. She also realized that El Roi saw her in her distress and testified that He is a God
who lives and sees all.

18. EL-OLAM: "Everlasting God"


Psalm 90:1-3
1 LORD, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations.
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Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the
world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.
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Thou turnest man to destruction; and sayest, Return, ye children of men.

– God’s nature is without beginning or end, free from all constraints of time, and He contains
within Himself the very cause of time itself. “From everlasting to everlasting, You are God”

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19. EL-GIBHOR: “Mighty God”
Isaiah 9:6
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For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon
his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The
everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

– the name describing the Messiah, Christ Jesus, in this prophetic portion of Isaiah. As a
powerful and mighty warrior, the Messiah, the Mighty God, will accomplish the destruction of
God’s enemies and rule with a rod of iron.
Revelation 19:15
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And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations:
and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness
and wrath of Almighty God.

God said through the Prophet Isaiah saying;


Isaiah 52:6
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Therefore my people shall know my name: therefore they shall know in that day that I
am he that doth speak: behold, it is I.

God revealed unto us that name when Christ came here on earth. In
John 17:26
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And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith
thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.
Christ gave us the name of God in Him.

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1. SIGNIFICANCE OF GOD’S NAME

Parents today usually choose a name for their child because they like the sound of that name or
perhaps because they wish to honor someone who bears that name. Often, they do not know
the original meaning of the name they have chosen.
In biblical thought, a name is not a mere label of identification, it is an expression of essential
nature of its bearer; that is personality. A man’s name reveals his character. The name in the
Old Testament is the essence of personality. The expression of innermost being.
In most cases, here in Africa we give names to children without first knowing the character of
the person who first had the name. And at some point, we give names of our forefathers and in
the cause of time the characters of the person who bore the name are now seen in the child. As
long as it sounds good to our ears, that’s fine. A name carries a lot of influence and authority in
a person’s life.
God placed great significance upon names. He changed the name of Abram (father of many)
Genesis 17:5
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Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a
father of many nations have I made thee.

After Jacob wrestled with God, his name was changed from Jacob (heel catcher, grabber or
supplanted) to Israel (the one who contend with God).
In the New Testament Simon became Peter, Saul became Paul. So let us be careful when giving
our children names.
God’s name pointing to the incarnation, as promised that one day His people would know
plainly, and He expressed this truth by.
Isaiah 52:6.
“Therefore, my people shall know my name, therefore they shall know in that day that I
am He that doth speak, behold it is I.”
When Jesus reigns over the earth in the millennium the earth of God’s oneness will be apparent
to all and His essential oneness is represented by His name.
Zechariah 14:9
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And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and
his name one.

In
Leviticus 24:11, 15;
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And the Israelitish woman's son blasphemed the name of the Lord, and cursed. And
they brought him unto Moses: (and his mother's name was Shelomith, the daughter of
Dibri, of the tribe of Dan:)

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And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, Whosoever curseth his God
shall bear his sin.

a man was executed under the law for blaspheming the name or in other words “God”.
"The Name" stands for the whole manifestation of God in His relation to His people, or simply
for the person, so that it becomes synonymous with God. This usage is due to the fact that in
oriental thought a name was never regarded as a mere vocable (a word composed of various
sounds or letters without regard to its meaning), but as an expression of the nature of the thing
designated. To know the name of a person was to have power over him, and the names of the
various gods were used in incantations to exercise power over them. In the most general sense
of the word, then, the name of God is His self-revelation. It is a designation of Him, not as He
exists in the depths of His divine Being, but as He reveals Himself especially in His relations to
man. For us the one general name of God is split up into many names, expressive of the many-
sided Being of God. It is only because God has revealed Himself in His name, that we can now
designate Him by that name in various forms. The names of God are not of human invention,
but of divine origin, though they are all borrowed from human language, and derived from
human and earthly relations.
The names of God seems to be difficult for human thought. God is the Incomprehensible One,
infinitely exalted above all that is temporal; but in His Name He descends to all that is finite and
becomes like unto man. On the one hand we cannot name Him, and on the other hand He has
many names. How can this be explained? On what grounds are these names applied to the
infinite and Incomprehensible God? It should be borne in mind that they are not of man's
invention, and do not testify to his insight but into the very Being of God. They are given by God
Himself with the assurance that they contain in a measure a revelation of the Divine Being. This
was made possible by the fact that the world and all its relations is and was meant to be a
revelation of God. Because the Incomprehensible One revealed Himself in His creatures, it is
possible for man to name Him after the fashion of a creature.
In order to make Himself known to man, God had to condescend to the level of man, to
accommodate Himself to the limited and finite human consciousness, and to speak in human
language. If the naming of God with (described or thought of as having a human form or human
attributes) names involves a limitation of God, as some say, then this must be true to an even
greater degree of the revelation of God in creation. Then the world does not reveal, but rather
conceals, God; then man is not related to God, but simply forms an antithesis to Him; and then
we are shut up to a hopeless agnosticism. From what was said about the name of God in
general it follows that we can include under the names of God not only the appellatives by
which He is indicated as an independent personal Being and by which He is addressed, but also
the attributes of God; and then not merely the attributes of the Divine Being in general, but
also those that qualify the separate Persons of the Trinity.
Many passages in both testaments admonish us to fear, love, bless, praise and thank God
himself.

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Deuteronomy 28:58
58
If thou wilt not observe to do all the words of this law that are written in this book, that
thou mayest fear this glorious and fearful name, THE LORD THY GOD;

Psalms 5:11, 54:6, 96:2


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But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because
thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.

Psalms 54:6
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I will freely sacrifice unto thee: I will praise thy name, O LORD; for it is good.

Psalms 96:2
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Sing unto the LORD, bless his name; shew forth his salvation from day to day.

Revelation 11:18
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And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they
should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets,
and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy
them which destroy the earth.

It is interesting to note that certain standards, criteria or social norms are followed in giving
names – be it parents naming their children (different cultures follow different norms) or be it
in any fields like chemistry, biology, etc.. We see that in the Bible, the name given to an
individual was quite significant. It described the character and potential of that person. Abram –
exalted father. When a person’s name was changed by God, it literally changed the course of a
person’s life - bringing in a change of potential and destiny. Abraham – father of a multitude.
So, we see that God re-named individuals to:
1) Show them how He actually saw them.
2) Reveal their true potential and character which they may or may not know.
3) Change the way they looked at themselves.
4) Change their course of life and destiny.
In the Bible we see many instances where God is introduced to man or God introduces Himself.
He is introduced each time with a name or He Himself says ‘I Am’ so and so. The Names of God
reveal the character, nature and attributes of God In other words, the Names of God reveal and
describe who He is and what He does.
The Lord Revealed in YHWH is the Lord Revealed in Yeshua (Jesus). The LORD who revealed
Himself as YHWH in the Old Testament is revealed as Yeshua (Jesus) in the New Testament.
Jesus shares the same attributes as YHWH and clearly claims to be YHWH. In John 8:56-59,
Jesus presents himself as the "I AM." When challenged by some Jewish leaders regarding His
claim of seeing Abraham (who lived some 2000 years earlier), Jesus replied, "Truly, truly, I say
to you, before Abraham was born, I AM." Those Jewish leaders understood that Jesus was
claiming to be YHWH. This is clearly established when they tried to stone Him to death for what
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they considered blasphemy under Jewish Law. In Romans 10:9, Paul declares, "if you confess
with your mouth Yeshua as LORD... you shall be saved." Immediately thereafter, in Romans
10:13, Paul backs up this declaration by quoting the Old Testament, "Whoever will call upon
the name of the LORD (YHWH) will be saved" (Joel 2:32). Calling on Yeshua (Jesus) as Lord is
the same as calling Him YHWH, because Yeshua (Jesus) is YHWH (LORD), the Messiah foretold
throughout the entire Old Testament.
Understanding God in all His fullness is impossible. In fact, Job 36:26 says that God is infinitely
beyond our understanding. However, does that mean we should avoid the subject all together?
No, because God has made many of His traits and attributes understandable. God has revealed
Himself to humanity through His book, the Bible. By reading and studying His book, we learn
who He is, how He responds, and how He revealed Himself to us.
Here are some highlights of God’s nature, as seen in the Bible:
• God is Spirit (John 4:24), exists everywhere (Psalm 139:7-12), and knows
everything (Psalm 147:5).
• God exists in three Persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:16-17).
• God addresses Himself in parental terms, (i.e., Father).
• God is infinite (1 Timothy 1:17), unchanging (Malachi 3:6), and incomparable (2
Samuel 7:22).
Understanding God’s works is also an important part of understanding Him. God created the
world, and He sustains it. He is now fulfilling His eternal plan for the world and draws people to
faith in His Son. He will judge the world. Another key to understanding God a little more is a
study of His attributes. These characteristics, as revealed in the Bible, are crucial to
understanding the truth about God, who He is, what He is like, and what He does:
• Wisdom of God: God makes no mistakes. He is the Father who truly knows best
(Romans 11:33).
• Infinite God: God knows no boundaries. He is without measure (Hebrews 13:8).
• Sovereignty of God: God is in control of everything that happens (Isaiah 46:9-10).
• Holiness of God: There is absolutely no sin or evil thought in God at all (Exodus
15:11).
• Trinity: The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all called God, given worship as God,
exist eternally, and are involved in doing things only God could do (2 Corinthians
13:14).
• Omniscience of God: God knows everything, and His knowledge is infinite (Psalm
147:4-5).
• Faithfulness of God: Everything that God has promised will come to pass
(Deuteronomy 7:9).
• Love of God: God holds the well-being of others as His primary concern (1 John
4:8).
• Omnipotent God: God is all powerful (Ephesians 1:18-23).
• Self-Existent God: He has no beginning or end. He just exists (John 17:5).

