ArchivedTrinitarians Are PagansThe name "Gabriel" can be translated a number of ways. It can mean "man of God," "strength of God," or "my strong God." Whichever way it is translated, though, it is a name which emphasizes the power of God, for it is formed from two Hebrew words, both of which have the root meaning of "strength." There cannot be a more powerful truth, a stronger truth, than the proclamation of Gabriel. The acknowledgement that the Lord is the Son of God is said, in True Christian Religion, to be the very "first principle of faith in Jesus Christ" (TCR 342). It is said to be "faith in its origin" (ibid.). And true faith, faith in the Divinity of the Lord is the source of the greatest power, the greatest strength. It is a power we so desperately need. All too often, when people seek the truth, they seek the truth from themselves and from one another. We live in an age where mere human opinion carries great weight. There is said to be no such thing as absolute truth because each person sees the truth in a different way. Who can say for certain what is true, and what is not true? Who can say for certain what is right and what is wrong? Mankind, left to itself, does not arrive at the truth. All it comes up with are opinions, opinions which vary from person to person. And what real authority, what real power can there be, in varying human opinions? It is a weakness that we all share. All too often, as we go about the business of living, we allow ourselves to be guided by whatever ideas, whatever opinions, happen to make us feel the most comfortable. All too often we make our decisions on the basis of what we ourselves want, what we ourselves think. And such decisions are almost always an expression of weakness. Left to ourselves we almost always follow the path of least resistance. We may do things that are wrong, things that are not good, but we do them because it seems easier that way. This is why we need the Lord. This is why we need the power of the Lord. We turn to Him because only in Him can we find the strength we so desperately need. The Lord did not come into the world as just another man, another prophet. He was born into this world as the Son of God. God Himself had descended to earth in human form. He came down so that He might be with us, so that He could teach and lead us. When Mary asked the angel how it was possible for her to have a child, since she was a virgin, she was told that "with God nothing shall be impossible" (Luke 1:37). The angel is not simply saying that nothing is impossible for God. He is also saying that "with God," with the presence of God, nothing is impossible. God Himself was to come down to earth in order that He might be with us. He was to be called Immanuel (Isa. 7:14), "which, being interpreted, means God with us" (Mt. 1:23). He had come so that He might be with us, and we might be with God. And with the presence of God, nothing is impossible for us. With the presence of God, we can be saved. The Lord's birth into the world marked the beginning of a fundamental change in the relationship between God and mankind. He descended to earth, and was born as a tiny baby, so that He could be with the people He loved. He was born as Immanuel -- as God-with-us. http://www.newchurch-cincy.org/library/serm112501.htm |
🌈Pride🌈 goeth before Destruction
When 🌈Pride🌈 cometh, then cometh Shame