The One And Only

Are there any parallels between Jesus and any other great man of religion? Muhammad amassed an army of 10,000 to set out to conquer (killing thousands), while Jesus conquered hearts in His invisible kingdom through love ("My kingdom is not of this world"). Buddha, which means "Enlightened One," (while Jesus claimed to be the Light) and Buddha's real name was Siddhartha Gautama, and he came from an affluent Hindu family and lived a sheltered life in childhood. Muhammad and his followers looted and pillaged caravans, while Jesus had no flaws in morality and his followers aimed to live by his code of love. Jesus was from a working-class family, while Buddha had privilege, Muhammad, a camel driver, married a rich woman 15 years his senior and then took to meditation. Buddha left his wife and son to become an ascetic, while Jesus never married, was tempted of the devil for 40 days in the wilderness, and had a close-knit band of followers, both male and female to the very end, and Muhammad set out with his army in at least 66 battles. Buddha was appalled at the suffering of his day, while Jesus was a man suffering, and acquainted with grief, even dying on a cross willingly. Buddha set out merely to reform Hinduism, while Christ was the fulfillment of Judaism and the prophecies. Buddha claimed that his mother was impregnated by a six-tusked white elephant, while Jesus was born of a virgin woman in fulfillment of a prophecy made 700 years prior--the kind of life He lived would be consistent with this.

George Gordon, Lord Byron, the great Romantic poet, said that "if ever a man were God or God were a man, Jesus was both!" John Stuart Mill, considered by some to be the most intelligent man to have ever lived, said Jesus was the "guide of mankind." Bertrand Russell, the atheist philosopher, said that "what the world needs is more Christian love and compassion"--people emulate Jesus like no other man as the epitome of love in action. Will Durant said that Jesus is the dominant figure of Western Civilization. No one predecessor is His equal and no successor meets His standards of perfection and lawlessness.

Jesus, Himself, challenged His enemies to convict Him of sin. Even the Koran says that He was without sin. The crassest heretics have not denied his sin-free life either. He was flawless, whereas Muhammad had his flaws. Buddha couldn't have been perfect and didn't even claim it--he was agnostic--because he claimed to have come to "Enlightenment" after his search under the bo tree near the river Gaya, and therefore couldn't have always known the way, while Jesus confounded the Pharisees at the age of 12 and knew the business of His Father, and didn't claim to know the way but to be the way--Buddha didn't believe in God, and said that, if there was one, He couldn't help you find enlightenment, because you must find it on your own.

You cannot compare Jesus with any other man (you can only contrast), for He is alone and incomparable: His character was unique (flawless, without sin, and it is said that He is in a moral category by Himself, and it has been well said that His character supports His claims); His conduct was unprecedented (He forgave His enemies on the cross, and He invariably practiced what He preached); His claims were unparalleled (made Himself the Son of God--no other religious leader such as Muhammad or Buddha, an agnostic, has said this); and His credentials were unequaled (His life didn't belie but confirmed His claims, His miracles were true signs and consistent with his nature, and not just for show or selfish reason of profit, and even His enemies acknowledge His character). The caliber of His life was such that no one could challenge His answers and authority, and accuse Him of wrongdoing or sin.

The founders of other faiths are known for what they said, Jesus is primarily known for who He was and what He did--that He claimed to be the Son of God, died on the cross, and rose from the dead! Any man can claim to be God for instance, (but you need credentials and character), but to prove it by rising from the dead is quite another! It has been said that the kind of life Jesus lived verified His claims and you would expect the Son of God to behave like Him--there is no ungodliness or weakness in His person. There is everything we would want in a man to worship and adore and He doesn't fall short of any ideal or standard, but only inspires even the greatest of men--even Napoleon proclaimed Him to be no mere man and he claimed to know men.

Jesus lived in obscurity as a common man without privilege: He had no army, yet He conquered millions; He never wrote a word, yet He inspired more books and inspired more literature than anyone else; He had no riches, yet He made many rich; He had no formal education, yet He was the greatest teacher to have ever lived. Jesus was not born into privilege or opportunity, but into an average working family and knew what the average man went through in daily life from personal experience. He confounded the Pharisees with His brilliance at the age of twelve with His questions and answers concerning the Scriptures. There was no duplicity in Him, for He practiced what He preached, yet He condemned hypocrisy in others. Though men have conquering armies, Jesus conquered hearts and many millions would die for Him.

Who was the greatest leader of all time? Who has done the kind of miracles that have never been duplicated? Who was the greatest teacher? Who gave us the highest ethic or moral code to live by? Who lived the holiest life of all men? Who has the most followers and worshipers of all time? Who was the greatest philosopher or "un-philosopher" of all time? Who has done the best for mankind? Who had the greatest personality of all time? Who sets the highest standards to live by? Who had a more profound impact on civilization, either direct or indirect (inspiring the building of hospitals, universities, orphanages, charities, and missions)?

All other men pale in comparison to Christ and no one can meet His standards of holiness. Usually, familiarity breeds contempt, but not so with the disciples who were near Him--they never stopped admiring His perfection and even worshiped Him. What Jesus did, no man can do and we don't compare Jesus with others but contrast them: We don't say, "Jesus the Great," though we say Alexander the Great, or Peter the Great, for even that is an insult and do Him injustice; what we do is contrast Jesus with others and make Him the standard to judge all of mankind by. If God became a man, what kind of man would you expect Him to be?

Of the greatest men who have ever lived, none have dared to claim to be God in the flesh or the one and only way to God. Jesus didn't claim to be the best way to God, nor one of many ways, but the one and the only way to the Father. Only Jesus had the "words of eternal life" and showed us the Way. He didn't claim to be telling us the truth, but that He was the incarnation of truth itself ("I am the truth"). He said that all who are "of the truth" will hear Him, but unbelievers are those who reject the truth. In all of recorded history, no one has matched His personality and life! Many books can claim to be true, but only God's Word is Truth with a capital T, and the testimony is this: nature forms you, sin deforms you, education informs you, prison reforms you, but only Christ transforms you!

The New Testament books are not to be compared with the writings of other religions where so-called miracles are attributed, for they were written within a generation of the events and by eye-witnesses--not compiled centuries later. The difference between Christ's miracles and those of other faiths is that they were signs of His deity, and not just fantastic, for a show, or for personal advantage. You can take the miracles out of Islam, for example, and the religion remains intact, but if you remove the miracles from the Bible you disembowel it and make it nothing. Without miracles, Jesus would have only been a footnote in history and not worth following. Even Muhammad believed Christ performed miracles and he did none himself (there are none in the Koran)--only years later did writers ascribe some to him.

After the crucifixion, His own followers were ready to write Him off and go on living as if they had wasted three years of their life. It was the miracle (the great sign that He would give) and the fact of the resurrection that turned a disbanded and demoralized group of followers into roaring lions of the faith, who were not afraid of the authorities anymore, nor of death itself. If God were to become a man, you would expect Him to be like Jesus and do miracles and Jesus foots the bill and doesn't let us down on any count. It is one thing to claim to be God and quite another to prove it and have people die for your claims! "He spoke like no other man ever spoke"--with authority (He didn't say, "Thus says the Lord, but, "I say unto you.").

The Christian scholar Philip Schaff portrays Christ graphically as follows:

This Jesus of Nazareth, without money and arms, conquered more millions than Alexander, Caesar, Muhammad, and Napoleon; without science and learning shed more light on matters human and divine than all philosophers and scholars combined; without the eloquence of schools, he spoke such words of life as were never spoken before or since and produced effects which lie beyond the reach of orator or poet; without writing a single line, he set more pens in motion and furnished themes for more sermons, orations, discussions, learned volumes, works of art and songs of praise than the whole army of great men of ancient and modern times.

Nothing can explain Him, except the profound hypothesis that He is the living Son of God! We don't compare Christ, we contrast Him who is in a league of His own as the one who claimed to be God in the flesh or incarnated--you can rest assured of this: No one will ever improve on Jesus! As John Stuart Mill (considered one of the most brilliant minds of all time and an atheist) said he is "a unique figure not more unlike all his predecessors than all his followers,"

The problem with most would-be messiahs is that their character doesn't support their claims and the problem is that familiarity breeds contempt with men, but there is no discrepancy with Christ--his character does not disprove His deity, but it is consistent with it and confirms it. No one, not even a psychiatrist could analyze Him as unbalanced despite His claims. Christ is beyond our analysis (no one can figure Him or peg Him) and we can only be in awe as we wonder what kind of man would we expect the Son of God to be. Who can understand a man who washes His disciple's feet, yet claims to be the Judge of mankind? Soli Deo Gloria!

The Doctrine Of Christ

"Know ye that the LORD, he is God..." (cf. Psalm 100:3).

JESUS IS LORD! "That rock was Christ..." (cf. 1 Cor. 10:4).

"In him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily" (cf. Col. 2:9).

"It is right for me to feel this way about all of you since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel..." (Phil. 1:7, NIV).

"He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it." (Tit. 1:9, NIV).

"You, however, must teach what is appropriate to sound doctrine" (Tit. 2:1, NIV).

"Christianity is Christ; all else is circumference." --John Stott, theologian


Christianity is all about Jesus--all else is peripheral or circumference, as John Stott says. If you remove Christ, the faith is disemboweled--unlike Islam or Buddhism, in which the founders can be removed and the religion remains intact. Without Christ, there's nothing left but ethics and pie-in-the-sky dreams. 2 John v. 9 says that if we "do not continue [abide] in the doctrine of Christ" we "do not have the Father"; this is to say that we must get the doctrine of the deity of Christ correct to be named by His name of Christian--Jesus said that Him being the Son of God is the Rock of the church to Peter. Paul knew of early heresy when he wrote Corinthians in 2 Cor. 11:4 that they had fallen for "another gospel, another Spirit, another Jesus!" They're not worthy of the Name!

