GOD the FATHER
the only true GOD
The Ancient of Days
Our Creator & Father of All
Source of All, Yehovah
Who gave His only-begotten Son
GOD is a Spirit
‘The Father IS all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.’
Source of All Being
Fountain of All Law
“God always has been. He is the great I AM. The psalmist declares, “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever Thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, Thou art God.” He is the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity. “I am the Lord, I change not,” He declares. With Him there is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. He is “the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” He is infinite and omnipresent. No words of ours can describe His greatness and majesty.”
The Eternal Father [YHVH – Yehovah – Jehovah – I AM] – God – [Invisible to Mortals] – “All the fullness of the Godhead bodily.” “The Ancient of Days.” “The most High.” “Monarch of the Universe.” “The Great God.” “Almighty God.” “The Living God.” “Sovereign of the Universe.” “Great King of the Universe.” “The Eternal Father.” “The Eternal One.” “Our Father.” “Invisible to mortal sight – the invisible God.” “Holy Spirit.” “A Divine Being.” “Infinite and Omnipotent.” “The great I AM or eternal presence.” “The Creator.” “The Infinite.” “The Source of all wisdom.” “The Ruler of the present, the Revealer of the future.” “The Judge of all the earth.” “The source of all being, and the fountain of all law.” “The heavenly Architect.” “A personal, self-existing God.” “The Father of lights.” “God has always been.” — [the Godhead bodily, the one true God, of whom are all things.]
John 1:18, “No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.”
Deuteronomy 6:4, “Hear, O Israel: The LORD [Yehovah] our God [Elohiym] is one LORD [Yehovah]: 5 And thou shalt love the LORD [Yehovah] thy God [Elohiym] with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.”
one: 259. אֶחָד ʾechad, ekh-awd´; a numeral from 258; properly, united, i.e. one
Ephesians 3:14-21, “14 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; 17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. 20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, 21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.”
THE ANCIENT OF DAYS
Daniel 7:9, “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.”
Daniel 7:13, “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 [the Son of man] near before him [the Ancient of Days].”
Daniel 7:22, “Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.”
“The Father, the omniscient One, created the world through Christ Jesus. Christ is the light of the world, the way to eternal life. He, the anointed One, God gave to make an atonement for the sins of the world. You need to understand that unless you believe in that atonement, and know that you are bought with the price of the blood of the only begotten Son of God, you will assuredly be bound up with the wicked one. …” — Manuscript Release, Vol. 4, p. 59.1 • EGW
“As Jehovah, the supreme Ruler, God could not personally communicate with sinful men, but He so loved the world that He sent Jesus to our world as a revelation of Himself. “I and My Father are one,” Christ declared. No man knoweth “the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal Him” (Matthew 11:27). …” — Manuscript Release, Vol. 9, p. 122.3 • EGW
“To know God in His works is true science, but to know God as He is in Christ is life eternal.” — Manuscript Release, Vol. 21, p. 427.1 • EGW
“God is the great I AM, the source of being, the center of authority and power.” — Sketches from the Life of Paul, p. 296 • 1883 • EGW
“God is a Spirit; yet He is a personal being; for so He has revealed Himself.” — The Faith I Live By, p. 40.2 • EGW
“The Ancient of days is God the Father. Says the psalmist, “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.” [PS. 90:2.] It is he, the source of all being, and the fountain of all law, that is to preside in the Judgment.” — The (1888) Great Controversy, p. 479 • 1888 • EGW
“Jehovah, the eternal, self-existent, uncreated One, Himself the Source and Sustainer of all, is alone entitled to supreme reverence and worship.” — Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 305 • 1890 • EGW
“God, as the supreme ruler of the universe has ever required prompt and unquestioning obedience. Even Christ, in the days of his flesh, was obedient to the law of the Father.” — Signs of the Times, July 22, 1886 par. 2 • EGW
“All created beings live by the will and power of God. They are dependent recipients of the life of God. From the highest seraph to the humblest animate being, all are replenished from the Source of life.“ — The Faith I Live By, p. 164.2 • EGW
“God is the source of life and light and joy to the universe. Like rays of light from the sun, like the streams of water bursting from a living spring, blessings flow out from Him to all His creatures. And wherever the life of God is in the hearts of men, it will flow out to others in love and blessing.” — Steps to Christ, p. 77 • 1892 • EGW
