I have not touched on God Himself in defending the faith against the new breed of the arian heresy. But tonight we shall touch on it as best I can with the help of God. If I have to; this will become City of God round two.
Part One
God as a Creator
Let us turn to Scripture first:
Genesis 1: The Creation Story
“In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth,
the earth was a formless wasteland, and darkness covered the abyss, while a mighty wind swept over the waters.
Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
God saw how good the light was. God then separated the light from the darkness.
God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” Thus evening came, and morning followed–the first day.
Then God said, “Let there be a dome in the middle of the waters, to separate one body of water from the other.” And so it happened:
God made the dome, and it separated the water above the dome from the water below it.
God called the dome “the sky.” Evening came, and morning followed–the second day.
Then God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered into a single basin, so that the dry land may appear.” And so it happened: the water under the sky was gathered into its basin, and the dry land appeared.
God called the dry land “the earth,” and the basin of the water he called “the sea.” God saw how good it was.
Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth vegetation: every kind of plant that bears seed and every kind of fruit tree on earth that bears fruit with its seed in it.” And so it happened:
the earth brought forth every kind of plant that bears seed and every kind of fruit tree on earth that bears fruit with its seed in it. God saw how good it was.
Evening came, and morning followed–the third day.
Then God said: “Let there be lights in the dome of the sky, to separate day from night. Let them mark the fixed times, the days and the years,
and serve as luminaries in the dome of the sky, to shed light upon the earth.” And so it happened:
God made the two great lights, the greater one to govern the day, and the lesser one to govern the night; and he made the stars.
God set them in the dome of the sky, to shed light upon the earth,
to govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. God saw how good it was.
Evening came, and morning followed–the fourth day.
Then God said, “Let the water teem with an abundance of living creatures, and on the earth let birds fly beneath the dome of the sky.” And so it happened:
God created the great sea monsters and all kinds of swimming creatures with which the water teems, and all kinds of winged birds. God saw how good it was,
and God blessed them, saying, “Be fertile, multiply, and fill the water of the seas; and let the birds multiply on the earth.”
Evening came, and morning followed–the fifth day.
Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth all kinds of living creatures: cattle, creeping things, and wild animals of all kinds.” And so it happened:
God made all kinds of wild animals, all kinds of cattle, and all kinds of creeping things of the earth. God saw how good it was.
Then God said: “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and the cattle, and over all the wild animals and all the creatures that crawl on the ground.”
God created man in his image; in the divine image he created him; male and female he created them.
God blessed them, saying: “Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and all the living things that move on the earth.”
God also said: “See, I give you every seed-bearing plant all over the earth and every tree that has seed-bearing fruit on it to be your food;
and to all the animals of the land, all the birds of the air, and all the living creatures that crawl on the ground, I give all the green plants for food.” And so it happened.
God looked at everything he had made, and he found it very good. Evening came, and morning followed–the sixth day.
Thus the heavens and the earth and all their array were completed.
Since on the seventh day God was finished with the work he had been doing, he rested on the seventh day from all the work he had undertaken.
So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work he had done in creation.”
God is the Creator of the Heavens and the Earth; He created every single person and creature.
How can this be?
God in His plan; He wanted us to be with Him in all Eternity with Him. So He created the earth for us to use and the animals and other wild life to have dominion over; plus He also created the Heavens and the Angels. God is not man or female; He has no gender; never did; but why did Jesus; the Second person of the Blessed Trinity call God; God the Father?
God is the Father of all; because He created all. That is why Jesus told St. Mary Magedelen to tell the Apostles and other Disciples, “I am returning to My Father and your Father.”
God can not be more than One God; because God is so infinite; God is every where; God is close to you and me; even if we do not believe in Him; but He is there with us. It is said that Heaven is His throne and earth is His foot stool; that is how huge God is.
How did God become the Creator? By One Word. What Word?
The Word of God is not a what; but a someone; Jesus.
How can the word be a person? Well let us go back to Scripture for a bit.
Gospel According to St. John:1
” In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
He was in the beginning with God.
All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be. What came to be through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race; the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. A man named John was sent from God.
He came for testimony, to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him.
He was not the light, but came to testify to the light.
The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
He was in the world, and the world came to be through him, but the world did not know him.
He came to what was his own, but his own people did not accept him.
But to those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God, to those who believe in his name, who were born not by natural generation nor by human choice nor by a man’s decision but of God.
And the Word became flesh 9 and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth.”
What is this passage talking about? This passage is talking about the Word of God; who was with God in the beginning but who is God. Jesus is God. Jesus came into the world but no one even knew of Him and no accepted Him; just like today.
He came into the world; so that there may be light in the darkness and the darkness broke; because Jesus is the Light of the World and there is a billion who know Him and follow Him and all that He commanded; who go out to all parts of the world to be the light in the darkness and bringing those who do not believe or who do not know Him; to help them believe and help them to know Him.
God the Creator created the whole world and everying through the Word; everything was created for the World; Jesus.
In Scripture we can tell God is One but has three persons in One God. Some have said there is a different God in the Old and New Testatment. Because they say the tones of God is different; more loving in the New and more strict in the Old. But, they must understand; God is Loving, Mercy and Truth; but God is also Just and He will punish us according to the wrongs we have done.
In the Old; God prepares the Israelites for their new home land and their mission as God’s chosen people. Which does require God to punish them and correct them harshly. In the Old, God prepares the Israelites but He also prepares them for the coming of Himself as Man to redeem the entire world.
In this; He had to create the world again; after the flood. God is never done creating. God is the Creator.
Part Two:God the Father: First Person of the Blessed Trinity
In the earliest account in Scripture we see God as Father; when He created male and female. He talked to them, walked with them, He fed them with the food He created; which was by One Word and that Word is God.
