Work out your own salvation

Because our lack of humility and our inclination to be our own god has continued since our initial rebellion in Eden, everything we do tends to be performance-based i.e. We are naturally inclined to take everything that God says - His directions or commandments - and turn them into a performance based approach to God i.e. a way of earning God's approval and acceptance. 

Why? 

We feel compelled to prove our worth and counter our sense of inadequacy that resulted from our abandoning God, the source and only true basis of our identity. 

Why? Because we were created for glory but are no longer connected to the Source of glory, life, and meaning i.e. we are missing what we were designed to partake of; the beautiful (glorious), all-wise, and loving God. 

Since we are designed to experience our greatest identity and sense of worth in God, without him, we seek to regain this outside of and apart from him. 

We no longer do things to honor God but try to "save ourselves" through doing "good deeds." Even as His children, we are ¹naturally inclined this way if we do not operate in and by His Spirit. 

True humility recognizes I can't (and never will) follow and pursue God perfectly in my natural strength, i.e., by simply willing it. God must be the energy and driving force behind my actions. I must recognize my weakness in living as God intends before I can be strong (in His strength) in faithfully pursuing Him.

The paradox of the "upside down" Christian life is when I am weak I am strong. 2 Cor 12:7-10

"Therefore, my beloved... work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure." - Phil 2:12-13

This passage does not say work for your salvation but work out your salvation that is already yours i.e. live out who you fully are - who God has made you to be in and through Christ - i.e. act as someone who is perfectly righteous (and loved) because of Christ's efforts on your behalf, not as someone trying desperately to make yourself righteous to win the acceptance and approval (and love) of others... starting with God.

Who we are in Christ ("your own salvation") is what gives us the will (desire) and power to live for God's pleasure. But we must fully believe and embrace what God declares about us in Christ if we are to experience His strength in and through us.

This is what Paul was also saying in Romans 6:11 

"So you also *must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus."

*must count - λογίζεσθε (logizesthe) 

Strong's 3049: To reckon, count, charge with; reason, decide, conclude; think, suppose.

Because sin no longer has a legal claim 

on us, live accordingly i.e. we are free from sins legal claims i.e. dead to sin.

"There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." - Romans 8:1

For a further discussion on the difference between being righteous and living righteously, click here.

For a discussion on the difference between being spirit-driven vs works-driven click here.

For a discussion on being loved, vs experiencing his love click here.

For a discussion on becoming who we already are in Christ click here.

For a discussion on how we are created for glory click here, here, and here.

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Footnotes:

¹This is why the Galatians reverted back to performance based salvation after Paul initially had clearly presented the gospel to them, resulting in him writing his letter to get them back on track. 

Free Yet Bound

The following original article can be found at the link below. I have reproduced it in order to highlight and comment on particular points. Anything that is either emboldened, italicized, underline, (in parentheses) or *starred are by me - except for the title and Roman numerated section headings, which were already emboldened in the original article.

https://www.monergism.com/thethreshold/articles/onsite/freewill_chantry.html

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Man's Will- Free Yet Bound
by Walter J. Chantry

    For more than fifteen hundred years the Church has engaged in a heated debate over the freedom of man's will. The major issues came to general attention in the early fifth century when Augustine and Pelagius did battle on the subject. Through medieval times the nature of man's freedom received a great deal of attention. As they studied the Scriptures, Bernard and Anselm made significant contributions to the doctrine of the human will. In the sixteenth century the freedom or bondage of the will was one of the chief issues dividing Reformers and Roman Catholics. To the mind of Martin Luther, it was the key to his dispute with Rome. In the seventeenth century the nature of man's freedom was at the heart of the debate between Arminians and Calvinists. The conflict surfaced again in the eighteenth century during the Great Awakening. Finney's approach to revival in the nineteenth century led the church astray through a misunderstanding of the human will. So too the nature of man's will continues to bring intense disagreement between Reformed and Fundamentalist believers.
     
A proper understanding of the content of the gospel and the use of GOD-honouring methods in evangelism are dependent on one's grasp of this issue.
     
Some theologians, both Arminian and Calvinistic, have been quite lucid in their discussions concerning man's will. Others, for example, Jonathan Edwards, have soared into the lofty clouds of philosophy where many a believer faints in the thin air of difficult logic and complex thought. But none is so refreshingly clear as our holy LORD. His instruction on the subject is laced with vivid illustrations to assist our groping minds:
     
Matthew 12.33-37 says, *'Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.  

But I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.'

*The ERV gives a helpful interpretation of the above passage so I offer it here for your edification...

33 “If you want good fruit, you must make the tree good. If your tree is not good, it will have bad fruit. A tree is known by the kind of fruit it produces. 34 You snakes! You are so evil. How can you say anything good? What people say with their mouths comes from what fills their hearts. 35 Those who are good have good things saved in their hearts. That’s why they say good things. But those who are evil have hearts full of evil, and that’s why they say things that are evil. 36 I tell you that everyone will have to answer for all the careless things they have said (the evidence of an evil heart which is the underlying reason they will be judged). This will happen on the day of judgment. 37 Your words will be used (as evidence) to judge you. What you have said will show whether you are right (in your heart) or whether you are guilty (have an evil heart).” ERV

     In this passage are three verbal windows through which the light of Christ's lesson passes. Each presents a familiar scene. (1) A tree that has fruit - v. 33. (2) A man who brings treasures out of a chest - v. 35. (3) A stream that overflows from a fountain. This last is rather more obscure than the first two, but it is suggested by our LORD's choice of words in v. 34. The word 'abundance' suggests superfluity or overflow.
 
     I. Man has a will and that will has a certain freedom. Our LORD clearly teaches that man has a power of choice. It is important to begin here to disarm opponents of all the foolish accusations that have been brought against the Biblical doctrine of man's will. Every man has the ability to choose his own words, to decide what his actions will be. We have a faculty of self-determination in the sense that we select our own thoughts, words, and deeds. Man is free to choose what he prefers, what he desires.

     No one ties fruit on a tree's branches, not even GOD. The tree bears its own fruit. Evil men sin voluntarily; they take evil treasures out of their chests, that is, evil words and deeds. Righteous men are holy by choice; they select good treasures, that is, good words and works. The person who is speaking and acting is completely responsible for his moral behaviour. This power of the will is a vital part of human personality. It always exists in you and me and in all to whom we witness or preach.