“Nature and revelation alike testify of God’s love. Our Father in heaven is the source of life, of wisdom, and of joy. Look at the wonderful and beautiful things of nature. Think of their marvelous adaptation to the needs and happiness, not only of man but of all living creatures. The sunshine and the rain, that gladden and refresh the earth, the hills and seas and plains, all speak to us of the Creator’s love. It is God who supplies the daily needs of all His creatures. . . . ¶ “God is love” is written upon every opening bud, upon every spire of springing grass. The lovely birds making the air vocal with their happy songs, the delicately tinted flowers in their perfection perfuming the air, the lofty trees of the forest with their rich foliage of living green– all testify to the tender, fatherly care of our God and to His desire to make His children happy.” — Steps to Christ, p. 9-10 • 1892 • EGW
‘personhood and form’
“I have often seen the lovely Jesus, that he is a person. I asked him if his Father was a person, and had a form like himself. Said Jesus. “I am in the express image of my Father’s Person.” — A Sketch of the Christian Experience and Views of Ellen G. White, p. 64 • 1851
“The way spiritualizers have disposed of or denied the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ is first using the old unscriptural Trinitarian creed, viz., that Jesus Christ is the eternal God, though they have not one passage to support it, while we have plain scripture testimony in abundance that he is the Son of the eternal God.” — James S. White, The Day Star, January 24, 1846
“I saw a throne and on it sat the Father and the Son. I gazed on Jesus’ countenance and admired his lovely person. The Father’s person I could not behold, for a cloud of glorious light covered him. I asked Jesus if his Father had a form like himself. He said he had, but I could not behold it, for said he if you should once behold the glory of his person you would cease to exist.” — E. G. Harmon, Broadside 1, April 6, 1846 par. 7
“Soon I saw him [Jesus] approach the exceeding bright light which enshrouded the Father. Said my accompanying angel, “He is in close converse with his Father.” The anxiety of the angels seemed to be intense while Jesus was communing with his Father. Three times he was shut in by the glorious light about the Father, and the third time he came from the Father we could see his person; and his countenance was calm, free from all perplexity and trouble, and shone with loveliness, such as words cannot express.” — Supplement to the Christian Experience and Views of Ellen G. White, pp. 47, 48 • 1854
“The Father cannot be described by the things of earth. The Father is all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and is invisible to mortal sight.“ — Evangelism, p. 614.2 • EGW
“Only under the direction of the Omniscient One shall we, in the study of His works, be enabled to think His thoughts after Him.” — Education, p. 134.5 • EGW
“Nothing can happen in any part of the universe without the knowledge of Him who is omnipresent. Not a single event of human life is unknown to our Maker. While Satan is constantly devising evil, the Lord our God overrules all, so that it will not harm His obedient, trusting children. The same power that controls the boisterous waves of the ocean can hold in check all the power of rebellion and of crime. God says to one as to the other, “Thus far shalt thou go, and no farther.”” — The Faith I Live By, p. 61.3 • EGW
“Drawing aside the veil which conceals the glory of God, it shows Him in His place, high and holy, and lifted up, not in a state of solitude, but surrounded by ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands of holy, happy beings, every one waiting to bear the message, to do His bidding–all heaven is in active communication with every part of the universe through a variety of channels, and that holy One is actually stooping, bending from His throne, listening to every sound uttered, observing the movements of every earthly power. It is the highest Being condescending to the lowliest, approving or condemning every action which is developed.” — The Upward Look, p. 23.3 • EGW
“God is a moral governor as well as a Father. He is the Lawgiver.” — Manuscript Release, Vol. 12, p. 208 • EGW
“The Son of God was next in authority to the great Lawgiver.” — Spirit of Prophecy, Vol. 2, p. 9 • EGW
“”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.” Psalm 139:7, 8. ¶ The psalmist represents the presence of the Infinite One as pervading the universe. “If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.” We can never find a solitude where God is not.” — The Faith I Live By, p. 62.1-2 • EGW
“Nature is not God, nor ever was God. God is in nature, the voice of nature testifies of God, but nature is not God. It only bears testimony to God’s power as his created works. There is a personal God, the Father; there is a personal Christ, the Son.“ — U. T., July 3, 1898 • EGW
“Had God the Father come to our world and dwelt among us, veiling His glory and humbling Himself, that humanity might look upon Him, the history that we have of the life of Christ would not have been changed in unfolding its record of His own condescending grace. In every act of Jesus, in every lesson of His instruction, we are to see and hear and recognize God. In sight, in hearing, in effect, it is the voice and movements of the Father. But language seems to be so feeble! I refrain, and with John exclaim, “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew Him not” [1 John 3:1].” — Letter 83, 1895 • EGW