When the Man and Woman sinned; He punished them; but showed them mercy and His love; because He clothed them and promised them a Savior.
All through Scripture we see God as Father; especially in the Gospels. When Jesus is baptized by His cousin; St. John the Baptist; and when Jesus rose up; the Heavens were opened; the Holy Spirit; Third Person of the Blessed Trinity; came in the form of a dove and the voice came from Heaven: “This is my beloved Son; I am well pleased.”
At every night; Jesus went to a solitude place to pray and to be with the Father. “But, you in a earlier post said they don’t seperate.” Yes, they do not seperate; but you can’t hear God the Father in a place full of people and noise.
Jesus went up to a mountain or a hill to pray all night. To listen to the Father; to tell us what the Father has told Him. To do what the Father wants.
When Jesus told the Apostles, “We you see Me; you see the Father.” Then to Jews at the feast at the Temple in Jerusalem, “My Father and I are One.”
In the Gospel of Luke; Jesus teaches the Apostles how to pray; because St. Andrew asked Him, “Teach us how to pray.” They knew how to pray but they wanted to know how to Pray like Jesus and so Jesus taught them the Our Father.
Our Father, Who art in heaven
Hallowed be Thy Name;
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil. Amen.
Jesus taught us how to pray to the Father and what to say to Him. Jesus called God the Father; our Father when Jesus taught us to Pray.
God is Father to all; but when you talk about Jesus; the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity; Jesus is our brother; because He is the Son of the Father.
At the Transfiguration: Jesus was transfigured and His clothes were made white and His face and body was brighter than the sun and stood talking to Moses and a prophet. Then the voice of God the Father said, “This is My Son; Listen to Him.”
Jesus prays to the Father for long periods in the garden, when He is scouraged and then when He is being nailed to the Cross and hanging on the Cross. He asks God the Father to forgive them for not knowing what they are doing.
Finally He tells St. Mary Magdelen at the tomb to tell the Disciples and Apostles, “I am returning to My Father; who is your Father.”
Part Three: God the Son: Second Person of the Blessed Trinity
“The Father and I are One.”
Jesus Christ is the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity; but there is One God. When you have four gods and one god has another god in that one god.
Jesus is a person; in One God. Jesus is God who became Man to redeem Man Kind.
Everything Jesus does and tells the Apostles and the people; comes from God the Father. Those who see Jesus; see the Father.
The signs that Jesus does is in accord to God the Father’s Will; nothing is done without God knowing about it. Even when we sin; God knows.
God has no other Child; except Jesus. In the Prophet Isaiah; Jesus was mentioned that there will be a child born of a virgin woman; the child shall be called Emmanuel, God send, Counselor.
In the Prophet Mica; he gives the name of the place of the birth of the Promised One; In the City of David; the city of King David’s birth; five miles outside of Jerusalem; which can be seen from Jerusalem.
Budda himself; said, “I am not a god; but the promised one will come.” The founder of the Hindu religion said the same thing; they wrote on the coming of Jesus Christ; as the Promised One; but their followers did not believe nor listen; but worshiped them as a god or many gods.
The Romans did not believe Jesus was the Promised One; neither does the Jews; but Herod; the one who killed all those innocent children trying to kill Jesus; he feared the child that is in the prophets and that is why he wanted to kill the baby Jesus; because he feared loosing his kingdom or his kingship; but Jesus was not become a king on earth; but is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords in Heaven.
Jesus showed He was God through all the signs but through everything He said. Jesus taught us how to be His follower, “If you want to follow Me, you must die to self and pick up your cross and follow Me daily.” We are to follow Jesus by letting Him increase in our life and letting ourself die or decrease; then picking up our cross and carrying it; which is all the sufferings and pains of every day. But, we can call on Jesus to help us to carry our cross.
Jesus came to redeem us by dying on the Cross and suffering the most brutal tortures ever known to Man; which was another teaching point to show us how to love. By giving of ourself freely and dying for those who we love and care most about.
To show He was Divine; at the Last Supper He changed bread and wine into His body and blood. How? Because He is divine and time can’t keep Him in one place; so He jumped ahead in time to where He was on the Cross; to bring His body to the table; and the bread became His body; the entire Jesus. Each piece of the bread is Jesus. When the blood came out; Jesus went back to the Cross; which changed the wine into His blood. Which was the first Catholic Mass. How?
In the Gospel of John I think it was; it said they read Scripture, sang hymns and feasted; which is the Mass. Ate His body and drank His blood; but it still looked and tasted like bread and wine; but the Apostles knew it changed through how Jesus said the words of the blessing; which is said ever since for two thousand years and will be said till He comes again.
The Final Part: Part Three: The Holy Spirit: Third Person of the Blessed Trinity.
The Holy Spirit; is the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity. God is still One; but Three Divine Persons. The Holy Spirit is the love between God the Father and God the Son.
In Scripture the Holy Spirit has been shown as a dove, fire, bright light, and laying on of hands and water.
When Jesus was conceived in the womb of the Virgin Mary; The Holy Spirit came into the womb of Mary; but asked if it was ok; by a Angel. The Holy Spirit entered into the womb and over shadowed Mary; she is the spouse of the Holy Spirit; but on earth; she was married to St. Joseph; St. Joseph was given the task of protecting her and the child Jesus.
Everytime a priest is ordained; he receives the Holy Spirit but not in the fullness; a bishop receives the fullness of the Holy Spirit; because the bishop can ordain, confirm, even ordain a new bishop; but with the aproval of the Pope.
When we are confirmed in the faith; we receive the Holy Spirit and our bodies become the temple of the Holy Spirit; even in baptism; we receive the Holy Spirit.
To finish this long task of defending God, the words Jesus told the Disciples and Apostles, “Go into all nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.”
Amen.