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• Self-sufficiency of God: God has no needs and there is no way He can improve
(Colossians 1:15-20).
• God is Just: God is fair and impartial (Psalm 75:7).
• Immutability of God: God never changes (Numbers 23:19).
• Mercy: Mercy is the way God desires to relate to mankind, and He does so unless
the person chooses to despise or ignore Him at which time His justice becomes
the prominent attribute (Nehemiah 13:22).
• Eternal God: God always has been and will forever be because God dwells in
eternity (Psalm 90:2).
• Goodness of God: God, by nature, is inherently good (Psalm 34:8).
• God is Gracious: God enjoys giving great gifts to those who love Him, even when
they do not deserve it (Isaiah 30:18).
• Omnipresence of God: God is always present and knows no boundaries
(Jeremiah 23:23-24).
Another way of understanding God is to study the life of His Son, Jesus. Colossians 2:9 says,
“For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form.” In the Person of Jesus, God
became man and provided a way for us to have forgiveness of sin and eternal life with Him.
We have all sinned and deserve God's judgment. God, the Father, sent His only Son to satisfy
that judgment for those who believe in Him. Jesus, the creator and eternal Son of God, who
lived a sinless life, loves us so much that He died for our sins, taking the punishment that we
deserve, was buried, and rose from the dead according to the Bible. If you truly believe and
trust this in your heart, receiving Jesus alone as your Savior, declaring, "Jesus is Lord," you will
be saved from judgment and spend eternity with God in heaven.
The Name of God reveal the greatness of God. The Name of God reveal the power of God. The
Name of God reveal the love of God. The Name of God reveal the heart of God. The Name of
God reveal the holiness of God. The Name of God reveal the will of God. God’s revelation of
Himself through His names is an invitation from Him to us. An invitation to encounter and
experience that specific characteristic of Himself which He reveals through His Names. All the
characteristics of these names that I have mentioned are embodied in the person of the Lord
Jesus. The Name of Jesus is above every other name.

17
2. GOD’S POWER

God’s name reveals not only His character but also His power. God told Pharaoh through Moses
in Exodus 9:16, “And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to shew in thee
power, and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth.”
All nations saw the power of the God of Israel when He defeated the Egyptians, the mightiest
kingdom of the day. When people heard the name of Jehovah, they thought of Jehovah’s
Omnipotence.
Rahab, the prostitute, explained to the two spies; “We heard how the Lord dried up the water
of the red sea for you, when you came out of Egypt. For the Lord your God He is God in
heaven above and in the earth beneath.” Joshua 2:11.
In particular, God’s name represents His saving power. David prayed; “Save me O God by thy
name and judge me by thy strength” Psalms 54:1. Salvation is in the name of the Lord. (Joel
2:52, Acts 2:21) God will save those who love Him, call upon Him and know His name. (Psalms
91:14)
God promised Abraham and Sarah they would have a son through whose offspring the world
would be blessed. But there were problems, Abraham and Sarah were getting on in years, and
Sarah was barren. When God said she would be the mother of Abraham’s child, the child of the
promise, Sarah laughed. In response to her laughter, God spoke these words to Abraham; “And
the Lord asked Abraham, why did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I really bear a child when I am so
old?.........”
When God rescued the nation Israel from their bondage in Egypt, he led them into the
wilderness, where the ‘menu” was miraculous provision of manna. But the Israelites began to
grumble because they could not enjoy the variety of foods they had eaten in Egypt. God
promised to give this great company a duet of meat for an entire month. If the feeding of the
five thousand seems difficult, imagine feeding this huge congregation.
Moses had the same thoughts and expressed his concerns before God
Numbers 11:21-22
21
And Moses said, The people, among whom I am, are six hundred thousand footmen;
and thou hast said, I will give them flesh, that they may eat a whole month.
22
Shall the flocks and the herds be slain for them, to suffice them? or shall all the fish of
the sea be gathered together for them, to suffice them?

But God asked another question in response to Moses’, a question vitally important to every
Christian today;
Numbers 11:23
23
And the LORD said unto Moses, Is the LORD'S hand waxed short? thou shalt see now
whether my word shall come to pass unto thee or not.

18
The answer to this question is crucial and the answer of the bible is clear and unequivocal
Psalm 115:3
3
But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.

Jeremiah 32:17
17
Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power
and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee:

Matthew 19:26
26
But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God
all things are possible.

Isaiah 14:21-26
1
Prepare slaughter for his children for the iniquity of their fathers; that they do not rise,
nor possess the land, nor fill the face of the world with cities.
22
For I will rise up against them, saith the LORD of hosts, and cut off from Babylon the
name, and remnant, and son, and nephew, saith the LORD.
23
I will also make it a possession for the bittern, and pools of water: and I will sweep it
with the besom of destruction, saith the LORD of hosts.
24
The LORD of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass;
and as I have purposed, so shall it stand:
25
That I will break the Assyrian in my land, and upon my mountains tread him under
foot: then shall his yoke depart from off them, and his burden depart from off their
shoulders.
26
This is the purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth: and this is the hand that is
stretched out upon all the nations.

The earliest manifestation of God’s power is seen in the creation of the world in which we live.
Romans 1:20
20
For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being
understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that
they are without excuse:

Throughout scripture, the creation of the world is cited as a compelling testimony of the power
of God.
Psalm 19:1-6;
1
The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.
2
Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.
3
There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.
4
Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In
them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun,

19
5
Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to
run a race.
6
His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and
there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.

Psalms 33:6-12
6
By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath
of his mouth.
7
He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap: he layeth up the depth in
storehouses.
8
Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.
9
For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.
10
The LORD bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought: he maketh the devices of the
people of none effect.
11
The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.
12
Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for
his own inheritance.

In Psalm 33, the heavens testify to the existence of God and his attributes and thus proclaim His
glory. David continues the theme of creation’s proclamation of God’s character in psalm 33
where the power of God is highlighted. Verse 6 states the power of God in creating the world,
emphasizing that all this took lace by the mere speaking of a word
Genesis 1:3
3
And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

Hebrews 11:3
3
Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that
things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

2 Peter 3:5
5
For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old,
and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:

In verse 7, David indicate God not only created the heavens. He controls them - Psalm 18:1-19.
Psalm 18 praises god for His strength. Strength in which he can take refuge, David.
After having displayed His power at creation, God’s second great demonstration of power is
seen at the Exodus.
Exodus 5:1-2
1
And afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD God of
Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness.
2
And Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know
not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go.

20
Pharaoh’s disobedience was by divine design. While Pharaoh hardened his own heart, at the
same time God hardened his heart so that he would resist God, providing the occasion for
God’s power to be demonstrated to the Egyptians, the Israelites, and the surrounding nations
Exodus 7:3-5
3
And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of
Egypt.
4
But Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you, that I may lay my hand upon Egypt, and bring
forth mine armies, and my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great
judgments.
5
And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch forth mine hand upon
Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them.

Exodus 14:30-31
30
Thus the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw
the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore.
31
And Israel saw that great work which the LORD did upon the Egyptians: and the people
feared the LORD, and believed the LORD, and his servant Moses.

Exodus 15:11-16
11
Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness,
fearful in praises, doing wonders?
12
Thou stretchedst out thy right hand, the earth swallowed them.
13
Thou in thy mercy hast led forth the people which thou hast redeemed: thou hast
guided them in thy strength unto thy holy habitation.
14
The people shall hear, and be afraid: sorrow shall take hold on the inhabitants of
Palestina.
15
Then the dukes of Edom shall be amazed; the mighty men of Moab, trembling shall
take hold upon them; all the inhabitants of Canaan shall melt away.
16
Fear and dread shall fall upon them; by the greatness of thine arm they shall be as still
as a stone; till thy people pass over, O LORD, till the people pass over, which thou hast
purchased.

The nation Israel praised God for the power He displayed in delivering them from their bondage
in Egypt. They confessed that their deliverance proved God to be God alone, and the word of
their deliverance would strike terror in the hearts of the other nations. They saw this
deliverance as proof of God’s power and assurance of their entrance into the land as God had
promised. The Exodus was indeed a demonstration of God’s omnipotence.
Later, Moses would remind the second generation of the Israelites of this great event and of
the power of God to which it tore witness

21
Deuteronomy 4:32-37
32
For ask now of the days that are past, which were before thee, since the day that God
created man upon the earth, and ask from the one side of heaven unto the other,
whether there hath been any such thing as this great thing is, or hath been heard like it?
33
Did ever people hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as thou
hast heard, and live?
34
Or hath God assayed to go and take him a nation from the midst of another nation, by
temptations, by signs, and by wonders, and by war, and by a mighty hand, and by a
stretched out arm, and by great terrors, according to all that the LORD your God did for
you in Egypt before your eyes?
35
Unto thee it was shewed, that thou mightest know that the LORD he is God; there is
none else beside him.
36
Out of heaven he made thee to hear his voice, that he might instruct thee: and upon
earth he shewed thee his great fire; and thou heardest his words out of the midst of the
fire.
37
And because he loved thy fathers, therefore he chose their seed after them, and
brought thee out in his sight with his mighty power out of Egypt;

And so in the later books of the Old Testament, the creation of the world and the creation of
the nation Israel (by means of the Exodus0 becomes a major theme. In the book of Psalms,
these events and the power of God to which they bear witness, became the basis for Israel’s
hope, worship and praise.
Psalms 135:5-12
5
For I know that the LORD is great, and that our Lord is above all gods.
6
Whatsoever the LORD pleased, that did he in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all
deep places.
7
He causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings for
the rain; he bringeth the wind out of his treasuries.
8
Who smote the firstborn of Egypt, both of man and beast.
9
Who sent tokens and wonders into the midst of thee, O Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon
all his servants.
10
Who smote great nations, and slew mighty kings;
11
Sihon king of the Amorites, and Og king of Bashan, and all the kingdoms of Canaan:
12
And gave their land for an heritage, an heritage unto Israel his people.