     GOD never forces men to act against their wills. By workings of outward providence or of inward grace, the LORD may change men's minds, but He will not coerce a human being into thoughts, words or actions. When GOD in His holy wrath sent the Israelites to drive the Canaanites from their land, He also sent hornets against them. There is a children's song which tells the story of these hornets stinging the Canaanites, causing the pagans to flee the land. The chorus then sings:

GOD never compels us to go, Oh no,
He never compels us to go;
GOD does not compel us to go 'gainst our will,
but He just makes us *willing to go.

*A contemporary expression we hear often can also illustrate this. We have heard it said "you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink" - however you can always salt its oats. The horse may still refuse to drink, but given the nature of its being - how it was created - it must have water to live. And if water is offered, it is likely to drink it, but only by its own free choice.

When Saul was converted, the LORD did not compel him to edify the church instead of persecuting it. He *added a new factor of inward grace in his soul. Consequently, Paul changed his decision. GOD may renew (or excite) the will but He never coerces it.

*I would say God restored that which was lost when we turned away from Him, i.e. Paul was given a new awareness of God's presence or you could say God revealed himself to Paul. This revelation was gracious because it is undeserved. Some may assert it's unfair Christ revealed himself to Paul but not others in the same way. However scripture says God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble. When Christ meet Paul on the road to Damascus Paul humbled himself. He could have chosen to not do so. 

     The Westminster Confession is very careful to assert the liberty of the human will. When it speaks of GOD's eternal decrees, we are told, 'GOD from all eternity did . . . freely and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass: yet so, as thereby neither is GOD the author of sin, nor is violence offered to - i.e. done against - the will of the creatures, nor is the liberty or contingency of second causes taken away, but rather established.' When discussing Free Will, the Confession begins, 'GOD hath endued the will of man with that natural liberty, that it is neither forced nor by any absolute necessity of nature determined, to good or evil.' Neither by creation nor by subsequent acts of GOD are man's decisions made for him; he is free to choose for himself.

     This sort of freedom of the will is essential to responsibility! Having a will is a necessary ingredient to being morally accountable. This is clearly implied in our LORD's words in verses 36 and 37: 'I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For *by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.' A man can be condemned only because the words are his own (and give evidence of the condemned status under which he already exists). He was free to bring them out of his treasure chest. They were the overflow of the fountain of his own heart. They are the fruits of his own tree of nature. No one imposed the words on his lips. He chose them. Society, companions, parents cannot be blamed. Idle words are the product of the man's own will.

*our words and deeds are evidence of the true condition of our heart i.e. whether our heart is in rebellion to God or in receipt of God's love. If the former, our deeds will be bad and if the latter they will be good. 

      It is vital for every minister to appreciate the importance of man's will. For in evangelism the will must be addressed. In preaching the gospel we are not only to shine the light of truth upon darkened minds. We are also to appeal to men's perverted wills to choose Christ. Faith is as much (I would add primarily and fundamentally) an act of the will as it is of the mind. When by the Spirit a mind understands essential truths, by the same Spirit the will must (choose to believe those truths and) trust Christ. Repentance is a selecting of good and a refusing of evil. Volition is central to faith and repentance.
 
     Indeed, in conversion, a man must make a decision. We shy away from that term because in modern jargon a 'decision' has come to be identified with an outward expression, such as raising the hand or going forward to the front. While such external acts have nothing to do with forgiveness of sins, the heart must make a decision to be saved.

     When Christ stood to cry 'If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink,' He was soliciting a willing choice of Himself as satisfying drink for the soul. GOD urges all sinners to come just because they may come. And it is our duty to inform the sinner that he has a warrant, a right to choose Christ. Beyond this, we must assure him that he has a positive duty to embrace the Saviour.

     The great guilt of sinners under the gospel is that they will not come (not that they committed certain sins but they refuse God's remedy for those sins i.e. the only remedy for their heart of rebellion to God). Christ complained in John 5.40: 

'Ye will not come to me that ye might have life.' And to Jerusalem He sobbed, 'O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings and ye would not!' There is in the unregenerate hearer of the gospel an obstinate, willful choice not to come (i.e. a rebellious heart). Hence it is that in flaming fire Christ will come to take vengeance on them that obey not the gospel [2 Thess 1.8]. In the free exercise of their uncoerced wills men have rejected the Son of GOD.

     In speaking of responsibility we have implied nothing regarding ability, as will be seen below. But the point is that men have wills which must be addressed as powerfully and directly as their minds and emotions in gospel preaching. Men must be confronted with their responsibility. 'This is the work of GOD, that ye believe into Him whom He hath sent' [John 6.29].
 
     II. Man's Will is not a Sovereign Faculty. Although man does have a will, it is neither *independent of all influences nor supreme over all other parts of his personality. This is the next point to be seen in our LORD's teaching.

*by virtue of being created - i.e. a creature and not the Creator - mankind is dependent. This is obvious and as simple as man must have food, air, and water to stay alive. When faced with the prospect of losing his life due to the absence of any of these, does he look to God or attempt to be his own god. Am I saying man should not seek food, air, and water? No, I am asking whether he recognizes and acknowledges God as the giver and sustainer of these things i.e. does he thank God for them. 

     Pelagians, Roman Catholics, Arminians and Finneyites have all held one common view of the nature of man. They suggest that the will of man is in some way neutral, that it exists in a state of moral suspension. It is their understanding that with equal ease the will can choose good or evil; it can receive or reject Christ. With only degrees of difference and variety of explanation, this is their common opinion. Pelagians have taught that the will is neutral because man's heart is morally neutral. Arminians, on the other hand, acknowledge the human heart to be evil. But they suggest that prevenient grace has hung the will upon a 'sky hook' of neutrality from which it can swing either to receive or to reject the gospel. The common ground, however, is this idea of neutrality. The will, they tell us, is disinterested. Ultimately this controls their entire view of conversion and of sanctification.

     It will be noted that our Master taught that the human will is not free from the other faculties of the heart. Far from the will reigning over a man, the will is determined by the man's own character. It is not raised to a position of dominance over the entire man.