The cults (and they all have something nice to say of Jesus) masquerade their faith as false teachers or wolves in sheep's clothing to sound innocuous to the innocent and naive, but they are dangerous--it's just the bit of truth mixed with an error that makes them dangerous. People get enough of Christ to become immune to the real thing! Jesus never made it easy to become a believer or disciple, but discouraged the halfhearted and insincere, not seeking shallow conversions or pseudo-conversions without any substance. We all must count the cost and be willing to carry our crosses for His sake.

This is why cults (or fringe movements which are really sects, not denominations) are so dangerous to Christianity--they parade themselves as genuine Christians and have a knowledge falsely so-called to fool the naive and unsuspecting students of the Word. They are simply very aggressive and the believer may be fooled because he doesn't have the answers to their challenges. Just because they name the name of Jesus, don't be fooled, because inwardly they are ravenous wolves ready to devour the sheep. The Bible warns us not to flirt with the enemy nor to welcome the false teacher who creeps in unawares or we share in his evil deeds--they are to be shunned or avoided, not fellowshipped with!

We must fight fire with fire and know how to meet them with the ammo of the Word or not try to convert them at all--they are already convinced of their heresy and may not welcome truth nor recognize it. The Bible clearly teaches Jesus as the very incarnation and personification of God in the flesh--not sent from God, a prophet of God, a mere king, the messenger of God, spokesman or surrogate of God, part of God, only a God, inspired or anointed by God, but God Himself, co-equal, co-eternal, and co-existent in essence and glory with the eternal Father--anything less is simply heresy!

CAVEAT: THE PERSONAGE PORTRAYED BY THE CULTS FALLS SHORT OF THE REAL JESUS, GOD THE SON, SECOND PERSON OF THE TRIUNE GODHEAD.

To assign Jesus to a label of some well-intended, but failed and misunderstood religious reformer or martyr, do-gooder, healer, miracle worker, good teacher, or anything less than the Son of God in all its glory and essence is blasphemous and belittles Him--even to call Him the greatest of all men or our best example of morals is an insult to His person in all its dignity glory, and majesty. For to claim He was a good man or teacher would belie the claims He made and make Him out to be more a devil and deceiver than a good man--any like claim doesn't do Him justice and is merely condescending nonsense.

Finally, we must realize they are seldom convinced by argument and we must rely on the power of the Spirit's witness and the testimony and conviction of the Word of God (cf. 1 Thess. 1:5; 2:13; Romans 10:17) as we abide in the doctrine of Christ (cf. 2 John 9). Soli Deo Gloria!

Who Do You Say That I Am? ...

"My heart says of you, 'Seek his face!'  Your face, LORD, I will seek.  Do not hide your face from me, ..." (Psalm 27:8-9, NIV).   "That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from any one of us" (Acts 17:27, KJV).  

Peter is known for answering this in saying Christ, the Son of God, the Messiah to come, is not just some great leader, prophet, or teacher--which doesn't do Him justice.  He was right in his confession, but Christ wasn't right with him quite yet, and Peter had a lot to learn before he could own Him as Lord.  Christ was nigh to his lips but not tied to Christ's will as of yet, seeing the purpose for his calling as an apostle.  He wasn't aware of what he was getting into.  Of course, we have the vantage point of the full counsel of God to put this into perspective.  

But Peter was of the inner circle with James and John, Christ's bosom buddies, and witnessed the glory of Christ and heard the witness of the Father, Moses, and Elijah on the mount of transfiguration.  Besides, the three that bear witness are the Spirit, the water, and the blood and these three are in agreement (cf. 1 John 5:7).

It is said that we perceive His deity by His character and personal credentials: in that, He committed no sin; in His signs or miracles that bore witness with purpose; and in the testimony of the prophets being fulfilled.  Normally we don't believe people claiming deity (and He made claims like no other man and spoke like no other), but when someone lives like Jesus did and makes this kind of impact we tend to believe His virgin birth and resurrection are consistent with it ad confirm it.   After all, the miracle of the resurrection proves His deity once and for all. 

Hezekiah had to destroy the "Nehushtan" or the "bronze serpent" that the people of Israel had begun to worship because he saw it had become a fetish and idol.  We must focus on Christ to see His glory and not get sidetracked or major on minors.  Glory naturally exudes from Him and the good news for us is that we can share in it and reflect His glory to others.  We worship "the God who is there" and glory is a sign of His presence.   In other words, it doesn't matter what we think of the king or of the president, but only what we think of Christ concerning our souls--we must keep the main thing the main thing.  Even Moses reflected God's glory too in coming down from Mount Sinai he hid his face from the people.

Normally, Christ hid His glory. But someday we shall all see Him as He is.  This vision of Christ showed that Christ is the light of the world and doesn't reflect the glory of God, but is the glory of God in His own right.  In His light we see light! He lights all who come to Him.   Jesus had to make this point to disclose Himself fully, for it didn't matter what they thought of the leaders of the Jews, the Pharisees or Sadducees, nor even Herod, but what they made of Jesus would determine their eternal fate.  They had to come to the realization to preach Jesus and stay focused on Him: knowing it's all about Jesus!  Everyone had to come to their own climactic decision and decide for themselves who Jesus is.  We recognize Jesus due to His glory and from then on should have known that everything Jesus does is full of grace, truth, glory, and purpose. 

Richard of Chichester quipped quite pertinently that we should know Christ more clearly, love Him more dearly, and follow Him more nearly.  Indeed, Jesus' reputation preceded Him and everyone knew that He went about preaching the good news and doing good deeds, including healing the sick, but Jesus didn't want to be known as a miracle worker or a healer but as our Savior.  Note that Jesus had done works to bear witness of His deity and told the people to believe in Him for His very works' sake.  We may know Him as the Lord Jesus Christ, whereas "Lord" refers to His exalted position, "Jesus" to His purpose to save us, and "Christ" as to His promise as the anointed One. There is no other name by which we can be saved and we must bow to, and Jesus is the one who claimed to be the only way Himself (cf. Acts 4:12; John 14:6). 

Even though the disciples had this mountaintop experience, the life for the believer wasn't going to be that way, walking on cloud nine or in the memory or glow of some spiritual experience.  We need to learn from Reality 101 and apply our faith, turning creeds into deeds, living it out--not just professing it.  Our daily walk needs to be renewed daily and every day we must surrender to His will and renew our faith as we progress from faith to faith and from glory to glory.

We all must have some comfort zone to retreat to, some inner sanctum, or prayer closet that we can find God in private retreat--it's something to be privatized, not flaunted or publicized.   I like what Francis Schaeffer said, "God is there and He is not silent."  We must not be ashamed of Christ, but we don't wear our religion on our sleeves either. Wearing crosses as a chic accessory or fashion item doesn't do His glory justice nor even our testimony.

In sum, seeking the face of the LORD (cf. Psalm 40:8) is the "main business of the Christian life" (Jonathan Edwards), and "begins at salvation" (R. C. Sproul).  "... [I]n thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures forevermore" (cf. Psalm 16:11, KJV)).    Soli Deo Gloria!  

Jesus Doesn't Need To Prove Anything!...

"At the same time, God also attested by signs and wonders, various miracles, and distributions of gifts from the Holy Spirit according to His will" (Heb. 2:4, HCSB).
"Despite all this they kept on sinning and did not believe His wonderful works" (Psalm 78:32, HCSB).
"You are the God who works wonders, You revealed Your strength among the peoples" (Psalm 77:14, HCB).   

Gideon was known for putting out the fleece and testing God's Word (as Jesus told Satan, "Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God,"), but we no longer need to do this as an act of faith, having the fully revealed Word of God.  God didn't have to prove anything to Gideon but obliged his immature and growing faith.  Likewise, Jesus never had to prove anything to the world, just be His perfect self and that should've sufficed.  There is an anecdote of Muhammad Ali being asked to fight a teen and he refused to go along with the "test" of his greatness; then the teen bragged that Ali was afraid of him and refused to defend himself--actually, Muhammad would not stoop to the level of fighting a naive teen, he was still the champ to anyone who knew better because this was not challenging nor worthy, but he was protecting the kid.  The Word of God speaks volumes and is self-attesting, proof in itself (if it appealed to any higher authority, it couldn't claim to be the final arbiter of truth).

Jesus performed many miracles or signs as John referred to them as, but not to prove Himself!   He met needs and had compassion.  He never did anything on-demand, for personal profit or gain, showy, or any biggie miracle that would erase all doubt and force belief even against one's will.  I'll give you a for instance:  after feeding the 4,000 the Pharisees asked for a sign to prove He was from God.   What was the feeding of the 4,000 but a miracle to behold to the believer?   They should have reasoned He supplies all their needs.

Jesus would not oblige them and their hardened hearts that refused to believe despite the miracles He did perform.  John 12:32 says they would not believe, not that they could not believe--viva la difference!   Miracles are simply unusual events caused by God or they'd be called "regulars."  The thing about miracles is that they only give an appetite for more miracles and skeptics are never convinced, but only harden their hearts with some excuse or doubt.  Miracles don't produce faith, but faith produces miracles!  These Pharisees needed a miracle done in their hearts not a sign from heaven.  They were probably expecting Jesus to prove He could outdo Moses and bring down manna! When a person is stubborn or hardened in heart, no miracle will make him repent and come to Christ for salvation--there would also be some way to explain it away and expect only a bigger one.  Their mistake was to think God must oblige them and be their genie or miracle worker; however, Jesus didn't want to be known as a miracle worker but as our Savior.