The prophets make much of these events and of the power of God to which they point. They do
so because they are calling Israel to trust in the name of God and place their hope in Him. They
do so because they speak of even greater events God is going to bring to pass, events which
involve a ‘new creation’ and therefore require the power which only God, the Creator has.

22
Isaiah 42:5-8
5
Thus saith God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that
spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the
people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein:
6
I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep
thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;
7
To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in
darkness out of the prison house.
8
I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my
praise to graven images.

Isaiah 44:24
24
Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am
the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth
abroad the earth by myself;

Isaiah 45:12
12
I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even my hands, have stretched out
the heavens, and all their host have I commanded.

Isaiah 50:2-3
2
Wherefore, when I came, was there no man? when I called, was there none to answer?
Is my hand shortened at all, that it cannot redeem? or have I no power to deliver?
behold, at my rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a wilderness: their fish stinketh,
because there is no water, and dieth for thirst.
3
I clothe the heavens with blackness, and I make sackcloth their covering.

While imprisoned in Jerusalem, Jeremiah was instructed by God to redeem a field in Judah from
a relative, even though the period of the nation’s captivity in Babylon had already commenced.
Jeremiah’s prayer in response to this action reveals his grasp of God’s power demonstrated in
creation and the Exodus.
Jeremiah 32:12-24
2
And I gave the evidence of the purchase unto Baruch the son of Neriah, the son of
Maaseiah, in the sight of Hanameel mine uncle's son, and in the presence of the
witnesses that subscribed the book of the purchase, before all the Jews that sat in the
court of the prison.
13
And I charged Baruch before them, saying,
14
Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Take these evidences, this evidence of
the purchase, both which is sealed, and this evidence which is open; and put them in an
earthen vessel, that they may continue many days.
15
For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Houses and fields and vineyards
shall be possessed again in this land.

23
16
Now when I had delivered the evidence of the purchase unto Baruch the son of Neriah,
I prayed unto the LORD, saying,
17
Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power
and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee:
18
Thou shewest lovingkindness unto thousands, and recompensest the iniquity of the
fathers into the bosom of their children after them: the Great, the Mighty God,
the LORD of hosts, is his name,
19
Great in counsel, and mighty in work: for thine eyes are open upon all the ways of the
sons of men: to give every one according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his
doings:
20
Which hast set signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, even unto this day, and in
Israel, and among other men; and hast made thee a name, as at this day;
21
And hast brought forth thy people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs, and with
wonders, and with a strong hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with great terror;
22
And hast given them this land, which thou didst swear to their fathers to give them, a
land flowing with milk and honey;
23
And they came in, and possessed it; but they obeyed not thy voice, neither walked in
thy law; they have done nothing of all that thou commandedst them to do: therefore
thou hast caused all this evil to come upon them:
24
Behold the mounts, they are come unto the city to take it; and the city is given into the
hand of the Chaldeans, that fight against it, because of the sword, and of the famine, and
of the pestilence: and what thou hast spoken is come to pass; and, behold, thou seest it.

God is Omnipotent whether we believe it or not. But it is vitally important that we do believe
HE is omnipotent. An individual’s grasp of the power of God will transform his thinking and his
actions. Consider these illustrations of the way God’s power transformed the lives of several
men in the Bible.
First, let us turn our attention to Abraham. Here is a man who, at the beginning of his life, had
grave doubts about the power of God. But in the end, his firm belief in God’s power enabled
him to act in a way that makes him a model of faith for all Christians.
In the early days of his life, Abraham lacked confidence in the power of God. He made his way
to the land of Canaan in obedience to the revelation. He received from God.
Genesis 12:8
8
And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his
tent, having Bethel on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto
the LORD, and called upon the name of the LORD.

But when a famine came in the land, Abram made his way to Egypt, a decision which does not
seem prompted by faith in God’s power of His promises. When he and Sarai arrived there, they
conducted themselves as they habitually did throughout their marriage.
They deceived others about their relationship. It is apparent from Abram’s words in

24
Genesis 12:11-13
11
And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto
Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon:
12
Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say,
This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive.
13
Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my
soul shall live because of thee.

and
Genesis 20:11-13
11
And Abraham said, Because I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place; and
they will slay me for my wife's sake.
12
And yet indeed she is my sister; she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter
of my mother; and she became my wife.
13
And it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my father's house, that I
said unto her, This is thy kindness which thou shalt shew unto me; at every place whither
we shall come, say of me, He is my brother.

that Abram was afraid when he took his wife to a foreign land. Because there was no fear of
God in that place, he thought God’s power somehow nullified. It seems Abram thought God’s
power was sufficient to protect him only when he was in the right place and when the people
of that place feared God.
How foolish we now consider Abram’s thinking; God not only protected Abraham, but He also
protected Sarah and they lived, and Sarai did not become another man’s wife. Abram also
prospered in these foreign places, coming out not only alive but richer.
Genesis 12:20
20
And Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him: and they sent him away, and his
wife, and all that he had.

Genesis 13:2
2
And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold.

Genesis 20:14-16
14
And Abimelech took sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and womenservants, and gave
them unto Abraham, and restored him Sarah his wife.
15
And Abimelech said, Behold, my land is before thee: dwell where it pleaseth thee.
16
And unto Sarah he said, Behold, I have given thy brother a thousand pieces of silver:
behold, he is to thee a covering of the eyes, unto all that are with thee, and with all other:
thus she was reproved.

25
In fact, God was powerful enough to close the wombs of every woman living in Abimelech’s
kingdom of Gerar.
Genesis 20:17-18
17
So Abraham prayed unto God: and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his
maidservants; and they bare children.
18
For the LORD had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of
Sarah Abraham's wife.

Abram did not believe God’s power to enable him, and his wife Sarai have a son. So, Abram
sought to produce a son some easier way, just by adopting a servant as a son,
Genesis 15:2
2
And Abram said, LORD God, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the
steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus?

and then by producing a son by taking his wife’s handmaid, Hagar, as a concubine in Genesis 16.
God proposed to produce a son in a way that HE would demonstrate His old age through a
woman who had been barren all her life.
The great test of Abraham’s life came when God called him to take the son, the son in whom all
Abraham’s hope rested, and sacrifice him on Mt. Moriah in Genesis 22:1-19. Here, Abraham
was set to obey God, and the New Testament tells us of the power of God to resurrect His Son
from the dead.
Hebrews 11:17-19
17
By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the
promises offered up his only begotten son,
18
Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called:
19
Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also
he received him in a figure.

Romans 10:9
9
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart
that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

Romans 4:18-21
18
Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations,
according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.
19
And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was
about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb:
20
He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith,
giving glory to God;
21
And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.

26
The life of Daniel and his three friends, recorded in the book of Daniel, provides yet another
example of the way of faith in the power of God made men of faith heroes of the faith.
Daniel 6:16, 26-27
16
Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of
lions. Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually,
he will deliver thee.
26
I make a decree, That in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before
the God of Daniel: for he is the living God, and stedfast for ever, and his kingdom that
which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall be even unto the end.
27
He delivereth and rescueth, and he worketh signs and wonders in heaven and in earth,
who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.

Daniel 3:14-18
14
Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abednego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up?
15
Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp,
sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the
image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into
the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my
hands?
16
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O
Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.
17
If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace,
and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.
18
But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship
the golden image which thou hast set up.

Philippians 1:19-24
19
For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of
the Spirit of Jesus Christ,
20
According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed,
but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body,
whether it be by life, or by death.
21
For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
22
But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not.
23
For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which
is far better:
24
Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.

27
No one who takes the Bible seriously can deny the power of God. God is Omnipotent; He is all
powerful. This truth transformed the lives of men in the past, and it can transform our lives
today through His NAME.
We need to;
• Fear, honour and serve God and God alone. (Exodus 20:1-7, Joshua 4:23-24, Psalms
115:1-15)
• Recognize that the Bible teaches GOD is infinitely powerful and impossible should not
be in our vocabulary. (Romans 8:8-11, Ephesians 1:18-21; 3:14-20, Colossians 1:9-12, 29)
• Know that our weakness is not a barrier to the power of God (2 Corinthians 4:7; 12:7-
10).
When we minister in the power of God, we need not trust in our own strength and in human
methods. Indeed, we dare not do so
1 Corinthians 1:20-21
20
Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not
God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
21
For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased
God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

but trust in the fullness of God’s power through His Name.

28
3. GOD’S AUTHORITY

In addition to power (might ability), God’s name represents His Authority. When God promised
to send an angel to lead the Israelites, He charged them “Beware of him and obey his voice,
provoke him not, for my Name is in him” Exodus 23:20-21.
The angel perhaps a manifestation of God carried divine authority because God invested His
name in the angel. God signifies that that people come under His authority by placing His name
upon them.
Deuteronomy 28:10
10
And all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the LORD; and
they shall be afraid of thee.

Amos 9:12
12
That they may possess the remnant of Edom, and of all the heathen, which are called
by my name, saith the LORD that doeth this.

They are thereby identified with Him, become His own and enter into an intimate relationship
with Him. Thus, God’s people can call on the name of the Lord in worship
Genesis 12:8
8
And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his
tent, having Bethel on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto
the LORD, and called upon the name of the LORD.
as well as in petition
1st Kings 18:24
24
And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the LORD: and the
God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is
well spoken.

2nd Kings 5:11


11
But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely
come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the LORD his God, and strike his
hand over the place, and recover the leper.

