Manhood, Neat

Willet, Straight up is a Kentucky image of Bourbon

Wiskey Review: Willet Straight Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey: Family Estate Small Batch
Topic: Created in the Image of God
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Show Notes:
Humanity is the Crown of God’s Creation
Genesis 1:26-31
“25 And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that creeps on the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 26 Then God said, “Let us make man[a] in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in his own image,    in the image of God he created him;    male and female he created them.28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” 29 And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. 30 And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. 31 And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.”
Modern culture often reduces human beings to:
Consumers
Producers
Biological Organisms
Genesis presents a radically different view
Every human life possesses inherent value because every human life comes from God.
Every person you encounter bears a dignity bestowed by the Creator Himself. 
The creation story changes when God creates humanity
For the rest of creations, God simply speaks
When creating humankind, God pauses and reflects
Humans are image bearers
There is a stark difference between people and everything else in creation
Our value comes from the One whose image we bear, not:
Intelligence
Productivity
Ability
Achievement
We don’t earn our worth, it is God given. 
We Were Created for Relationship
Genesis 1:26-27; Genesis 2: 18-25
Gen. 2 - “8 Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for[a] him.” 19 Now out of the ground the Lord God had formed[b] every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. 20 The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam[c] there was not found a helper fit for him. 21 So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. 22 And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made[d] into a woman and brought her to the man. 23 Then the man said, “This at last is bone of my bones    and flesh of my flesh;she shall be called Woman,    because she was taken out of Man.”[e]24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. 25 And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.”
God’s Plurality
God speaks in the plural. This points toward the relational reality later revealed as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 
Humanity’s Plurality
We reflect God’s relational nature by being created for relationship
We were not created for isolation.
We reflect God’s nature when we live in a loving relationship
Growth happens in community because community reflects the God who made us.
 
 We Were Made To Be Loved By God
Genesis 2:1-3
“Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. 2 And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. 3 So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.”
God did not create because He lacked something. 
He created out of the overflow of His Love. Humanity was created to be welcomed into God’s fellowship and rest.
“Our hearts are restless until we find our rest in thee.”-Augustine
People waste their whole lives searching for significance, meaning, and belonging. The Gospel tells us these are found in God. 
Success Is Measured by Relationships
Gen. 2:18-25 
Mat. 22:37-39
“37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Does it ever seem like everything is going well except your relationships?
The world measures success by wealth, achievement, influence, and status. 
God measures relationships by how we love, honor and worship Him and how we love others. 
The question is not:
“How successful am I?”
The question is:
“Am I becoming a person who loves well?”
Are we living a life as the image bearer God created us to be?

Jimmy, Is your understanding of church well Red?

Topic: What is Church?
 
Whiskey Review: Jimmy Red Straight Bourbon Whiskey Classic
 
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Show notes:
The Church is the Body of Christ
1 Cor. 12:12-13
“For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.”
The Church is described as a body:
Many members
One unity
Each part necessary
Every believer is connected to Christ and to one another
No one is independent in the Christian life. 
Growth requires connection
To detach from the Church is to limit spiritual maturity
Christ is the Head of the Church
Col. 1:18
“And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.”
Jesus is not just part of the Church – He is its Authority
He:
Leads
Directs
Sustains
When the Church loses focus on Christ:
It drifts into human-centered priorities
It becomes organizational rather than spiritual
What does this look like?
A healthy disciple remains aligned under Christ’s authority, not merely church culture. 
The Church Exists to Build Up Believers
Eph. 4:11-13
“And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds[a] and teachers,[b] 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood,[c] to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,”
The Church equips believers for maturity:
It teaches truth
Develops spiritual strength
Building unity
Producing Christlikeness
The Church is more than a gathering. 
If the Church becomes only a weekly event:
Growth becomes minimal 
Engagement is shallow
“Do I attend church?” or “Am I being built up and building others up?”
What is our responsibility in preparing our hearts for worship?
The Church is Marked by Unity & Love
John 17:20-21
“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”
Jesus prayed for unity among His followers
Unity:
Reflect’s God’s nature
Strengthens witness
Demonstrates love
Division weakens both the church and its mission
Disunity often reveals:
Pride
Self-centeredness
Lack of maturity
Unity requires humility and intentional effort
The Church is Called to Worship & Mission
Acts 2: 42-47
“And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts,  praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.”
The early Church was marked by:
Devotion to teaching
Fellowship
Prayer
Worship
Generosity
Outreach
The Church gathers to worship and scatters to witness
If it only gathers, it becomes inward
If it only scatters, it loses ground
A disciple participates in both:
Worship with the body
Mission in the world

Mountains of Truth, mine your Bible and stop rolling into the mist.

