The Gospel Message by Dean Gotcher

The Gospel Message.

by
Dean Gotcher

The Lord Jesus Christ stating (in obedience to the Father, advocating the Father's authority): "Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do," "I can of mine own self do nothing: ... I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me." "For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak." "[W]hatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak." John 5:19, 30; 12:47-50 therefore stating: "I and my Father are one." and, since no man has seen God the Father ("No man hath seen God at any time." 1 John 4:12), "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father;" (John 10:30; 14:9), that His kingdom is not by appearance ("The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:" "for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you." Luke 17:20, 21 excerpts) and is not of this world ("Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence." John 18:36), insisting that we do His Heavenly Father will as well, with the scriptures giving us the same pattern (or system) in the home, "God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness." (excerpts from Hebrews 12:5-11), yet establishing the Heavenly Father and His authority over (and therefore against) the earthly father's authority, "And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven." (Matthew 23:9) "Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven. Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household. He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me:" (Matthew 10:32-37)