In reality, Moses didn't do that but God used him as His spokesperson and God brought faith by performing miracles through him for forty years in the wilderness where they were tested.   If Jesus had obliged them and performed a miracle to prove Himself, where would it end and what about faith.   The biggest miracle is the radical change in one's heart to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior and become a new creature in Christ.

Every miracle or sign Jesus accomplished was a lesson to be taught about His divine nature:  He raised the dead to prove He is the life; He fed the multitude to prove He's the bread of life; He calmed the storm to prove His power over nature; He healed the sick to prove He's our Healer; He cast out demon to prove authority over them and Satan.  Every one of the divine attributes of God can be attributed to Jesus and they are illustrated by His sayings and acts.  Basically, Jesus showed He had all authority as the only begotten Son of God.    Jesus went about teaching, preaching, and doing good and also convincing the multitudes of His compassion.   With Jesus in charge, we need not worry or fear that our needs won't be met. 

Not to berate miracles in Scripture, because without Jesus doing them, He'd be but a footnote in history and Christianity would be disemboweled if one removed its miracles.  Note that other religions may have miracles but they remain intact without them--the miracles are believed on account of the religion already being believed--miracles are given to kindle and feed the dormant or nascent faith of believers.  Faith cannot survive on mothballs or in a dormant stage, it must grow and go forward in progress or rest in peace.  No amount of evidence will convince the hardened heart--God must do a work of grace first.  We must not be as clueless in not having eyes to see that God can supply all our mundane needs too ("daily bread").   Soli Deo Gloria! 

"We're Looking For A Few Good Men"

"Be alert, stand firm in the faith, act like a man, be strong.  Your every action must be done with love" (1 Cor. 16:13-14, HCSB). 
"But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or his stature, because I have rejected him. Man does not see what the LORD sees, for man sees what is visible [i.e., the "outward appearance" per KJV], but the LORD sees the heart"  (1 Sam. 16:7, HCSB).
"God doesn't call us to success, but to faithfulness." --Mother Teresa of Calcutta, canonized by Rome and recipient of 1979 Nobel Peace Prize

THE POST TITLE IS FROM THE USMC RECRUITING REGISTERED TRADEMARK SLOGAN, AND THE NAME OF A TOM CRUISE, JACK NICHOLSON MOVIE ENTITLED, "A FEW GOOD MEN."  

We shall see men in the light of Jesus' standard, which is the true measure of a man.  

That used to be the rallying cry or catchphrase of the US Marine Corps until women were allowed (How macho can it be if women can do it (LOL!), assuming they don't lower their standards?), then they changed it to "the few, the proud, the Marines."  It's quite ironic that you can become a cook in the Marines and or a medic and think that requires some special manly or exclusive, especially masculine skill set or mindset--the image is all psychological and social.  One tends to think of grunts, jar heads, or warriors--a lean, mean, fighting machine!  But just being in the Marines is an attitude and they always say, "Once a Marine, always a Marine!"  They take special pride in their catchphrase "Semper Fi," Latin for always faithful.   Marines also pride themselves in believing pain is weakness leaving the body!   My dad was one and he never once talked about it, but it seemed he raised us like he thought we should be ones.

We must commence by defining terms so as not to cause any undue misunderstanding by connotation.  Voltaire said, "If you want to converse with me, define your terms!"  So many disagreements could be settled this way because many quarrels are mere problems of semantics or a failure to communicate.  Don't they know that to be "good," any religion will do; Christ didn't come to make bad men good, but dead men alive!

Now to the title of a few good men.  Don't they tolerate "bad" men?  Depends upon connotations and denotations.  Does this imply that the Marines have a monopoly on good men or that if you are a Marine you are a good man?  Aren't the men of the other services also good in a sense?  Are there only a few of them?  You would think that the more good men, the better!  By good, they probably mean disciplined, intelligent, teachable, moral, patriotic, and very physically able.  Obviously, their boot camp is known to be more rigorous than Army basic training and is longer in duration though.

Jesus said that only God is good and that we are evil!  God doesn't grade on a curve!  Only by human standards can man be considered good and goodness is only relative (as if God were to grade on a curve and compared to Saddam Hussein, we are saints!).  By our standards, we sometimes call men good but this kind of goodness can be found in any religion--do-goodery or becoming goody-goodies.  God is good and the gold standard of goodness we measure us all by--the bar is pretty high and let's not lower it to make us look good.  The word is commonly becoming misused nowadays and people refer to themselves in the first person as being good--"I'm good!" That remark has no predicate and no one knows what is good: his accent?  Misuse only confuses issues and muddles the truth.  But we must become aware of the real meaning of the term too and not be part of the problem, but of the solution! 

I've heard of people referring to someone as a good Christian or a bad Christian in comparison, but these terms are unbiblical and there aren't even so-called carnal Christians as some subset of the category of believer--all believers can be spiritual or carnal at any given time and in or out of fellowship due to unconfessed sin--this isn't a problem for the few, but all.  The problem is that some believers haven't learned to walk with God and stay in touch with the Spirit or are just immature or infants in Christ.  We all need to grow up and be patient with less mature believers because we have been there and should relate not condemn.  In discernment, remember your humanness and their spirituality or position in Christ.  We are all works in progress so to speak and must realize God isn't finished with any of us yet!  Note that the Bible delineates all 52 known virtues that one should cultivate and these are applicable to both genders--courage, integrity, fairness, justice, temperance, self-control, etc.

To define terms spiritually we speak of obedience as the measure of faith and we are all committed to it as a condition of discipleship.  Obviously we can know them by their fruits!  Obedience is the more easily recognized, not one's internal spiritual state.  However, when people often speak of bad Christians they are usually talking of hypocrites or nominal believers (in name only) and don't think they are walking the walk, though they talk the talk.  One condition of salvation is sincerity--without which there is none; it's necessary but not sufficient.  There are those sincerely wrong!  What matters also is that the heart is in the right place, even more than one's doctrine be impeccable.

We are all good Christians in the sense of following Christ in obedience, for no Christian is truly a hypocrite---God has no dealing with them and Christ hated duplicity. In another vein, we are all bad Christians in the sense of falling short and not measuring up to Christ's perfect standards and being sin-free--William Jay of Bath said that he was a great sinner, but Christ is a great Savior!  Everyone that is biblically savvy knows Paul referred to himself as the "chief of sinners!"   John Bunyan wrote his famed autobiographical book, Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners, alluding to Romans 5:21 and 1 Tim. 1:15 to show his falling short, not emphasizing his spirituality, nor to glorify his past or sinfulness--it was a work in humility.  Sinless perfection this side glory is unattainable (cf. Psa. 119:96; Prov 20:9).  Some Christians will be the first to tell you they are hypocrites!   We must get away from the "let's compare" mindset and start realizing that compared to Christ we all fall short.  Jesus said to be perfect like the Father is perfect, meaning that perfection is the never attainable standard, but direction is the test.

There are godly standards of a so-called "good man" should strive to have.  It doesn't mean marriageable or husband material--but he is faithful and reliable with a proven track record that speaks for itself!  Women are looking for them and wonder what to look for or where to find them!   A good man isn't one who is necessarily impressed with his machismo or how "tough" he is.  He certainly isn't a bully!  He is like Jesus in many ways or in the process.  In Christ's humiliation and subordination, he emptied Himself of the independent usage of His Deity or divine nature and submitted to the Father's will, known as the kenosis in Koine (Greek).

Jesus was manly (even a man's man), for example, was gentle and He and Moses were called this in Scripture (gentlemen is a word of compliment!), which implies He had his strength under control and in restraint or never lost control of Himself.   But one thing for sure:  Jesus was no people-pleaser.   NB:  We must never equate good men as men of the world or successes in the eyes of the world; e.g., achieving the American dream or having a degree of education or scholastic merit or achievement.  God doesn't want our achievements--He wants us and our obedience in God's will! What is honorable in the eyes of the world is often despised in God's eyes! 

All Christians are called to be submissive to authority and respectful but not doormats--they know how to stand up for what they believe and fly their Christian colors!  We must all stand up and be counted for Jesus or we are not with Him--as Christ said, "If you are not with Me, you are against Me."  Jesus was a magnet to other men and therefore the fisher of men and also good with children and that's why they were drawn to Him.  There are many godly or Christian qualities to admire in men and no man has all of them.  It's the role of the Holy Spirit to make a believer holy or mature in Christ after His image and likeness and He does it by doing away with everything that's un-Christlike, not resembling Jesus.  Jesus was a leader of men extraordinaire, but to be a good leader one must first be a follower and that's why He asked us to follow Him.

You ask me what the measure of a man is:  how a man lives for Christ's glory and knows his purpose in life; a man with vision or one with a plan!  No one should be a nowhere man not knowing where he's going or what he wants to do with his life!  He is purpose-oriented and makes goals that are achievable, realistic, measurable, time-specific, and spiritually focused.  In other words, he's not concentrating his efforts and desires on selfish ambition but in serving God.  He doesn't necessarily have big plans or goals for himself but for God's glory.  As Baptist preacher William Carey preached:  "Expect Great Things from God; Attempt Great Things for God."  With God, we can do anything, even move mountains.

