An excellent sermon from Nader Mansour

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0mGIJ8lC5E

The Trinity vs. Present Truth - Nader Mansour

Christ the Mother of all living

In the great controversy we see in the Son of God the crowning of the kingdom, and the original “mother of all living” (Gen. 3:20) of “the whole family in heaven and earth” (Eph. 3:15). He created Adam kingly and with all earthly power and authority, formed in the spiritual image of His beloved Father (see 1 Corinthians 11:7). And, for the crowning work of Earth’s creation Christ made Eve with His own attributes. Beholding Eve we have seen the Son.

“… the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.” (1 Cor. 11:3).

Jesus created the man and woman so that together they could better reveal the Fullness of the Godhead bodily before the angelic hosts and unfallen worlds. “The head of every man is Christ” (1 Cor. 11:3). God is the head of Christ, and Christ is the head of every king of His innumerable worlds. Christ specifically is the Mediator between God and the intelligent creations. He has been the Door through which have ever passed all of God’s selfless blessings to His universe, and through the same Door have returned all of His creation’s sacrifices of praise to the Father of all.

He is Mediator for our words to God, and He is also the word of God to us, therefore likewise, in order to represent Himself to the intelligent universe, He gave women a voice closer to the children’s frequency range, along with the mothers’ special proclivity for communication to teach the children their fathers’ will. The mothers’ reactionary tendency also mimics the Son of God, who could turn into a She-bear to teach His children to follow closely and to warn away predators if His children were in danger (see Matthew 16:23; Mark 9:16; Luke 19:45, 46; John 2:13-17). As mothers worry perpetually over their away or wayward loved ones, so Jesus could not rest until the human race was safe at His home again (see Luke 15:4-6; Matthew 26:29; John 14:3). “Jesus did not count heaven a place to be desired while we were lost.” The Desire of Ages, p. 416. Mothers’ hard-wired tendency to sympathize and, at any hour, to awaken to her children’s and her pets’ needs, reveal our High Priest who ever liveth to hear the cries of His earth-bound children. “He regarded their affliction, when He heard their cry.” (Ps. 106:44). Every woman we see, their natural gentleness, their love and desire to please, their strength of attachment, surrounds us all with light from the throne of God. When we see women’s characteristics we have seen the Son’s.

“And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her.” (Ruth 1:14).

In their tendency to serve and minister in exchange for love and affection, every member of the female gender has revealed the Son of God (see Matthew 20:28), causing much joy and inspiration to the heavenly hosts ― and also great horror and wrath among the hosts of hell. Mothers can endure any amount of poverty and stressors in life, any amount of sorrow and grief, any amount of physical and emotional trauma, so long as they can suffer with someone else, together in the company of friends or family, especially surrounded by husband and children. Were it not for Satan’s vehement jealousy of the Son, every woman and girl would have reigned in the earth as queens and princesses, mothers and sisters. But, to efface all evidence of Christ from Earth, the devil has abused and trampled upon, subjugated and excluded from the councils of men, the women’s advice of caution and tenderness as men’s necessary resource for balanced wisdom. Woman’s counsel mimics that of Daniel’s Christ-like advice of mercy, spoken from a warm spirit toward King Nebuchadnezzar’s harsh totalitarian measures, “Break off thy sins by righteousness...by shewing mercy to the poor.” (Dan. 4:27).

Human fathers’ naturally strong check against the children’s unruly natural has its purpose to protect the mothers’ work of mercy and the lessons needed for the children’s upbringing, especially toward the children with special needs. Were it not for the force and strength of the fathers, and were it not for the fear that the fathers’ naturally instill in their children toward the united front of both parents, the mothers would be overwhelmed in their work for ministering righteousness in the children. The mothers would be unable to punish the children and also teach them all their necessary lessons, especially the communication of the mothers’ mercy and tenderness. Much confusion would arise in the minds of the children toward justice and mercy. Much success in their upbringing would be lost, and much too often is lost because so many fathers have followed after intoxicating substances or are altogether missing, and do not fill their role as law-enforcement in the home. Likewise God the Father’s almighty power to strike fear in His kingdom for the promotion of His Law. His purpose in His omnipotence causing us fear is to ease the efforts of His Son by paving the way in the hearts of every creature for the truth taught by the Son, who is the truth. The Father of all has power unbounded that He uses, not for His family’s destruction, but for the efficiency of His principles’ inculcation into their hearts, which is the wonderful work of His Son, the great Master teacher.

As fathers tend primarily to long-range needs and enterprises, and as mothers tend primarily to the children’s immediate needs and character building, likewise have the members of the Godhead. The Father of all has dealt with Earth’s rebellion in great justice with some mercy, as He is the bedrock of perfection for the safekeeping of the whole kingdom. But, He delegated to His Son the dissemination of His will, to give special focus on our one world, our needs and issues, issues that affect the whole great controversy of God. The Prince’s work for our rehabilitation has been often with a strong hand, but normatively in abundant mercy (see Joshua 4:24; Judges 2:15; 1 Samuel 5:6, 9; 7:13; Isaiah 5:25; 9:12, 17, 21; 10:4). Thus through the Godhead, Earth’s issues have been interwoven with the issues of the rest of Their vast kingdom, while we have had the undivided attention of the Son. The Lord God, as with every good mother, has been very close to all who will hear Him, instructing and disciplining, but also giving full-hearted compassion and grace to all. “Yea, for the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell among them.” (Ps. 68:18). The law of kindness has been in His mouth, and all of His born-again children rise up and call Him blessed.

Thus, by Christ’s infinite wisdom and creativity, the Godhead was intended to be displayed by the holy pair of Eden. And their animal kingdom that stretched to the utmost bounds of the everlasting hills, fearing and loving their masters in Eden, revealed the Godhead’s intelligent creation in a new and living way.

As “God…created all things by Jesus Christ” (Eph. 3:9), so Adam would generate a race through Eve, and that without any pain. But, after sin entered the world, childbirth would mean much agonizing for women. “Unto the woman He said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.” (Gen. 3:16). Likewise, the Father ruled very heavily over His Son because of Their Earth children. And the Son of God, the self-sacrificing “Mother of all living”, after His sorrows were greatly multiplied and His strength spent, brought us forth to our former Edenic life, “being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible” (1 Pet. 1:23, cf 1 John 3:9, 10).

