God WAS One of Us!

          I read a column in the local newspaper recently, and I have a bone to pick with
     some of the points the writer, Charita Goshay, made.


          She referred to the men who helped the young women in Cleveland who were
     held prisoner for almost 10 years.  She wrote, "Their act  of selflessness brings to
     mind the Joan Osborne lyric, 'What if God was one of us?' "

          Is that a serious question?  Has she never read the Bible?  Has she never heard
     of a MAN named Jesus?  God came as a MAN!  Been there, done that!

          Jesus was fully man and fully God.  Born into a sinful world, He lived about 33
     years, subject to every temptation all men face, but stayed completely sinless.
          Being obedient, He temporarily gave up His place in heaven, and came to earth
     to save sinners, by giving His life to pay for their sins.


                                                  "[Christ Jesus]. 'Who, being in very nature God,
                                                    did not consider equality with God something
                                                    to be grasped, but  made Himself nothing,
                                                    taking the very nature of a servant, being found
                                                    in appearance as a MAN, He humbled Himself
                                                    and became obedient to death -- even death on a
                                                    cross!

                                                    Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place
                                                    and gave Him the name that is above every name,
                                                    that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
                                                    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
                                                    and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
                                                    to the glory of God the Father.' "
                                                                                                    Philippians 2:5-11


                                                         **********


          The second statement she made was, "If, as we say we believe, we are made
     in God's image, thus enabling us to choose to do that which is good, wouldn't it
     make sense that he might show up not as we've been taught but in the way we
     need him most?"

          Yes, we are made in God's image (Genesis 1:27), but since the fall of Adam,
     we are born into sin, unable to please God without His grace helping us to do so.

           The Bible says that sinful man cannot choose to do anything good in God's
     eyes.


                                                 " ... there is no one who does good,
                                                   not even one.

                                                 "There is no fear of God before their eyes."
                                                                                   Romans 3:12,18


                                                 "All of us have become like one who is
                                                  unclean, and all our righteous acts are
                                                  like filthy rags ..."
                                                                                   Isaiah 64:6


                                                           **********


          Goshay later quoted another lyric from the same song.

                               "If God had a name, what would it be?"

          Believers KNOW what God's name is!


                                                           
                                                             "Jesus Christ"
                                                            
                                                             "Yahweh"

                                                             "King of Kings"

                                                             "Lord of Lords"

                                                             "The Alpha and Omega"

                                                             "Emmanuel"

                                                             "The Prince of Peace"

                                                             "Almighty God."