     Man is like a tree. His heart, not his will alone, is the root. There is no possible way by which the will can choose to produce fruit contrary to the character of the root. If the root is bad, the tree is bound by its very nature to produce evil fruit. Man is like a person standing alongside his treasure chest. There is no possibility of bringing pure gold out of a box filled only with rusty steel. The contents of the heart determine what words and deeds may be brought out. Far from being neutral, the will must reach into the heart for its choices. Every thought, word and deed will partake of the nature of the treasure within. Man is like a stream which cannot rise above its source. If the fountain is polluted, the outflow will be evil. If the source be sweet, the stream will not be bitter and cannot choose to be so.

     These three illustrations alike contain the same lesson. What a man is determines what he chooses. Choices of the will always reveal the character of the heart, because the heart determines the choices. Men are not sinners because they choose to sin; they choose to sin because they are sinners. If this were not so, we could never know a tree by its fruits, nor could we judge a man's character by his acts.

     In modern times we observe rockets fired so that they escape from the earth's gravity. To accomplish this there is a great complex of electrical wires all woven into one control centre, called in the U.S. 'Mission Control.'

According to the Bible, the heart is the Mission Control of a man's life. The heart is the motivational complex of a man, the basic disposition, the entire bent of character, the moral inclination. The mind, emotions, desires, and will are all wires which we observe; none is independent but all are welded into a common circuit. If mission control is wired for evil, the will cannot make the rockets of life travel on the path of righteousness. The will cannot escape the direction of thoughts, feelings, longings and habits to produce behaviour of an opposite moral quality. 'Will' may be the button which launches the spacecraft. But the launching button does not determine the direction. Direction is dependent upon the complex wiring system.

     If the will were able to make decisions contrary to reason, and to the likes and desires of the heart, it would be a monster. You would find yourself in a restaurant ordering all the foods you detest. You would find yourself selecting the company you loathe. But the will is not a monster. It cannot choose without consulting your intelligence, reflecting your feelings, and taking account of your desires. You are free to be yourself. The will cannot transform you into someone else.

     This is most profoundly true in the moral and religious realms. When the mind is at war with GOD, denying His truth; when the emotions hate Christ His Son; when the desires wish GOD's law and gospel were exterminated from the earth; the will cannot be in a position to choose Christ. If it were, a man would not be truly free to be himself.  Here is the tragic truth about man's will. While free from outward coercion, it is in a state of bondage (inward vs outward bondage). It is not in a state of neutrality. It is not a lever with which to move a man's personality from sin to righteousness, from unbelief to faith. This brings us to the third element in Christ's words.
 
     III. Man's Will is in Bondage to Sin. The chains which bind a man's will to sin (rebellious unbelief) do not result from the *actions of the Omnipotent GOD. The binding chains are the man's own depraved faculties. The prison is his own nature.

*God does not coerce man to act a certain way but rather the absence of God results in man choosing to act contrary to God and His design. God's absence was the result of man choosing to believe he could do better independent of God vs dependent on Him. He believed he could be his own god instead of trusting in and depending on the only true God. However mankind was not designed to operate as his own god. Therefore he flourishes when he is in union with God, not in rebellion to him. 

     Our LORD's rhetorical question in verse 34 brings this home with force: 'O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things?' Our wise LORD is suggesting that a man must speak as he does because of what he is. To sinners He was saying 'You are unable to choose good words because you possess an evil heart. If the tree is bad, if the treasure chest is filled with evil things alone, if the fountain is bitter, your will cannot produce good words [fruits, treasures, overflow].'

     At this point there are very many scriptures which attest to a man's bondage to sin by his own nature. To mention but a few - Jeremiah 13.23: 'Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? Then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil;' John 6.44: 'No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him;' Romans 8.7: 'The carnal mind . . . is not subject to the law of GOD, neither indeed can be.'
 
     Pelagian, Arminian and modern Fundamentalist support for the moral and spiritual freedom of the will usually centers on one point. We have admitted that man has a responsible freedom. He is free to be himself. He is held accountable for his words and deeds, especially for his receiving or rejecting Christ. On all of this we agree. They use this toehold to argue that the will is not in bondage to sin but has the power of contrary choice. It can do either good or evil, at least when confronted with the gospel. They insist that the responsibility of the will to choose Christ implies ability of the will to choose Christ.

     There is no scriptural defence of this belief, none that I have ever seen in print. The argument is completely philosophical. It runs as follows: If a man cannot do good, it would be unjust to punish him as evil. Furthermore, if a sinner cannot repent, it would be foolish to command all men everywhere to repent. GOD is not foolish and He has commanded repentance. Therefore men are able to repent.

     We can only reply that those who applaud the powers of the will with such arguments have not read the Bible very carefully. To maintain their philosophical premises they will have to argue with Christ their LORD. For our Prophet tells us in verses 36 and 37 of our text that in the day of judgment men will be held responsible for their evil words. Yet in verse 34 our Teacher tells the very same men that they cannot speak good words because they are bound by their evil character.

     Lazarus in his tomb had no ability to respond when our LORD commanded, 'Come forth.' The man who had been impotent for 38 years had no native ability to obey when Jesus commanded him to take up his bed and walk. Nor have modern sinners ability to believe when we preach. 'This is his commandment, that we believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ' [I John 3.23].

     When a sinner refuses to come to Christ, he is guilty because he has made a free choice. It reflects his own state of mind, feeling and attitude toward GOD and His Son. He has acted voluntarily without coercion. It is his decision. But the poor sinner, dead in trespasses and sins, could not do otherwise, being evil. It is not necessary for him to have a neutral will, or the ability to do both good and evil, for his action to be held accountable before the Judge of all hearts.

     Anselm is very helpful on this matter. This medieval theologian points out that if ability to sin is necessary to true liberty or responsibility, then GOD is neither free nor praiseworthy. For the scriptures teach us that GOD cannot lie. Similarly, saints in glory will be neither free nor responsible; for in eternity the LORD's people have confirmed righteousness. Anselm goes on to show the Biblical emphasis of freedom. True liberty rests in the ability to do good whereas he that does sin is the slave of sin. If true liberty rests in the ability to do good in GOD's sight, then the highest liberty rests in the inability to do otherwise. This highest freedom belongs to the sons of GOD in glory. How Biblical were Anselm's insights!
 