The Son died in hard labor to give to us a birth of a heavenly order, and life eternal. The consumed and dying Mother of all living named us “son of My sorrow”, but His victorious Father changed our name to “son of My right hand” (see Genesis 35:18, margin). At that dark, desperate moment of Christ’s expiration, His grieving, greater Father could look beyond the loss of His Son. He could “see of the travail of His [Son’s] soul, and…be satisfied” (Isa. 53:11), satisfied that by His Son’s throes of mental, physical, and spiritual agony many children would be converted, justified, and glorified. For “as many as received him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name” (John 1:12). Through His perfect sacrifice, the Father could see and accept His Son’s perfectly reconciled seed, and He would be able to bring Him back from death (see verse 10). “He that hath My commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me: and he that loveth Me shall be loved of My Father, and I will love him, and will manifest Myself to him.” (John 14:21). Thus, the Father’s plan for our salvation would prosper in the hands of His faithful High Priest, Michael, “the great Prince which standeth for the children of thy people.” (Dan. 12:1). Because of His hard labor for our delivery from sin, He ever lives for nothing more than to make intercession for His beloved children, to protect us and save us, pulling us out of the fire if necessary. As Jesus guaranteed that Eve and all her mothering female offspring could never forget their children because they would suffer so much to give them birth, likewise we see the same in Him. After His overwhelming, substitutionary damnation for our sakes, from Gethsemane to Golgotha, the Son of God will never forget the children of His agonies. Before the great God Christ’s proven intercession for us is guaranteed, carved in stone. And when we accept the repentance that comes from His sacrifice for our new birth, our forgiveness through Him is sure. Jesus says to us,

“A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.” (John 16:21).

“The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.” (John 12:23, 24).

“Thou art He that took me out of the womb: Thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother’s breasts.

I was cast upon Thee from the womb: Thou art my God from my mother’s belly.” (Ps. 22:9, 10).

“Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.” (Isa. 49:15).

“The LORD hath created a new thing in the earth, A woman shall compass a man.” (Jer. 31:22).

“Lift up thine eyes round about, and behold: all these gather themselves together, and come to thee. As I live, saith the LORD, thou shalt surely clothe thee with them all, as with an ornament, and bind them on thee, as a bride doeth…. The children which thou shalt have, after thou hast lost the other, shall say again in thine ears, The place is too strait for me: give place to me that I may dwell.’” (Isa. 49:18, 20).

We behold God spiritually in every man and Jesus spiritually in every woman. As we see how God exalted His Son after His supernatural labor for our second birth, we should exalt mothers and wives, and say that the characteristics of Christ, the eternal Mother of all living, make all women beautiful. Regardless of size or shape, age or culture, appearance or color, all women are created especially in the image of Christ, the divine Mother who died to give us life. Without discrimination, every female’s self-sacrificial traits are all wonderfully beautiful, especially the tender-hearted mothers.

The Counsel of Peace between Them both

“The counsel of peace shall be between Them both.” (Zech. 6:13).

We want to look at the way scripture and Ellen White conspicuously refer to two Persons in the Godhead, thus necessarily excluding a third person.

“The Sovereign of the universe was not alone in His work of beneficence. He had an associate—a co-worker who could appreciate His purposes, and could share His joy in giving happiness to created beings. ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God.’ John 1:1, 2. Christ, the Word, the only begotten of God, was one with the eternal Father—one in nature, in character, in purpose—the only being that could enter into all the counsels and purposes of God.” Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 34.1.

“Jesus…was the Word of God,—God’s thought made audible.” The Desire of Ages, p. 19.2.

   

“The King of the universe summoned the heavenly hosts before Him, that in their presence He might set forth the true position of His Son and show the relation He sustained to all created beings. The Son of God shared the Father’s throne, and the glory of the eternal, self-existent One encircled both. About the throne gathered the holy angels, a vast, unnumbered throng—‘ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands’ (Revelation 5:11), the most exalted angels, as ministers and subjects, rejoicing in the light that fell upon them from the presence of the Deity. Before the assembled inhabitants of heaven the King declared that none but Christ, the Only Begotten of God, could fully enter into His purposes, and to Him it was committed to execute the mighty counsels of His will.” Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 36.2.

“Before the Father He [Christ] pleaded in the sinner’s behalf, while the host of heaven awaited the result with an intensity of interest that words cannot express. Long continued was that mysterious communing—‘the counsel of peace’ (Zechariah 6:13) for the fallen sons of men. The plan of salvation had been laid before the creation of the earth; for Christ is ‘the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world’ (Revelation 13:8); yet it was a struggle, even with the King of the universe, to yield up His Son to die for the guilty race. But ‘God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ John 3:16. Oh, the mystery of redemption! the love of God for a world that did not love Him! Who can know the depths of that love which ‘passeth knowledge’? Through endless ages immortal minds, seeking to comprehend the mystery of that incomprehensible love, will wonder and adore.” Patriarchs and Prophets, p.  63.3.

   

“The work of Christ as man’s intercessor is presented in that beautiful prophecy of Zechariah concerning Him ‘whose name is the Branch.’ Says the prophet: ‘He shall build the temple of the Lord; and He shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon His [the Father’s] throne; and He shall be a priest upon His throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between Them both.’ Zechariah 6:12, 13.” Great Controversy, p. 415.3.

“Upon the throne with the eternal, self-existent One is He who ‘hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows’.” Great Controversy, p.  416.3.

In all the above descriptions of heaven before the great controversy and God’s plan to reverse man’s fall, we see but two Beings on the throne. “Him ‘whose name is the Branch.’… shall be a priest upon His [the Father’s] throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between Them both.” Great Controversy, p. 416.4.

Do we understand that there are more than two divine Persons involved in the great controversy and in God’s plan to reverse man’s destruction? What do we hear in this regard from the following scripture texts?

“Abraham... Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest...and offer him...for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.” (Gen. 22:1,2).

“The LORD our God is one LORD.” (Deut. 6:4). “I and My Father are one.” (John 10:30). “My Father is greater than I.” (John 14:28).

“I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of His head like the pure wool: His throne was like the fiery flame, and His wheels as burning fire…. I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought Him near before Him.” (Dan. 7:9,13).

“Behold, a throne was set in heaven, and One sat on the throne. And He that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.…and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.” (Rev. 4:2,3,5).

“And I saw in the right hand of Him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.

And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?

And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.

And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.

And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.

And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.” (Rev. 5:1-6).

“The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit Thou at My right hand, until I make Thine enemies Thy footstool.... The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.” (Ps. 110:1,4). 

“Then cometh the end, when He [Christ] shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when He shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.

For He [Christ] must reign, till He [God] hath put all enemies under His feet.

The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

For He [God] hath put all things under His [Christ’s] feet. But when He saith all things are put under Him [Christ], it is manifest that He [God] is excepted, which did put all things under Him.

And when all things shall be subdued unto Him [God], then shall the Son also Himself be subject unto Him that put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.” (1Cor. 15:24-28).

“… until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ: which in His times He shall shew, who [God the Father] is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.” (1Tim. 6:14-16).

“Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. …Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped Him that liveth for ever and ever.” (Rev. 5:12-14).

“To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with Me in My throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father in His throne.” (Rev. 3:21).

“And the Angel … lifted up His hand to heaven, and sware by Him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein.” (Rev. 10:5,6).

“The Man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when He held up His right hand and His left hand unto heaven, and sware by Him that liveth for ever…” (Dan. 12:7).

“And another Angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto Him much incense, that He should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne [of God].” (Rev. 8:3).

“Seeing then that we have a great High Priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.” (Heb. 4:14).

“Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them.” (Heb. 7:25).

“For there is one God, and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus.” (1Tim. 2:5).

“The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto Him….” (Rev. 1:1).

“To us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by Him.” (1Cor. 8:6).

“No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him. ” (John 1:18).

From the above quotations and verses, we see that there are two who rule from the throne of heaven: the Son and His greater Father. They are “the Sovereign of the universe” and “an associate—a co-worker”; one is “Christ, the Word, the only begotten of God” and the other is “the eternal Father”.

There are always two who rule: They are “the Son of God” who shared His Father’s throne and “the eternal, self-existent One” whose glory “encircled both”; one is the “mighty Angel” who roared like a lion, standing below “Him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein” and other is the Almighty who thundered down upon His mighty Angel who had taken the open book from His right hand after His horrific self-sacrifice qualified Him to take and open the book of doom against the One who sat on the throne and lives forever.

There are two Beings at the throne: They are “the Ancient of days” and “one like unto the Son of man” who was brought near to Him; They are “God” and “the Word of God,—God’s thought made audible”; They are “God” and the “Angel [that] came and stood at the … golden altar which was before the throne [of God]”; and They are “One [who] sat on the throne” and the “seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God [that were seen later when the seven Spirits were incarnated into human form and He dispensed it to the world, see Revelation 5:6]”.

There are two persons working for atonement between God and fallen man: They are “one God” and “one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus”; They are “a great High Priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God”, “[who] liveth to make intercession for them”; They are “the Lamb that was slain” and “Him that liveth for ever and ever”; They are “our Lord Jesus Christ” and “the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords” “who only hath immortality”.

Two, and only two divine Beings, cooperated together in Their one Spirit to win us back from Satan and sin. “God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself.’” (2Cor. 5:19). “Him ‘whose name is the Branch.’ …shall sit and rule upon His [the Father’s] throne; and He shall be a priest upon His throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between Them both [emphasis mine].” Great Controversy, p. 416.4.

Before we ever praise God for the unspeakable gift of His grace through His Son, we must nail down the biblical truth of two person Godhead of God the Father and, specifically, an in-fact, true, sole Son begotten of His Father in eternity past. Unlike the biblical gospel, the Trinity philosophy from Babel cannot capture the power of a grace that awakens dead human hearts, daily slaughtered on the cruel altars of the adversary. Protestants take the second person of Babel’s Trinity and move it to the third person spot in Babel’s Trinity. It is simply an improvement on idolatry. The most ancient traditions of men can’t attach to everlasting truth. “No man putteth a piece of a new garment upon an old; if otherwise, then both the new maketh a rent, and the piece that was taken out of the new agreeth not with the old.” (Luke 5:36). The Trinity god’s requirements and the one true God’s requirements can no more be intertwined in a doctrine than Jehovah’s ark of the covenant could live next to Satan’s image of Dagon.

Human tradition and divine truth are incompatible, because human tradition come from Baal’s purposely defiling the truth concerning Jehovah Elohim. That would make a modern tree of the knowledge of good and evil. And we see it in Christendom’s papal little horn of Daniel’s prophecies that would reign over the kings and the nations of the earth.

“And it [the deceptive little horn power] waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them. Yea, he magnified himself even to the Prince of the host….” (Dan. 8:10,11). That Trinity and its Holy Spirit third person are the primeval, wretched and desolating, abomination “whom all Asia and the world worshippeth” (Acts 19:27), and its “magnificence should be destroyed” (Acts 19:27). There can be no redemption through that most detestable, co-equal, co-eval, and co-eternal mythical triad oligarchy of gods ruling the nations’ pantheons, “which reigneth over the kings of the earth.” (Rev. 17:18). “Thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived. And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.” (Rev. 18:23,24).

“It cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them”. (Dan. 8:10). Daniel 8’s little horn did just like Daniel 7’s little horn, which rode a beast that was “dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns. I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great [great, lording, domineering] things.” (Dan. 7:7,8). This persecuting and blasphemous little horn power is seen again in John’s Revelation, showing that it was future to John, and continuing to Christ’s second advent.

“And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy^G988 [G988 “impious against God”, “vilifying God” and “calumniating His children”].

And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, and His tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.

And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.” (Rev. 13:1,6,7).

“So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.

And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:

And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.” (Rev. 17:3-6).

This war against the church is more than an all-out, militarized law-enforcement system, but also a deceptive doctrinal war. The whole spectra of war includes anti-truth, spiritual, psychological strategies. Here is where the Trinity doctrine comes into play, especially during the end-time investigative judgment. The first angel’s message is the warning to glorify God, God who is “Him that sat on the throne” (Rev. 5:1), to worship Him who creates (see Revelation 10:5,6, does God have a competitor?), and that the hour of His judgment has come (see Revelation 5:1-7; 10:1,2,7). But, the Trinity doctrine confuses the two individual Persons into non-biblical ministry, blurring them into three, and destroying Their three angels’ messages. everything related to God the Father and His only begotten Son Godhead is undermined by the ancient Trinity god. “Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders.” (2Thess. 2:9).

Jesus, the Spirit of truth and our “Wonderful, Counsellor” (Isa. 9:6), our unchanged Comforter, said, “I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another [of the same (see John 14:9)] Comforter, that He [the Father] may abide with you for ever;… I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you…. He that hath My commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me: and he that loveth Me shall be loved of My Father, and I will love him, and will manifest Myself to him…. If a man love Me, he will keep My words: and My Father will love Him, and We will come unto him, and make Our abode with him.” (John 14:16,18,21,23). The Father is of the same character as His Son. Through His Son He can be of help to everyone on Earth. “Yet a little while, and the world seeth Me no more; but ye see Me: because I live, ye shall live also. At that day ye shall know that I am in My Father, and ye in Me, and I in you.” (John 14:19,20). They would see Jesus via His Spirit and their faith.

“Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.” (Rev. 5:5,6).

The non-trinitarian, true, biblical Holy Spirit is Jesus’ Spirit sent in His Father’s power, the Spirit of truth. It’s Jesus who is the truth, and who Revelation 5:6 shows crowned with the omnipotent and omniscient Spirit of truth. The Spirit is verily none other than Jesus speaking to the spirit and soul of His sheep. The Spirit of truth is the testimony of Jesus the Word, “the faithful and true Witness” (Rev. 3:14). Jesus was “I wisdom” (Prov. 8:10, cf Prov. 22-30), and still “who of God is made unto us wisdom” (1Cor. 1:30). Jesus is the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth, because He is the truth, the Word, Wisdom, and “righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption” (1Cor. 1:30). Jesus, His Spirit, is made unto us wisdom. His sheep hear His voice and follow Him to green pastures and to quiet waters. “Hereby know we that we dwell in Him, and He in us, because He hath given us of His Spirit.” (1Jn. 4:13). “Ye shall know that I am in My Father, and ye in Me, and I in you.”

