God-Man: The Gospel

God-Man

The Gospel

Dr. Tony G. Minyard

ISBN 978-1-63630-419-9 (Paperback)

ISBN 978-1-63814-058-0 (Hardcover)

ISBN 978-1-63630-420-5 (Digital)

Copyright © 2021 Dr. Tony G. Minyard

All rights reserved

First Edition

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Table of Contents

Hermeneutics

The Fig Tree Doctrine

The Reality in Christ

He Is Not Here

Door #7: The Prayer of Salvation

Introduction

Thomas Jefferson, one of the writers of the Declaration of Independence, was inspired by the Bible. He declared that everyone should have the pursuit of happiness, which is the third article on the God-given rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Mr. Jefferson had a great respect for the Bible. He believed that every person should be free and has the God-given right to pursue his or her dreams.

The Bible is a very unique book because the author is God. It contains revelations of how He relates to His creation, man; therefore, I believe that the Bible is a direct revelation from God to man. The Scriptures reveal this plan in the Bible’s two elements: the Old and New testaments.

Another aspect that makes the Bible unique is that the words are inspired by the Holy Spirit. The Bible contains two elements, the Old and New Testaments. This is called the will of God for man. Since the beginning of time, God has provided man good news—that is, everything that God made was good. Even after man rebelled, God had a plan to redeem him: Jesus. My dissertation, The God-Man: The Gospel, conveys a message that gives hope and points clearly that Jesus was the God-Man. Adam was the first God-Man because he was made into the image of God. Adam was sinless when God created him but had the choice to either obey or disobey.

This dissertation is written to evaluate, critique, and respond to the position commonly known as the God-Man, the Gospel. Therefore, I hope that you, the reader, will have an open mind to this dissertation.

The above-mentioned concerns will demonstrate the impact of why God gave us His revelation for us: He loves us. The Bible is the blueprint of how to live the pursuit of happiness. This is why God declared this message of grace called the Gospel.

Because a general definition must first be articulated, the fact remains that God made man in His image to live on planet earth forever and have a relationship with Him. However, in this dissertation, I will explain in depth the magnitude of why God gave us the Gospel and will disclose the following in order: The Bible; Adam’s Kingdom; Jesus, Our Prototype; The Cross; and lastly, Eternity.

It is necessary to justify these studies into this dissertation format so that we can understand who God is and how the God-Man interacts throughout the Scriptures and in our lives. I will clarify and define God according to the Scriptures and therefore confirm that it takes faith to please God.

I will explore the topic that there are those who oppose God because of the evil in their heart. I want to paint a picture of a loving, righteous God who will judge the living and the dead. Because of what Jesus did in the New Testament, He paved a road that opens the door of hope. In essence, this is the Gospel called Christianity. Jesus became the God-Man, which is God became Man in the flesh.

Therefore, please have an open mind to the Gospel message. God gave us this wonderful book called the Bible. It has the message of hope and light in a lost, dark, dying world. I hope that you choose life and not death.

In conclusion, I have to ask a few questions:

Do you believe in God?

Do you believe that the Bible is truth?

Do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God?

Do you believe that you are a sinner?

Do you believe in a heaven or a hell?

In all due respect, I hope that you, the reader, will open your heart to the Bible; it has all the answers because it is the mind of God. We must take note in our heart of hearts that life without a purpose is useless. May God help you find that purpose. Your first step begins when you open up this great book called the Bible.

A simple definition of the God-Man, the Gospel, is interwoven into the Old and New Testaments. Jesus Christ is the central theme in the New Testament. He is called the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. In the Old Testament is a sacrificial system combined with the Ten Commandments. This was called the Law. The Gospel message is that to be fully forgiven, you must accept what Jesus did on the cross. Why? God ordained this to happen because man couldn’t keep the Law.

The Law points to Christ, who was under the Law. The Scriptures clearly explains this in both testaments. The Gospel message is the heart of God for a lost world.

1

The Bible

The Bible has been under scrutiny since the dawn of civilization and has changed many lives over the centuries. It is necessary to justify this study in a logical and coherent manner. Thus, its task will be to evaluate the importance of the Word of God in the life of a believer. A general definition must first be articulated: Why did God give us this wonderful book? The Bible gives us the history of how God deals with His creation. Therefore, we will dig into the world of this wonderful book called the holy Bible.

Let us begin with The Hebrews 4:12 Factor. This passage explains that the Word of God is living and powerful. Man is made up of a mind, body, and a spirit. Therefore, God is a spirit, right? His words are life and filled with abundant, radiant light; in a split second, they can change the destiny of your life! It is amazing how this all works out because His Word goes into the soul and changes your thinking, and then your heart becomes the heart of God.