     No doubt Anselm's thinking has influenced the Westminster Confession's wording in the chapter 'Of Free Will.' For it says that Adam 'had freedom and power to will and to do that which is good and well pleasing to GOD.' Yet this freedom was mutable, subject to change. Man could and did lose his liberty in the sense of being able to do good. This is not the same as a man's liberty to be himself. 'Man, by his fall into a state of sin, hath wholly lost all ability of will to any spiritual good accompanying salvation; so as a natural man, being altogether averse from that good, and dead in sin, is not able, by his own strength, to convert himself, or prepare himself thereto.'

     Bernard was very near the truth when he wrote of our condition in Adam: 'The soul, in some strange and evil way, is held under this kind of voluntary, yet sadly free necessity, both bond and free; bond in respect of necessity, free in respect of will: and what is still more strange, and still more miserable, it is guilty because free, and enslaved because guilty, and therefore enslaved because free.'

     We have seen that man is free to be himself and therefore is enslaved to sin by a wicked heart. And this brings us to the most profound truth regarding the salvation of souls. It is crucial to our preaching. It is vital to saving impressions in our hearers.
 
     IV. Man's Will is not his Hope. Our LORD has taught that the tree must be made good. Man must be renewed in his entire character. He must have a new heart to bring forth good fruit; the will cannot make the tree good; it may only exercise liberty to be what the tree already is. The will cannot reload the treasure chest with a new kind of goods; it may only freely bring forth what is there. The will cannot cleanse the fountainhead; it may overflow only with the waters available in the soul.

     Any gospel preaching that relies upon an act of the human will for the conversion of sinners has missed the mark. Any sinner who supposes that his will has the strength to do any good accompanying salvation is greatly deluded and far from the kingdom. We are cast back upon the regenerating work of the Spirit of the living GOD to make the tree good. Unless GOD does something in the sinner, unless GOD creates a clean heart and renews a right spirit within man, there is no hope of a saving change.

    While we address the wills of men in gospel preaching, they are wills bound in the grave clothes of an evil heart. But as we speak, and the LORD owns His word, sinners are quickened to life by divine power. His people are made willing in the day of His power [Psa 110.3]. All who are adopted as sons of GOD were 'born not of the will of man, but of GOD.' [John 1. 13] We stand to preach with no power to make the tree good. The 'trees' before us cannot make themselves good, so no gimmicks or policies of men can persuade them to make the change. But our glorious GOD, by inward, secret, transforming power, can make the tree good, the treasures good, the fountain good. Thus all glory be to GOD and to the Lamb! Salvation is of the LORD!

“ This article reproduced by permission from THE BANNER OF TRUTH magazine, Issue 140, May 1975.”

· "Free" will or heavily influenced? click here

·        Why Calvinists and Arminians are both wrong click here, 

·        Our "wanter" is broken, not our "chooser" click here 

·        Why freedom of choice is important click here

·       The question of fairness click here. 

·       The necessity of mercy click here.

·       Is the election and wrath of God unreasonable? click here. 

·   Is God free? click here to find out more.

Grace in the Old Testament?

Some may be surprised to know that those in the Old Testament - as well as us on this side of Christ - lived according to the gospel, the good news of grace.

Abraham trusted God and believed God's promise and was thereby justified simply by believing vs doing anything righteous -- any good and right deeds. That is grace and good news aka the gospel. In fact, he was often unfaithful, unrighteous, and regularly acted out of fear instead of trust, yet God remained faithful to the promise he made because Abraham believed in/trusted God who made it.

Gal 3:8  And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham (before Christ's crucifixion actually occurred), saying, "In you shall (in the future) all the nations be blessed." 

And what is that blessing? That salvation - justification - by faith will be available to all nations, Jews and Gentiles alike. It is the good news that righteousness is a gift received by faith, not something we must earn.

Gen 15:6  And he (Abraham) believed the LORD (what the Lord promised), and he counted it (his belief/trust) to him as righteousness. 

Gen 12:2-3, 13:16, Gen 15:5, Gen 17:5-6, Gen 18:18, Gen 22:17-18, Gen 24:35, Gen 26:4,Gen 27:29, Gen 28:3,  Gen 28:14; Gen 35:11, Gen 46:3

The life of Joseph would also be an example of this good news. God was committed to and brought about Joseph's best even in spite of his poor choices -- as well as his father's and brothers' poor choices -- and in the midst of all the subsequent difficulties. Why? Because Joseph trusted God. Even in the midst of all Joseph's weaknesses and flaws, God was faithful to him and Joseph remained true to God i.e. full of faith/faithfulness. God's working in his life was not deserved i.e. not the result of Joseph being perfect in all his conduct. God's working was because of the kindness and wisdom of God i.e. by grace.


We are told in both the Old and New Testament that "the just shall live by faith" Habakkuk 2:4; Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11; Hebrews 10:38

So what's the difference between the Old Testament (Covenant) and the New Testament (Covenant)?

The justification promised in the OT was accomplished and fulfilled in and by Christ. For us this is no longer a future promise but a past reality. Therefore we are not only justified by faith but also now have His Spirit of perfect love living in us -- the Spirit no longer just comes upon us but indwells us. Because of the work of Christ, when we accept his gift of perfect standing (righteousness) before God, we are declared clean vessels, fit for God to dwell in. Believers no longer look to the promise of a future event that will someday make them clean but to a past event that has already provided that cleansing once accepted.

As a result, His law is now written on our hearts and in our minds (Heb 8:10-12; 10:16-18). This was a promise made through the prophets and fulfilled in and by Christ. In other words because of the work of Christ for us -- he remembers our sins no more -- his Spirit is now living within us, reveals to us the significance and extent of that work, stirring in our hearts a love and trust for God and his word(s) we did not have before. His Spirit is now constantly revealing more and more of Christ to us in all His beauty, love, and glory (2 Corinthians 3:17-18) which causes us to trust him more and more, creating within us an increasing desire to obey him. It is God (by his Spirit) who now works from within us (not just on us as He did in the OT) both to will (desire) and do (empower to obey) of his good pleasure (Phil 2:12-13). To say it concisely, the things we are commanded to do we now want to do because we love and trust the one who commands us. This is now true of all believers. If it is not, we have not yet truly seen His love for us.