Two and only two beings rule in the heavens, “and the counsel of peace shall be between Them both.”  So where is the third being, Holy Spirit?

In the salutations beginning every epistle of Paul to the churches, without exception the apostle writes of only the same two Beings, “To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Rom. 1:7).

God has a Mediator for us, “even Jesus, made an High Priest for ever” (Heb. 6:20), “and the counsel of peace shall be between Them both.” God’s beloved Son is our Mediator. No one else like one of us can go to bat for us—and the Father chose someone who we, who love our children, can believe that God will hear His Child, and us too. The sinless, infinitely bonded God the Father and His only begotten Son want to save every sinner. “And He is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” (1Jn. 2:2).

“Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God.” (Rom. 3:24,25).

“Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (1Jn. 4:10).

“And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.” (1Jn. 4:14).

“My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” (1Jn. 2:1).

“‘And the counsel of peace shall be between Them both.’ The love of the Father, no less than of the Son, is the fountain of salvation for the lost race…. in the ministration in the sanctuary above, ‘the counsel of peace shall be between Them BOTH [emphasis mine].’” Great Controversy, p. 416.4.

The plan of salvation is centered around two, mutually loved, personal Beings, “God” and “the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father” (John 1:18). The most holy Two aren’t three co-equal, co-eval, and co-eternal, same age male gods, in each other’s bosom. That is queer, and it is depraving to everyone who holds that idea. And Satan loves to insinuate his impurity into God’s character and into His Son’s, through religious doctrines and dogmatic assumptions in His Book, the Bible. We have full comprehension on how many fronts the Trinity makes war against the whole knowledge of God’s character.

There is no self-sacrificing love between three equal male peers, even if tradition says that they decided, in the past eons, to portray love by role-playing it. That isn’t convincing, not to intelligent creatures made in God’s image. Only the truth of the King of creation, giving up the Son of His bosom—permitting Him to conclude the plan to go into enemy territory, risking failure under the tremendous wrath of God and the tremendous temptations of Satan, and risking eternal imprisonment and everlasting grief in an earthly tomb—in order to win some of us back to a perfect preparation for the sinless kingdom of heaven. If this blog post has convinced you of the truly loving Father and Son Godhead, then we can finish with Their beautiful work for our redemption.

“‘And the counsel of peace shall be between Them both.’ The love of the Father, no less than of the Son, is the fountain of salvation for the lost race…. in the ministration in the sanctuary above, ‘the counsel of peace shall be between Them both.’” Great Controversy, p. 416.4.

“‘He shall build the temple of the Lord.’ By His sacrifice and mediation Christ is both the foundation and the builder of the church of God. The apostle Paul points to Him as ‘the chief Cornerstone; in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth into an holy temple in the Lord: in whom ye also,’ he says, ‘are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.’ Ephesians 2:20-22.

     ‘He shall bear the glory.’ To Christ belongs the glory of redemption for the fallen race. Through the eternal ages, the song of the ransomed ones will be: ‘Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood,... to Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever.’ Revelation 1:5, 6.

     He ‘shall sit and rule upon His throne; and He shall be a priest upon His throne.’ Not now ‘upon the throne of His glory;’ the kingdom of glory has not yet been ushered in. Not until His work as a mediator shall be ended will God ‘give unto Him the throne of His father David,’ a kingdom of which ‘there shall be no end.’ Luke 1:32, 33. As a priest, Christ is now set down with the Father in His throne. Revelation 3:21. Upon the throne with the eternal, self-existent One is He who ‘hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows,’ who ‘was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin,’ that He might be ‘able to succor them that are tempted.’ ‘If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father.’ Isaiah 53:4; Hebrews 4:15;  2:18; 1 John 2:1. His intercession is that of a pierced and broken body, of a spotless life. The wounded hands, the pierced side, the marred feet, plead for fallen man, whose redemption was purchased at such infinite cost.” Great Controversy, p. 416.1-3.

“Said Jesus to His disciples before He went away: ‘I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you: for the Father Himself loveth you.’ John 16:26, 27. God was ‘in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself.’ 2 Corinthians 5:19. And in the ministration in the sanctuary above, ‘the counsel of peace shall be between Them both.’ ‘God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ John 3:16.” Great Controversy, p. 416.4.

Connections with Christ's Spirit or Cords of men

1)    “‘Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.’ Will not those thus cleansed manifest it by the words spoken? Will they not be holy in all manner of conversation? Having received the message of truth for this time, will they not reveal this truth ‘in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? The earth also, and the things that are therein, shall be burned up. Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.’” Review and Herald, January 25, 1898 par. 5

  

2)  “‘Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean; from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.’” Youth Instructor, May 18, 1893 par. 5 

  

3)   “‘Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put My spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes’ [Ezekiel 36:25-27]. This is the descent of the Holy Spirit, sent from God to do its office-work. The house of Israel is to be imbued with the Holy Spirit, and baptized with the grace of salvation. Their state of lethargy will no longer exist. All who have not received the light will be convicted; all who will turn unto the Lord with full purpose of heart will confess their sins.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 2, p. 22.1

    

4)  “‘A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments and do them.” The renewed heart will have no plants of selfishness to cultivate. Pride will be seen in its sinfulness, and will be expelled. It is not for the human clay to find fault with the molding process of the potter, but to submit to be molded in any way. Every soul must submit to the Lord before he can be made a vessel unto honor, to be filled with the renewing, sanctifying grace of Christ.” Review and Herald, May 5, 1896 par. 5

 

5)    “‘Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.’ ‘The Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.’” Review and Herald, January 12, 1911 par. 11

6)   “‘Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.” When the Spirit of the Lord works upon the hearts of the parents, their prayers and tears will come up before God, and they will earnestly entreat, and will receive grace and wisdom from heaven, and will be able to work for their unconverted children. As this spirit is manifested in the home, it will be brought into the church, and those who are home missionaries will also become agents for God in the church and in the world. The institutions which God has planted will bear an entirely different mold.” Review and Herald, March 14, 1893 par. 10} 

7)     “‘Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye shall keep My judgments, and do them’ [Ezekiel 36:25-27].” Manuscript Releases, vol. 17, p. 320.5

8)     “‘Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put My spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye shall keep My judgments, and do them’ (Ezekiel 36:25-27).” Manuscript Releases, vol. 11, p. 216.4

  

9)     “‘A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.’” 1888 Materials, p. 1388.2

10)     “‘A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye shall keep My judgements, and do them.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 17, p. 115.3

 

11)    “‘Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes.” This is the descent of the Holy Spirit, sent from God to do its office work. The house of Israel is to be imbued with the Holy Spirit, and baptized with the grace of salvation.” Review and Herald, October 13, 1904 par. 5

    

12)  “‘Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean; from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.’” Review and Herald, July 15, 1902 par. 9

13)    “‘A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes.’ Isaiah 64:6; Psalm 51:10; Ezekiel 36:26, 27.” Desire of Ages, p. 174.1

14)  “‘Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean; from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye shall keep My judgments, and do them.’” Signs of the Times, February 1, 1899 par. 12

  

15) “‘Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them’ (Ezekiel 36:25-27).” Ye Shall Receive Power, p. 136.4

    

16)    “‘A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.’ Ezekiel 36:26, 27.”  Ye Shall Receive Power, p. 48.1

1)        my Spirit  Review and Herald, January 25, 1898 par. 5

2)        my Spirit  Youth Instructor, May 18, 1893 par. 5

3)        My spirit  Manuscript Releases, vol. 2, p. 22.