By the Authority invested in His name, they can expect Him to work miraculously on their
behalf.
As the Creator; God has authority over man and all creation.
Isaiah 45:18
18
For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth
and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be
inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else.

29
You may have heard people say that “God’s Name is our authority in every area.” Answers in
Genesis speakers have often said this. The reason God’s name is our authority in every area is
because God is the Ultimate Authority.
God created man in His image and He also gave some authority unto Adam and he did not
question God when He was giving him some authority.
God is the ultimate authority simply because He is the “Lord and there is none like Him.” It is He
who created everything including mankind.
The serpent questioned God’s authority back in the Garden of Eden, and deceived Eve, then
Adam ate the fruit despite what God had told him. Adam ignored God’s authority by doing
what God told him not to do. Consequently, sin entered the world, and each of us is born with a
rebellious nature.
Because God is our authority in every area, we need to make sure that we know what His Word
says and strive to make it our authority in every area of life. We need to recognize when the
beliefs and philosophies of men are contrary to God’s Words,
Colossians 2:8
8
Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of
men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

Ephesians 4:14
14
That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with
every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in
wait to deceive;

bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ


2nd Corinthians 10:5
5
Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the
knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

and respond by speaking the truth in love,


Ephesians 4:15
15
But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head,
even Christ:

to a world that has tried to deny the authority of God through His Name.
God is the supreme authority. He has all the authority, and we need to know authority, submit
to God and also to God’s delegated authority.
When we look at the Book of Numbers, one of the most striking things that we realize is that; in
God’s formation of His army to fight for His interest on earth and journey with God, there is a
lot of rebellion.

30
It’s almost chapter after chapter, there’s rebellion after rebellion; the common people rebelled,
the priests rebelled, the leaders rebelled, Mirriam (Moses’ sister) and Aaron rebelled, everyone
rebelled against God and His authority, including Moses himself.
Satan and his followers rebelled against God, and the entire human race is also a rebellion
against the absolute authority of God.
God is the supreme authority, God has all the authority,
Romans 1:21-22
21
Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were
thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
22
Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,

and to know God is to know His authority. If we have not met authority, we have not really met
God.
We may have a relationship with God, we love Him, we enjoy Him, and we appreciate having a
Heavenly Father, but in order for us to know God, we need to realize that God Himself has all
authority through His Name.
God’s authority represent God Himself. We may know God’s works and we may realize that HE
can do mighty things, but to really know God is to know authority, for God’s authority
represents God Himself.
The Greek word for authority means “Issuing out from His Being.” Authority is out of God’s
being, for God Himself is the Supreme Authority.
No angel, no human being has such authority; authority flows out from God’s own being. This is
why no one who has been enlightened would dare to think that he or she has any authority, for
authority is God Himself.
All authority – spiritual authority, positional authority and governmental authority – derives
from God Himself.
2nd Corinthians 10:8
8
For though I should boast somewhat more of our authority, which the Lord hath given
us for edification, and not for your destruction, I should not be ashamed:

2nd Corinthians 13:10


10
Therefore I write these things being absent, lest being present I should use sharpness,
according to the power which the Lord hath given me to edification, and not to
destruction.

John 19:10-11
10
Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have
power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee?

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11
Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given
thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.

Genesis 9:6
6
Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God
made he man.

All deputy authority that is on earth is ordered by God, if we trace any authority upward, we
will eventually come to God, for He is above all authorities. Once we touch God’s authority, we
touch God himself.
We don’t know how God’s authority woks, but we know that God accomplishes everything
through the authority of His Name. For example, the centurion whose servant was sick knew
that there was authority above him to which he should submit, and there were some under him
that would submit to him. He also recognizes that the Lord is the Supreme authority as he only
needed the Lord to say a word and the situation was sorted out.
We need to realize that all authority is in God’s hand; we used to know God’s authority through
His name and realize that God is the Supreme authority and all authority derives from Him.
Only those who submit to authority can enter Canaan by faith, the way of the Spirit can never
be taken by those who argue and reason.
Acts 9:5
5
And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest:
it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks

Matthew 11:25
25
At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them
unto babes.

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4. GOD’S MANIFESTED PRESENCE

The divine name of the Lord also represents His immediate presence. His manifested glory,
attention, concern and prayer answering work. Referring to locations where the Israelites
would build an altar for sacrifice, God said; “……… in all places where I record my name I will
come into thee and I will bless thee.” Exodus 20:24
God manifested Himself temporarily in these locations. He also promised that he would
manifest His name permanently in the temple by placing his name there. “But unto the place
which the Lord your God shall choose out of all your tribes to put His name there, even unto
his habitation shall you seek and thither thou shalt come. Then there shall be a place which
the Lord your God shall choose to cause his name to dwell there.” Deuteronomy 12:5, 11.
Solomon prayed at the dedication of the temple. He acknowledged that the Omnipresent God
could not be confined to any physical locations.
1st Kings 8:27
27
But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens
cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded?

Yet he asked for a unique manifestation of God’s presence by asking God to place His name in
the temple as He had promised.
1st Kings 8:29
29
That thine eyes may be open toward this house night and day, even toward the place
of which thou hast said, My name shall be there: that thou mayest hearken unto the
prayer which thy servant shall make toward this place.

God answered Solomon’s prayer by causing His visible glory to fill the temple and by placing His
name in it.
2nd Chronicles 7:1-2
1
Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and
consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the LORD filled the
house.
2
And the priests could not enter into the house of the LORD, because the glory of
the LORD had filled the LORD's house.

1st Kings 9:3


3
And the LORD said unto him, I have heard thy prayer and thy supplication, that thou
hast made before me: I have hallowed this house, which thou hast built, to put my name
there for ever; and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually.

To know the name of God is the key to understanding the Biblical doctrine of God. God’s self-
revelation in history is accompanied by the giving of a personal name by which His people may

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worship and address Him as God. Thus, God’s name signifies the personal revelation between
God and people, which is the supreme characteristics of Biblical faith.
To know the name of God is to know God as He has revealed himself to mankind. The name of
God means primarily his revealed nature and character. The savior God as He has manifested
Himself and desired to be known by man. As expressing essential nature, it is God’s name which
implies the most identification of the name and the person safeguards the unity of God. The
name of God is frequently used for God himself.
And to know the name of God is to know God himself as he is revealed. When God acts for His
name’s sake, He is acting in accordance with His revealed character and to uphold the honor of
His revelation.
To call upon the name of God is to invoke Him on the basis of His revealed nature and
character. The New Testament uses the name of JESUS CHRIST in the same way the Old
Testament speaks of the name of JEHOVAH, there by revealing the Identity of Jesus as the one
GOD incarnate.
The Bible explains how the doctrine of God’s name in the New Testament proclaims the deity of
Jesus. With the name of God, there is now linked with the name of JESUS CHRIST who declares
it and so fulfils the Old Testament revelation. In Him there has been given to men the complete
revelation of the divine nature. He has manifested and declared the name of God.
John 12:12,
12
On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus
was coming to Jerusalem,

John 17:16, 26
16
They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
26
And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith
thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.

God’s name signifies His self-revelation particularly His character, power, authority and
manifested presence. Jesus is the incarnation of the one true God in all His fullness and
therefore the name of Jesus is the Supreme revelation of God today. The fullness of God’s
character, power, authority and presence is invested in the name of Jesus and is made available
to us when we believe in Jesus and invoke His name. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the
Godhead bodily and you are complete in Him, who is the Head of all principality and power.

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5. THE IDENTITY OF JESUS

In ancient Israel, it was not unusual for a name to express some personal characteristic of the
bearer of the name, and sometimes the hope, wish or prayer of the parents. Often the child,
when grown, would consciously embody the significance of the name into his life. Occasionally
a name was used to signify the collective qualities of the one bearing the name. This was
particularly true with regard to the biblical names for God.

When the name of God attests His power to accomplish His Word, He swears by His great
name to carry out His purposes.

Jeremiah 44:26
26
Therefore hear ye the word of the LORD, all Judah that dwell in the land of Egypt; Behold,
I have sworn by my great name, saith the LORD, that my name shall no more be named in
the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, The Lord GOD liveth.

When the name of God expresses His being which is exhibited in creation and redemption, it is
the name of God which is excellent in all the earth.

Psalms 8:1
1
O LORD, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above
the heavens.

When the name of God announces His mighty presence, it is said,

Psalms 75:1
1
Unto thee, O God, do we give thanks, unto thee do we give thanks: for that thy name is
near thy wondrous works declare.

When the name of God promises divine protection, it is announced,

Psalms 20:1
1
The LORD hear thee in the day of trouble; the name of the God of Jacob defend thee;

In other words, the expression ‘name of God’ indicates the entire administration of God, by which
He reveals Himself and His attributes to men.

To speak of God’s name is to refer to all that God is, because all that God is, is encompassed in
His name. In the Lord’s high priestly prayer to His Father, He uttered these words,

35
John 17:6
6
I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine
they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word.

By that He meant that in His life and teaching, He, the visible Son, had revealed what the invisible
God was like. This is precisely what the beloved apostle said when he wrote, “No man hath seen
God at any time; [however, in stark contrast] the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the
Father [the place of intimacy], he hath declared him.”

John. 1:18
18
No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the
Father, he hath declared him.

Similarly, the expression, “Let everyone that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity”
2 Timothy 2:19 - means, Let everyone that acknowledges Him to be all that His name implies
forsake willful disobedience to Him. When the Bible declares, “But as many as received him, to
them gave he power to become the children of God, even to them that believe on his name”
(John. 1:12), it is not suggesting that there is something inherently miraculous in the name
“Jesus.” To believe in His name is to believe in all He is and all that He has done. If a man does
not believe that Jesus is God in flesh – he does not believe in His name. If a man does not believe
that Jesus willingly died on the cross for the sins of the world – he does not believe in His name.
If a man does not believe that Jesus rose physically from the grave – he does not believe in His
name. And it logically follows, therefore, that such a man is not a child of God.