“We must not attempt to lift with presumptuous hand the curtain behind which He veils His majesty. The apostle exclaims: “How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!” Romans 11:33. It is a proof of His mercy that there is the hiding of His power, that He is enshrouded in the awful clouds of mystery and obscurity; for to lift the curtain that conceals the divine presence is death. No mortal mind can penetrate the secrecy in which the Mighty One dwells and works. We can comprehend no more of His dealings with us and the motives that actuate Him than He sees fit to reveal. He orders everything in righteousness, and we are not to be dissatisfied and distrustful, but to bow in reverent submission. He will reveal to us as much of His purposes as it is for our good to know; and beyond that we must trust the hand that is omnipotent, the heart that is full of love.“ — The Faith I Live By, p. 39.4 • EGW
Jehovah is the fountain of all wisdom, of all truth, of all knowledge . . . . Man can now only linger upon the borders of that vast expanse, and let imagination take its flight. Finite man cannot fathom the deep things of God.” — The Faith I Live By, p. 39.5 • EGW
“True reverence for God is inspired by a sense of His infinite greatness and a realization of His presence. With this sense of the Unseen, every heart should be deeply impressed.” — The Faith I Live By, p. 39.6 • EGW
“God is our Father, who loves and cares for us as His children; He is also the great King of the universe.“ — The Faith I Live By, p. 39.2 • EGW
“”I beheld,” says the prophet Daniel, “till thrones were placed, and One that was Ancient of Days did sit: His raiment was white as snow, and the hair of His head like pure wool; His throne was fiery flames, and the wheels thereof burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before Him: thousand thousands ministered unto Him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.” Daniel 7:9, 10, R.V.” — The Great Controversy, 1888, p. 479.1 • EGW
“In the day of final reckoning, position, rank, or wealth will not alter by a hair’s breadth the case of any one. By the all-seeing God, men will be judged by what they are in purity, in nobility, in love for Christ.” — Maranatha, p. 248.6 • EGW
“The covenant of grace is not a new truth, for it existed in the mind of God from all eternity. This is why it is called the everlasting covenant.” — The Faith I Live By, p. 77.5 • EGW
“There will be, even among us, hirelings and wolves in sheep’s clothing who will persuade [some of] the flock of God to sacrifice unto other gods before the Lord. . . . Youth who are not established, rooted and grounded in the truth, will be corrupted and drawn away by the blind leaders of the blind; and the ungodly, the despisers that wonder and perish, who despise the sovereignty of the Ancient of Days, and place on the throne a false god, a being of their own defining, a being altogether such an one as themselves–these agents will be in Satan’s hands to corrupt the faith of the unwary.” — 3 Selected Messages, p. 398.1 • EGW
“Read the book of Daniel. Call up, point by point, the history of the kingdoms there represented. Behold statesmen, councils, powerful armies, and see how God wrought to abase the pride of men, and lay human glory in the dust. God alone is represented as great. In the vision of the prophet He is seen casting down one mighty ruler, and setting up another. He is revealed as the monarch of the universe, about to set up His everlasting kingdom—the Ancient of days, the living God, the Source of all wisdom, the Ruler of the present, the Revealer of the future. Read, and understand how poor, how frail, how short-lived, how erring, how guilty is man in lifting up his soul unto vanity.” — 4 Bible Commentary, p. 1166.4 • EGW
“He that ruleth in the heavens is the one who sees the end from the beginning—the one before whom the mysteries of the past and the future are alike outspread, and who, beyond the woe and darkness and ruin that sin has wrought, beholds the accomplishment of His own purposes of love and blessing. Though “clouds and darkness are round about Him: righteousness and judgment are the foundation of His throne.” Psalm 97:2, R.V. And this the inhabitants of the universe, both loyal and disloyal, will one day understand. “His work is perfect: for all His ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is He.” Deuteronomy 32:4.” — Patriarchs & Prophets, p. 43.1 • EGW
A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF GOD THE FATHER, based on my own personal study:
Before the creation of the universe, the great I AM, the one and only true GOD—the self-existent One, the Eternal Presence (Spirit), the Ancient of Days, the Unbegotten One—whose name is YHVH (Yehovah), He who always has been, IS, and always will be, existed. The great I AM is the source of all life and being, He who has no beginning or ending of days. ‘I AM that I AM‘ is His name. I AM means an eternal presence; the past, present, and future are all alike to Him. He sees the most remote events of past history and the far distant future with as clear a vision as we do those things which are transpiring daily. GOD the Father, who is immortal, omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent; is holy and infinite, enshrouded by, and dwelling in, light unapproachable by mortals. He is the Source of Life for the universe and is the ONLY TRUE GOD—”all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.” GOD is Spirit (unseen Presence), the source and breath of Life itself, yet He is also a personal Being.