Whiskey Review: Rolling Oak Distillery: Misty Mountain Moonshine's Coal Miners Reserve
 
Topic: How to read your Bible
 
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Show Notes:
Scripture Must Be Approached Relationally:
Psalm 119:18
“Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.”
This isn’t a box to check or an intellectual exercise. It is an encounter with God.
We should come to Scripture:
Dependent
Expectant
Open
Understanding is not achieved by effort, but through God’s illumination. 
Is it possible to study the Bible and miss God entirely?
Without a relationship, yes. 
Relationship transforms engagement. 
Posture matter – We are not just reading a text – We are meeting with God. 
Observation: What Does the Text Say?
Acts 17:11
11 Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.”
The first step is careful observation:
What is actually written?
What is repeated?
What stands out?
What is context?
These questions prevent reading assumptions into the text
This matters because misinterpretations come from skipping these steps.
We cannot apply what we have not first understood
Interpretation: What Does the Text Mean?
2 Tim. 2:15
15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved,[a] a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.”
After observing, we seek accurate meaning:
We consider:
Author’s intent
Historical context
Literacy structure
Scripture interpreting scripture
This matters because without interpretation:
We project our preferences onto Scripture
We distort God’s message
Faithful disciples seek to understand before applying. 
Application: What Does the Text Require?
James 1:22
“22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”
We ask:
What is God saying to me?
What needs to change?
What step of obedience is required?
Application bridges knowledge and transformation
Hearing without doing can produce self-deception
Every time we open Scripture, we should expect a response.
Meditation: Internalizing the Word.
Psalm 1:1-3
“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; 2 but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. 3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.”
Meditation moves the truth from mind to heart,
It involves:
Repeating
Reflecting
Personalizing
Dwelling on Scripture
Transformation happens as truth sinks deeply.
Quick reading rarely produces lasting change. 
Depth comes through sustained reflection
What we dwell on shapes who we become. 
Consistency: Building a Lifelong Habit.
Joshua 1:8
8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”
Spiritual growth requires regular engagement with Scripture
Builds familiarity
Deepens understanding
Shapes long-term transformation
Occasional reading cannot produce lasting maturity.
Disciples are formed over time, not in moments.
Consistency compounds

This New Riff needs to be Bottled up, and the church needs to be Bonded

Topic: Testing the Spirits: Biblical Discernment in an Age of Media Lies, Tribal Echo Chambers, and “Christian” Extremes
 
Whiskey Review: New Riff Bottle in Bond
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Show Notes:
Zionism- “Zionism is the belief that the Jewish people have a rightful claim to a national homeland in the land of Israel, historically and politically.”
Reformed Bro- “Reformed Theology is a stream of Protestant Christianity that emphasizes God’s sovereignty, the authority of Scripture, and salvation by grace alone.” -But the Bro’s take it to the extreme - Reformed Reformed Reformed
Dispensational- “Dispensationalism is a theological system that teaches God works through distinct periods (‘dispensations’) and maintains a clear distinction between Israel and the Church.” - 2 roads to one God
“We've watched brothers and generations swing from naive Zionism to reactionary antisemitism. Both fail the test.”
I’m reformed, I'm evangelical, I'm catholic, I am Baptist, I am a Calvinist…why not Christian
Reminds me - I am of Paul; I am of Apollos. 
1 Corinthians 3:4-9:  4For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not being merely human? 5What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. 6I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 7So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. 8He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. 9For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building.
Fellow Christians (regardless of denomination) - Let us come reason together
Unity of the Body of Christ for His work
The enemy loves to divide.
“In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity” - Rupertus Meldenius
Key Text: 1 John 4
 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.4 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 5 They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit[a] of truth and the spirit of falsehood. God’s Love and Ours.7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.13 This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. 16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. 17 This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. 18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.19 We love because he first loved us. 20 Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. 21 And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.
How do Christian men discern truth without becoming tools of deception or hatred?
God demands we test the spirits (v.1)
Confess Christ rightly (v.2-3
Listen to apostolic truth (v.6)
Love as evidence of knowing God (v.7-21).
Confronting the two ditches
History (Brief Overview)
Early Church: Mixed – some respect for Jewish roots, but supersessionism/replacement theology grew
No longer Jew nor Gentile, but the Church and the world
 Justin Martyr, later hardened replacement theology
Led to disdain, pogroms (violent, mob-driven attacks—typically riots involving looting, assault, rape, murder, and destruction of property—targeted at a specific ethnic or religious groups.) 
Martin Luther's later writings (On the Jews and Their Lies) exemplify tragic failure of love.
Reformation/ Puritans: Varied; some future hope for Jewish people (pre-Darby).
 John Nelson Darby (1800s, Plymouth Brethren) systematized dispensationalism: 
distinct Israel/Church track
 pre-trib rapture
 literal futurist readings 
Popularized via Scofield Reference Bible (1909). Fueled 20th-century evangelical support for Israel.
Zionist movement: Jewish political nationalism (Theodor Herzl, late 1800s) responded to European antisemitism. Christian Zionism often overlapped but with eschatological motives.
Scofield influence: Shaped views of unconditional land promises.
Post-Holocaust: Shifts toward Philo-Semitism (the admiration, respect, or obsession with Jewish people, culture, or history, often by non-Jews) in reaction to Church failures, but some swung to uncritical political allegiance.
Modern swing: Newly Reformed / postmillennial / reconstructionist circles reacting against shallow dispensationalism by over-correcting into ethnic suspicion or outright antisemitism.
 Examples:
 Holocaust minimization
“Zionist Occupied Government" echoes
Treating all Jewish influence as cabal-like. 
This is not discernment – it's another false spirit.
Practical tests for Discerning information from 1 John 4 (This is the point):
Does the source confess Christ preeminent - Love the Lord your God with everything
 or push fear/hate/nationalism as gospel?
Does it promote love for neighbors?
 Prayer for enemies?
Cross-reference history, primary sources, multiple views – not echo chambers.
To "Reformed" Bros: Opposition to dispensational errors is fine; becoming ethnic scoffers is apostasy from apostolic love.
To Zionists: Israel's existence isn't carte blanche; critique policies Biblically.
This is one area - lots of other ditches 
Women’s role / value
Poet and Warrior
Both: Media profits from division. Web algorithms radicalize. 
(1 Thess 5:21). but test everything; hold fast what is good.