For a further discussion on the difference between religion and the gospel click here. 

For a discussion on the difference between cultural "Christians" and grace-driven believers click here. 

The only begotten Son

Have you ever wondered about the curious description of Christ as the "only begotten Son?" For years this puzzled me. As a result I just brushed over this, not truly considering or understanding the significance of this description. I vaguely assumed this only meant Christ was born as a man and nothing more. Maybe you felt the same way. 

Is there more? What does the Bible mean when it says Christ is begotten... as well as the only one who was? 

Begotten

Normally in the Bible, begotten means "to bear young or bring forth by birth..." In light of this, it would appear at first that the use of begetting for Christ is a mistake. He is the ¹eternal Son of God after all, with no beginning or end. But in a very specific and narrow sense, he too issues forth from his Father. He is even called "the firstborn of all creation..." suggesting he may be a part of ²creation vs being eternal.

Only Begotten

However, we are told that Christ is not just begotten but is the only begotten Son. What is the significance of "only?" In the ultimate sense, everyone is begotten (brought forth) by God, so "only" in this instance can't mean he's the only one that ever came forth. 

It means Christ not only issues forth from the Father, but is the same substance as the Father, and the ²exact likeness  (image) of the Father and therefore equal to him (John 1:1 "...the Word was God..."), while distinct at the same time (John 1:1 "...the Word was with God...").

Eternally Begotten

However, unlike us who also bear God's image - and are called sons and daughters of God if we are in Christ - Christ has always issued forth from the Father. He is the only begotten Son, not merely just another son. There has never been a point in time that he did not issue forth. This is true only of Christ. The Son has ¹always been -- i.e., He is eternally begotten, not merely begotten at His physical birth. He was begotten from eternity past and will always be the only begotten of the Father i.e. the Son is God and the only begotten being who is, making him unique to all other beings or things that come from -- are begotten of -- the Father. This is such a unique concept the NASB calls him the only begotten God.

Since this is an eternal begetting, the Son has always been and is equal to the Father, not equal to created beings, but distinct from them. He is not equal to created things because he is the Creator.

Not created yet begotten

Though Christ is not created... He is begotten - i.e. as the creation issues forth from God, Christ also issues forth - but without a beginning. The creation issues forth from the Father at a point in time, and also issues forth only through the Son. Christ has always issued forth from the Father from all eternity past. There has never been a time he did not.

Paul brings out this subtle yet distinct difference in the following passage.

"...yet for us there is 

one God, 

the Father, 

from whom are all things and 

for whom we exist, and 

one Lord, 

Jesus Christ, 

through whom are all things and through whom we exist. - 1 Cor 8:6 

Note, Paul is suggesting both are equally deity - God the Father and Jesus the Lord - yet have distinct roles in creation. All things are from God and through Christ. 

Christ is not only begotten but is the Creator and Sustainer of everything.

What significance does all this have for you and me?

As Christ is a Son, we too are sons and daughters of God, but unlike Christ - who is the image of God unlike us who are in His image - we have a beginning but no end. Christ has no beginning or end. 

He is the "I AM" (Exodus 3:14; John 8:58). He is co-eternal -- he has always been -- and is co-equal with God the Father; we are not. Christ is the perfect image of Father, and we are in His image.  

Nevertheless, since we both bear the Father's image, he understands and can relate to us in a unique and personal way. His stepping into and taking part in this broken world as a man makes this even more so.

Both begotten and eternal -- the God/man

Christ is begotten and eternal at the same time. This is significant since begetting implies a beginning. There is no beginning with Christ as God -- however there is as a man. He existed before his incarnation and has always been. 

This is why he is the only begotten Son. He is one of a kind. He is the God/man and the connection between God and man. God and man unite in Him, by Him, and through Him. For these reasons -- and others -- the Father delights in His Son.

From all these unique aspects of Christ, we can see why it took over 300 years after Christ's resurrection before the church hammered out a formal statement of who Christ is known as the Nicene Creed. 

The following creed was the first formal summary of who Christ is made by the council of the church held in Nicaea in 325AD. 

That council consisted of men recognized by the church at large as being the most Godly and wise among them. More Godly and wise than you or I, I would suggest. 

Note how they carefully acknowledge both the Deity and humanity of Christ. 

We believe in one God,

the Father, the Almighty

maker of heaven and earth,

of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,

the only Son of God,

eternally begotten of the Father,

God from God, Light from Light,

true God from true God,

begotten, not made,

of one Being with the Father.

Through him all things were made.

For us men and for our salvation

he came down from heaven:

by the power of the Holy Spirit

he became incarnate from the

Virgin Mary, and was made man.

For our sake he was crucified under

 Pontius Pilate;

he suffered death and was buried.

On the third day he rose again

in accordance with the Scriptures;

he ascended into heaven

and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again in glory to judge

the living and the dead,

and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the

 Lord, the giver of Life,

who proceeds from the Father and

the Son.

With the Father and the Son he is

worshipped and glorified.

He has spoken through the Prophets.

We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.

We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.

We look for the resurrection of the dead,

and the life of the world to come. Amen.

How is "only begotten" handled by different translations? 

You can also see this concept of "only begotten" is so unique the various translations below convey it somewhat differently. It apparently was difficult for translators to capture the full meaning in a single phrase. 

Begotten:

John 1:18 

(NASB)  No man has seen God at any time; the only begotten God, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has explained him.

(KJV)  No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

(CEV)  No one has ever seen God. The only Son, who is truly God and is closest to the Father, has shown us what God is like.

(ERV)  No one has ever seen God. The only Son is the one who has shown us what God is like. He is himself God and is very close to the Father.

(ESV)  No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known.

²Other passages adressing Christ's likeness/image:

²Col 1:15  [Now] He (Christ) is the exact likeness of the unseen God [the visible representation of the invisible]; He is the Firstborn of all creation.

Col 1:16  For it was in Him that all things were created, in heaven and on earth, things seen and things unseen, whether thrones, dominions, rulers, or authorities; all things were created and exist through Him [by His service, intervention] and in and for Him.