The central doctrine of Christianity is that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. But God Himself came
into our world in our form to suffer and die for our sins. Many people believe that Jesus was only
a good teacher. They cannot accept the fact that He is God. Indeed, it is most difficult to imagine
the fact that a God great enough to make the entire universe should so limit Himself as to be
born a tiny, helpless baby in some insignificant land, two thousand years ago. And yet, without
doubt, there is no lofty or noble concept of a God so great that He can stoop so low for us, a God
so great that He will sacrifice Himself for his own enemies in order to redeem them. And the most
important question that will ever be asked of you is being asked right now. Who is Jesus to you?
Is He God? Is He your Savior? These are personal questions one need to answer. Jesus and His
disciples often found themselves in deep discussion. On one occasion, Jesus posed the question,
“Who do people say the son of man is?” As various commonly held opinions of Jesus were shared,
Jesus rephrased the question, “But what about you? Who do you say I am?” (Mark 8:29, Matthew
16:15)

It is vital for a Christian to come to an understanding of the nature and identity of Jesus because
that understanding has many implications. Biblically, Jesus is 100% God and 100% man. God
desired that He should be known by man thus He came as a man here on earth.

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a) JESUS AS GOD
When we say that God is three “persons” we do not mean that they are three
personalities, or three minds, or three gods, or three names, or three angles, or three
pieces, or three updates. This language of “persons” is a way of recognizing that the
Father, Son, and Spirit are distinct without being divided. Each of the three persons has
a unique, individual, and eternal existence in relationship to the other two.
There was never a time when the one God was not three persons-in-relation. All three
are equally and eternally God, all fully sharing in God’s “whatness”: his glory, power,
beauty, infinity, majesty, knowledge, holiness, righteousness, and love. But the th ree
persons really are distinct, with their own personal properties: the Father is the one
who is eternally unbegotten, the Son is the one who is eternally begotten, the Spirit is
the one who is eternally proceeding from the Father through the Son.
Listen to how Jesus is described in John 1.
John 1:1
1
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
He was in the beginning with God. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John describes Jesus as simultaneously with God at the creation of the universe, but also
as God.
In verse 14: “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” — the eternal Son took on
human flesh and came to live with us — “and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only
Son from the Father.” The Word is the glorious Son who is God, and with God, and from
the Father. John says something similar in verse 18: “No one has ever seen God; the only
God, who is at the Father’s side; he has made him known.”
The New Testament teaching is clear, “For in Christ, all the fullness lives in bodily form” –
Colossians 2:9. If you study closely the life of Jesus, He is fully God and as fully God, demons
could tremble, and sickness bowed down to Him because of His greatness and the power of His
glory. Jesus is God. He reveals God to us in human form, but that does not diminish His deity in
any way. Jesus is revealed as the Creator, and the Head of the Church, as the Savior of the
world, all of those are expressions of the fact that He is God. The Lordship of Jesus Christ is built
on this foundational truth: Jesus is God.
Jesus is just a body that God used to come here on earth and thus the scripture says “…………
lives in bodily form.” God took on the human nature in the body of Jesus Christ. It was God
manifesting or revealing Himself to mankind.
The body had been prepared already for the redemption of man as of Hebrews 10:5 “………….. A
body thou hast prepared for me.” God couldn’t come here on earth people would have run
away instead He used the body (that is the son) to come to this earth and on many occasions in
the Bible, He tells us that He is God 100%.

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The Bible tells us that He (God) will not share His glory with anyone. Now if Jesus is a small God
isn’t that sharing? God is one
Isaiah 42:8
8
I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my
praise to graven images.

Zechariah 14:9
9
And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and
his name one.

In Matthew 1:23, it talks of God coming into the world to dwell with us and He is called
‘Emmanuel’ meaning ‘God with us’. God came here on earth and dwelled among men and thus
the meaning ‘God with us.’ In john 1:14, the Bible says; “And the ‘WORD’ became flesh and
dwelled among men”. The same voice that God used in the creation of everything came here on
earth so as to witness with us our hardships. The same voice prophets, priests and other
servant of God could hear in the Old Testament became flesh and thus a living soul rather a
man among His own that He created.
If Jesus was not who He and the Word of God personified claims, and as the written
word also proclaims, then He was nothing but a very intelligent charlatan who pulled off an
astoundingly successful lie. It is so successful that it has been kept going for almost two
thousand years, and most importantly, we have no Savior.
He said that He was the God of the Old Testament, and that fact was, and is to this day, duly
reported in the Bible. To the best of my knowledge the groundwork for the challenge against
this claim began centuries before He was ever born. It surfaced as a direct challenge against
Him in the first century as He lived and preached.
Jesus said to him, "Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me,
Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, 'Show us the Father?' Do
you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do
not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works. Believe Me that I
am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves.
Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will he do also; and
greater works than these he will do, because I go to the Father. Whatever you ask in My name,
that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name,
I will do it." (John 14:7-14).
The implications of Jesus' words in those few verses are overwhelming. The fact that He claims
to be God is profound enough. But then He adds a guarantee that whoever believes in Him
would have power to do even greater works than He had done and concludes by saying that if
we ask anything in His Name, He will do it. These words are monumental in declaring not only
who Jesus is, but also what He intends to do in and for those who belong to Him.
Only a few days before, when Jesus had entered Jerusalem on the back of a donkey to shouts of
"Hosanna," there was no question in the disciples' minds about who He was. Now they weren't

38
sure. In their hearts they were asking questions about Him that had been answered before, so
Jesus reiterated to them who He really was, by revealing His person to them in fresh and
unmistakably terminology: "He who has seen Me has seen the Father." "I am in the Father, and
the Father is in Me."

Here Jesus makes the very simple, undisguised claim that He is no less than God. He had told
them many times in the past that He proceeded from the Father. His comment in implies that
they should have understood: "You know the way where I am going." They should have at least
known that He was going to be with the Father. But Jesus' words left them scratching their
heads, and Thomas asked for an explanation. Jesus' answer was simply, "I am the way, the
truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me."

It was a claim of divine authority. In other words, "If you know Me, you know the way to get
where I'm going. I'm going to the Father and I will take you." He reinforced that claim with mild
rebuke for their unbelief and a reassurance that they were as secure in their relationship with
the Father as they were in their relationship with the Son: "If you had known Me, you would
have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him."

In a sense, the disciples did not know Jesus at all. If they had really known Him like they
thought, they wouldn't have been worried about where the Father was. They had some
knowledge of who Jesus was. They had declared that He was Messiah, the Anointed One of
God. Peter had even made the statement that He was the Son of the living God. They were very
close to grasping fully the truth of His deity and beginning to understand the meaning of it.
Nevertheless, they were still confused, so Jesus stated it in clearest possible language, terms
that they could not possibly miss: "If you had known Me, you would have known My Father
also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him...He who has seen Me has seen the
Father.... I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me."

In other words, Jesus is saying, "if you really knew Me in depth, you would know the Father
also. Your confusion about the Father means that there must be some gaps in your knowledge
of Me." If they had really seen Jesus fully as God, they would not have had fears, doubts and
questions about who the Father was and how to get to Him.

Remember, Jesus' words were meant to comfort them. They knew He loved them. He wanted
them to know that God cared for them in the same way, because He and the Father are one. To
have a relationship with one is to have a relationship with the other. That is an important,
eternal principle. If you reject the Son, you have rejected the Father; and if you receive the Son
you have received the Father. The apostle John grasped this in its fullness, and it became a
theme of his ministry. Years later, he wrote, "Whoever denies the Son does not have the
Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also" (1 John 2:23).

But it appears that none of the disciples immediately understood the full import of what Jesus
was telling them. His words, "From now on you know Him, and have seen Him" are more a
prediction than a proclamation. "From now on" does not mean, "from this precise moment on,"

39
for they did not yet seem to grasp what He was saying. In fact, in the very next verse Philip
proved he still didn't know who Jesus was in the full sense.

"You know Him and have seen Him" does not mean that the opening of their understanding
about God had actually been accomplished. Jesus, according to the idiom of His day, used the
present tense to signify the ultimate certainty of what He was saying. The message to the
disciples is, "Starting now, you are going to begin to understand." Through the events of the
next forty days—the death of Jesus Christ, His resurrection, His ascension and the coming of the
Holy Spirit—they would come to understand more fully about Jesus' person and His
relationship to the Father.

For further reading.


