Jesus was known as the Son of Man, yet He was also the Son of God. The notion of Him being the Son of God was beyond the comprehension of ordinary people. However, the same applies to His followers, who, although being sons of men, would also become Sons of God. He specifically instructed them: “Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven” (Matthew 23:9 NKJV). When Jesus said this, the disciples had not yet received the promised Holy Spirit. However, after receiving the Holy Spirit, they would not be different from Jesus Christ. There should be a clear distinction between a son of man and a Son of God. Without that clear demarcation, there would be confusion.
“If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also. At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him” (John 14:15-21 NKJV).
The above passage emphasizes the principle of keeping His commandments, which should be understood as distinct from the Ten Commandments. Everything that Jesus taught constitutes the New Commandments; hence, the Bible is divided into the Old and New Testaments. The Commandments delineated in the New Testament are summarized in Matthew Chapters 5, 6, and 7. However, everything taught by Jesus should be regarded as binding principles to be applied by believers. These commandments may not make sense to those of this world, but they serve to distinguish God’s children from those of this world. Without a clear demarcation among believers, Satan has found it easy to infiltrate Christianity.
The confusion of humanity lies in not knowing their origin. The generality of humanity has been groping in darkness, unsure of whether they belong to the animal species or not. Humans remain between their true identity and not knowing their identity. The Jews became emotionally charged when Jesus, being as human as they saw Him to be, declared himself as the Son of God. This became the pivotal reason for their accusation, fuelling the plot towards his murder. They did not have a legal ground to charge Jesus, but they felt emotionally charged to accuse him. Even today, the mention of being God raises eyebrows. The starting point is to scripturally define humanity.
Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them (Genesis 1:26-27 NKJV).
It is impossible to understand the Scriptures in the entire Bible without comprehending the passage outlined above. This explains why the Jews had issues with Jesus over His declaration that He was the Son of God. They had Scriptures at their disposal, but they could not refer to them when confronting Jesus. Lacking facts, they resorted to physically attacking Him. This suggests that the Scriptures they held sacredly did not have any significance to them. They professed belief in a God they neither knew nor understood. Their sole basis for knowing God lay in the miracles performed in their favour, yet they lacked a true comprehension of His nature. A partial understanding of something is what evokes emotional responses in individuals.
“My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and My Father are one.” Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him. Jesus answered them, “Many good works I have shown you from My Father. For which of those works do you stone Me?” The Jews answered Him, saying, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God.”
Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, “You are gods’”? If He called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him.” Therefore they sought again to seize Him, but He escaped out of their hand” (John 10:29-39 NKJV).
By the mere statement, “You, being a Man, make yourself God,” they were committing a grievous sin. According to their Scriptures, they were invalidating what is held as God’s image. By invalidating what they perceived as a mere man, they were invalidating God. This concept is so elusive that ordinary people cannot fathom it, even today. If they understood it in that context, they would not dare to invalidate even a lunatic. Instead, they would consider it their responsibility to address whatever problem is experienced by the person viewed as despicable.
It is impossible to understand the Scriptures in the entire Bible without comprehending the passage outlined above. This explains why the Jews had issues with Jesus over His declaration that He was the Son of God. They had Scriptures at their disposal, but they could not refer to them when confronting Jesus. Lacking facts, they resorted to physically attacking Him. This suggests that the Scriptures they held sacredly did not have any significance to them. They professed belief in a God they neither knew nor understood. Their sole basis for knowing God lay in the miracles performed in their favour, yet they lacked a true comprehension of His nature. A partial understanding of something is what evokes emotional responses in individuals.
Humans differ from animals in that they possess a unique capacity for reasoning. A person considered to be civilized would be inclined towards a Godly nature, which is what dignity implies. By invalidating Jesus, the Jews were behaving in an uncivilized manner. A community regarded as civilized does not invalidate another human being but seeks to understand and help where possible. Instead, the Jews sought to stone Jesus for what was considered offensive. Supposing Jesus was insane, through no fault of His own, how else would He be handled if His fellow men were denouncing Him in such a manner? They were not only acting contrary to the Scriptures but also in an uncivilized manner.