The measure of a man in God's view is not his stature, looks, clothing, talents, aptitudes, possessions, sex appeal or prowess, athleticism, physical appearance, build or physique; however, according to Proverbs, the glory of a young man is his strength, but of an old man, his wisdom!  We all should be known for our faith being expressed by our love in action.  That means all that matters is that God is on His side and with Him in what he's doing and that way he cannot lose--he's in a win-win situation and never a no-win one.  Job was told to brace himself like a man and men are not to assume the feminine role in society but identify with their own gender, neither must he be effeminate, wimpy, or a pushover--able to assert himself.  NB: Scripture frowns upon "girlie" men, so God expects men to act like men!  Is it any wonder men bond so easily--they should have much in common and I'm sure there was plenty of bonding that Jesus did with His disciples too. 

Never discount or count a man of God out who is in God's will!  No one for whom Christ died is a loser in God's eyes or worth nothing--a good-for-nothing!  Christ is the only One who has something to say to so-called losers and the down and out--there's hope!  There are no hopeless cases, only those who've given up hope.  The answer to how to become a good man is to become a godly one, doing good and avoiding evil, who is mature in Christ and focused on His will--never underestimate the power of what God can do with someone dedicated and sensitive to His will!  It takes fortitude and grit to dare to stand alone, gallantry, even guts or mettle!  It is a noble undertaking that shows faith in action and creeds translated into deeds.  Dare to follow Christ and do His will!  He challenges us all to follow in His steps to our individual crosses, dying to self or saying "no" to Satan and self before saying "yes" to Him.  The world needs more of these men who are taking their cues from God, not the culture!  And who are willing to step up to assume their spiritual roles as models and mentors in the church, family, one's circle of influence, and even society at large.

In the final analysis, Christ is beyond our analysis; we cannot put Him in a box, and can only know Him but not fully comprehend Him, figure Him out; He cannot be adequately described but only known.  (For the finite cannot contain the infinite, the ancient axiom goes.)  In short, we cannot put Christ in a box or peg Him psychologically or personally and must not define a so-called good man in any certain terms without some reservations--we're all at different stages of development and cannot compare ourselves with each other.    Soli Deo Gloria!

 

The Man On A Mission Extraordinaire

Jesus came to save sinners and set them free from themselves, God's wrath, their enslavement to Satan, and sin.  His message only has something to say to those who are lost, sick, and unrighteous and see their need for a Physician to heal them.  Sin is a virus that must be healed and we cannot approach God while affected--He must cleanse us or He will have no part of us.  He saves us despite ourselves and our own efforts, for there is no pre-salvation work we can achieve or preparation we can make to qualify for grace--that's why it's grace and not merit-based.  In fact, the only qualification for salvation is to realize our need and bankruptcy in God's tribune.  Jesus is on a rescue mission and meets us in our deepest need--the effects of sin.

Sin is both alienating and enslaving, it estranges and separates us from others and God.  Jesus is the Great Reconciler and has done something about the sin question on the cross by shedding blood.  Yes, He owns us because He purchased us with His very own blood was shed voluntarily on our behalf.  Our greatest need was to be forgiven and made righteous, both accomplished at the cross.  We are forgiven for our sins (what we've done or called being justified) and delivered from what we are (sanctification or from our sin nature).  The cross is a great rescue operation!    "If our greatest problem had been ignorance God would've sent an educator, or if it had been technology, He would've sent a scientist, but our greatest need was the restoration of our relationship with Him" (source unknown). 

That's what salvation is: the healing of our relationship with God and getting back into fellowship with Him, for sin precludes and prevents that.  We were in no position to save ourselves or salvage our souls, in fact, we needed divine intervention to meet our needs and do for us what we couldn't do for ourselves.  Jesus raised the bar on love and sacrifice, giving His all for us and pouring out His compassion on the cross when He was suffering the most--the ultimate sacrifice.

He thought of us to the very end and would rather die than live without us!  His love is unconditional and sacrificial and cost something!  We can give without loving, but we cannot love without giving!  In the final analysis, Jesus knew what His mission was--to do the Father's will and be subordinate to it in all things (that was His mission statement or motto of life--to do God's will!), which would bring about the salvation of His sheep, by laying down His life, for whom He shed His blood and poured out His very life.    Soli Deo Gloria!

The Unconventional Jesus

Jesus was not consumer-driven or market-oriented, but marched to the beat of a different drummer than the crowds, not keeping pace with His companions and set apart from His enemies and accusers--i.e., the Pharisees who saw Him as a threat to their job security and domain of authority and as the up and coming challenger to the status quo who could really upset the applecart. Jesus didn't claim to know the truth, to tell the truth, or to teach about truth in theory, but to be the very personification of truth itself.  The focal point of His ministry always put truth first and with no compromise.  Indeed, Jesus did change the course of history (as secular historians will acknowledge) and turned the world upside down.  He paid no attention to public opinion or what you would say the polls today, or He only followed the Father's will and agenda to do the work given Him.

Because of this, we must accept Jesus for who He is or we are rejecting Him and compromising His person.  The culture in His day was religious and even pagan or to some degree still barbarian!  The people expected a liberator and warrior to set them free from Rome but got a pacifist and one who taught about freedom from sin and another "kingdom, not of this world." He defied all human convention in His ministry, picking disciples who were ordinary men and concentrating on these men rather than go for numbers and be concerned about popularity--He changed the course of history with a band of twelve men!  He chose to ignore public opinion and to preach the truth!  He wasn't afraid of the authorities and the religious establishment and to call them hypocrites.  Jesus saw His mission as from above and not of this world, with eternal consequences and results.  He wasn't focused on the immediate and short term as much as the long-term effects of His agenda and ministry.

What shocked the authorities so much as how he knocked them out of the comfort zones and never played it safe with His preaching, but spoke like no man had ever done--not by authority, but with authority. He wasn't afraid to rock the boat and upset the religious applecart!   Christ never foot-noted His sermons, claiming the authority of the respected rabbis or Pharisees, but claimed His own authority and pronouncement as God's Word.  Other religious leaders have played themselves down and were self-effacing, but Jesus made Himself the focal point of His ministry, being self-promoting and self-advancing, making Himself the central issue and the great question of the day:  Basically, the question, "Who am I?"   People don't tend to remember Him for His deeds, words, or ministry, but His identity as the Son of God--who He clearly claimed to be.

His credentials were unequaled and unmatched; His claims unheard of and unparalleled; His character and conduct perfectly blameless and unprecedented and very unique and consistent with His claims and credentials; and His effect on history undeniable and permanent, not to mention irreversible and into every manner of discipline.  He will never be excelled, equaled, or surpassed in any way--He is unlike any predecessor and no disciple has matched His holiness and perfect nature, and no one can accuse Him of sin but only sense their own unworthiness and sinfulness in view His perfect holiness and balance of character--He cannot be pegged or put into a box; no one can label Him, describe Him, or define Him, but only know Him.

Jesus was a threat to the Pharisees' turf and upset their religious applecart.    In fact, Jesus was antiestablishmentarian and fought the system, bucking the traditions of the elders and Pharisees, which knocked them out of the comfort zone and on the defensive, but they could not trap Him in His words or find fault with Him.  The only charge that stuck was political, that He claimed to be the king of the Jews; however, He won over all those who dream of changing the system and becoming anti-establishment. 

The biggest challenge to the traditions of the Pharisees which had made void the Word of God was His definition of sin.  The traditions had externalized the Law of Moses and only made men clean in appearance and on the outside, but Jesus internalized the Law and made sins a matter of the heart and something from within--a matter of the condition of the heart of man.  The Pharisees despised Him as the so-called friend of sinners and thought He was contaminated and a Sabbath breaker--their fetish or favorite command.  The Pharisees were attentive to minor points of the Law but missed the larger ones of justice, mercy, and faithfulness--Jesus saw through their duplicity and veneer.  

As far as being considered clean by the traditions, for example, He was Mr. Unclean!  But what really got the Pharisees angry and out to kill Him was their jaundiced eye and naked jealousy of His popularity with the common people who heard Him gladly.  He made them all feel condemned by His His standards of conduct--He hated duplicity but no sin was found in Him, and the closer one got to Him the more sin one became conscious of.

Jesus had a plan and an agenda--He was par excellence a man on a mission--and what the public thought didn't faze Him nor concern Him---He took no cues from the so-called polls of the day.  We would do well to follow His example and not pay attention to public pressure and be concerned with the truth.  It has been said wisely that He demanded the highest ethical standard, but is also the highest inspiration and motivation to do it.  In sum, we must also put our faith in God's plan that defies human reason and convention and realize that God's will is not to be thwarted or frustrated and He has no other plans--there's no Plan B--He completes it with or without our cooperation and help!   Soli Deo Gloria! 

Is Jesus Authoritarian?

"When Jesus had finished this sermon, the crowds were astonished at His teaching, because He was teaching them like one who had authority, and not like their scribes"  (Matt. 7:29, HCSB).
"For the kingdom is the LORD's: and he is the governor among the nations"  (Psalms 22:28, KJV).  

Jesus not only reigns on High with all the authority granted from the Father (cf. Matt. 28:28) but He rules and is the sovereign over creation; this is His prerogative as Son of God, not His attribute--He's earned the right to rule (and not like the sovereign of the UK, who reigns but doesn't rule).  To disobey Christ is to disobey God.  Jesus said that if we love Him we will obey Him--those are His friends.  To disobey Christ's authority has consequences, which can even lead to eternal punitive measures in hell.

