By Pastor Dave Farmer

Topic #2 Fighting Against Gnosticism - What Think Ye Of Christ? - Part 1

Introduction

After several hours of cross-examination by the religious teachers of the Law, our Lord asked them a very straight forward question:

Matthew 22:42

What do you think about the Christ [in the Hebrew = Messiah], whose son is He? They said to Him, "The son of David. "

This question about the Personhood of the Lord Jesus Christ is the central point in all theological truth and bears directly on our salvation. When we are incorrect in our explanation of who Jesus is, a different Jesus results. This new Jesus is false, and immediately from that false Jesus comes a false gospel. Before we turn the light of Scripture on the Gnostic Jesus, we will analyze the first group that fails to see Him as reveal to them, the Pharisees and Sadducees.

John 1:11

He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him.

It is characteristic of our Lord's genius to sort through all of the theological noise and find the core issue - their imperative need. What do you believe about the Messiah? Today the question would be formulated, "What do you think about Jesus Christ, whose Son is He?"

As He faced the onslaught of attack questions which sought to demean His character and paint Him as a lunatic, as an imposter; He, on the other hand, looked beyond their hatred and vitriol and posed a question which addressed their greatest need. They needed to trust in Him. They needed to acknowledge Him as their long-awaited Messiah.

Instead, they belittled Him by claiming He was untaught. He only had a synagogue education, like a grade school education. They held the highest degrees in the land. Doctor So and So's of the Law. Jesus held no certificates. So, the Herodians, Sadducees, Pharisees', and the professional lawyers collaborated to question our Lord Jesus Christ to embarrass Him before the people. That day, the experts were confounded. They were confronted with pure genius, and they knew it. In their own words, they said:

Matthew 22:46

No one was able to answer Him a word, nor did anyone dare from that day on to ask Him another question.

You could not find a greater contrast between Christ and the religious leaders. They were plotting His death, and He was aware of it. He, on the other hand, had a compassionate concern about their eternal salvation. They were spiritually lost, and they didn't know it. The last thing He said to them publically was that they were living in darkness. This is a serious negative spiritual condition to be in:

John 12:46

I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness.

To live in darkness, as the Lord Jesus Christ taught, is to live under the influence and control of Satan. The only way you can remove this darkness is as Jesus said: "to believe in Him."

Acts 4:12

And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.

So the Lord Jesus Christ said, "Let's put away the theological questions for now and focus on what is truly important. Your need for salvation. Your urgent need is to be delivered from the domain of darkness, or you will face the same doom as your master".

John 8:44

You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

The great error of the religious establishment is that they did not know the Scriptures [Matthew 22:29]. This is very disturbing! What were they studying all these years? The Lord Jesus Christ chided them for following the traditions of men and not the Scripture [Matthew 15:2,3]. They knew the teaching of the Rabbis but did not know the Scripture with any degree of clarity about the Person and Work of Messiah. Most of what they knew was just a mishmash of ideas.

They Had Religion But No Salvation

The central question He asked them was, "Who is Messiah?" Their answer is proof that they had religion but no salvation. Their response was correct. The Messiah was to be a Son of David. What was absent from their answer is "You Lord Jesus, you are the Messiah." I am spending time here because, sadly, we have in America a Christianity much like the Jews of Jesus day. We have religion, but no salvation. What does the Scripture teach about the Messiah? We have the blessing of the completed Canon of Scripture so we can offer a complete reply:

ABOUT THE PERSON OF JESUS CHRIST

He is the God-man, the one, and only Savior. As stated in the doctrinal statement of this website and throughout the articles on this site ¹ our Lord Jesus Christ is the unique Person of the Godhead, the only true celebrity in the Universe:

Jesus Christ has two natures. He is God and as God possesses undiminished deity. He is a man and as man possesses a body, soul, and the human spirit. He is different than any member of the human race for He is God. He is different from the other members of the Godhead, in that He is a man. In the Person of Jesus Christ are two natures which are inseparably united, without mixture or loss to either deity or humanity.

The Jews departed from the Scripture giving heed to the devil's lie. Their teaching about Christ was false, but they were convinced it was true, yet they were so very wrong. What about today? Is the Christ of the Jehovah Witnesses the same Christ of the Bible? Is the Christ of the Christian Scientist the same Christ of the Bible? Is the Christ of the Mormon the same Christ of the Bible? You see, these groups are religious, but they have no salvation. Again, the Jews of Jesus' day were expecting the MESSIAH, but their MESSIAH [of the rabbinic traditions] was different than the one revealed in the Word of God, and Jesus didn’t fit their mold.