Exodus 3:14, “And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.”
Jeremiah 10:10, “But the LORD [Yehovah] is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation.”
John 17:1-26, “1 These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: 2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. 3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. 4 I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. 5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. ¶ 6 I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word. 7 Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee. 8 For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me. 9 I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. 10 And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them. ¶ 11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are. 12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled. 13 And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. 14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. ¶ 17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. 18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. 19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. ¶ 20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; 21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. 22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: 23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. ¶ 24 Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world. 25 O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me. 26 And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.”
1 John 5:20, “And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.”
Psalms 41:13, “Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting, and to everlasting. Amen, and Amen.”
Psalms 93:2, “Thy throne is established of old: thou art from everlasting.”
“All created beings live by the will and power of God. They are dependent recipients of the life of God. From the highest seraph to the humblest animate being, all are replenished from the Source of life.” — CSA, p. 43.7 • EGW
“From eternity there was a complete unity between the Father and the Son. They were two, yet little short of beingidentical; two in individuality, yet one in spirit, and heart, and character.“ — Youth’s Instructor, December 16, 1897 par. 5 • EGW
“By coming to dwell with us, Jesus was to reveal God both to men and to angels. He was the Word of God,–God’s thought made audible.“ — Desire of Ages, p. 19.2 • EGW
“All the communion between heaven and the fallen race has been through Christ.“ — The Faith I Live By, p. 47.3 • EGW
“From the days of eternity the Lord Jesus Christ was one with the Father; He was “the image of God,” the image of His greatness and majesty, “the outshining of his glory.” It was to manifest this glory that He came to our world. To this sin-darkened earth He came to reveal the light of God’s love–to be “God with us.”“ — God’s Amazing Grace, p. 45.2 • EGW
“Because divinity alone could be efficacious in the restoration of man from the poisonous bruise of the serpent, God Himself, in His only begotten Son, assumed human nature, and in the weakness of human nature sustained the character of God, vindicated His holy law in every particular, and accepted the sentence of wrath and death for the sons of men. What a thought is this!” — Our Father Cares, p. 116.6 • EGW • EGW
“Jesus might have remained at the Father’s side. He might have retained the glory of heaven, and the homage of the angels. But He chose to give back the scepter into the Father’s hands, and to step down from the throne of the universe, that He might bring light to the benighted, and life to the perishing.” — Our Father Cares, p. 200.4 • EGW
1 Corinthians 8:6, “But 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.”
THE FATHER OF LIGHTS
Lights – 5457. φῶς phos, foce; from an obsolete φάω phao (to shine or make manifest, especially by rays; compare 5316, 5346); luminousness (in the widest application, natural or artificial, abstract or concrete, literal or figurative): — fire, light.
Colossians 1:12, “Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: …”
James 1:17, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”
“All who are doers of the Word of God will be blessed abundantly. Whatever crosses they must lift, whatever losses they must sustain, whatever persecution they may suffer, even if it be to the loss of their temporal life, they are amply recompensed; for they secure that life which measures with the life of God. In losing their lives for Christ’s sake, they gain a life which lasts through the eternal ages. They walk under the direction of the Father of lights, with whom there is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. They shall see His face, and His name shall be in their foreheads.“ — Letter 48, Jan. 21, 1897 • EGW
ONE GOD
Deuteronomy 6:4, “Hear, O Israel: The LORD [Yehovah] our God [Elohiym] is *one LORD [Yehovah]: 5 And thou shalt love the LORD [Yehovah] thy God [Elohiym] with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.” [heart and soul = character (thoughts and feelings); might = purpose]
*one: 259. אֶחָד ʾechad, ekh-awd´; a numeral from 258; properly, united, i.e. one
Exodus 3:1-6, “1 Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb. 2 And the angel of the LORD [Yehovah] appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. 3 And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. 4 And when the LORD [Yehovah] saw that he turned aside to see, God [Elohiym] called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. 5 And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. 6 Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.”