Micah 5:2, john 1:1-2
Hebrews 13:8
Matthew 12:28
John 6:35, 40, 44; Mark 6:38
John 4:14
Matthew 11:8
Mark 4:41
John 14:6, 14
Matthew 8:16-17, 1st Peter 2:14
Mark 2:5-7
John 21:17
Matthew 28:13, Colossians 2:10
John 5:18
Revelation 19:16
John 2:19-21, 20:9
Acts 2:24
Isaiah 7:14
John 8:24
Deuteronomy 17:5

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John 17:5, 10-11, 26; 10:30; 16:7, 23; 12:32
Romans 4:17, 1st Corinthians 6:14
(Note - All these scriptures tell us that Jesus is God)

b) JESUS AS A MAN
Jesus was 100% human and this is why he was limited in doing signs and wonders. But before
that, He was born a natural birth like normal babies, he grew like normal people do.
Because Jesus existed on this earth, He has confronted the human family with the reality and
the existence of God. How do we know that there is a God? Well, the answers to that question
are multiple. The creation, for instance, demands the existence of a Creator. And the design in
nature requires a Designer. Yet, in the light of our present study, we know there is a God
because He has revealed Himself in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Some of the names by which Christ is revealed magnify the existence of God. He was given the
title, "Emmanuel,"
Isaiah 7:14
14
Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and
bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

Matthew 1:23
23
Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his
name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

which means "God with us!" We conclude, therefore, if Christ is "God with us," then there must
be a God! Another prophecy of Isaiah said He would be called "the mighty God" in Isaiah 9:6.
The fact that Jesus has a name like this more than infers that there is "a mighty God!"
To see Jesus was to see God! To hear Jesus was to hear God! To know Jesus was to know God!
This is not just a religious opinion. Jesus proclaimed these truths! On one occasion, He told His
own disciple, "He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father." Again, Jesus taught His followers,
"The word which ye hear is not Mine, but the Father's Which sent Me" in John 14:24.
About this matter of knowing Jesus as knowing God, Jesus made some very conclusive
statements. He claimed to be the embodiment of divine revelation. In one setting, He declared,
"All things are delivered to Me of My Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the
Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and He to whom the Son will reveal Him" in Luke
10:22.
As God, Jesus was one with the Father. Thus, His attributes were the attributes of God. As the
Great I Am was and is Self-existent, so the Son, as the I Am, was and is Self-existent.

41
John 6:35
35
And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never
hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

As the Father was and is eternal, so the Son was and is eternal.
John 8:58
58
Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.

As the Father was and is immutable, so the Son was and is unchanging.
Hebrews 13:8
8
Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.

As the Father was and is faithful, so Christ was and is faithful


2 Timothy 2:13
13
If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.

Since it pleased the Father that in Him should all fulness dwell, all the divine attributes were
resident in Jesus. As the Father was and is omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient, so the
Son was and is the same. As the Father was and is a God of love, grace, and mercy, so the Son is
loving, gracious, and merciful. This is not a complete list, but the emphasis is clear.
Yes, there is a God! And, that God has revealed Himself in Christ. He is "The God Who Became
Man." Having viewed the Godhood of Jesus, then, let's consider His manhood . Jesus was as
much man as He was God! As we have previously noted, He was made flesh to reveal God. But,
while His Godhood was set forth in His manhood, His manhood was as genuine as His Godhood.
God literally dwelt in a human body, a body like yours and mine.
In His humanity, Jesus experienced the reality of human existence. Thus, He personally
experienced and knew hunger,
Matthew 4:2
2
And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.

Mark 11:12
12
And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry:

Thirst,
John 4:7
7
There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to
drink.

42
John 19:28
28
After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture
might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.

Weariness,
Luke 9:58
58
And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son
of man hath not where to lay his head.

John 4:6
6
Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on
the well: and it was about the sixth hour.

Temptation,
Matthew 4:1
1
Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

John 14:30
30
Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath
nothing in me.
Pain,
Isaiah 53:3
3
He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and
we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Hebrews 5:8
1
Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;

and death.
John 19:30
30
When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his
head, and gave up the ghost.

Rom. 5:8
1
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died
for us.

When God assumed a body of flesh, a series of ministries were set in motion. First, He came to
do what the law could not do - - condemn sin "in the flesh." And, by partaking of flesh and
blood, as the Seed of the woman, the enemy could be crushed. "He also Himself likewise took

43
part of the same; that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is,
the devil in Hebrews 2:14
As well, by living in this world, and facing everything we face, Jesus is the sympathizing Savior.
Thank God! "For we have not an High Priest Which cannot be touched with the feeling of our
infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin" - Hebrews 4:15. Again,
we read, "For in that He Himself hath suffered being tempted, He is able to succour them that
are tempted" - Hebrews 2:18.
The fact that God was manifested in human flesh is the mystery of all mysteries. Yes, God
becoming flesh is a truth that has been revealed. Yet, it is so vast a truth that the human mind
cannot fully comprehend it all. Even the Apostle Paul, one of the most spiritually developed of
all believers, referred to God manifesting Himself in human flesh as "the mystery of godliness"-
1 Timothy 3:16.
The mystery seems to be concentrated in the fact that being God, Jesus was not more than a
genuine man. And, being man, He was not less than the eternal God. Yet, the Scriptures plainly
reveal, "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory
as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth" - John 1:14.
Jesus was not part God and part man. He was totally God! Yet, He was totally man! He did
become man, but He was still completely and totally God. He was one hundred per cent God
and one hundred per cent man. He was just as much God as if He had never been man. Yet, He
was just as much man as if He had never been God. Consequently, He alone is qualified to be
the "one Mediator between God and men" - 1 Timothy 2:5.
Before there can be any reconciliation between two parties, there must be a desire for
reconciliation. As God, the Lord Jesus possessed the attitude that was essential for this task. He
was divinely engaged in bringing sinners to God. Thus, He did not come into the world to
"condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved" - John 3:17.
As man, the attitude of Jesus was that of a reconciler. Without question, He lived to please the
Father. He could say, "I do always those things that please Him" - John 8:29. So determined was
He to please the Father, His obedience brought Him to "the death of the cross" - Philippians.
2:8. On the other hand, as the Friend of sinners, He came "to seek and to save that which was
lost" - Luke 19:10.
All reconciliation demands a mediator, or a go-between - - one who has the ability to identify
with and to bring together both the offended and the offender. In His Godhood, Jesus is
qualified as a mediator from the divine side of things. As God, He is associated with God
Himself, the One offended by our sins. Thus, He is called, "The Mediator of a better covenant" -
Hebrews 8:6.
In His manhood, Jesus is qualified as a mediator from the human side of things. As man, He is
attached to the offenders, the offspring of Adam, who have sinned against God. In this light, as
man, He is the only One Who can join the great expanse between God's holiness and our
unholiness. He is "the Mediator between God and men" - 1 Timothy 2:5.

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In the early centuries of the church history, several false teachings arose stating that if Jesus
was God, he could not have been truly human. While the humanity of Jesus is not argued as
much today as His deity. Understanding Jesus’ humanity has powerful implications. The
incarnate Jesus was a man yet fully God.
Jesus’ humanity matters! Consider these important issues if Jesus was not both human and
divine;
• If Jesus was not truly human, then He could not have died in our place. The importance
of Jesus dying for our sins and our salvation is fundamental in the Bible (Romans 5:6-8;
6:10)
• If Jesus was not truly human, He could not have risen from the dead. The importance of
this truth is taught in 1st Corinthians 15:14-19. The literal resurrection of Jesus affirms
our salvation, forgiveness and hope.
• If Jesus was not truly human, He could not have understood the temptations and
suffering we face throughout life. This is powerfully taught in Hebrews 4:14-16, as Jesus
is able to identify with us and help us in whatever we face. He passed through our
problems, He felt angry, hungry, thirst etc. He slept as a man.

For further reading.


Luke 2:7
Luke 2:52
Luke 4:2
Matthew 4:2
John 4:6; 14:
Mark 4:38
Luke 22:41
John 19:1-3, 8
Mark 15:37
Hebrews 10:10-12
Mark 13:32
John 5:30
John 14:28
Philippians 2:7-8
John 1:14.

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c) JESUS AS KING
Jesus is God. He is human. There is another aspect of His identity. Jesus is also a King. Jesus’ role
as King is central throughout the gospels. Matthew 4:23 describes the early days of Jesus’
ministry. “Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, the good news of the
kingdom, and healing every disease.” These words describe the heart of Jesus’ ministry and
mission – preaching the good news of the kingdom and demonstrating that kingdom by
miraculous acts of compassion. In this, He was establishing a new order, and a new way of
living.
If you were to read the Biblical accounts of the birth of Christ carefully, you will notice that they
do not only tell you about how Christ was born, but they also serve to bring out the truth of His
Kingship.
In Isaiah 9:6-7, you will notice that the prophecy begins by speaking of a child that is born, but
ends up with a description of His Kingship, His glorious reign. These two images of Jesus are
always in our thoughts at Christmas. There are some today who may gladly receive Jesus
because they think that He is just a harmless little baby who will not make any strict demands
from them. To them He is still a sweet baby lying in the manger, as depicted in the nativity
scenes at Christmas time. But Jesus is no longer a baby, no longer a child. He is the Great
Almighty King, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords who demands your loyalty to Him and
obedience.
Of the four gospels, the one that has a distinct royal texture is the Book of Matthew. Out of the
many facts and events in the life of Christ, Matthew has selected those that tend to be bringing
out His Kingship. And the result is a book that points to Christ as the Great Messianic King of the
Jews.
In the gospel of Matthew, the Kingship of Jesus Christ is anticipated in his genealogy (Matthew
1:1-16). He came from the royal line of King David to whom God had made the promise, that He
will establish the throne of His Kingdom forever. The genealogy of Jesus includes the names of
14 kings that descended from King David. But Matthew’s genealogy traces the ancestry of Jesus
much earlier than David, and all the way back to Abraham. Why Abraham? Perhaps it is
because the earliest mention in the Bible of a divinely appointed kingship is actually found in
Genesis 17:6 where God made this promise to Abraham, “And I will make thee exceeding
fruitful, and I shall make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee”
As we come to the second chapter of Matthew, we see the Kingship of Jesus affirmed at His
birth. The wise men from the east came to Jerusalem to seek Him, “Saying, where is He that is
born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the east and are come to worship Him”
(Matthew 2:2). And when they found Him, they presented Him with costly gifts fit for a king –
Gold, frankincense and myrrh.
In chapter 3, we see the kingship of Jesus announced as John the Baptist began to preach,
“Repent, ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:2). Jesus Himself preached the
same message; “…. Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17) as well as
the disciples whom He sent out, “And as you go, preach, saying, the kingdom of heaven is at