Christ's rule is by virtue of His office as Lord (RHIP or rank has its privileges--it comes with the territory!) referring to His position over all creation.  He is Lord of all (cf. Acts 10:36; Rom. 10:12). He is not a colleague to be befriended, but the Lord to be obeyed-we don't make Him Lord, He is Lord!  A. W. Tozer says He will not save those whom He cannot command, and He will not barter away His right to be Lord!  Note that a lord doesn't give suggestions, but commands!  In a sense, Christ is a micro-manager because everything is under His authority and the buck stops with Him.  He is authoritarian in the sense that He rules with an iron fist and is sovereign over all without exception.

Christ just has to say the words for His will to be accomplished:  When He said to the storm, "Peace, be still," there was an immediate slick and the sea obeyed.  Even the demons believe and tremble because they realize they must obey or be sent to the Pit. Christ expects full compliance.  When Christians disobey, there are consequences: They are divinely disciplined and brought back into line with God's will.

Now there is another aspect of Christ's authority that differs from His authority to give orders and enforce them.  He has the authority to induce, woo, convince, persuade, and to influence for His will.  We change our minds due to His power of persuasion and wisdom because we respect His counsel and person.  He's earned respect in this way that we heed His Word.  (He not only claimed the authority of the Word but claimed to be the very personification of the Word Himself, the Logos, as John termed it.)  The Christian obeys and does good deeds because he wants to not because he has to.  Works are not in order to gain the approbation but because we have it already--a "therefore."  We obey out of the motive of love, and it's this love that has authority over us, for it's the most persuasive force or influence of all.  We've learned to love, trust, and obey Jesus through our ongoing, daily experience and as we grow and mature in Christ.

During Jesus humiliation, He demonstrated all manner of authority:  over the laws of nature, all forms of diseases, demons, birth defects, sin, death, and even food!  His miracles were really signs proving His divinity and each showed an aspect of this.  He did not do them for the purposes of a show, or for personal gratification or pleasure, but to show mercy and kindness to the people in need.  He refused to do any biggy miracle that would've been to the pleasure of the skeptics and make them believe against their will, but His miracles were always sufficient for the willing.  Miracles never cause faith but only to bolster and confirm it; however, faith causes miracles.  In other words, Christ's authority and power were under great restraint during His days on earth with the disciples and He only proved what He was capable of, without actually doing it.

There is a great reward in obeying Christ and following Him; on the other hand, there are punitive measures for disobedience.  Either way, we must not ignore the authority of Christ, or it will be at great peril.  Jesus didn't teach by authority, as if someone had ordained Him, but with authority, and this was unlike any man had ever taught.  The rabbis and religious authorities, including the Pharisees, would quote the experts and teachers of the Law, and would never say something on their own authority; however, Jesus never footnoted His sermons, but would say, "You have been heard it said,  but I say unto you."  It's like a parent to a child say, "Because I said so!"  He was claiming greater authority than the authorities!  And this was an offense to the job security of the Pharisees!  Jesus never "footnoted" His sermons like the rabbis, or quoted anyone but the Scripture itself as the final word and rule of faith.  His methodology of quoting in speaking would be, "It is written," even to Satan.

The wonderful thing about Christ's authority is that He has commissioned us with authority to preach the gospel and we are His ambassadors who have a right to speak on His behalf.  Christ has earned authority via humiliation; however, we share in His spiritual authority, and when the Word is preached God anoints it with the unction of the Holy Spirit.  Christians are therefore the representatives of the King!  The good news is that He has given us authority in His Name!  Though we can rest assured He is in full control, He's no control freak!   Soli Deo Gloria!

The Doctrine Of Christ...

"Know ye that the LORD, he is God..." (cf. Psalm 100:3).  
JESUS IS LORD!  "That rock was Christ..." (cf. 1 Cor. 10:4).     
"In him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily" (cf. Col. 2:9).
"It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel..." (Phil. 1:7, NIV).
"He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it." (Tit. 1:9, NIV).
"You, however, must teach what is appropriate to sound doctrine" (Tit. 2:1, NIV).  
"Christianity is Christ; all else is circumference." --John Stott, theologian

Christianity is all about Jesus--all else is peripheral or circumference, as John Stott says.  If you remove Christ, the faith is disemboweled--unlike Islam or Buddhism, in which the founders can be removed and the religion remains intact.  Without Christ, there's nothing left but ethics and pie-in-the-sky dreams.  2 John v. 9 says that if we "do not continue [abide] in the doctrine of Christ" we "do not have the Father"; this is to say that we must get the doctrine of the deity of Christ correct to be named by His name of Christian--Jesus said that Him being the Son of God is the Rock of the church to Peter.  Paul knew of early heresy when he wrote Corinthians in 2 Cor. 11:4 that they had fallen for "another gospel, another Spirit, another Jesus!" They're not worthy of the Name!

The cults (and they all have something nice to say of Jesus) masquerade their faith as false teachers or wolves in sheep's clothing to sound innocuous to the innocent and naive, but they are dangerous--it's just the bit of truth mixed with error that makes them dangerous.  People get enough of Christ to become immune to the real thing!  Jesus never made it easy to become a believer or disciple, but discouraged the halfhearted and insincere, not seeking shallow conversions or pseudo-conversions without any substance.  We all must count the cost and be willing to carry our crosses for His sake.

This is why JWs are so dangerous to Christianity--they parade themselves as genuine Christians and have a knowledge falsely so-called to fool the naive and unsuspecting students of the Word.  They are simply very aggressive and the believer may be fooled because he doesn't have the answers to their challenges. Just because they name the name of Jesus, don't be fooled, because inwardly they are ravenous wolves ready to devour the sheep.  The Bible warns us not to flirt with the enemy nor to welcome the false teacher who creeps in unawares or we share in his evil deeds--they are to be shunned or avoided, not fellowshipped with!

We must fight fire with fire and know how to meet them with the ammo of the Word or not try to convert them at all--they are already convinced of their heresy and may not welcome truth nor recognize it.  The Bible clearly teaches Jesus as the very incarnation and personification of God in the flesh--not sent from God, a prophet of God, a mere king, the messenger of God, spokesman or surrogate of God, part of God, only a God, inspired or anointed by God, but God Himself, co-equal, co-eternal, and co-existent in essence and glory with the eternal Father--anything less is simply heresy!

CAVEAT:  THE PERSONAGE PORTRAYED BY THE CULTS FALLS SHORT OF THE REAL JESUS, GOD THE SON, SECOND PERSON OF THE TRIUNE GODHEAD.

To assign Jesus to a label of some well-intended, but failed and misunderstood religious reformer or martyr, do-gooder, healer, miracle worker, good teacher, or anything less than the Son of God in all its glory and essence is blasphemous and belittles Him--even to call Him the greatest of all men or our best example of morals is an insult to His person in all its dignity glory, and majesty.  For to claim He was a good man or teacher would belie the claims He made and make Him out to be more a devil and deceiver than a good man--any like claim doesn't do Him justice and is merely condescending nonsense. 

Finally, we must realize they are seldom convinced by argument and we must rely on the power of the Spirit's witness and the testimony and conviction of the Word of God (cf. 1 Thess. 1:5; 2:13; Romans 10:17) as we abide in the doctrine of Christ (cf. 2 John 9).        Soli Deo Gloria!

The Antiestablishment Christian

"Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities [powers that be in KJV], for there is no authority except that which God has established" (Rom. 13:1, NIV). 
"What can the righteous do, when the foundations are destroyed?"  (cf. Psalm 11:3).  

People are against the establishment and even resent authority and authority figures for that matter, especially the government, but note that all authority is ordained by God and we ought to obey except when in conflict with Scripture. Government is not a necessary evil, according to Augustine, but necessary because of evil.  There are even people who are against the church as part of the establishment but for Jesus and don't see any contradiction.  Jesus, according to Humanist historian Will Durant, was the greatest revolutionist in history.  Jesus was antiestablishment par excellence!  The church is not an institution or an organization, but an organism--a living relationship and fellowship of believers on a mission.  There is a difference between establishment and institution that we should beware of.  You don't have to be for the establishment, or the system, to be in favor of the institution of government per se, or its branches.

The establishment may include a police force that profiles illegally, for instance, and you are against it.  This is why we protest to show our disdain for the status quo and don't have to accept injustice and inequity. Jesus did a lot to overthrow the establishment of the Pharisees and Sadducees but posed no viable, practical threat to Caesar.  He was a threat to the Pharisees turf and influence.  You could say he upset the religious apple cart!  Jesus was a controversialist and wasn't afraid to take a stand for what was right and to condemn the hypocrisy of the religious leaders.

It is not good to be a troublemaker; Paul had this reputation as "ringleader" of the Way, and also Elijah, who was "the one who troubled Israel".  But heresies must come to show who is approved and this does not give us free rein to be divisive, contentious, argumentative, nor judgmental--instead, we are to be peacemakers, sometimes standing in the gap and reconciling opponents.

Note that God has ordained and established the institutions of family, church, and government and we ought to be in submission to them as appropriate (cf. Rom. 13:1).  We can be against a certain leader and still be for the institution for which he stands, i.e,. respect for the office, not the officeholder.  We are not to ever become revolutionaries to overthrow the government for Christ, so as to usher in the kingdom, but that doesn't mean we cannot be reformers and heroes of our cause.  We have no social commission to "reclaim America for Christ."   We must stand up for our faith and not only declare our Christian colors but fly them proudly. We must not lose by default!    And we must maintain law and order in society and faith in the institutions or the powers that be, for if the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do? (cf. Psalm 11:3).