4)        my Spirit  Review and Herald, May 5, 1896 par. 5

5)        my spirit   Review and Herald, January12, 1911 par. 11

6)        my Spirit  Review and Herald, March 14, 1893 par. 10

7)        My Spirit  Manuscript Releases, vol. 20, p. 320.5

8)        My spirit   Manuscript Releases, vol. 11, p. 216.4

9)        my spirit    1888 Materials, p. 1388.2

10)    My Spirit   Manuscript Releases, vol. 17, p. 115.3

11)    my Spirit   Review and Herald, October 13, 1904 par. 5

12)    my spirit    Review and Herald, July 15, 1902 par. 9

13)    My Spirit   Desire of Ages, p. 174.1

14)    My Spirit   Signs of the Times, February 1, 1899 par. 12

15)    my spirit    Ye Shall Receive Power, p. 136.4

16)    my spirit    Ye Shall Receive Power, p. 48.1

In Ellen White’s quotations above, “my spirit” is “My Spirit”. The new spirit that Jesus promises to put within us is His Spirit. Our old flesh, our grumpy old man with a hard heart, red nose, and hardened arteries, needs a new heart for a new spirit. “New wine must be put into new bottles; and both are preserved.” (Luke 5:38). Jesus prepares our old spirit for His Spirit by giving us a new heart to house the new spirit, His Spirit. The new heart is the new wine sack that can expand as it is filled with His ever-increasing joy and hope. The new connection with Jesus keeps filling us with more and more of His Spirit, and with better and better fellowship between each other. This is how the Latter Rain will be.

  

“And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.

And all that believed were together, and had all things common;

And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.

And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,

Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.” (Acts 2:42-47).

“And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.

And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.

And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.” (Acts 4:31-33).

“In giving us His Spirit, God gives us Himself, making Himself a fountain of divine influences, to give health and life to the world.” Testimonies for the Church, vol. 7, p. 273.1.

During the powerful Latter Rain preaching, Jesus will be among us directing us as He did Paul in Acts 13:4; 16:6; 20:23; 21:11.

“The power of the Holy Ghost must be upon us and the Captain of the Lords host will stand at the head of the angels of heaven to direct the battle.” Selected Messages, bk. 3, p. 426.

But, there will be a striving to receive the Latter Rain. All who go through the Latter Rain, whether it is the 144,000 or the great multitude that they call out of Babylon, must suffer for their own good. Against tremendous opposition they all must know what it is to press toward the mark of the prize of the high calling of God in Jesus. They must all drink of the cup that Jesus drank to the dregs, and thus be baptized with His baptism of fire. “For what son is he whom the Father chasteneth not?” (Heb. 12:7). By experience, they must know His Gethsemane and Golgotha.

“For consider Him that endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.” (Heb. 12:3,4).

“For it became Him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the Captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

For both He that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause He is not ashamed to call them brethren,

Saying, I will declare Thy name unto My brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto Thee.” (Heb. 2:10-12).

“Though He were a Son, yet learned He obedience by the things which He suffered;

And being made perfect, He became the Author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey Him.” (Heb. 5:8,9).

“For in that He Himself hath suffered being tempted, He is able to succour them that are tempted.” (Heb. 2:18).

 “The Advent Movement Illustrated

     I saw a number of companies that seemed to be bound together by cords. Many in these companies were in total darkness; their eyes were directed downward to the earth, and there seemed to be no connection between them and Jesus. But scattered through these different companies were persons whose countenances looked light, and whose eyes were raised to heaven. Beams of light from Jesus, like rays from the sun, were imparted to them. An angel bade me look carefully, and I saw an angel watching over every one of those who had a ray of light, while evil angels surrounded those who were in darkness. I heard the voice of an angel cry, ‘Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come.’  {EW 240.1}

     A glorious light then rested down upon these companies, to enlighten all who would receive it. Some of those who were in darkness received the light and rejoiced. Others resisted the light from heaven, saying that it was sent to lead them astray. The light passed away from them, and they were left in darkness. Those who had received the light from Jesus joyfully cherished the increase of precious light which was shed upon them. Their faces beamed with holy joy, while their gaze was directed upward to Jesus with intense interest, and their voices were heard in harmony with the voice of the angel, ‘Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come.’ As they raised this cry, I saw those who were in darkness thrusting them with side and with shoulder. Then many who cherished the sacred light, broke the cords which confined them and stood out separated from those companies. As they were doing this, men belonging to the different companies and revered by them passed through, some with pleasing words, and others with wrathful looks and threatening gestures, and fastened the cords which were weakening. These men were constantly saying, ‘God is with us. We stand in the light. We have the truth.’ I inquired who these men were, and was told that they were ministers and leading men who had rejected the light themselves, and were unwilling that others should receive it.  {EW 240.2} 

     I saw those who cherished the light looking upward with ardent desire, expecting Jesus to come and take them to Himself. Soon a cloud passed over them, and their faces were sorrowful. I inquired the cause of this cloud and was shown that it was their disappointment. The time when they expected their Saviour had passed, and Jesus had not come. As discouragement settled upon the waiting ones, the ministers and leading men whom I had before noticed, rejoiced, and all those who had rejected the light triumphed greatly, while Satan and his evil angels also exulted.  {EW 241.1} 

     Then I heard the voice of another angel saying, ‘Babylon is fallen, is fallen!’ A light shone upon those desponding ones, and with ardent desires for His appearing, they again fixed their eyes upon Jesus. I saw a number of angels conversing with the one who had cried, ‘Babylon is fallen,’ and these united with him in the cry, ‘Behold, the Bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet Him.’ The musical voices of these angels seemed to reach everywhere. An exceedingly bright and glorious light shone around those who had cherished the light which had been imparted to them. Their faces shone with excellent glory, and they united with the angels in the cry, ‘Behold, the Bridegroom cometh.’ As they harmoniously raised the cry among the different companies, those who rejected the light pushed them and with angry looks scorned and derided them. But angels of God wafted their wings over the persecuted ones, while Satan and his angels were seeking to press their darkness around them, to lead them to reject the light from heaven.  {EW 241.2} 

