#11: If Jesus is the Only God, to Whom Did He Pray?

<ul><li> Email: [email protected]</li><li> https://apostolicinternational.com/ </li><li> Statement of beliefs: https://apostolicinternational.com/statement-of-beliefs </li><li> The sermon: https://apostolicinternational.com/sermons/IF_JESUS_IS_THE_ONLY_GOD_TO_WHOM_DID_HE_PRAY.pdf </li><li> This sermon addresses the question of to whom Jesus prayed if He is the only God. First, the sermon establishes that God is indivisibly and mathematically one, and Israel has always recognized and worshiped one God. In Mark 12:29, Jesus himself affirms that God is one.Next, the sermon affirms that Jesus is both the Holy Spirit and the Son. In John 14:18, Jesus promises to come back as the Holy Spirit to be with the apostles. 2 Corinthians 3:17 equates the Lord with the Spirit, and Galatians 4:6 calls the Holy Spirit the spirit of the Son. From these scriptures, it is clear that the Spirit received by believers is none other than the Spirit of Jesus Christ.The sermon then delves into the need for intercession in prayer. In Romans 8:26-27, the apostle Paul writes how believers struggle to pray as they should and often fail to pray according to God's will. In God's mercy, He intercedes through believers. The sermon emphasizes that God requires sincere and fervent intercession for His will to be accomplished on Earth.The sermon proceeds to illustrate the importance of intercession throughout the Bible, citing examples such as Abraham interceding for Sodom and Gomorrah and Ezra's prayerful response to Israel's sins. Only God Himself, who is Jesus, was found worthy to intercede effectively for humanity's salvation. This is supported by Isaiah 53:4-5, which speaks of Jesus bearing humanity's griefs and transgressions.Regarding Jesus' prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, the sermon asserts that the cup, agony, and rebellious will being referenced were not Jesus' but humanity's. It emphasizes that Jesus, being sinless and incapable of sinning, couldn't be praying for Himself. The sermon refutes the idea that Jesus prayed to the Father or that His human nature prayed to His divine nature, stating that these explanations do not align with Scripture. Instead, it aligns with Romans 8:26, which states that the Spirit itself makes intercession.The sermon concludes by urging Christians to reject confusing man-made doctrines and return to the doctrine of the Apostles. It asserts that the prayers of Jesus were addressed back to Himself, as He alone is God, and any belief otherwise leads to a plurality of Gods. The sermon affirms that God is one and declares that Jesus, as God manifested in the flesh, intercedes for believers. It encourages the listeners to allow Jesus to labor in prayer through them, bringing forth spiritual blessings.</li></ul>