The problems of humanity are not as complicated as people assume. What prevails is that each person seeks to outcompete rather than cooperate with their fellows. The condition of the ego is considered more valuable than humanity. To be a billionaire is something that is aimed for and envied by many people. But if one were to carefully analyze the purpose of reaching that level when other people survive on less than a dollar a day, what goes on in the mind of such a person? Everyone aims to reach that level of wealth, which is considered noble.
Cooperating with fellow humans does not necessarily mean engaging in sinful conduct. Everything should be evaluated according to the principle of treating others as one would like to be treated. The fact that some individuals are more informed than others does not justify the assumption of superiority. If Jesus, the Son of God, who came directly from God, did not enforce being treated respectfully by those of this world, then from where do our revered Bishops derive that idea? It is not difficult to perceive the origins of the problems within Christianity.
There is truth in the notion that this world regards such individuals as intelligent and deserving of honour. Anyone who thinks differently from that perspective is considered an outsider. To be accepted and respected in this world, it is advisable to conform to that behaviour. Unfortunately, some have used the name of Jesus, joining the fray and associating wealth with God’s blessings. Charismatic preachers have exploited the name of Jesus to manipulate people into believing that making money is ordained by God. However, Paul admonishes:
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith” (Romans 12:1-3 NKJV).
Paul advocates for a mindset that diverges from worldly norms. Being honoured by the world is captivating to those who belong to it. However, this is not the case for those with a renewed mind, as per Paul’s recommendation. The unfortunate reality is that the concept of wealth accumulation is more prominently advocated by Christian organizations rather than by secular ones. Instead of transforming according to Paul’s guidance, wealth accumulation has become a major attraction in those considered successful Christian organizations.
This reminds me of the current situation in Zimbabwe’s political arena, which is fascinating. One can observe similar developments, akin to Satan’s schemes. Since the formation of the formidable opposition political party, the ruling party has focused on infiltrating their ranks. This strategy has been highly effective from the ruling party’s perspective. However, I find this strategy similar to how Satan has infiltrated God’s Church. The idea appears effective when considering the number of people drawn to Christianity for monetary gains. The only difference is that it is impossible to out-manoeuvre God, who perceives the schemes even before they are implemented. He revealed the infiltration before it took place.
“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits, you will know them” (Matthew 7:13-20 NKJV).
The easiest way to discern truthfulness in Christianity is to distinguish between physical comfort and discomfort. As long as there is physical comfort, truthfulness will be absent. However, when discomfort is felt, truthfulness will exist. This is why Jesus advised His followers to rejoice and be glad when persecuted, rather than rejoice when treated kindly. The Son of God was persecuted during His time on Earth, implying that His disciples would be similarly persecuted. This is the only sign that distinguishes them from those of this world.
Dying in the service of God’s work ought to be regarded as the greatest blessing, rather than a curse, in this world. To confidently identify oneself as a child of God is justified by being persecuted, as the prize of Christianity. Such individuals cannot be separated from Jesus, who was similarly treated. Without a clear distinction between persecution and honour in this world, it is unnecessary to call one a “Christian.” A true child of God is rightly separated from the people of this world.
“And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshipped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ and shall reign with Him a thousand years” (Revelation 20:4-6 NKJV).
The individuals mentioned in the above passage are not separate from Jesus, who was God incarnate. After His death on the Cross, He returned to His divine state of being invisible to physical eyes. This divine nature was inherent in Him but not observable to ordinary humans. However, Jesus will return to be perceived by ordinary humans as the Son of David, although being the Son of God. Likewise, acknowledged by ordinary humans as Sons of Men, those who will reign with Him during the millennium will also be Sons of God. Such a privilege cannot be attained effortlessly.
Andrew Masuku is the author of Dimensions of a New Civilization, laying down standards for uplifting Zimbabwe from the current state of economic depression into a model for other nations worldwide. A decaying tree provides an opportunity for a blossoming sprout. Written from a Christian perspective, the book is a product of inspiration, bringing relief to those having witnessed the strings of unworkable solutions––leading to the current economic and social decay. Most Zimbabweans should find the book as a long-awaited providential oasis of hope, in a simple conversational tone.
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