Quote Originally Posted by asdf View Post
Hi GK! I'd also be very interested to see where your beliefs differ from "official" Christadelphian doctrine.
It is my understanding that Jesus was the manifestation of the Word of God. I believe He was conceived by this Spirit/Word, and therefore became that Spirit in His reality. All others merely reflect His light from within themselves, but are not the light, as I believe that Jesus is the light. He is the door to the kingdom, all who came before Him were thieves and robbers, and all who come after are vessels of His reality.

Jesus had a beginning (Obviously), whereas Gods Word/Wisdom/Spirit is eternal. Jesus was conceived by the Spirit/Word which made the Logos a very real part of His being. He was also given a name above every name by which we are saved. He not only manifest the Spirit, or "Logos", but He became that Spirit in His reality. (The Word was made Flesh)

Scripture tells us that Jesus is Lord, and it is only through Him that any of us are saved. We merely allow Him to dwell in us, and reflect the light that we know in Him. He is the Spirit of truth and none come to the father, but by Him. "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." Jesus is that name. He makes His dwelling in those whom desire to know the Spirit of Truth, but it is also my belief that He is available to all men regardless of theological views.

The Word/Logos was God inasmuch as it contained Gods "essence", or "substance" as a creative power. You can't pour the entire ocean (God) into a coffee cup, but you can fill it with its substance. The Logos is God's substance. The logos contained God's Spirit/Wisdom, and was the creative force behind creation as laid out in Proverbs 8th Chapter.

It is my view that the manifestation of the logos only occurred once in Jesus. There could no longer be manifestations of the Logos separate from Jesus, as Jesus became the logos Himself. All other manifestations are manifestations of Gods son "The" anointed one. All who come after Jesus are simply vessels filled with His substance. The Spirit/Word/Wisdom became a living being, and was given a name above every name. (Jesus the Christ - Son of God)

Think about it like this: Jesus was conceived by the Logos/Spirit of God (The creative power, and Wisdom of our Creator). That Spirit was a very real part of His makeup/His being/His essence, but so was the Flesh of Mary. Before He could be glorified, and become the Logos alone, He had to destroy His human/Flesh nature completely. This was accomplished in the three days He was in the grave, and at His resurrection. He was raised a glorified body, as the Logos. He had defeated death, or rather His flesh, and was raised a Spirit (Logos) in a "glorified" body.

I have also given a great deal of thought as to what the door keeper/gate keeper represents in John 10:3, and I realized that I am in control of the forces I let in, and the forces I don't. For instance, I could allow (In myself) resentment, and bitterness, and anger, and all the other negative evils that destroy my peace, but I have realized that I am the keeper of the gates when it comes to me.

It is I who opens the door for Christ when it comes to myself. Being that Christ dwells within us as Spirit, is it not reasonable to ***ume that each of us are responsible for opening the door for Him? Each of us are the Gate Keepers when it comes to ourselves, yes?

Christ is the door, and when we open that door, He fills us with Himself. We have to be willing to open the door, however. We have to desire the things of God, and be willing to let Christ in. What He accomplished on the the cross extends beyond our systems of belief. He has become the Spirit of truth by which all men can be Saved.

Not all accept this Spirit within themselves. Many prefer the forces of darkness above the light. Many prefer to anger, and hold resentment, and bitterness towards others. Many prefer pride over humility, hate over love, and the workings of the flesh above the Spirit. We have to open ourselves up to His reality, and to His ways. We have to value, and embrace love deeply within ourselves, (God is Love) and it is through Gods love that we find Christ - The Spirit of Truth.

I hope this helps you understand where I am coming from better, and show you how my views differ from Christadelphian thought.

Love and Blessings,

James