The rule of law was first expounded by Rev. Samuel Rutherford in his book, Lex Rex, or "the law is king." We believe in the rule of law, not men!  It upset the whole royal landscape.  We are not to be a nation of men ruling but laws ruling. No one being above the law and equally subject to it ("equal justice under the law"). Any form of the perversion or miscarriage of justice or its corruption is forbidden by God.  It seems sometimes like what James Russell Lowell said, "Truth forever on the scaffold, wrong forever on the throne."

Christians have no right to wreak havoc on the social order or to support an uprising or revolution, even if they disagree with the "system."  We must limit the powers of government leaders as Lord Acton warned:  "Power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely."  If we disagree, we not only have the right to protest in civil disobedience but the mandate as long as it is concordant with the God's will and Word.

This is supposedly a constitutional republic and that means it abides by the rule of law and no one is above it.  These very concepts of justice and judicial precedent are being challenged as our president demands to see the evidence against him and to investigate the investigators of himself as the target.  This is all unprecedented.  It's been the tradition that the law is king, not the king and even the king must obey and submit to it.  We are a nation of laws, not of men, which would give us a highly whimsical and capricious government. 

You don't have to agree with the system to be for the preservation of our institutions.  Christians have no right to wreak havoc on the social order and to create or fuel chaos or anarchy, on the other hand, we are salt and light and to be of positive influence.  Christians should care a lot more about preserving our institutions than getting their agenda accomplished, no matter how noble in intent (results and unwanted repercussions matter too).  We must beware of authoritarianism, which can devolve when the checks and balances of the branches of government are dysfunctional.   

It's our right to protest or to do civil disobedience when the government demands unjust or immoral laws be obeyed--we must obey God and not man in these cases.  But we are to be model citizens otherwise and not a liability to our nation's success and prosperity.       Soli Deo Gloria! 

Jesus Emptied Himself

"He became what He was not; He continued to be what He was."--Athanasius, the father of orthodoxy
"But he emptied himself by taking the form of a slave and by becoming like human beings.  When he found himself in the form of a human, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross" (Phil. 2:7-8, CEB).
"I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me" (John 6:38, NIV).
"I have ... [completed] the work you gave me to do" (John 17:4, NIV).
"The Son can do nothing by himself" (John 5:19, NIV).
"My food is to do the will of him who sent me' (John 4:34, NIV).
"... Whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say" (John 12:50, NIV).
"Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself" (Phil. 2:5, MSG).
ALL VERSES IN ITALICS FOR MY EMPHASIS!


NB:  In God's economy, the way to be filled is to be emptied and we must empty ourselves of all our love for self or empty ourselves of all which contradicts God. Putting God first is the only place to put God.  He will not accept second place or play second-fiddle. 

Paul talks about the kenosis or emptying, of Himself concerning Christ in Philippians 2.  The definition of the doctrine of kenosis is that Christ voluntarily laid aside His glory, restrained His power; accepted hardship and human limitations, and confined Himself in His human nature to the limits of space, time, and knowledge of man's experience.  He never gave up any part of His divine nature, but became subordinate to the Father's will, not doing anything He didn't see the Father doing or even saying anything the Father didn't tell Him to say. Note that subordination doesn't mean or imply inferiority, but only a sphere of authority and domain of responsibility.  He voluntarily gave up on the independent use of His divine privileges and powers to live as a man in all his weaknesses.  He wanted to be able to identify fully with the human predicament and condition, in order to intercede for us on a sympathetic basis, knowing the pain and suffering first hand. Likewise, we can resonate with Him.  In plainspoken language, Jesus became the subordinate One to save those who were insubordinate!

He spared Himself no problems common to man!  He was truly acquainted with suffering and grief on our behalf in order to be a faithful high priest, savior, and king for us--that we can relate to and can be identified with.  Everything about Him was a story of and typical of humiliation because He left His throne in heaven to humble Himself all the way to the cross in obedience to the Father's interposed will.  In so doing He represented us and the Father was able to accept His obedience vicariously for us so that we could be justified by an act of imputation.  Yes, Christ didn't just die for us but lived the perfect, moral, and spiritual life on our behalf too (that is why He told John the Baptist that they "must fulfill all righteousness").

He came to die, the only man who ever lived, whose mission it was to simply to die and lay down his life.  From the very get-go, He was a man on a mission par excellence and set His sights on Calvary.  He asks us to carry our cross and follow Him, but our crosses pale in comparison to His and He asks us to do nothing He didn't do, and He spared Himself no level of suffering--at least He was honest enough to warn us and tell us to count the cost of discipleship, for He exempted Himself no pain.  In sum, we must acknowledge Him as the living, victorious Lord of Life and Victor over Satan, sin, and death, our enemies--He is Lord of all or not at all!

But Christ's life is more than an example for to follow as the so-called guide to life or humanity, or some good life to mimic: He was born under the Mosaic Law and lived subordinate to it in perfect obedience on our behalf--so that His perfect righteousness could be imputed to our account.  He must be seen not simply as a martyr for a good cause (for He laid down His life willingly), but as a victory over death and the only way to conquer it.  Indeed, His cruel death was not the end of Him!  The Pharisees' worst nightmare came true: He rose from the dead and transformed the lives of the witnesses and disciples who saw Him.  Benjamin Franklin wrote in his Autobiography that "we should imitate Jesus and Socrates," but there is no comparison between the two; Jesus is in a moral category by Himself and we don't compare Him, but contrast Him--we don't speak in terms of comparatives or superlatives either.  Calling Him the best man who ever lived, or the best teacher, best example, or example of mankind doesn't do Him justice--we don 't say Jesus the Great either because this is an insult to His glory and puts Him on the level of other so-called great men of history.  What Alexander the Great did was a mere human achievement, but what Jesus did was divine!  Pascal said that what Muhammad did any man can do, but no man can do what Christ did.

Jesus had very humble beginnings, not born as one would think of a conventional king, and died in conditions of what has been termed as "ignominious." Crucifixion was repugnant!   Everyone can relate to Christ on some level, not just kings and princes, but the common man in his predicament and forlorn situation.  For instance, Muslims cannot conceive of a God or Savior being "defeated" by man and dying on a cross in humiliation.  They see the cross as an ignominious death too low for God.  But this is God's way of defeating Satan: let the devil think he won and do all the evil he can, and turn it into good or a victory despite his attempts.  God indeed does turn evil into good by overruling it by Providence. Like Psalm 76:10 says, God "makes the wrath of man to praise Him."

Jesus never gave up His divine attributes, but only their independent use or for His own advantage. While on earth in His subordination, He obeyed the Father and did His will perfectly:  "Although he was a Son, he learned obedience by what he suffered" (Heb. 5:8, NIV).  You can see every one of His attributes played out and at work in the gospels, but nowhere did He seek to display them for personal gain or to subvert the Father's will.  His subordination was completely voluntary a and His subsequent glorification and exaltation was well-deserved due to His work as our Savior.  You might think it's strange to show your love by dying for someone, but this was the only way to save us and Jesus said that to lay down your life for a friend is the sign of no greater love--He gave it all, the ultimate sacrifice!   

In application, we ought to have the same mindset as Christ ourselves, who didn't grasp the concept of equality with God, but humbled himself--let this mind be also in us, because in God's economy, the way up is down, emptying comes before filling, and humility before honor;  he who humbles himself in God's eyes will be exalted!  Having the attitude of John the Baptist, who proclaimed in John 3:30, ESV:  "He must increase, but I must decrease."  We must empty ourselves or forget about ourselves to serve others, not being full of ourselves in the process!  We ought not to think of ourselves more highly than we ought (cf. Rom. 12:3), but to regard others in honor, giving preference to them (cf. Rom. 12:10).   Soli Deo Gloria!

God Is With Us

"For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily"  (Col. 2:9, NKJV).


His name is Jesus (meaning "this Lord is salvation"), but He is "God with us" ("Immanuel") in the flesh or incarnated.  The full nature of God is manifest in Christ (cf. Col. 2:9) and God is personified for us to see, all we need to know is in Him and what we can know.  The whole revelation of God, as He is to be known and worshiped, is in Christ Jesus--to see Him is to see the Father and to accept and worship Him is to do so with the Father. Jesus left us, but not as orphans, the Holy Spirit was given as a Comforter and Paraclete to guide and enlighten us.

We are actually better off with the Holy Spirit within us than when Jesus walked the earth as the God-man among us.  We have both the whole counsel of God and the inward witness of the Spirit to be our inner comfort and witness.  Christianity is about Christ and to remove Him is to disembowel it and neutralize its teachings and reality.  You can remove Muhammad from Islam or Buddha from Buddhism and the religions stay intact, but not so with our faith: it is about Jesus beginning and ending, all else is circumference--every other issue is peripheral.  We could not know what God was like except for the incarnation, and our access to Him would be limited without His intercession and meditating on our behalf. 

We need to know what God is like to know how to live and Jesus is the express image of God with skin on for us.  Of men inspired by God or inhabited by God, there have been many, men called by God and lead by God numerous, men of God and godly men countless, but Jesus stands out unequaled and unsurpassed as the God-man, unlike any of His predecessors and disciples--you simply cannot improve on Him.  He is not a lord nor a god, but the Lord and God personified--the Word become flesh, and the Word is God.