Col 1:17  And He Himself existed before all things, and in Him all things consist (cohere, are held together). (AMP) [see also Pro 8:22-31]. 

Hebrews 1:3

(CEV)  God's Son has all the brightness of God's own glory and is like him in every way. By his own mighty word, he holds the universe together. After the Son had washed away our sins, he sat down at the right side of the glorious God in heaven.

(ERV)  The Son shows the glory of God. He is a perfect copy of God's nature, and he holds everything together by his powerful command. The Son made people clean from their sins. Then he sat down at the right side of God, the Great One in heaven.

(ESV)  He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

(MSG)  This Son perfectly mirrors God, and is stamped with God's nature. He holds everything together by what he says—powerful words! After he finished the sacrifice for sins, the Son took his honored place high in the heavens right alongside God,

(NASB+)  And He is the radiance ^G541 of His glory ^G1391 and the exact ^G5481 representation ^G5481 of His nature, ^G5287 and upholds ^G5342 all ^G3956 things ^G3956 by the word ^G4487 of His power. ^G1411 When He had made ^G4160 purification ^G2512 of sins, ^G266 He sat ^G2523 down ^G2523 at the right ^G1188 hand ^G1188 of the Majesty ^G3172 on high, ^G5308

(KJV)  Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high...

For a further discussion on why the Father and Son love each other, click here. 

For a further discussion on how we are like God, click here. 
__________________________________

Foornotes:

¹where else in the Bible do we see the opening phrase of the Gospel of John, "in the beginning...?" There are only two places. Here and in 

Genesis 1:1 

"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." 

Is this an accident or maybe coincidence?

When both places are addressing creation - which occurred in the beginning -  And John goes on to say... 

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 

All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 

it is clear John was pointing back to Genesis to establish that whatever the phase "in the beginning..." meant it applied to both God and His Word (Christ) i.e. Christ was not created. Both existed before anything else. And they created together ( John 1:3; Col 1:15-17; Heb 1:1-3 ).

How can this be? Is the Word eluded to in Genesis. Yes when it says "and God said..." He is speaking the creation into existence by His Word. 

²And he is part of creation in the sense that he was fully man; but unlike other creatures, he existed prior to becoming a man. Not only so, he is the Creator through whom all things were created.

³the following are several translations handling some key verses regarding the deity of Christ. 

Why do I list all these translations? 

All translators must be scholars in the language they translate. This is the primarily reason they are chosen. Each translation (i.e. KJV, NASB, ESV, etc.) has a team of translators. After looking at the original text the experts were in full agreement with what they said.

This is not always the case with other passages. However with the passages below it was. 

◄ 1 John 5:20 ►

New International Version

We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. 

New Living Translation

And we know that the Son of God has come, and he has given us understanding so that we can know the true God. And now we live in fellowship with the true God because we live in fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only true God, and he is eternal life. 

English Standard Version

And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. 

Berean Standard Bible

And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true—in His Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. 

Berean Literal Bible

Now we know that the Son of God is come and has given us understanding, so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. 

King James Bible

And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life. 

New King James Version

And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. 

New American Standard Bible

And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. 

NASB 1995

And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. 

NASB 1977

And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding, in order that we might know Him who is true, and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. 

Legacy Standard Bible

And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. 

Amplified Bible

And we [have seen and] know [by personal experience] that the Son of God has [actually] come [to this world], and has given us understanding and insight so that we may [progressively and personally] know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true—in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. 

Christian Standard Bible

And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding so that we may know the true one. We are in the true one—that is, in his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. 

Holman Christian Standard Bible

And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding so that we may know the true One. We are in the true One—that is, in His Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. 

American Standard Version

And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life. 

Contemporary English Version

We know that Jesus Christ the Son of God has come and has shown us the true God. And because of Jesus, we now belong to the true God who gives eternal life. 

English Revised Version

And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life. 

GOD'S WORD® Translation

We know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding so that we know the real God. We are in the one who is real, his Son Jesus Christ. This Jesus Christ is the real God and eternal life. 

Good News Translation

We know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we know the true God. We live in union with the true God--in union with his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and this is eternal life. 

International Standard Version

We also know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding so that we may know the true God. We are in union with the one who is true, his Son Jesus the Messiah, who is the true God and eternal life. 

NET Bible

And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us insight to know him who is true, and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. This one is the true God and eternal life. 

New Heart English Bible

We know that the Son of God has come, and has given us an understanding, that we know him who is true, and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. 

Webster's Bible Translation

And we know that the Son of God hath come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life. 

Weymouth New Testament

And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding so that we know the true One, and are in union with the true One--that is, we are in union with His Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and the Life of the Ages. 

Majority Text Translations 

Majority Standard Bible

And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true—in His Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. 

World English Bible

We know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. 

Literal Translations 

Literal Standard Version

but we have known that the Son of God has come, and has given us a mind that we may know Him who is true, and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ; this One is the true God and the continuous Life! 

Berean Literal Bible

Now we know that the Son of God is come and has given us understanding, so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. 

Young's Literal Translation

and we have known that the Son of God is come, and hath given us a mind, that we may know Him who is true, and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ; this one is the true God and the life age-during! 

Smith's Literal Translation

And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding, and we know him true, and we are in him true, in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life. 

Catholic Translations 

Douay-Rheims Bible

And we know that the Son of God is come: and he hath given us understanding that we may know the true God, and may be in his true Son. This is the true God and life eternal. 

Catholic Public Domain Version

And we know that the Son of God has arrived, and that he has given us understanding, so that we may know the true God, and so that we may remain in his true Son. This is the true God, and this is Eternal Life. 

New American Bible

We also know that the Son of God has come and has given us discernment to know the one who is true. And we are in the one who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. 

New Revised Standard Version

And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. 

Translations from Aramaic 

Lamsa Bible

And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true, and we are in him who is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life. 

Aramaic Bible in Plain English

And we know that The Son of God has come and he has given us a mind to know The True One and to be in The True One- in his Son, Yeshua The Messiah. This One is The True God and The Life Eternal. 

NT Translations 

Anderson New Testament

And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding, that we may know him that is true: and we are in him that is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and life eternal. 