Old Forester 1920, 100 Episodes Later

We revisit Old Forester 1920 as we look back on the first 100 Episodes.
To you, the Listner,
We hope God is getting the glory, and you are seeking Him more.
Thank you for sticking with the Manhood Neat Podcast through the changes, the breaks, and the different series.
This isn’t just a podcast, but a call back to Biblical manhood—raw, unfiltered, and anchored in the Word of God. Keep digging deep into the Scriptures, brothers. Let the truth of God shape you, convict you, and build you into the man He created you to be. Find some "Johnathan's", men who will lean on you and let you lean on them. Lock arms in discipleship. Iron sharpens iron, and we not to walk this path alone.
And yeah… while you’re at it, pour something neat, savor it slowly, and let us know what whiskey you’ve been tasting lately. 
Stay strong, stay faithful, and keep pursuing Christ-centered manhood. We’ll see you next time.
-Aaron
 
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Woodford Holy needs to Reserve this Spirit

Bourbon Review: Woodford Reserve: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Topic: The Holy Spirit
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Show Notes:
The Holy Spirit is a Person, Not a Force
John 14:16-17
“16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.”
The Holy Spirit is not an “it”, but a “He.”
He:
Is sent by the Father
Is a continuation of Christ’s presence
Dwells within believers
Relates personally
If the Holy Spirit is reduced to a force
We try to use HIm rather than relate to HIm
We misunderstand how transformation occurs
Growth involves awareness of and responsiveness to the Spirit’s presence. 
The Holy Spirit Gives New Life
John 3:5-8
5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
Spiritual life begins with the Spirit’s work of regeneration
He:
Brings new birth
Awakens spiritual understanding
Initiates transformation
We do not produce new life; we receive it. 
Discipleship is not self-improvement. It is a new life lived out. 
Without regeneration, spiritual growth is impossible. 
We shift from human effort to divine initiation. 
The Holy Spirit Indwells Every Believer
1 Cor. 6:19-20
19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”
Every believer is indwelt by the Holy Spirit
This means:
God is present within
The believer becomes His temple
Life is no longer self-owned
Indwelling is not for “elite” Christians – it is universal
The Christian life is not lived alone. We have the Holy Spirit in us. 
God’s presence is not external guidance, but internal reality
Daily life becomes sacred space
We live with God, not merely for God.
The Holy Spirit Produces Transformation
Gal. 5:16-25
16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy,[a] drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do[b] such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.
The Spirit produces fruit that reflects Christ’s character:
Love
Joy
Peace
Patience
Kindness
Goodness
Faithfulness
Gentleness
Self-Control
The transformation is internal before it becomes external
It's more than behavioral modification. 
Only the Spirit reshapes desires and character
We go from controlling behavior to cultivating dependence. 
The Holy Spirit Empowers for Daily Living
Acts 1:8
“8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.””
The Spirit empowers believers for:
Witness
Obedience
Boldness
Mission
The Christian life is not sustained by willpower but by divine power.
Without the Spirit:
Obedience becomes exhausting
Witness becomes intimidating
Growth becomes frustrating
With the Spirit:
Strength is supplied
Courage increases
Faith becomes active
We are not called to try harder, but to depend more deeply.
Closing Thoughts:
The Holy Spirit:
Is a personal divine presence
Gives new spiritual life
Indwells every believer
Produces Christlike character
Empowers daily living and mission
The Christian life is lived with God through the Spirit’s power
Questions:
Do I relate to the Holy Spirit as a Person or treat Him like a concept?
Where am I relying on effort instead of the Spirit’s power?
What evidence of the Spirit’s fruit is growing in my life?
Am I aware of God’s presence in my daily routines?
Where might the Spirit be prompting me that I have been resisting?