According to Francis Schaeffer, Christianity is about "the God who is there."  Sometimes we may wonder where God is, but He is right here as close as His name, and we might wonder and realize He was there all the time.  Surely, He was there and we knew it not--that is the commentary on some people's spiritual life. For wherever two or three are gathered in His name, there He is!   As the title implies, Immanuel, Christians have the Holy Spirit and God with them wherever they go never forsaking us (cf. Matt. 28:20).

We must endeavor to attempt great things for God and expect even greater blessings in return because we can be assured that God is with us and will guide us all the way.  When God is in something, it will succeed.  There is a story of Saint Theresa, who said she desired to erect a convent, and when asked of her resources, said she had twelve pence.  They told her that even Saint Theresa couldn't do much with only that; she replied that God and Saint Theresa could do anything.  We can see that the only important thing is whether God is in it or not; we don't bring our plans to God for approval, but find His will and do it and He will provide the resources.  If we are led to do something from the Spirit, God will provide.

Jesus became what we are and what He was not, but continued to be what He was--He never gave up His divine nature, but became man as the God-man.  He is not a deified man nor a humanized God, nor a man with divine attributes, nor a God that acts or appears as a man.  He is not a God in human disguise either, but fully man and fully God, perfect man, perfect God--two natures united mysteriously into one nature forever.  He feels our pain because He Himself experienced the worst man could dish out Himself.  Could you identify with a God who knew no pain nor had any first-hand experience as a man in our world?  Not only can we relate to Him, but He identifies with us and is in a position to make intercession for us.  God is with us when we need Him most, and whatever happens, we will not be overwhelmed because of His presence through the Spirit abiding in us.

We must be careful not to limit Him nor put Him in a box:  He was a great teacher; He was a divine Healer; He was a miracle worker; He was a great leader, etc.  You cannot speak of Him in comparative nor superlative terms, such as saying He is Jesus the Great, or even the greatest leader, teacher, model, nor influence man has ever seen or for that matter, it diminishes Him by saying these things, for He cannot be compared but must be contrasted, the fullness of the Godhead dwelling in His nature for our benefit so we can know God personally and have a relationship with one that identifies with us on our level and we can resonate with Him, which is mutual.  He feels our pain!  Pronouncing Him in human terminology such as Jesus the Great doesn't do Him justice and no man can be what He was nor step into His shoes and do what He did (a regular man could do what Muhammad did, but no man can do what Christ did!).

Jesus took on the infirmities of man in the weakness of the flesh to identify with us and dwell in our midst.  He always was, is, and will be the Lord of all and couldn't be our Savior, if not God with us!  He emptied Himself of the independent usage of His divine attributes and obeyed the Father's will and didn't act independently on His own--for He could do nothing of Himself.  The wonderful thing is that we can taste and see the Lord is good and find it out for ourselves and experience His presence in the same Spirit that His disciples did, opening our eyes to spiritual truth and showing us the way.  In the final analysis, Jesus will not barter away His nature nor cease being God with us in the flesh!     Soli Deo Gloria!

A Profile Of Jesus

"If God were a man, we would expect His personality to be true humanity.  Only God could tell us what true man should be like. Certainly there are forerunners of piety in the Old Testament models.  Foremost must be a complete consciousness, coupled with complete dedication and consecration of life to God.  Then, ranked below this, are the other virtues, graces and attributes that characterize perfect humanity.  Intelligence must not stifle piety, and prayer must not be a substitute for work, and zeal must not be irrational fanaticism, and reserve must not become stolidity."--Bernard Ramm   


"In Christ we have the perfect blend of personality traits, because as God incarnate, he is perfect humanity." --Paul Little, Know Why You Believe, John Schaff describes Him as follows:


"Jesus' zeal never degenerated into passion, nor his constancy into obstinacy, or his benevolence into weakness, nor his tenderness into sentimentality.  His unworldliness was free from indifference and unsociability or undue familiarity; His self-denial from moroseness; His temperance form austerity.  Hie combined childlike innocence with manly strength, absorbing devotion to God with untiring interest in the welfare of man, tender love to the sinner with uncompromising severity against sin, commanding dignity with winning humility, fearless courage with wise caution, unyielding firmness with sweet gentleness!" 


He washed the disciples' feet, yet claimed to be the Judge of the world.  Though He claimed deity, He never showed aloofness or arrogance, but was humble and came to serve, not to be served (cf. Mark 10:45).    Scholar John Schaff again portrays Christ:


"This Jesus of Nazareth without money and arms, conquered more millions than Alexander, Caesar, Muhammad and Napoleon; without science and learning, he shed more light on matters human and divine than all philosophers and scholars combined; without the eloquence of schools, he spoke such words of life as were never spoken before or since and produced effects which lie beyond the reach of orator or poet; without writing a single line, he set more pens in motion and furnished themes for more sermons, orations, discussions, learned volumes, works of art and songs of praise than the whole army of great men of ancient and modern times."


His personality shows no sign of mental aberration, chemical imbalance, or illness, according to Dr. Gary R. Collins, a clinical psychologist and chair of the psychology division at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, who says there are a "variety of proofs.  Among them are these: His teaching was impeccably moral and consistent with His claims; He demonstrated the gamut of human emotions;  He was "never paranoid"; "He understood human nature"; "He never demonstrated inappropriate emotions"; He had meaningful, "healthy," multiple, "close personal relationships"; No one could accuse Him or convince Him of sin! He was the Exemplar without a flaw;  "He spoke clearly, powerfully, and eloquently;" His fame and claims didn't go to His head and give Him a "bloated ego;" His sermons were not the rantings and ravings of a madman; He was a mystery--if He were a deceiver, liar, lunatic, or deceived Himself, the disciples would've figured it out by living with Him three years in close contact; and finally, He challenged His enemies to convince Him of sin (cf. John 8:46).


He was the most outstanding personality of all time:  not to be surpassed or improved upon by either predecessor nor disciple; the greatest leader in history; He did the most good for mankind; He was the greatest teacher; He lived the holiest life; He was the best example for mankind; He was the greatest moral teacher, guide, and incentive to morality; He had the biggest impact on history.  And His cruel death was not the end of Him.  Calling Him the greatest man who ever lived doesn't do Him justice or saying Jesus the Great!   You don't compare Him, you contrast Him!  He is simply God's last word to man and all we need to know of God!


C. S. Lewis, in Mere Christianity, writes:  "A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher.  He would either be a lunatic--on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg--or else he would be the Devil of Hell.  You must make your choice.  Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse."  He goes on:  "The discrepancy between the depth and sanity of His moral teaching and a diagnosis of rampant megalomania" are patently incompatible.    


No one can peg Jesus, put Him in a box, nor adequately describe Him nor figure Him out (cf. 2 Cor. 9:15), but whatever is perfect is what He demonstrated, and what He lived out was perfection personified.  He cannot be improved upon!  He demands worship, not admiration, discipleship, not study!   Soli Deo Gloria! 

The Kenosis Of Christ

The title refers to the "emptying" of Jesus (the kenosis in Koine or common,"vulgar" Greek) or when He "made Himself of no reputation," NKJV, in the sense of laying aside His glory and independent usage of divinity, as He functioned as a man with all the limitations that go with it.  Christ never stopped being God, nor did He lose His powers as God, but only did what the Father told Him to do, following the interposed will of the Father.  Philippians 2:7 (NLT) says, "Instead, he gave up his divine privileges...." Christ's glory is that He laid aside all His glory and humbled Himself, even to the death on a cross as a criminal.

Some may object to this ignominious death, (thinking that it's repugnant to have Christ "defeated" by man) but it was the pleasure of the Father to judge sin in this manner.  We all ought to learn a lesson in humility following His example.  Just to make a point about true service, Christ took a towel and washed the disciples feet, and they were all taken aback, Peter even objected, thinking this was not fit the Lord's dignity.  When Christ said that we also ought to wash each others' feet, we get the lesson that, in God's economy, the way up is down just like John the Baptist said, "He must increase, but I must decrease"  (cf. John 3:30).

Peter failed to see Christ as the servant of the Lord and that greatness is in how many people you serve, not how many serve you.  Christ himself said that he came, "not to be served, but to serve and to give [His] life a ransom for many" (cf. Mark 10:45).  This gesture of foot-washing showed that we must be willing to humble ourselves, for humility comes before exaltation.  There is no caste system nor superstar believer in the body, but all are "one in Christ" (cf. Col. 3:11; Gal. 3:28; 1 Cor. 12:13).  There are no "untouchables" and neither is anyone beyond redemption.

All believers are called to become  the servants of Christ; at the bema (or Judgment Seat of Christ) we all look forward to hearing Christ pronounce:  "Well done, thou good and faithful servant...."  Albert Schweitzer was right:  "The only happy people are those who have learned how to serve."   I call this humiliation of ourselves in Christ's service as the "order of the towel," and the question should not be how high we can aim, but how low we can go--nothing is literally "beneath" the believer.  Whosoever humbles himself as a child shall be great in God's kingdom (cf. Matt. 18:4).   Service is the keynote of Christ's ministry, for He went about doing good (cf. Acts 10:38).   Soli Deo Gloria! 

Jesus Wasn't A Great Moral Teacher

"I and the Father are one"  (John 10:30, NIV).  