Godbey New Testament

But we know that the Son of God has come and has given unto us intelligence, that we know the truth. And we are in the true one, in his Son Jesus Christ; he is the true God, and eternal life. 

Haweis New Testament

But we know that the Son of God hath come, and hath given to us understanding, that we might know the true God; and we are in him that is true, in his Son Jesus the Messiah. HE is the true God, and the life eternal. 

Mace New Testament

We know that the son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding to know him that is true: and we are with him that is true, by his son Jesus Christ. "he is the true God, who is the author of eternal life." 

Weymouth New Testament

And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding so that we know the true One, and are in union with the true One--that is, we are in union with His Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and the Life of the Ages. 

Worrell New Testament

And we know that the Son of God hath come, and hath given us understanding, that we may know the True One: and we are in the True One?in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the True God, and eternal life. 

Worsley New Testament

But we know that the son of God is come, and hath given us understanding, that we may know Him that is true, and we are in Him that is true, and in his son Jesus Christ: He is the true God, and eternal life. 

Additional Translations ... 

…19We know that we are of God, and that the whole world is under the power of the evil one. 20And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true— in His Son Jesus Christ. He is the TRUE God and eternal life. 21Little children, keep yourselves from idols.…

Berean Standard Bible 

Cross References 

John 1:1-3

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. / He was with God in the beginning. / Through Him all things were made, and without Him nothing was made that has been made. 

Colossians 2:2-3

that they may be encouraged in heart, knit together in love, and filled with the full riches of complete understanding, so that they may know the mystery of God, namely Christ, / in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 

Hebrews 1:2-3

But in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, and through whom He made the universe. / The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His nature, upholding all things by His powerful word. After He had provided purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. 

1 John 1:1-3

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; … 

Isaiah 9:6

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. 

John 1:18

No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is Himself God and is at the Father’s side, has made Him known. 

Romans 9:5

Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them proceeds the human descent of Christ, who is God over all, forever worthy of praise! Amen. 

Titus 2:13

as we await the blessed hope and glorious appearance of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. 

2 Corinthians 4:6

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 

Philippians 2:6

Who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 

Isaiah 9:6

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 

1 John 5:1

Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. 

1 John 4:2,14

Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: … 

John 14:6

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. 

John 17:3

And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. 

Greek

And

δὲ (de)

Conjunction

Strong's 1161: A primary particle; but, and, etc. 

we know

οἴδαμεν (oidamen)

Verb - Perfect Indicative Active - 1st Person Plural

Strong's 1492: To know, remember, appreciate. 

that

ὅτι (hoti)

Conjunction

Strong's 3754: Neuter of hostis as conjunction; demonstrative, that; causative, because. 

the

ὁ (ho)

Article - Nominative Masculine Singular

Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the. 

Son

Υἱὸς (Huios)

Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular

Strong's 5207: A son, descendent. Apparently a primary word; a 'son', used very widely of immediate, remote or figuratively, kinship. 

of God

Θεοῦ (Theou)

Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular

Strong's 2316: A deity, especially the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very. 

has come

ἥκει (hēkei)

Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular

Strong's 2240: To have come, be present, have arrived. A primary verb; to arrive, i.e. Be present. 

and

καὶ (kai)

Conjunction

Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely. 

has given

δέδωκεν (dedōken)

Verb - Perfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular

Strong's 1325: To offer, give; I put, place. A prolonged form of a primary verb; to give. 

us

ἡμῖν (hēmin)

Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 1st Person Plural

Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I. 

understanding,

διάνοιαν (dianoian)

Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular

Strong's 1271: From dia and nous; deep thought, properly, the faculty, by implication, its exercise. 

so that

ἵνα (hina)

Conjunction

Strong's 2443: In order that, so that. Probably from the same as the former part of heautou; in order that. 

we may know

γινώσκωμεν (ginōskōmen)

Verb - Present Subjunctive Active - 1st Person Plural

Strong's 1097: A prolonged form of a primary verb; to 'know' in a great variety of applications and with many implications. 

Him who [is]

τὸν (ton)

Article - Accusative Masculine Singular

Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the. 

true;

ἀληθινόν (alēthinon)

Adjective - Accusative Masculine Singular

Strong's 228: True (lit: made of truth), real, genuine. From alethes; truthful. 

and

καὶ (kai)

Conjunction

Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely. 

we are

ἐσμὲν (esmen)

Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Plural

Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist. 

in

ἐν (en)

Preposition

Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc. 

Him who [is]

τῷ (tō)

Article - Dative Masculine Singular

Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the. 

true—

ἀληθινῷ (alēthinō)

Adjective - Dative Masculine Singular

Strong's 228: True (lit: made of truth), real, genuine. From alethes; truthful. 

in

ἐν (en)

Preposition

Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc. 

His

αὐτοῦ (autou)

Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular

Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons. 

Son

Υἱῷ (Huiō)

Noun - Dative Masculine Singular

Strong's 5207: A son, descendent. Apparently a primary word; a 'son', used very widely of immediate, remote or figuratively, kinship. 

Jesus

Ἰησοῦ (Iēsou)

Noun - Dative Masculine Singular

Strong's 2424: Of Hebrew origin; Jesus, the name of our Lord and two other Israelites. 

Christ.

Χριστῷ (Christō)

Noun - Dative Masculine Singular

Strong's 5547: Anointed One; the Messiah, the Christ. From chrio; Anointed One, i.e. The Messiah, an epithet of Jesus. 

He

οὗτός (houtos)

Demonstrative Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Singular

Strong's 3778: This; he, she, it. 

is

ἐστιν (estin)

Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular

Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist. 

the

ὁ (ho)

Article - Nominative Masculine Singular

Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the. 

TRUE

ἀληθινὸς (alēthinos)

Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular

Strong's 228: True (lit: made of truth), real, genuine. From alethes; truthful. 

God

Θεὸς (Theos)

Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular

Strong's 2316: A deity, especially the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very. 

and

καὶ (kai)

Conjunction

Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely. 

eternal

αἰώνιος (aiōnios)

Adjective - Nominative Feminine Singular

Strong's 166: From aion; perpetual. 

life.