The Hebrews 4:12 Factor

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Heb. 4:12 NKJV)

God means what he says. What he says goes. His powerful Word is sharp as a surgeon’s scalpel, cutting through everything, whether doubt or defense, laying us open to listen and obey. (Heb. 4:12 MSG)

For the word of God [is] living and operative, and sharper than any two-edged sword, and penetrating to [the] division of soul and spirit, both of joints and marrow, and a discerner of the thoughts and intents of [the] heart. (Heb. 4:12 DNT)

The above is concerned with and demonstrates the impact of how God’s Word affects the heart and soul of man. Man is made in the image of almighty God. Man is in the state of what the Bible declares sinful nature; this is why the Bible was written—to show that man has a need for a living God. This is why the God-Man came to redeem mankind back to the Father of grace.

The Hebrews 4:12 Factor is relevant for us today in the twenty-first century because of the fall of Adam; on that dreadful day in the garden of Eden, mankind needed God for the forgiveness of sin. Adam’s rebellion produced the seed, which became the reason for Jesus, the Word that became flesh. The purpose of the God-Man is vital to everything that God has ordained to happen with mankind. His name is Jesus Christ.

We might not like the circumstance that we are in, but God has always provided a way out. This is why the Bible was written: to help us in our daily life. For example, when we come to a point in our life where we are helpless or without hope, we start to cry out to God. Sometimes God will send us a person and at times an angel. Whatever the situation that arises, we know that God is able. We live in a nation that is blessed with the Gospel, and honestly, we have heard the Word of God at least once in our lifetime.

I like what it says in the middle of that passage in Hebrew 4:12, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit. Man has a soul, which consists of a mind, a will, and emotions.

How Does This Happen?

The Word of God is a seed that is planted into the human soul. Man was created by God and made in His image. The first man was Adam; he was made perfect with a free will to make decisions on his own, right? God had a plan that included His prized creation, Adam and Eve, to live in the garden of Eden forever in harmony on earth.

When Adam and Eve disobeyed God by eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, a barrier was put between them. Everything that God made was good and perfect; God had spoken to Adam and Eve in everyday conversation. Think about it for a moment: We have the Bible today in many translations and hear the Word in Church, and we can confess the Word daily. God’s Word is still the Word of God.

The book of Hebrews explains the dynamics of what God’s Word can produce in the heart. All of us are partakers of the grace of God before we come to the cross and know that it was Christ who that took our place on that tree. Once this happens, then the great exchange brings death into life, and our spirit is reborn into the image of Christ. As believers, we are taught to become Christ-like because in essence we are little Christs, working out our own salvation in our daily walk of faith.

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Heb. 4:12 NKJV)

This powerful exchange between God and man is literally why God gave us this wonderful book called the Bible.

I often wondered about this in my earlier days as a baby Christian: What does a Christian look like? It sounds weird, doesn’t it? But think about it for a moment. Some religions have rules and regulations, such as haircuts, girls wearing pants, and worldly clothing.

The Soul

God formed Man out of dirt from the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life. The Man came alive—a living soul! (Gen. 2:7 MSG)

This verse is paramount to sum up one thing: man is not God. God (Elohim), the creator of heaven and earth, just breathed into his nostrils. Adam now had a living soul. Man has that breath of life till the day that he tastes the sting of death.

Generally speaking, in the context of Genesis 2:7, of course, man was made out of the clay and was formed into the image of God. Adam had a soul that lived a life before God his creator.

The God-Man concept was the blueprint that was etched into the heart of God. This led to the path for the God-Man Jesus to come to earth into the womb of Mary the virgin.

He could be sinless and die on a cross to redeem man back to the Father, and death couldn’t hold Him. He was resurrected from the pit of hell and now sits on the right hand of the Father.

The Bible was written so that man could read it and live a life before God until that day comes—when there will be no more death, and man can reign with God forever and ever.

Man has a soul and will breathe the gift of life that God first gave him on that day in the garden of Eden. What makes man so interesting is that he has a soul, and he can think and make decisions on his own.

Why did God give man choices to make that will determine his destiny? The choice of this term is somewhat pragmatic because in the beginning of time, God did give Adam choices to make concerning the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Both Adam and Eve were made in the image of God and were sinless. However, they had the choice to obey or disobey the Word of God.

The Hebrews 4:12 Factor is in essence the core of the Gospel message. This is a place where man hears the Word of God. Man is composed of a body, mind, and spirit. God is a spirit. Let’s look at John 4:24, God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth. The Word of God has life and is inspired by the Holy Spirit. The fact remains that man must have his spirit reborn to the spirit of God. The process begins when man embarks on a spiritual awakening, and man now knows that he is a sinner and saved by the grace of God. Then he now can begin the walk of faith and look in the mirror of the Word of God.

The Gospel message is a very simple plan, and God orchestrated it from the beginning. (The famous banner that is seen at the football stadiums behind the goalposts reads John 3:16.)

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. (John 3:16–17 NKJV)

It was love that moved God to create the earth, the garden of Eden, animals, and