Malachi 2:10, “Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us? why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother, by profaning the covenant of our fathers?”
Mark 12:28, “And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? 29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: 30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. 32 And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he: 33 And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. 34 And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God.And no man after that durst ask him any question.”
Romans 3:30, “Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.”
1 Corinthians 8:6, “But 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.”
Ephesians. 4:6, “One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.”
1 Timothy 2:5, “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; …”
James 2:19, “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.”
TRUE GOD
2 Chronicles 15:3, “Now for a long season Israel hath been without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law.”
Jeremiah 10:10, “But the LORD [Yehovah] is the true God [Elohiym], he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation.”
John 17:3, “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”
1 Thessalonians 1:9, “For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned toGod from idols to serve the living and true God; …”
1 John 5:20, “And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him [GOD, the Father] that is true, and we are in him [GOD, the Father] that is true, even * in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.“
Colossians 2:9, “For in him [Jesus] dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.” *
THE GREAT GOD
Deuteronomy 10:17, “For the LORD [Yehovah] your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward: …”
Ezra 5:8, “Be it known unto the king, that we went into the province of Judea, to the house of the great God, which is builded with great stones, and timber is laid in the walls, and this work goeth fast on, and prospereth in their hands.”
Nehemiah 8:6, “And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the LORD with their faces to the ground.”
Psalms 95:3, “For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods.”
Proverbs 26:10, “The great God that formed all things both rewardeth the fool, and rewardeth transgressors.”
Daniel 2:45, “Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.”
Titus 2:13, “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; …”
Revelation 19:17, “And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; …”
“The revelation of Himself that God has given in His Word is for our study. This we may seek to understand. But beyond this we are not to penetrate. . . . None are to indulge in speculation regarding His nature. Here silence is eloquence. The Omniscient One is above discussion.” — The Faith I Live By, p. 40 • EGW
“Above all lower orders of being, God designed that man, the crowning work of His creation, should express His thought and reveal His glory. But man is not to exalt himself as God.“ — Counsels for the Church, p. 75.2 • EGW
“Man was born for a higher, nobler life than that which he develops. The period of our mortal existence is preparatory to the life which measures with the life of God.” — Review & Herald, January 11, 1881 par. 11 • EGW
John 14:22-23, “Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? 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.“
“The people of God are privileged to hold open communion with the Father and the Son.” — The Great Controversy, p. 676 • EGW
“And the years of eternity, as they roll, will bring richer and still more glorious revelations of God and of Christ.” — The Great Controversy, p. 678 • EGW
“Heaven is a ceaseless approaching to God through Christ. The longer we are in the heaven of bliss, the more and still more of glory will be opened to us; and the more we know of God, the more intense will be our happiness.” — Desire of Ages, p. 331 • EGW
“The Father and the Son alone are to be exalted.” — The Youth’s Instructor, July 7, 1898 par. 2 • EGW
GODHEAD
GOD the FATHER ► SON of GOD ► SPIRIT of GOD & Christ
FATHER (Source), His only-begotten SON (Channel), & HOLY SPIRIT (Spirit of GOD & Christ)
Christ is, from everlasting, from the beginning, the Mediator between GOD the Father and His intelligent created beings.
Christ is the representative of the Father to all of His created beings.
Christ is a unique divine person, begotten of GOD, of God’s own substance.
SON of GOD/ARCHANGEL
In heaven, Christ was manifested as Michael (He who is like God),
the Archangel (Chief Messenger) and Commander of the Heavenly Hosts.
SON of GOD/MAN: INCARNATION
Divine nature/human nature – blended in one person for eternity.
On earth, Christ mediated, between GOD and Mankind, as Jesus (Yehovah is Salvation),
Divine/Human – Son of God/Son of Man. GOD manifest in the flesh!
“The Son [of GOD] is all the fullness of the Godhead manifested.”
Heavenly Trio, Three Divine Dignitaries, Three Great Powers in Heaven
Matthew 3:16-17, “And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
Matthew 28:18-20, “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”
John 14:15-17, “If ye love me [Jesus], keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give youanother Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.”