ζωὴ (zōē)

Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular

Strong's 2222: Life, both of physical (present) and of spiritual (particularly future) existence. From zao; life. 

___________________________ 

◄ John 1:18 ►

No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known. 

New Living Translation

No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us. 

English Standard Version

No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known. 

Berean Standard Bible

No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is Himself God and is at the Father’s side, has made Him known. 

Berean Literal Bible

No one has ever yet seen God. The only begotten God, the One being in the bosom of the Father, He has made Him known. 

King James Bible

No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. 

New King James Version

No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him. 

New American Standard Bible

No one has seen God at any time; God the only Son, who is in the arms of the Father, He has explained Him. 

NASB 1995

No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him. 

NASB 1977

No man has seen God at any time; the only begotten God, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him. 

Legacy Standard Bible

No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him. 

Amplified Bible

No one has seen God [His essence, His divine nature] at any time; the [One and] only begotten God [that is, the unique Son] who is in the intimate presence of the Father, He has explained Him [and interpreted and revealed the awesome wonder of the Father]. 

Christian Standard Bible

No one has ever seen God. The one and only Son, who is himself God and is at the Father’s side —he has revealed him. 

Holman Christian Standard Bible

No one has ever seen God. The One and Only Son— the One who is at the Father’s side— He has revealed Him. 

American Standard Version

No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. 

Contemporary English Version

No one has ever seen God. The only Son, who is truly God and is closest to the Father, has shown us what God is like. 

English Revised Version

No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. 

GOD'S WORD® Translation

No one has ever seen God. God's only Son, the one who is closest to the Father's heart, has made him known. 

Good News Translation

No one has ever seen God. The only Son, who is the same as God and is at the Father's side, he has made him known. 

International Standard Version

No one has ever seen God. The unique God, who is close to the Father's side, has revealed him. 

NET Bible

No one has ever seen God. The only one, himself God, who is in closest fellowship with the Father, has made God known. 

New Heart English Bible

No one has seen God at any time. The only Son, who is at the Father's side, has made him known. 

Webster's Bible Translation

No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. 

Weymouth New Testament

No human eye has ever seen God: the only Son, who is in the Father's bosom--He has made Him known. 

Majority Text Translations 

Majority Standard Bible

No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is at the Father’s side, has made Him known. 

World English Bible

No one has seen God at any time. The only born Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, has declared him. 

Literal Translations 

Literal Standard Version

No one has ever seen God; the only begotten God who is on the bosom of the Father—He has expounded [Him]. 

Berean Literal Bible

No one has ever yet seen God. The only begotten God, the One being in the bosom of the Father, He has made Him known. 

Young's Literal Translation

God no one hath ever seen; the only begotten Son, who is on the bosom of the Father -- he did declare. 

Smith's Literal Translation

None has seen God at any time; the only born Son, he being in the bosom of the Father, he has declared. 

Catholic Translations 

Douay-Rheims Bible

No man hath seen God at any time: the only begotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. 

Catholic Public Domain Version

No one ever saw God; the only-begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he himself has described him. 

New American Bible

No one has ever seen God. The only Son, God, who is at the Father’s side, has revealed him. 

New Revised Standard Version

No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known. 

Translations from Aramaic 

Lamsa Bible

No man has ever seen God; but the firstborn of God, who is in the bosom of his Father, he has declared him. 

Aramaic Bible in Plain English

No man has seen God at any time; The Only Begotten God Who is in the bosom of The Father, he has declared him.” 

NT Translations 

Anderson New Testament

No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has revealed him. 

Godbey New Testament

No one has ever seen God; the only begotten Son, the one being in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared him. 

Haweis New Testament

No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he hath thoroughly described him. 

Mace New Testament

no man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten son, who is intimate with the father, hath made him known. 

Weymouth New Testament

No human eye has ever seen God: the only Son, who is in the Father's bosom--He has made Him known. 

Worrell New Testament

No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, Who is in the bosom of the Father, He declared Him. 

Worsley New Testament

and though no one hath ever seen God, or can see Him: yet the only-begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, hath made Him known.

The Word Became Flesh 

…17For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is Himself God and is at the Father’s side, has made Him known. 19And this was John’s testimony when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him, “Who are you?”...Berean Standard Bible 

Cross References 

Colossians 1:15

The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 

Hebrews 1:3

The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His nature, upholding all things by His powerful word. After He had provided purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. 

John 14:9

Jesus replied, “Philip, I have been with you all this time, and still you do not know Me? Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 

1 John 5:20

And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true—in His Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. 

John 1:14

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. 

1 John 4:9

In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. 

John 14:9

Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? 

Greek

No one

οὐδεὶς (oudeis)

Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular

Strong's 3762: No one, none, nothing. 

has ever seen

ἑώρακεν (heōraken)

Verb - Perfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular

Strong's 3708: Properly, to stare at, i.e. to discern clearly; by extension, to attend to; by Hebraism, to experience; passively, to appear. 

God,

Θεὸν (Theon)

Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular

Strong's 2316: A deity, especially the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very. 

[but the] one and only Son,

μονογενὴς (monogenēs)

Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular

Strong's 3439: Only, only-begotten; unique. From monos and ginomai; only-born, i.e. Sole. 

[who is Himself] God

Θεὸς (Theos)

Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular

Strong's 2316: A deity, especially the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very. 

[and]

ὁ (ho)

Article - Nominative Masculine Singular

Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the. 

is

ὢν (ōn)

Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular

Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist. 

at

εἰς (eis)

Preposition

Strong's 1519: A primary preposition; to or into, of place, time, or purpose; also in adverbial phrases. 

the

τὸν (ton)

Article - Accusative Masculine Singular

Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the. 

Father’s

Πατρὸς (Patros)

Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular

Strong's 3962: Father, (Heavenly) Father, ancestor, elder, senior. Apparently a primary word; a 'father'. 

side,

κόλπον (kolpon)

Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular

Strong's 2859: Apparently a primary word; the bosom; by analogy, a bay. 

has made [Him] known.

ἐξηγήσατο (exēgēsato)

Verb - Aorist Indicative Middle - 3rd Person Singular

Strong's 1834: To lead, show the way; met: I unfold, narrate, declare. From ek and hegeomai; to consider out, i.e. Rehearse, unfold.