Old Fitzgerald expains the Work of Jesus 7 times.

Bourbon Review: Old Fitzgerald Bottle in Bond 7 year
Topic: The Work of Jesus
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Show Notes:
Topic: The Work of Jesus Christ
A disciple grows secure when the work of Christ is understood clearly.
Christ Died as Our Substitute:
2 Cor. 5:21
“21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
Jesus did not die merely as an example of love. He died in our place. 
On the cross:
Our sin was credited to Him.
His righteousness is credited to us. 
This is substitution – the heart of the gospel. 
This matters:
If Christ’s death is only inspirational, we remain guilty. 
If it is substitutionary, we are forgiven.
Discipleship rests on imputed righteousness, not improved behavior.
Christ Reconciled Us to God:
Romans 5:10-11
“10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”
Sin created hostility between humanity & God.
Through Christ:
Enemies are reconciled.
Distance is removed.
Relationship is restored.
Salvation is relational restoration, not a legal acquittal.
This matters because:
Discipleship is not self-improvement before a distant God.
It is life with a reconciled Father
The cross removes alienation and intimacy with God becomes possible because reconciliation is complete.
Christ Justifies the Ungodly:
Rom. 3:23-24
“23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,”
All have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory
Justification means:
Declared righteous by grace through redemption in Christ
Justification comes apart from the law; that is, we cannot earn justification through rule-keeping or our own good works.
Justification is made possible in the sacrificial death of Christ; it is based on the shed blood of Christ.
Justification is the free and gracious gift of God bestowed on those who receive by faith the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
Justification demonstrates the righteousness of God.
This matters because:
Without justification: assurance collapses, performance becomes central, and fear replaces freedom. 
We obey from acceptance, not for acceptance.
Christ Defeated Sin and Death:
Col. 2: 13-15
“13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities[a] and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.”
The cross disarmed spiritual powers:
The record of debt is canceled.
Sin’s ultimate authority is broken
Death is defeated. 
Christ’s resurrection power makes transformation possible. 
We fight from victory, not for victory.

Old No. 7 Christology

Whiskey Review: Jack Daniel's Old No 7
 
Topic: The Person of Christ
 
Thanks for listening, please Follow, rate and review. 
 
Show notes: 
Jesus is Fully God
Col. 1:15-20:
“15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by[a] him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross”
Jesus is not merely a teacher, prophet, or moral example
He is:
The image of the invisible God
Creator and sustainer of all things
Supreme over creation
Head of the church
Christ’s authority rests on His divine identity.
If Jesus is not fully God:
He cannot reveal God perfectly
He cannot rule with ultimate authority
He cannot save completely
A small view of Christ produces shallow devotion
A high view of Christ produces reverent obedience
Jesus is Fully Human
Heb. 4:14-16:
“14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
Jesus truly became human. 
He:
Experienced weakness
Faced temptation
Entered suffering
Identified fully with humanity
His humanity makes HIm both substitute and sympathetic
If Jesus were not fully human:
He could not represent us
He could not sympathize with us
He could not stand in our place
Christ is not distant in weakness
He is present and compassionate
Jesus is the Only Mediator
1 Tim. 2:5
“5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man[a] Christ Jesus,”
There is one mediator between God and humanity –Jesus
He uniquely bridges:
Divine holiness
Human sinfulness
No system, ritual, or moral effort can substitute for Him. 
Modern spirituality often reduces Jesus to one option among many (insert eye roll)
Scripture present Him as exclusive and sufficient
Exclusively inclusive
Discipleship requires clarity about Christ’s uniqueness
He is not added to life; He becomes the Lord of life. 
Jesus is Lord
Phil 2:5-11
“5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,[a] 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,[b] 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant,[c] being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Jesus humbled Himself, obeyed unto death, and was exalted
The result:
Every knee will bow
Every tongue will confess
His lordship is universal and ultimate
Confessing Jesus as Savior without acknowledging Him as Lord fractures the gospel.
True discipleship involves:
Trust in his saving work
Submission to His authority
Where obedience resists His command, lordship is being contested
The question is not whether Christ is Lord
The question is whether I am surrendered.