John 14:25-26, “These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name [in the character of Jesus], he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”
John 15:26-27, “But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.”
1 Corinthians 12:3-11, “Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesusaccursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. Now there are diversities of gifts, butthe same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities ofoperations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.”
2 Corinthians 13:14, “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.”
Ephesians 4:4-6, “There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
Jude 20-21, “But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.”
Revelation 1:4-6, “John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne; And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”
WHO IS GOD?
- In Scripture, the terms “God the Son” and “God the Spirit” are never used, yet it is clear that the Son and the Spirit are “of God.” The term “God the Father” is often used in both Scripture and the writings of Ellen White. The truth of Scripture is that the Son of God and the Spirit of God are “of God” proceed from and are manifested representatives of God Himself, the divine Source. Both are divine persons or personalities, as much as God is a person, and yet their origin is of God the Father, the one true God. They are each one God manifested in a real and tangible way. The unity and oneness of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are beyond understanding or comprehension. Nevertheless it is so.
- Ellen White never uses the terms, “God the Son” and “God the Spirit” in her writings. She does, however, often use the term, “God the Father.” Her inspired testimonies are in perfect harmony with that which is clearly revealed in Scripture.
John 17:3, “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”
1 Corinthians 8:6, “But 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.”
- GOD is LOVE! Love is the greatest gift given to mankind! GOD says, “If you love Me keep My commandments.”
- God’s Law of Ten Commandments is the transcript of His character of love. Love to God (1-4) and Love to Man (6-10).
- GOD is Grace and Love, Mercy and Truth, Peace and Righteousness. God’s holy, just and good law reveals His character of love.
Isaiah 9:6, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”
“HEAVENLY FATHER”
Matthew 6:14, “For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: …”
Matthew 6:26, “Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?”
Matthew 6:32, “(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.”
Matthew 15:13, “But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.”
Matthew 18:35, “So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.”
Luke 11:13, “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?”
“GOD, THE FATHER” or “GOD THE FATHER”
John 6:27, “Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.”
1 Corinthians 8:6, “But 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.”
Galatians 1:1, “Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;) …”
Galatians 1:3, “Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, …”
Ephesians 6:23, “Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Philippians 2:11, “And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
1 Thessalonians 1:1, “Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
2 Timothy 1:2, “To Timothy, my dearly beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Titus 1:4, “To Titus, mine own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour.”
1 Peter 1:2, “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.”
2 Peter 1:17, “For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
2 John 3, “Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.”
Jude 1, “Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called:”
“The law of love being the foundation of the government of God, the happiness of all intelligent beings depends upon their perfect accord with its great principles of righteousness. God desires from all His creatures the service of love–service that springs from an appreciation of His character. He takes no pleasure in a forced obedience; and to all He grants freedom of will, that they may render Him voluntary service. ¶ So long as all created beings acknowledged the allegiance of love, there was perfect harmony throughout the universe of God. It was the joy of the heavenly host to fulfillthe purpose of their Creator. They delighted in reflecting His glory and showing forth His praise. And while love to Godwas supreme, love for one another was confiding and unselfish. There was no note of discord to mar the celestial harmonies.” — Patriarchs and Prophets, pp. 33-35 • EGW
GODHEAD – DIVINITY – DIETY
GODHEAD = Divinity, Divine Nature, Diety, Godship
“The Father and the Son alone are to be exalted.” — The Youth’s Instructor, July 7, 1898 par. 2 • EGW
There are three direct uses of the word “Godhead” in Scripture and only in the New Testament:
Acts 17:29, “Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead [2304] is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device.”
Romans 1:20, “For the invisible things of him [God] from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead [2305]; so that they are without excuse: …”
Colossians 2:9, “For in him [Christ] dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead [2320] bodily.”
Strongs Concordance: GODHEAD
2304. θεῖος theios, thi´-os; from 2316; godlike (neuter as noun, divinity): — divine, godhead.
2305. θειότης theiotes, thi-ot´-ace; from 2304; divinity (abstractly): — godhead.
2316. θεός theos, theh´-os; of uncertain affinity; a deity, especially (with 3588) the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very: — x exceeding, God, god(-ly, -ward).
2320. θεότης theotes, theh-ot´-ace; from 2316; divinity (abstractly): — godhead.