Many skeptics refuse to think of Jesus as anything but a moral teacher and even an example or model for man, denying His deity in the process.  But Jesus didn't want to be known as just a great moral teacher or example, but as our Lord and Savior--He didn't leave us that option!  If He were not who He claimed to be, He wouldn't be great at all, but evil and an impostor. When I say that He was not a great teacher, I'm saying He wasn't particularly that, limiting Him--He was that and more!  And so the title is not contradictory according to the law of noncontradiction:  nothing can be something and not be something at the same time, in the same sense!

Jesus could have been a demon who had powers to deceive, but could a demon say the things He did and can a demon open the eyes of the blind  (cf. John 10:21), as they murmured?  His wise reflections and teachings are not the rantings and ravings of a madman, but the Words of God. George Gordon, Lord Byron said that "if ever man were God or God-man, Jesus was both."   His personality is as normal and balanced as anyone who ever lived, and the moral precedent He set has never been equaled, excelled, nor surpassed, neither by predecessor nor by follower and worshiper.

C. S. Lewis has said that He was either a liar, lunatic or Lord; there is ample proof He wasn't legend and no one in their right mind would call Him the devil!  If He were a liar, wouldn't the disciples have had him pegged and figured out after three years?   Lunatics and imposters, like Elvis impersonators, are easy to spot and can be ruled out because their lives belie their claims and they don't have the credentials.

Jesus didn't just say He was the Son of God, but proved it by His life and good works, especially miracles.   Even famed atheist Bertrand Russell didn't begrudge Him the highest of morality and principle!  John Stuart Mill, considered by some scholars to be the most intelligent man who ever lived, called Jesus the guide of humanity, though he was no Christian.

If a psychologist were to analyze Him, and he is beyond our ability to analyze or peg, he would find a perfectly balanced person who is well adjusted and with no inner conflict, issues or baggage.  He has all the traits of a normal person and besides that, the ideal man's personality with no flaws whatsoever--He's the ideal standard to judge by, the most well-adjusted personage known!  There's absolutely nothing abnormal about Him and certainly no evidence of mental illness or tendency at all.

You can tell something about a person by their followers, and Christ not only laid down the highest ethics in the Golden Rule but also served as the highest incentive to practice it!  The disciples were of high moral fiber and laid down their lives for their testimony; it is a known fact that people will die for what they believe is true, but not for a known lie!  The disciples were in a position to verify and know whether He rose from the dead or not, and died as martyrs to test the veracity of their claim.

We don't refer to Jesus in any human category:  Not just Jesus the Great, which sounds quite insulting and doesn't behoove Him,  nor just the Exemplar of mankind to live by or martyr to inspire us to a good cause.  He is not just our example or leader, which He is, but also our Savior (that was His mission!).  If you don't accept Him for who He is (God come in the flesh), you are rejecting Him; you cannot declare you are willing to accept Him as your teacher or guide only without reference to His offices as prophet, priest, and king and His authority as Lord and Savior.  We come to Him on His terms, not vice versa!  Soli Deo Gloria!

Who Does Jesus Think He Is?

"And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes"  (Mark 1:22, ESV).

"The officers answered, Never man spake like this man" (John 7:46, KJV), who reported to the authorities.  Jesus was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God (cf. John 10:33), even claiming that the Father and Him were one [in essence].  In one sense the triune God is a threesome or three (in one), but in another, it is a unity of one being with three persons in a relationship.  Elohim, the plural of God (El) is used by God in Genesis and God refers to Himself as a unity of one in Deut. 6:4, using the Hebrew echad, meaning one as in a cluster or unity.  They are one in Spirit and one in purpose and will, but three in self-distinction and personality.

Jesus didn't go around advertising that He was the Son of David, or the Son of God, though He never denied it (He was forced to confess it at His trial as the Son of the Blessed One). Note that with all due respect to the founders of all the other world religions, only Jesus claimed to be God (cf. John 8:58, says, "Before Abraham was, I AM" and  John 8:24 really says, "Unless you believe that I AM, you shall die in your sins" and in John 14:9 He says, "He who has seen Me has seen the Father"), and this is why the authorities despised and hated Him and were jealous of His powers and influence of the people--they knew what He was claiming!  "If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him..." (John 11:48, ESV).

Jesus usually used figures of speech, but He didn't always beat around the bush by indirect claims but spoke plainly enough for his disciples to recognize Him as the Messiah or Christ the Lord.  Peter confessed Him as the Son of God.  His favorite title for Himself was Son of Man (cf. Daniel 7:13), showing Him identifying with us as the Messiah, as this was a known messianic title from Daniel. George Gordon, Lord Byron said that "if ever man was God, or God man, Jesus Christ was both." He wasn't half God and half man, but the God-man (theanthropos in Greek), being all God and all man in one permanent incarnation or personification.  Some find it incredible to believe a man could become God or deified, but they can accept the historical fact of the incarnation when God became man! They besought Him to tell them plainly and He did, but they wouldn't listen or understand. John 12:37 says that even though he performed many signs, they would not (not could not) believe in Him.

The most striking aspect of His teaching and some just saw Him as a good teacher ("... Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God:  for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him"  (John 3:2, KJV). It is patronizing to think of Him only as a good teacher or moral leader or even martyr for a good cause--these are not valid options to consider concerning Him.  "You call Me Lord and teacher, and so I am."  He never prefaced His teachings with "thus saith the Lord" but directly said it as if speaking as God, not for God.  He didn't speak by authority, but with authority, and no man ever spoke so audaciously before; others would commonly quote the authorities, like renowned and learned teachers and Pharisees.  When He spoke it was not introduced by phrases like "It is said," but "I say unto you."  The critics would just mutter, 'Who does He think He is?"  In respect to His teaching:  "[F]or he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not their scribes"  (Matt. 7:29, ESV).

About calling Himself the Son of God and not denying it (John 1:49 says, "... Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel"), He pointed out that we are all sons of God in the sense of being His creatures and challenged them: who was David's Son? When He referred to Himself as the Son of Man, the Pharisees knew very well that this was a messianic title and just who He was claiming to be.  Indeed, the teachers and Pharisees got the message and weren't as clueless as they pretended--they even remembered that He predicted His resurrection, which the disciples didn't understand or anticipate.  Even Nicodemus, the so-called "teacher of Israel," didn't know where He was coming from at first, but after the encounter at night came over to sympathize with His cause, and took His side--even helping to anoint and bury Him.

Normally you don't believe someone who makes claims of deity or divinity which they can't substantiate (Father Divine of Philadelphia, now deceased, and Sun Myung Moon, founder of the Unification Church of Korea and whose followers are called Moonies, for instance), but Jesus' claims were consistent with his credentials and the witness of signs and wonders.  There have been numerous wannabes and would-be messianic figures, but they are easily dismissed.   If Jesus had been a devil, a madman, sincerely deceived teacher, or a liar, wouldn't the disciples had figured it out and had Him pegged after three years of close contact; familiarity normally breeds contempt!

People will die for what they believe is true, but these men were in a position to know the truth, fanatics and religious extremists aren't.  Napoleon thought he could conquer Europe, but languished on St. Helena in exile, reading and studying the Bible, contemplated Jesus:  "I know men, and I tell you Jesus was no mere man." When anyone considers the evidence the only credible hypothesis is that Jesus is the Son of God, but acknowledging this is not salvation, you must know Him, love Him, and follow Him as you trust in Him as Savior and submit to Him as Lord.

Other religious leaders are self-effacing, while Jesus was self-advancing or promoting and His teaching was self-centered.  You can take Buddha out of Buddhism and the faith remains intact, but Christ is what Christianity is all about; its essence is that Christ is God in the flesh!   Actually, the whole of Scripture is all about Jesus on every page and in every book.  It wasn't just Jesus who was His own witness: the Father and Holy Spirit gave approval of Him, and said, "This is My beloved Son...."

His miracles were really signs of His deity and were consistent, not helter-skelter, for prestige, personal gain, showy, fantastic, haphazard, capricious, without any reason, ostentatious, nor for personal gain or profit, but out of love as the motive to confirm faith.  He did everything that you would expect a God-man to do and was everything you'd expect Him to be.  I rest my case: there's no reason to doubt due to lack of evidence or irrationality.  If one is willing, God will authenticate the truth--He's no man's debtor--"seek and you will find" (cf. Matt. 7:7).

The conclusion of the matter is that anyone can make claims and do to be a somebody, and many have claimed to be Israel's Messiah, but their lives have to be consistent with their testimony and not belie it.  Jesus' life was of such caliber and moral uprightness that there is sufficient reason to believe he wasn't a deluded madman, lunatic, liar, or mistaken because he invariably practiced what He preached and preached what He practiced.  Usually, familiarity breeds contempt, but not in this case, the disciples recognized His holiness and no one could convict Him of sin or convince Him of it, they verified in their writings that He was without sin.  One disciple says to Christ:  "Depart from me, O Lord, for I am a sinful man."

They willingly verified and proved the veracity of their witness to His resurrection by the sacrifice of their lives in martyrdom--people don't normally lie when threatened with death.  Just like Elvis impersonators are easy to spot, it is easy to realize that Jesus will never be surpassed or equaled (neither by predecessor nor by disciple nor by wannabe nor even rival).  You don't compare others with Him, but you contrast them with Christ.

Fanatics and religious extremists will die for what they believe is true, but they are not in a position to know the truth, as the disciples were, and they died to prove their veracity concerning their witness of the resurrection and the risen Jesus.   You don't normally believe someone was born of a virgin either (Buddha claimed his father was a white elephant and Alexander the Great and Augustus Caesar claimed their fathers were serpents!), but if they lived like Jesus there would be ample reason to believe it. Soli Deo Gloria!