46
hand” (Matthew 10:7). He also taught multitudes many things about His kingdom in the
Beatitudes, “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they
which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew
5:3, 10). Such teaching is also found in many parables that Jesus told to help His disciples
understand the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven.
In Matthew 16:18-19, we see Jesus telling His disciples how His Kingdom will be applied – He
will build His church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And He will give the keys
of the kingdom of heaven to His chief disciple, which Peter later used to unlock the Gospel door
to the Jews at Pentecost, and to the gentiles at the house of Cornelius.
Shortly after this, Matthew records how the kingship of Jesus appeared briefly in His
transfiguration. His disciples – Peter, James and John had a glimpse of Jesus in His full royal
glory. Jesus had told them this in Matthew 16:28, ‘’Verily I say unto you, There be some
standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his
kingdom.” This was fulfilled six days later on the mountain when their eyes saw, “ And was
transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the
light.” (Matthew 17:2). And one day soon, we too may be seeing the same transfigured Jesus
coming in His kingdom. And this time it will not be just a momentary appearance, but a
permanent revelation.
The kingship of Jesus was further acknowledged by Jesus Himself when He was questioned a
few days later during His trial before the Roman Governor. Pontius Pilate asked Him “Art thou
the king of the Jews?........” (Matthew 27:11). This acknowledgement was then used as a charge
against Him that led to His execution. The Roman soldiers made a crown of thorns and placed it
on His head. They placed a purple robe on Him and a reed in His right hand and rendered mock
obeisance to Him saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” (Matthew 27:29). The placard that was placed
above Jesus on the cross read; “THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS” (Matthew 27:37).

The final verse of Matthew’s gospel reveals the kingship of Jesus now fully assumed by Him at
the time after He had resurrected from the dead – with full kingdom authority He said, “And
Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in
earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I
have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.
Amen.” (Matthew 28:18-20).

In our present time, we do not see Christ fully reigning as King of Kings on this earth yet, but He
is already in the hearts of those who believe in Him. So His kingdom is already here, and you
and I are part of it. But the present character of His kingdom is not political but spiritual. Jesus
said this clearly in Luke 17:20-21.
The Jews could not understand what Jesus meant here. They were all expecting the
inauguration of a visible political kingdom, with the overthrow of their Roman overloads and
the full restoration of the throne of King David. But the present reign of Jesus is His reign in the

47
hearts of men, not a visible throne in some grand capital city. In His first coming Jesus did not
come to set up a political kingdom.
But while Christ made it clear that His kingdom at the present is to have this non-political
character; Jesus said to Pilate in John 18:36, Jesus said this against the allegations made by the
Jews that He was planning to overthrow the Romans and restore the political kingdom of Israel.
I want you to observe the important word ‘NOW’. It adds a time element to His statement and
makes an important difference.
Why did Christ add it, in saying “but NOW is my kingdom not from hence?” it means that there
will be a time when Christ’s kingdom will be of this world.
This full and absolute reign of the Lord Jesus Christ is coming soon. It is on the way. It will be
fully accomplished in His second coming to take over the governments of the whole world. The
Book of Revelations reveals that He will descend from heaven riding on a white horse.
Revelation 19:12-16.
12
His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a
name written, that no man knew, but he himself.
13
And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word
of God.
14
And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine
linen, white and clean.
15
And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations:
and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness
and wrath of Almighty God.
16
And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD
OF LORDS.
We all look forward to the day when Jesus will begin His reign as the King of Kings and Lord of
Lords over a visible, political kingdom on earth. This reign will no longer be just a spiritual one,
in the hearts of men. As a political kingdom, it will surpass all the superpowers and empires that
the world has ever seen, because it will encompass the whole world.
The dreams and visions of Daniel 2 and 7 confirm this. In chapter 2, the empires of the world
were represented by various parts of a great statue, then a stone hit the base of the statue,
destroyed it and grew to fill up the whole earth. In chapter 7, the empires of the world were
represented as four ferocious beasts that came one after another. The worst beast was the
fourth one, and after it was finally destroyed, the Son of Man alone ruled over the whole earth.
Daniel 11:27 says, “And both of these kings' hearts shall be to do mischief, and they shall speak
lies at one table; but it shall not prosper: for yet the end shall be at the time appointed.” In this
kingdom, there be a capital city and a throne set up in the rebuilt city of Jerusalem (Isaiah 2:2-
4). And this kingdom will last for a thousand years as Revelation 20:4 tells us; “And I saw
thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of
them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not

48
worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or
in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.”

So, we have seen how the kingdom of Jesus will develop from His present rule in the hearts of
men (the spiritual kingdom) into His future rule over this whole world (the political millennial
kingdom). But after that, here will be a further final development of the reign of Christ at the
end of the millennium.
After the millennium, Christ will rule the universe eternally and, in this kingdom, He will subdue
all things (1st Corinthians 15:24-25) – including death, and Satan, both cast into the lake of fire
and brimstone. Then there will be only one sole sovereign king who has total absolute rule over
the whole universe. According to Philippians 2:10-11 it says that there be the time when ‘every
knee shall bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that
every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the father.’
Christ then will reign forever no longer in an earthly city of Jerusalem, but in the New Heavenly
Jerusalem, the city that is built by the Lord Himself (Revelation 21:1-27). This will be the final
eternal state of the Kingdom of Christ – a kingdom that includes all things, without exception. It
will be the grand fulfillment of what God’s word says about Christ’s relationship with all
creation in Colossians 1:16.
Jesus is a different kind of a King from what we typically see among political rulers. The Roman
leader Pilate, prior to the crucifixion of Jesus asked Him if He was the king. In response, Jesus
answered positively with this clarification; “My Kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my
servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now, my kingdom is from another
place.” (John 18:36)
Jesus’ character also differed from other kings and rulers. Addressing His followers, Jesus
explained the difference, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord
it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead,
whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant.” (Mark 10:42-43)

For further reading.


Matthew 1:1-12, 2:1-2
Matthew 27:29, 37
John 12:12-19, Luke 19:37-40
Matthew 28:1-7, Ephesians 1:18-22
John 18:28-38, Matthew 12:25-28; 27:11
Colossians 1:15-20, Revelation 19:16
Matthew 3:13-17; 4:12-16

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Matthew 4:23-25, John 19:25-27
Matthew 9:35-38
Luke 19:41:42, John 11:32-36
John 8:1-11, Matthew 9:9-13
John 13:1-17, Philippians 2:5-11

d) JESUS AS SAVIOR
The identity of Jesus includes the truth of His being fully human (He was a man living among
people) and fully God (one with the Father and the Holy Spirit). To help us further understand
Jesus’ identity, we must see His purpose. One of the clearest articulations of Jesus’ purpose and
mission lies in a statement He once made to His disciples and a notorious tax collector
(Zacchaeus) who had just experienced God’s salvation through Jesus.
“For the Son of Man came to seek and save what was lost” (Luke 19:10). The statement reveals
that Jesus saw His purpose as a saving, rescue mission.
There are three terms to help us comprehend Jesus’ purpose from Luke 19:10;
• Firstly – “Lost.” As Jesus teaches, what is lost? (We are). How are we lost? (Because of
our sin). How lost are we? (We are unable to fix our lostness).
• Secondly – “Seek.” It says the Son of Man came to seek. What is the significance of this?
(It is God’s initiative). Jesus comes to seek us in our lostness while still in our need.
Jesus’ initiative with Zacchaeus’ sinfulness (Luke 19:7)
• Thirdly – “Save.” This is the gospel and at the heart of Jesus’ mission. We are lost in our
sin with nothing we can do to get back to God. No amount of good deeds or hard work
can make us right with God. More rule or an example to follow will not help us – we
need one thing – a savior.
Many things can keep a person from God’s saving work. Often the most serious barrier is
religion. Religion says, “I am accepted by God because of what I do.” Often religious deeds are
good things, but there is a serious problem in those deeds. Unfortunately, who am I trusting in
order to be right with God? The answer is ourselves, the actions or deeds of the religious
person. The religious person points to what he has done – my effort, my goodness, my
devotion. This is the opposite of the gospel.
The major opponents of Jesus were not sinners but religious leaders. People like the Pharisees
were focused on the rules they kept. They were proud of their outward behavior, often
comparing themselves with people not as good as they thought they were. They trusted
themselves. This is the heart of religion.

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We might compare the gospel with religion by looking at two words – do and done. Religion is
doing, earning God’s favor through what we do. The gospel speaks of what Jesus has done for
us through His death on the cross – done.
Jesus taught much about His saving work and the inability of human effort or religion. One of
the great illustration lies in the story of the prodigal son, or more accurately the prodigal sons.
The story Jesus taught in Luke 15:11-32 describes possible responses to the gospel.
Notice the two sons in the parable. The younger son’s starts from verse 11-24. This first son is
rebellious, insults his father by seeking the family inheritance before the father dies. And after
receiving the money, the son wastes it in wild living. When famine came to the land and the
money is gone, he realizes what he did. The son decides to return to his father, plead his
repentance, and ask for a simple job as a servant.
The father’s response encourages the son – running to greet the prodigal, welcoming him with
a hug and kiss, and celebrating his return with a great party. The son, once lost, was found. This
is a picture of God’s response to us when we understand our lostness in sin, admit our need
and turn to God.
The older son plays an important role in this story. His story starts from verse 25-32. His
reactions to the father’s acceptance of his lost brother is filled with anger and resentment. In
self-righteousness, he speaks to his obeying all the rules, in fact, never disobeying. He resents
that his father never had a party for him. He does not want to come to a party that honors his
rebellious brother’s return.
This older son pictures someone trying to earn his relationship by doing good things. He
resembles an employee and worker more than a son. As a result, he never experiences the
father’s love. He does not understand grace or love that is not earned. He is focused on what he
feels is his own goodness and moral behavior, superior to his brother.
The parable teaches the amazing love of God for all people, even very sinful people. It also
reminds us of a truth often forgotten. There are two ways to miss experiencing the Father’s
love and a relationship with Jesus. One way is being very bad, running from God in sinful living.
A second way is by being very good, trusting in our own efforts and goodness. In this, we
become proud, self-righteous and critical of others who do not meet our standards.
The important truth is this; whether we are running from God in our sin or trying to impress
God with our goodness, we all need a Savior.
When the Angel said that Jesus would save His people from their sins, he was speaking of two
aspects of salvation. First, Jesus saves His people from the penalty of their sins in their
justification. Burning the wrath of God against sinners on the cross, Jesus took the
condemnation we deserved so that by faith alone His righteousness might be imparted to us,
granting us eternal life. Second, Jesus saves His people from the power of sin in their
sanctification. Having been exalted to the Father’s right hand, Christ pours out His Holy Spirit on
His brethren that they might receive new hearts, empowering them to stare down sin and live
in holiness.