There is an indirect use of the word “divine” – 2304 – Thi’os (Theos) in the New Testament:
2 Peter 1:3, “According as his divine [2304] power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: 4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine [2304] nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”
“We are not to think that as soon as we are baptized we are ready to graduate from the school of Christ. When we have accepted Christ, and in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit have pledged ourselves to serveGod, the Father, Christ, and the Holy Spirit—the three dignitaries and powers of heaven–pledge themselves that every facility shall be given to us if we carry out our baptismal vows to “come out from among them, and be . . . separate, . . . and touch not the unclean thing.” When we are true to our vows, He says, “I will receive you”” — MS 85, 1901 • EGW
“There are three living persons of the heavenly trio; in the name of these three great powers —the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit–those who receive Christ by living faith are baptized, and these powers will co-operate with the obedient subjects of heaven in their efforts to live the new life in Christ.” — Special Testimonies, Series B, No. 7, pp. 62-63 • 1905 • EGW
“We are to co-operate with the three highest powers in heaven, —the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost–, and these powers will work through us, making us workers together with God.” — Special Testimonies, Series B, No. 7, p. 51 • 1905 • EGW
“Our sanctification is the work of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is the fulfilment of the covenant that Godhas made with those who bind themselves up with Him, to stand with Him, with His Son, and with His Spirit in holy fellowship. Have you been born again? Have you become a new being in Christ Jesus? Then co-operate with the three great powers of heaven who are working in your behalf. Doing this you will reveal to the world the principles of righteousness.” — The Signs of the Times, June 19, 1901 • EGW
“The eternal heavenly dignitaries–God, and Christ, and the Holy Spirit–arming them [the disciples] with more than mortal energy, . . . would advance with them to the work and convince the world of sin.” — Evangelism, p. 616 • EGW
YEHOVAH – I AM – Jehovah – LORD
YEHOVAH [YHVH] – tetragrammaton – The proper name of God.
The term “tetragrammaton” (from Greek τετραγράμματον, meaning “four letters”) refers to the Hebrew theonym (Hebrew: יהוה) transliterated to the Latin letters YHVH. It may be derived from the verb that means “to be”, and is considered in Judaism to be the proper name of the God of Israel used in the Hebrew Bible.
John 17:3, “This is life eternal,” Christ said, “that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent.”
There is the “Only True God” (the Source of Divinity, Diety, Godhead, the Father) and there is our Lord and Savior, “Jesus Christ” who came in the Father’s name (the Son of God – Yehovah is Salvation) and who share one Spirit, one Life—the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Christ, the Holy Spirit, the Seven Spirits of God, the omni-Presence.
“One God, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, was brought to view in the fourth commandment, and his will was to be their will. Those who worshiped the one true God were strengthened in moral power, and developed strong and symmetrical characters, while those who worshiped other gods grew more and more debased, because they exalted human passions and sanctioned vice in their religious services.”—Signs of the Times, August 12, 1889 par. 1
“I AM means an eternal presence; the past, present, and future are alike with God. He sees the most remote events of past history and the far distant future with as clear a vision as we do those things which are transpiring daily.”—TMK, p. 12
“Christ was using the great name of God that was given to Moses to express the idea of the eternal presence {See Exodus 3:14.}”—TMK, p. 12
“Jehovah, the eternal, self-existent, uncreated One, Himself the source and sustainer of all, is alone entitled to supreme reverence and worship.” — Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 305
“Jehovah is the name given to Christ.” — The Signs of the Times, May 3, 1899, p. 2
“Jehovah Immanuel “shall be King over all the earth; in that day shall there be one Lord, and His name one.”” — Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, p. 160
“This is the reward of all who follow Christ. Jehovah Emmanuel –He “in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge,” in whom dwells “all the fulness of the Godhead bodily” (Colossians 2:3, 9)–to be brought into sympathy with Him, to know Him, to possess Him, as the heart opens more and more to receive His attributes; to know His love and power, to possess the unsearchable riches of Christ, to comprehend more and more “what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God” (Ephesians 3:18, 19)–“This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of Me, saith the Lord.”” — 7ABC 439.5
“Silence fell upon the vast assembly. The name of God, given to Moses to express the idea of the eternal presence, had been claimed as His own by this Galilean Rabbi. He had announced Himself to be the self-existent One, He who had been promised to Israel, “whose goings forth have been from of old, from the days of eternity.” — 7ABC 438.6
John 4:21-24, “Believe Me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worshipHim. God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in truth.”