     Then I heard a voice saying to those who had been pushed and derided, ‘Come out from among them, and touch not the unclean.’ In obedience to this voice, a large number broke the cords which bound them, and leaving the companies that were in darkness, joined those who had previously gained their freedom, and joyfully united their voices with them. I heard the voice of earnest, agonizing prayer from a few who still remained with the companies that were in darkness. The ministers and leading men were passing around in these different companies, fastening the cords more firmly; but still I heard this voice of earnest prayer. Then I saw those who had been praying reach out their hands for help toward the united company who were free, rejoicing in God. The answer from them, as they earnestly looked to heaven, and pointed upward, was, ‘Come out from among them, and be separate.’ I saw individuals struggling for freedom, and at last they broke the cords that bound them. They resisted the efforts which were made to fasten the cords tighter and refused to heed the repeated assertions: ‘God is with us.’ ‘We have the truth with us.’  {EW 242.1} 

     Persons were continually leaving the companies that were in darkness and joining the free company, who appeared to be in an open field raised above the earth. Their gaze was directed upward, the glory of God rested upon them, and they joyfully shouted His praise. They were closely united and seemed to be wrapped in the light of heaven. Around this company were some who came under the influence of the light, but who were not particularly united to the company. All who cherished the light shed upon them were gazing upward with intense interest, and Jesus looked upon them with sweet approbation. They expected Him to come and longed for His appearing. They did not cast one lingering look to earth.’”  {EW 243.1}

God the Father, King of King of kings and Lord of Lord of lords

I was saddened when I read from the Summer 2018 Inside Report from Amazing Facts, page 4, The President’s Perspective that Amazing Facts put out a new book teaching the Trinity book, Exploring the Trinity, and warning Adventists and non-Adventists to beware of “the resurgence of the teaching that Jesus is a created being and that the Holy Spirit is nothing more than an impersonal force of God.” And then Pastor Doug continues on in the ad to urge his audience, “If you or your church is dealing with this hot topic, you’ll be blessed and strengthened by this brief but thorough and convicting sharing resource.”

Fighting is no fun. I don’t want to have enemies or to make enemies; and I love Pastor Doug. But, I must address a misconception in Pastor Batchelor’s warning.

Three issues in this post contends with Pastor Doug. SDA non-trinitarians do not believe 1) that Jesus was created, 2) that the Holy Spirit is not an impersonal force, 3) that we are explaining the nature of the Holy Spirit.

1) “…that Jesus is a created being and that the Holy Spirit is nothing more than an impersonal force of God”.

No one of the non-trinitarian Seventh-day Adventists refers to Jesus as a created being. That hand-me-down from the apostatizing apostolic church, that accusation birthed from the Church of Rome, is a fearful misconstrual of the remnant non-trinitarian cause and, even if it is an innocent smearing, it is a smearing nonetheless. It alleges an untruth of its opposers.

The Seventh-day Adventist non-trinitarians confess, that there was a time when the Son did not exist. In dateless past ages, “from of old, from everlasting” (Mic. 5:2), before “I was brought forth” (Prov. 8:24), the Father existed alone as “the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; who only hath immortality”.

“…Our Lord Jesus Christ: which in His [set time] He shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.” (1Tim. 6:14-16).

God the Father, the Lord God Almighty, alone is the self-existent One. And His only begotten Son inherited that divinity and self-existence. The Son was born divine and self-existent, by nature inheriting bonds with His Father God that could never be broken. But the children of His birthing/creating hold eternal life not via inheritance, but by their continued, personal effort to remain connected with God through His Son, through whom they were brought into existence.

Greater than His Son who is King and Lord over all creation, God the Father is the most blessed and the only, highest Potentate, King over the King of kings and Lord of the Lord of lords. This in no way diminishes the greatness of the Son who was called, “one like the Son of man” (Dan. 7:13), “the Son of the Highest” (Luke 1:32). But, it does exalt the utmost greatness of “the Most High” (Dan. 7:22), “the Highest” (Luke 1:35), “the Almighty” (Ps. 91:1), “Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come” (Rev. 11:17), the blessed and only Potentate, “Him that sitteth on the throne” (Rev. 5:13), “Him that liveth for ever and ever” (Rev. 5:14), “the Ancient of days” (Dan. 7:9). If you ask me, “How dare you treat the Mighty Son of God that way?” I can only say in return, “How dare you treat the first, greater, Almighty Father of all, that way?”

After much planning and anticipation, eventually the first thing the Father did was to bring forth His only begotten Son, Michael.

“Being made so much better than the angels, as He hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.

For unto which of the angels said He at any time, Thou art My Son, this day have I begotten Thee? And again, I will be to Him a Father, and He shall be to Me a Son?

And again, when He bringeth in the Firstbegotten^G4416 [prōtotokos, “firstborn”] into the world, He saith, And let all the angels of God worship Him.

And of the angels He saith, Who maketh His angels spirits, and His ministers a flame of fire.

But unto the Son He saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of Thy kingdom.” (Heb. 1:4-8).

These quotations from the Old Testament, “Thou art My Son, this day have I begotten Thee” (Ps. 2:7), and, “Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of Thy kingdom” (Ps. 45:6), describe the pre-incarnate Michael. By inheritance He obtained a more excellent name—Jehovah—more excellent than the angels because He was “made so much better than” (Heb. 1:4) they. Therefore, later “when He bringeth in the Firstbegotten into the world”, the angels were sent to worship Him. For the love that He had for us God sent His Son to be our propitiation. Therefore, God sent His Son because God already had a Son to send, a unique Son with a unique name by inheritance through birth—Jehovah.

“Who is the image of the invisible God, the Firstborn^G4416 [prōtotokos, “firstborn”] of every creature:

For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him:

And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist.

And He is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things He might have the preeminence.

For it pleased the Father that in Him should all fulness dwell.” (Col. 1:15-19).

As Adam was created in Christ’s image, and Eve in Adam’s image, likewise Christ was made in His Father’s image. Therefore, it is that “the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.” (1Cor. 11:3).

After an unknown period of swaddling His Son with His arms, pouring upon Him His attentiveness and joy, loving His first begotten Prototokos, and training Him up in the way that He should go, the Father could then, by His Son, begin the great work of creation. Now His Son, through His Father, would beget—not divine beings, or even divine angels, but holy beings, holy angels and holy corporeal sons on the inhabited worlds.

 “…to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ.” (Eph. 3:9).

It is a Greek philosophical assumption from the days of the Nicene era, that to say if the Son of God had a beginning, then He mustn’t be divine, but a created being. It is wrong to make such a deduction, and unnecessary to create strife among the brethren by building such an insinuated, wrongly described straw-man of the opposition’s case. The Son of God, being born of divinity was not created, but made divine God, God from God, as divine as His one and only Father is divine.

As God made His Son a High Priest forever, He also made His Son the fullness of the Godhead, a Prince and Mediator since the beginning. But that doesn’t mean that His Son was created. He was the Firstbegotten, the Firstborn, the divine one and only Prototokos. When we look at the Deep Field photograph, and see the 10,000 galaxies packed in a rice grain sized spot in the cosmos, and then we multiply that by tens of thousands of same-sized spots in the spherical azimuth of the cosmos, then one can begin to conceive of how long in the past did the birth of the precious Prototokos take place. “In the beginning” was a long time ago. “The LORD possessed Me in the beginning of His way, before His works of old.” (Pro. 8:22).