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Acts 2:32-33
32
This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.
33
Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father
the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.

Romans 8:2-10
2
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and
death.
3
For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his
own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
4
That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh,
but after the Spirit.
5
For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after
the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
6
For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
7
Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God,
neither indeed can be.
8
So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
9
But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you.
Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
10
And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of
righteousness.

Galatians 5:16
16
This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

Galatians 6:8
8
For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to
the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
Finally, let us note that the phrase ‘His People’ in today’s passages is one of the key texts on the
intent and extent of the atonement. Jesus died for a particular people, not to atone for every
person. He died for us sinners but only those that believe in Him are the people He particularly
died for.
The names ‘Jesus’ comes from the Hebrew ‘Jehoshua’ meaning ‘Jehovah saves.’ Jesus is truly a
savior as He hung on the cross, for His death is our one and only means of salvation from sin
and wrath.
The Bible says, “Behold the kindness and the severity of God” (Romans 11:22). God’s severity
and perfect justice cannot tolerate any sin, and demands punishment of Christ instead of our
own. It is in this sense that Jesus is our savior.
God’s acceptance of Christ’s punishment on the cross as a substitute for our own eternal
punishment, is called not only salvation but also justification, sanctification and redemption (1 st
Corinthians 1:30).

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We call Jesus our savior because He justifies us. Our justification or righteousness means being
counted by God as righteous, even though we have sinned. This is made possible by virtue of
the vicarious suffering which Jesus endured on the cross. The term ‘vicarious’ means ‘taking the
place of another to be a substitute.’ God accepts Christ’s punishment instead of ours, and this
sets us right with God again. We are justified or made righteous through Christ our Savior.
We call Jesus our Savior because He sanctifies us. Our sanctification or holiness means being
made holy and clean when we were unholy and unclean in God’s sight. But there is only one
thing that can cleanse us: “The blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin” (1st John 1:7). This
statement is made in this context: “God is light and in Him there is no darkness at all” (1 st John
1:5). If there is any darkness in us, we cannot have fellowship with God. Jesus ‘sanctifies’ us and
purges all darkness away so that we are only light.
We call Jesus our Savior because He ‘redeems us.’ Our redemption is understood when we look
back at our ruined lives all marred by sin. We can see that we no longer belonged to God but to
Satan. We must say with Apostle Paul; “I am carnal, sold under sin” (Romans 7:14). The term
‘carnal’ means ‘of the flesh.’ Of course, God did not sell us, we sold ourselves like the people of
old who ‘sold themselves to do evil’ (1st Kings 21:20, 2nd kings 17:17).

e) THE NAME OF JESUS


Praise the Lord! In Isaiah 52:6 the Bible tells me saying; “Therefore my people shall know my
name…….” Thence the name of God is JESUS.
The name of Jesus is a Greek name of the Hebrew ‘Yeshua’ and of the English name ‘Joshua’
which literally means “Jehovah our savior’ or ‘To save’. It is true, God saves through the name
of Jesus.
Matthew 1:2
21
And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his
people from their sins.

Acts 4:12
12
Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven
given among men, whereby we must be saved.

The name of Jesus came from Heaven through the Angel to Joseph, and it corresponds with
Jehovah and God-Jehovah corresponds with us. Jesus’ name is the supreme revelation about
His character.
To the Father, it must mean more than our hearts or minds will ever grasp, but we can suggest
a little of the wealth that the Father has stored in that Name. First, He inherited a more
excellent Name than any of the angels as the First Begotten Son. Second, God gave to Him a
Name above every name that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow. Third, by His

53
conquest over sin, Satan, disease, death, hell, and the grave. He acquired a Name that is above
all names. When Jesus gave us the legal right to use this Name, the Father knew all that that
Name would imply when breathed in prayer by oppressed souls, and it is His joy to recognize
that Name.
The name of Jesus is a family name, meaning the entire heavenly beings are entitled to it. For
example, I am coming from the Phiri’s family and if you turn or it happens that you come to my
place and ask for a ‘Phiri’ to come out, we are all going to come out automatically because we
are all entitled to this family name of ‘Phiri’ unless you call or address us by our names, we’ll
come out as requested. In the same way, the moment you put to mention the name of JESUS,
the entire heavenly family comes to your attention, i.e., the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Hebrews 1:1-4: "God having of old time spoken unto the fathers in the prophets by
divers portions and in divers manners, (a message here and a message there), hath at
the end of these days spoken unto us in His Son, Whom He appointed heir of all things,
through Whom also He made the worlds; Who being the effulgence of His glory, and the
very image of His substance, and upholding all things by the Word of His power, when
He had made purification of sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on High;
having become by so much better than the angels, as He hath inherited a more
excellent Name than they."

Ephesians 3:14-19
14
For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
15
Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
16
That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with
might by his Spirit in the inner man;
17
That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in
love,
18
May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth,
and height;
19
And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with
all the fulness of God.

God spoke through men of old by special illumination of their minds but in these last days He
speaks unto us in the Person of His Son. It is more than through Him; it is more than by Him; it
is God manifest in the flesh, carrying out His will, speaking His own inner thoughts in the life
and acts of the Son. Not only did He speak through Jesus but more especially was God manifest
in the Sonit was God in Christ, and from this new Throne, the Body of His Son, He is speaking to
man in a new revelation of Himself.
He inherited a greater Name than any angelic being, and as a Son, He is heir of all things, and
through Him the ages have been brought into being. He is the effulgence, the very outshining of
the Father. His Name comes to Him as an Inheritance; and what it must have been to have
Inherited this Name from His great Father-God! In Philippians 2:9, 10 we find: "Wherefore also
God highly exalted Him and gave unto Him the Name which is above every Name that at the
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Name of Jesus every knee should bow of the beings in heaven and the beings on earth, and the
beings under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the
glory of God, the Father." If it tells us in Hebrews that He Inherited a greater Name than the
angels, here it declares that God gave unto Him the Name which is above every name.
The inference is that there was a Name known in heaven, unknown elsewhere, and this Name
was kept to be conferred upon someone who should merit it: and Jesus, as we know Him-the
Eternal Son as He is known in the bosom of the Father-was given this Name, and at this Name
every knee shall bow in the three worlds-Heaven, Earth, and Hell-and every tongue shall
confess that He is Lord of the three worlds to the glory of God, the Father.
God exalted Him (Philippians 2:9-11) and thus by inheritance (Hebrews 1:4) he obtained this
powerful family name (Ephesians 3:14-15) to have dominion over everything (Ephesians 1:21).
So, at the mention of JESUS every being in heaven above and the earth below bows down
(Philippians 2:10-11).
If the Name of Jesus is a family name, it has the implications of the Godhead being mentioned
in one name. Any person has a name and carries the title of a family name. If you were to come
into my family and just shout ‘Phiri’ almost every member of my household will come out
because they are entitled to that name ‘Phiri’ as it stands out to be a family name, but if you
come and shout ‘Martin’ I will definitely come out alone.
In this case ‘Jesus’ got by inheritance a family name. This simply means at the mention of the
Name of Jesus, we are calling the attention of God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy
Spirit, and this is another reason the Bible clarifies saying, “in Him lies the Godhead in bodily
form.” The threefold dwells in this one name called Jesus. If you study the Hebrew word for
Jesus, it denotes that Jesus is the name of God and thus they pronounce it ‘Yeshua’ or
‘Yehoshua-Hamashiach.’
Jesus in John 17 says, “I have revealed your Name unto your children.” What is that name
revealed to mankind. It is the name of Jesus. He mentioned, “If you ask anything from the
Father in my Name, it will be given you.” So, Jesus being the only given in heaven above and the
earth below makes it easy for us to understand that God is one and His Name is Jesus.
It is the one Name through which the sinner approaches the Great Father God; it is the one
Name that gives him a hearing; it is the one Name that unveils to him the mediatorial ministry
of Jesus. "Baptizing them into the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."
"Repent ye and be baptized every one of you in the Name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of
sins and ye shall receive the rift of the Holy Spirit." Not only are we saved by the Name, but the
believer is baptized into the Name. And we find in the same verse that not only are we baptized
into the Name, but on the ground of the Name we shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

For further reading.


Psalm 91:14; 40:6-8; 83:18

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Hosea 11:1
Numbers 23:19
Isaiah 42:8
Exodus 3:13:14
Romans 5:8, John 15:13
Matthew 28:18
John 4:24; 5:43
Colossians 1:13-1, James 2:7.

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BE INSPIRED
BR. MARTIN GREYFORD PHIRI

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