Throughout the centuries there have been two foundational doctrines of the Christian faith that have received more criticism and attacks than any other tenets. What do you think they might be? You would be correct if you said they are the Deity of Christ and the Trinity. When Jesus was here on earth, He most often referred to Himself as “the Son of Man”, but there were times when He had to make it abundantly clear to the Jews that He was also “God’s Son”. The fact that this man, Jesus, claimed to be God, to be equal with God, to have the nature of God and to actually be one with His Father was the ultimate crime that caused His enemies to seek His death. Little did they realize that in crucifying Him, they would enable Him to display His final and ultimate victory over sin and death.
The great and historical Creeds, concisely expressed summaries of doctrine written in the early centuries after Christ’s death and resurrection, still help us today to articulate these Biblical truths. The Athanasian Creed, written in the fifth century, declares that “We worship one God in trinity, and trinity in unity. . . For the person of the Father is one; of the Son, another; of the Holy Spirit, another. But the divinity of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit is one, the glory equal, the majesty equal.” The creed goes on to succinctly express that there is one, eternal and infinite being and yet within one there are three who are coeternal and coequal with each other.
How important would you say that believing that Jesus truly is God’s Son is to you? On what do you base this conviction? Are you prepared to “give an answer to everyone who asks you for the reason for the hope that you have”? (I Peter 3: 15) It really is the “bottom line” of your faith, isn’t it?