Ellen White wrote that much in her book, Patriarchs and Prophets, and a close reproduction of the same in The Great Controversy (1911):

“The Sovereign of the universe was not alone in His work of beneficence. He had an associate—a co-worker who could appreciate His purposes, and could share His joy in giving happiness to created beings. ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God.’ John 1:1, 2. Christ, the Word, the only begotten of God, was one with the eternal Father—one in nature, in character, in purpose—the only being that could enter into all the counsels and purposes of God. ‘His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.’ Isaiah 9:6. His ‘goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.’ Micah 5:2. And the Son of God declares concerning Himself: ‘The Lord possessed Me in the beginning of His way, before His works of old. I was set up from everlasting.... When He appointed the foundations of the earth: then I was by Him, as one brought up with Him: and I was daily His delight, rejoicing always before Him.’ Proverbs 8:22-30.” Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 34.

“Before the entrance of evil there was peace and joy throughout the universe. All was in perfect harmony with the Creator’s will. Love for God was supreme, love for one another impartial. Christ the Word, the Only Begotten of God, was one with the eternal Father,—one in nature, in character, and in purpose,—the only being in all the universe that could enter into all the counsels and purposes of God. By Christ the Father wrought in the creation of all heavenly beings. ‘By Him were all things created, that are in heaven,... whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers’ (Colossians 1:16); and to Christ, equally with the Father, all heaven gave allegiance.” The Great Controversy, p. 493.

Yet, the Father was greater than the Son, because He was before Him. And the Son wouldn’t have it any other way.

2) Let me explain concerning Pastor Doug’s statement of the non-Trinitarians, “the Holy Spirit is nothing more than an impersonal force of God”. I don’t see the Bible teaching the Holy Spirit like that, and neither have I heard that from other proponents of the Father and Son Godhead.

The “impersonal force of God” doctrine exists in all the world religions. Protestant Christianity is the only true religion because it reveals the Creator as a being, a personal God. The Spirit of God—that is, the all-powerful, all-compassing, ever-present union of the Father and Son—takes Their infinite bond to the uttermost limits of Their created universe. Hear this prayer of David to Jehovah.

“For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD^H3068 [Y^ehôvâh], Thou knowest it altogether.

Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid Thine hand upon me.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.

Whither shall I go from Thy Spirit? or whither shall I flee from Thy presence?

If I ascend up into heaven, Thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, Thou art there.

If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;

Even there shall Thy hand lead me, and Thy right hand shall hold me.” (Ps. 139:4-10).

“Whither shall I go from Thy Spirit? or whither shall I flee from Thy presence?” (vs. 4), is a parallelism that equates the Spirit of Jehovah with His presence. How sweet is His presence! “…Thy hand [shall] lead me, and Thy right hand shall hold me” (vs. 10) is that for which David praised Jehovah Jesus in Psalm 16. It is heaven to be in Jesus’ presence, as it is to be in Jehovah, the Father’s presence.

“I have set the LORD^H3068 [Y^ehôvâh] always before me: because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope.

For Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt Thou suffer Thine Holy One to see corruption.

Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in Thy presence is fulness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.” (Ps. 16:8-11).

What David may not have understood was that the One who was coming to Him was Two—the Father and Son.

“Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love Me, he will keep My words: and My Father will love him, and We will come unto him, and make Our abode with him.” (John 14:23).

“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.” (Rom. 8:9).

The Spirit is both the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Christ. The Spirit is Them both. For more evidence for the Father and Son Godhead, continue reading from the website below.

http://trinitytruth.org/ellenwhitethreeholiestbeings.html

“Introduction

Some believe that Ellen White became a Trinitarian based on a few quotes that relate to the Holy Spirit. They mistakenly believe these quotes say the Holy Spirit is a literal person when she actually taught the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God coming to us through His Son.

LeRoy Froom deliberately set out to search over 100,000 pages of her writings (25,000,000 words) for anything that could be mistaken as being Trinitarian. It is now alleged that he was working as a Catholic Priest prior to entering the Adventist Church and some suspect [that he] was a Jesuit.

On the 14 December 1955, Leroy Froom in a letter to Reuben Figuhr wrote, ‘I was publicly denounced in the chapel at the Washington Missionary College by Dr. B. G. Wilkinson as the most dangerous man in this denomination.’

The quote containing the phrase ‘three holiest beings’ was not used by LeRoy Froom because it was not available while he was still alive.

Did Ellen White write, ‘Three Holiest Beings?’

The answer is a definite ‘No.’

Ellen White DID NOT pen these words by her own hand. They were written by a stenographer trying to keep up with a sermon she was preaching.

So while some claim that Ellen White wrote ‘three holiest beings,’ the Ellen White Estate clearly informs us on their web site that Sermons and Talks, Book 1 containing the phrase ‘three holiest beings’ comes from a ‘HIGHLY EDITED’ stenographer’s report of a sermon she preached on October 20, 1906 at the Congregational Church of Oakland, California.

The date of release by the White Estate is ‘March 16, 1976.’ So this was not her handwriting but a typed report from a stenographer that was first published 70 years after her sermon and can never be authenticated.

This is what Ellen White wrote about unauthenticated reports,

‘And now to all who have a desire for truth I would say: Do not give credence to unauthenticated reports as to what Sister White has done or said or written. If you desire to know what the Lord has revealed through her, read her published works.’ — (Ellen G. White, 5T 696.1)

The statement appears in the book Sermons and Talks, Book 1.

In the forward of the book we are told,

‘All the messages reproduced in this volume were delivered in public and stenographically reported, or were prepared with that purpose in view. Many of Ellen White’s sermons may be found in the Review and Herald and Signs of the Times, but nearly all of those included in this series have been drawn from previously unpublished manuscripts, as they appear in our files. So, although there were no tape recorders in Ellen White’s day, a person may get the true “feel” of Ellen White as a speaker by reading this book.’ — (Forward, Sermons and Talks, Vol. 1)

Ellen White taught that the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God coming to us through His Son and so she wrote.

‘The HOLY SPIRIT is the SPIRIT of CHRIST; it is His representative.’ — (Ellen G. White, 13MR 313.3, 1895)

‘CHRIST has left HIS HOLY SPIRIT to be HIS representative in the world,’ — (Ellen G. White, Lt84, October 22, 1895)

‘The HOLY SPIRIT is the SPIRIT of CHRIST, which is sent to all men to give them sufficiency,’ — (E.G. White, 14MR 84.3)

‘We want the HOLY SPIRIT, which is JESUS CHRIST.’ — (Ellen G. White, Lt66, April 10, 1894)

‘But it is the leaven of the SPIRIT of JESUS CHRIST, which is sent down from heaven, called the HOLY GHOST,’ — (Ellen G. White, Ms36-1891)

Not only did she identify the ‘Holy Spirit’ as the ‘Spirit of Christ,’ but she always identified ONLY two beings ALONE, not three. So if Ellen White had said or written ‘three holiest beings’ then she would have contradicted herself making herself a false prophet.