Genesis 2:7, “And the LORD [Yehovah] God [Elohiym] formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrilsthe breath of life; and man became a living soul.”
Genesis 6:3, “And the LORD [Yehovah] said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.”
Genesis 17:1, “And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD [Yehovah] appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God [El Shadday]; walk before me, and be thou perfect.”
Genesis 21:33, “And Abraham planted a grove in Beersheba, and called there on the name of the LORD [Yehovah], the everlasting God. [El]”
Genesis 24:3, “And I will make thee swear by the LORD [Yehovah], the God [Elohiym] of heaven, and the God [Elohiym] of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell:”
Exodus 3:2, “And the angel [mal’ak] of the LORD [Yehovah] appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.”
Exodus 3:13-15, “13 And Moses said unto God [Elohiym], Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? 14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM [hayah]: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM [hayah] hath sent me unto you. 15 And God [Elohiym] said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD [Yehovah] God [Elohiym] of your fathers, the God [Elohiym] of Abraham, the God [Elohiym] of Isaac, and the God [Elohiym] of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.”
—1961. הָיָה hayah, haw-yaw; a primitive root (compare 1933); to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)
“O how little man can comprehend the perfection of God, His omnipresence united with His almighty power. A human artist receives his intelligence from God. He can only fashion his work in any line to perfection from materials already prepared for his work. In his finite power he could not create and make his materials to serve his purpose if the Great Designer had not been before him, giving him the very improvements first in his imagination.” — 3 Selected Messages, p. 311.3
“God and Christ knew from the beginning of the apostasy of Satan and of the fall of Adam through the deceptive power of the apostate. The plan of salvation was designed to redeem the fallen race, to give them another trial. Christ wasappointed to the office of Mediator from the creation of God, set up from everlasting to be our substitute and surety. Before the world was made, it was arranged that the divinity of Christ should be enshrouded in humanity. “A body,” said Christ, “hast thou prepared me.” But He did not come in human form until the fullness of time had expired. Then He came to our world, a babe in Bethlehem.” — Review and Herald, Apr. 5, 1906
“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, inpurpose—the only being that could enter into all the counsels and purposes of God. “His name shall be calledWonderful, 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 Lordpossessed 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. ¶ The Father wrought by His Son in the creation of all heavenly beings. “By Him were all things created, . . . whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him.” Colossians 1:16. Angels are God’s ministers, radiant with the light ever flowing from His presence and speeding on rapid wing to execute His will. But the Son, the anointed of God, the “express image of His person,” “the brightness of His glory,” “upholding all things by the word of His power,” holds supremacy over them all. Hebrews 1:3. “A glorious high throne from the beginning,” was the place of His sanctuary (Jeremiah 17:12); “a scepter of righteousness,” the scepter of His kingdom. Hebrews 1:8. “Honor and majesty are before Him: strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.” Psalm 96:6. Mercy and truth go before His face. Psalm 89:14.” — Patriarchs & Prophets, p. 34.1-2
“”In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginningwith God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not” (John 1:1-5). The world did not see divinity in the humble Man of Nazareth. The only-begotten Son of the infinite God was in the world, and men knew Him not in His true character. ¶ “In him was life; and the life was the light of men” (John 1:4). It is not physical life that is here specified, but immortality, the life which is exclusively the property of God. The Word, who was with God, and who was God, had this life. Physical life is something which each individual receives. It is not eternal or immortal; for God, the Life-giver, takes it again. Man has no control over his life. But the life of Christ was unborrowed. No one can take this life from Him. “I lay it down of myself” (John 10:18), He said. In Him was life, original, unborrowed, underived. This life is not inherent in man. He can possess it only through Christ. He cannot earn it; it is given him as a free gift if he will believe in Christ as His personal Saviour. “This is life eternal, that they might know theethe only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent” (John 17:3). This is the open fountain of life for the world.” — 1SM 296.1-2
“A human being lives, but his is a given life, a life that will be quenched. “What is your life? It is even vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.” But Christ’s life is not a vapor; it is never-ending, a life existing before the worlds were made.“ — The Signs of the Times, June 17, 1897, p. 5
“Let them be thankful to God for His manifold mercies and be kind to one another. They have one God and one Saviour; and one Spirit–the Spirit of Christ–is to bring unity into their ranks.” — Testimonies Volume 9, p. 189
1 John 1:3, “That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.” (see also 2 John 9)