Essentials and non-essentials

The doctrines that answer the question of who Christ is are essential doctrines, and your eternal salvation weighs in the balance. For example, take the subject of baptism. I believe that the form of water baptism, which should be practiced by the Church, is immersion. The Majority of Christianity practices child Baptism or sprinkle its candidates. So, we hold a different view, but this is a non-essential doctrine. For the mode of baptism has no direct bearing on salvation. If you believe in Christ and the Christ you believe in is not the Christ of the Bible, your faith is religious, but you do not have a faith that saves. You are trusting in the wrong Person.

THE CASE OF NICODEMOS - John 3:1-21

Jesus said to a very religious man, a member of the elite group of spiritual leadership in Israel called the Sanhedrin, "Nicodemus, you are not saved, you think you are saved, but you are not, you must be born again." This man was a devout Jew, filled with religion, committed to his faith, but was not saved. Thousands of Christians today are just like Nicodemus. They are following the wrong path to heaven. Why was he so confused?

The answer to this question is important! It starts with His religious faith, which informed him of what was true and false. It starts with the way he is thinking. His thinking was defective, distorted, and he was blinded by the devil's lie. I'll get to the devil's lie in a moment. Jesus said, "You must be born again if you want to go to heaven." Now listen to the dumb reply of a so-called spiritual leader in Israel. "How can I go back into my mother's womb and be born a second time?." What a stupid, imbecilic question? However, it made absolute sense to Nicodemus.

First, he was blinded by his arrogance.

Try to think of this from Nicodemus' standpoint. He thought of himself as a very spiritual person. He was a wealthy and successful businessman, highly regarded in the community, so obviously God has blessed him, and his blessing meant acceptance and favor with God. He was saved as ever a man could be saved. Look at who I am and what I have accomplished.

Would the Lord of Heaven and Earth bless me with so much if he didn't approve of me?

The evidence of our Lord Jesus Christ miracles had a profound effect upon Nicodemus, but the Lord's message undermined everything he had believed. The underpinning of his faith was shaken and swept away by the teaching of Christ. The foundation of his faith rested in his race. He was born a Jew, and the Jews are automatically saved. Secondly, he was saved by his religious works. He was made righteous by keeping the law.

Salvation is by grace, not of works.

So, Jesus said, "you do not understand salvation." "Think of it this way; you must be born again." Nicodemus is startled by this for one perfect reason. Jesus told him how to be saved, and it is something that is impossible for him TO DO. The first wrinkle on his brow was that all his good works, and he had plenty, were insufficient for salvation. The second wrinkle was asking him to do something for salvation that was impossible.

What was the Lord teaching Nicodemus? Salvation is not something you do; it is something that God will do for you, which you could not do for yourself. The fact is you can't be born again. It is the work of God. You have to trust another person. You see, Nicodemus has been trusting in himself, his devout character, and his religious practices. There is no power to bring anyone to salvation by either your works or personality. Salvation is a spiritual rebirth, and it is the Work of God. Nicodemus has religion, but no salvation.

Summary:

1. Faith in the wrong Christ is the failure to understand the unique Person of the universe from the viewpoint of the Bible.

2. Faith in the wrong work is a failure to understand that our works do not save us; it is the work of Christ that saves. On the Cross, all our sins were brought to Him, and He was judged for every one of them.

3. One of the critical issues that determine orthodoxy from heresy is that one follows the Word of God; the other follows the traditions of men. Biblical Christianity is hard to find. It is reported that the majority of the people of the United States are Christians. Yes, there is a Christian majority in our land, but they only have a religious faith, but not a faith that saves. They have religion but no salvation. Let's be truthful with ourselves; our eternal salvation depends on the answer to "Who Is Christ?"

ENDNOTES

¹ We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man without ceasing to be God, having been conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful man; that He accomplished our redemption through His death on the Cross as a substitutionary sacrifice; that our redemption is made sure to us by His literal physical resurrection from the dead; that the Lord Jesus Christ is now in heaven, exalted at the right hand of God, where, as the High Priest for His people, He fulfills the ministry of Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate. See John 1:1,2,14; Luke 1 :34,35; Romans 3:24,25; 4:25; 1 Peter 1 :3-5; Hebrews 9:24.