Note that she wrote ALONE and ONLY.

‘The Father and the Son ALONE are to be exalted.’ — (Ellen G. White, The Youth’s Instructor, July 7, 1898) — ONLY TWO BEINGS.

Did she say the Father, Son and Holy Spirit ALONE are to be exalted? No she did not!

And again, ‘God and Christ ALONE know what the souls of men have cost.’ — (Ellen G. White, Signs of the Times, January 13, 1909) — ONLY TWO BEINGS.

‘God informed Satan that to his Son ALONE he would reveal his secret purposes, and he required all the family in heaven, even Satan, to yield him implicit, unquestioned obedience;’ — (Ellen G. White, Signs of the Times, January 9, 1879) --- ONLY TWO BEINGS

‘Can anyone consider the condescension of God in preparing the gospel feast, and its great cost, and treat the invitation slightingly? No man, nor even the highest angel, can estimate the great cost; it is known ONLY to the Father and the Son.’ — (Ellen G. White, The Bible Echo, October 28, 1895) — ONLY TWO BEINGS

If the Holy Spirit was a third co-equal being then it would also know. But since it is the Spirit of Christ, then not so.

‘The ONLY Being who was one with God lived the law in humanity, descended to the lowly life of a common laborer, and toiled at the carpenter’s bench with His earthly parent.’ — (Ellen G. White, Signs of the Times, October 14, 1897) — ONLY TWO BEINGS

‘CHRIST the Word, the only-begotten of God, was one with the eternal Father, one in nature, in character, and in purpose, the ONLY being in all the universe that could enter into all the counsels and purposes of God. By Christ, the Father wrought in the creation of all heavenly beings.’ — (Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, p. 493) — ONLY TWO BEINGS

In more than one quote Ellen White identified the three highest beings in heaven before the fall as the Father, Son and Satan. Not the Father, Son and Holy Spirit since the Holy Spirit is not a being. ‘Satan, next to Christ, was at one time most honored of God, and highest in power and glory.’ — (Ellen G. White, Signs of the Times, July 23, 1902)

So that facts are:

1.              Ellen White did not pen the words ‘three holiest beings.’

2.              The words of the stenographer are not inspired.

3.              The sermon was not transcribed for another 70 years.

4.              The stenographer’s report was highly edited.

5.              The stenographer’s report can never be authenticated.

6.              The words ‘three holiest beings’ contradicts a multitude of things she did write.

7.              Sermon and Talks was only intended to get the ‘feel’ of Ellen White as a speaker.

Picking out statements from Ellen White’s writings that would fit into a Trinitarian concept of God while ignoring her statements that do not fit the Trinitarian concept of God is a dishonest way to use her writings. To understand correctly what God has revealed through Ellen White, and find out what her beliefs were on this topic, it is necessary to quote all that she wrote on this subject, not just be selective in what we quote to suit our own agenda. That would be tantamount to deception.”

3) Addressing the third issue: Pastor Doug is incorrect that SDA non-trinitarians are attempting to explain the nature of the Holy Spirit. Rather, they are explaining its identity.

The following is the Amazing Facts overview of their book, Exploring the Trinity, referred to at the top of this blog post:

https://www.amazingfacts.org/news-and-features/news/item/id/20542/t/exploring-the-trinity--a-new-book-by-pastor-doug-batchelor

“…But what is the nature of that close relationship?

Is God the Father the only “one God”—or is the Son, Jesus, God too? If so, do Christians worship more than one God? Is that not polytheism, as some suggest? Is God the Father superior to Jesus? Did Jesus come after the Father? Was there a time when the Father but not Jesus existed?

And what about the Holy Spirit? Is He God too? If so, do Christians worship three gods, as some claim we do? And just what or who is the Holy Spirit? How are we to understand the Holy Spirit in relationship to the Father and the Son? Is the Holy Spirit divine, or merely an impersonal force emanating from God?

From the early days of the Christian church to this very day, the subject of the Trinity has caused contention in the church. And no wonder, the church is made up of fallen, finite beings trying to grasp the nature of a perfect and eternal God. Even if God weren’t a triune being, it would be difficult to understand the full nature of God, a being who “spoke” the world into existence. How do we even begin to grasp His power and personhood, Trinity or no Trinity?...”

There is sufficient biblical evidence to convince the honest student that the Spirit is not a person, but a divine faculty, a creative-redemptive power, a dynamic love from the Almighty. “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you.” (Eze. 36:26). However it works that that powerful love, ever flowing from the Father, changes hearts and seals them for eternity, it is a mystery and will be our study and wonder for eternity. “God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:24).

One Sabbath after another, one new moon after the next, year after year, age after age will stand still in the wonder of it all. If eternity would not be everlasting it would be too short because of all that the peace and rest will offer the redeemed.

“Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD.” (Jer. 23:24).

“Mine hand also hath laid the foundation of the earth, and My right hand hath spanned the heavens: when I call unto them, they stand up together.” (Isa. 48:13).

“Thousands of years after Jesus left the planet, Christians are still asking questions and disagreeing about the topic of the Trinity. For instance, some Christians take what is known as an “Arian” position regarding the Trinity. This view claims that Christ hasn’t always existed; after He was brought forth, however, His divinity was given to Him by the Father. If this view were true, it would mean that Jesus is inferior to the Father. Many today are now trying to resurrect these views, arguing that the doctrine of the Trinity comes from pagan Rome, an example of how Protestant churches have been infected by Roman Catholicism. Hence, all the more reason we need to reject, they argue, the Trinity.”

To that I will let quotations give their answers.

“Through the two great errors, the immortality of the soul and Sunday sacredness, Satan will bring the people under his deceptions. While the former lays the foundation of spiritualism, the latter creates a bond of sympathy with Rome.” Great Controversy, p. 588.1

Any connection with a false doctrine of Rome is intoxicating and sedating, and creates a bond of sympathy with her to be drawn into her snares. “No man also having drunk old wine straightway desireth new: for he saith, The old is better.” (Luke 5:39).

  

“‘I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.’ ‘And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, My people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.’ Revelation 18:1, 2, 4.

    This scripture points forward to a time when the announcement of the fall of Babylon, as made by the second angel of Revelation 14 (verse 8), is to be repeated, with the additional mention of the corruptions which have been entering the various organizations that constitute Babylon, since that message was first given, in the summer of 1844.” Great Controversy, p. 603.

The Sabbath was proclaimed during the third angel’s message. More than the Sabbath truth will be declared during the fourth angel of Revelation 18:1-5. The apparently innocuous Trinity “additional corruption” entered the Advent Movement in 1919. During the final preaching the Trinity will be exposed for all of its connection with pagan religion.

“The Trinity is… the central doctrine of the Christian religion.” Catholic Encyclopedia article: “The Blessed Trinity”

Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, as a university professor, was known to teach that, more than Sunday sacredness, the Trinity forms the foundation of Catholicism.