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Sunday, December 12, 2010

Jesus was God Incarnate

When it comes to understanding about the God of scripture whom we celebrate during the Christmas season, there are a couple of things that need to be pointed out.  First of all, God is the God of the impossible.  God is a sovereign omnipotent God.  He's not bound by man's reasoning.  God's ways are higher than man's ways.  Second of all, we must accept what the Bible says by faith.  Romans 1:17 says that the just shall live by faith.  When you read of the account of the birth of Christ in Matthew 1 & 2 and Luke 1 & 2, you read that Jesus was born of a virgin.  Anyone that knows anything about human reproduction knows that it's impossible for a virgin to conceive and birth a child without the aid of man.  That's humanly impossible. Yet we read that Mary was found with child of the Holy Ghost (Matthew 1:18).  How was that possible?  It was done supernaturally by the aid of the Holy Ghost.  That's the first and only time that a virgin ever conceived a child through the aid of the Holy Ghost.  There have been many religious scholars that have tried to discredit the birth of Christ throughout time.  Those that uphold the philosophy of naturalism can in no way explain the supernatural birth of Christ.  The birth of Christ can't be explained in naturalistic terms.  It was done supernaturally.  Why was Jesus born supernaturally?  The seed of sin is transmitted through the male.  If Jesus' father was Joseph, he would've been a sinner and therefore he couldn't pay the price for the sins of mankind on Calvary.  Those that are saved accept by faith that Jesus was born of a virgin.  I can't explain the processes involved in Mary becoming pregnant other than what the Bible says.  All I can tell you is what the Bible says regarding the birth of Jesus.  I trust and accept what God says by faith.  There are some things you can't explain with words. 

John 1:14 says, "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth."  Jesus was not only born of a virgin, but he was born without sin.  He left the Godhead and came to earth as a man who was all God and all man.  He was God incarnate.  What is the definition of incarnate?  The online definition of incarnate is possessing bodily form, to give a bodily or concrete form to.  It also means to be representive or typical of.  Jesus came to this world as a babe in a manger.  He grew to be a man and began his public ministry at the age of 30.  Even though he was man and was tempted as we are, he knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.  (2 Corinthians 5:21)  He became sin for us.  He couldn't have done so if he yielded to temptation.  We read about the account in Matthew 4 where he was tempted of Satan in the wilderness.  He didn't succumb to the wiles of the Devil.  Even though Jesus was man, he never sinned.  He possessed the Divine nature within Him.  He was filled with the Holy Ghost.  There are many religious scholars who will try to discredit that.  However, God's not regulated by natural causes.  Praise the Lord!  We would be in a huge mess if God wasn't supernatural.  God's not bound by the ways of man to accomplish His will.

(Philippians 2:5-11) Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross.  Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth.  And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."  Even though Jesus was equal with God, he didn't walk upon this earth making mention of the fact that he was great.  Many times when he performed great miracles he told those that were healed to tell no one.  He didn't come to this earth to make a name for himself.  He came to fulfill the will of the Father which was die on the cross for the sins of mankind.  There's nobody that's ever walked the face of the earth that could make such a boast as that he's equal with God.  Due to sin, mankind is separated from God.  He possesses the Adamic nature as the result of the fall of Adam.  However, due to the virgin birth, Jesus bypassed all that.  Even though he was born a babe and grew into a man, he didn't possess a sin nature within him.  He never once sinned while on this earth.  He fulfilled the letter of the law.  He was that perfect, spotless lamb.  He could've made a name for himself and boast to everyone that he's the King of kings and Lord of lords.  He could rightly boast that He's God because he was part of the Godhead.  Colossians 2:9 says for in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. 

Jesus never tried to make a reputation for himself.  He humbled himself and became a servant.  He was made in the likeness of man.  Yet there was no guile in him.  (John 1:47)  He was humble, compassionate, holy, loved sinners, and was obedient to the will of the Father.  Christ is the example we as Christians are to emulate.  According to Romans 8:29, we who are saved are to be conformed to the image of (God the Father's) Son.  When the Lord saves a sinner, he imparts a new nature into him.  That new Christian will have a desire to walk and sup with the Lord.  God intends for the brethren to be conformed to the image of Christ. 

A sinner doesn't have to know the details about the virgin birth nor Christ being God-incarnate to be saved.  All a sinner needs is to be convicted by the Spirit of God and to humbly bow before the Lord and admit he/she is a sinner, repent, and ask God to save him/her.  That's all that has to be done.  There were things about the Bible I didn't understand when I got saved.  Nevertheless, I didn't have a problem accepting what the Bible says concerning the virgin birth, the miracles of Christ, and God parting the Red Sea in Exodus.  I believe a person that's saved won't have a problem believing those things.  Salvation is by grace through faith.  In order to leave a life that's pleasing to God, we must walk by faith.  There are some things concerning God's word we won't fully understand in this life.  But we are to accept by faith that God's word is sure and true.  I'm thankful that God's a God of the impossible.  I'm glad God doesn't have to work according to man's wisdom to accomplish His will.  Jesus was born of a virgin, he was God incarnate, he sinned not, and he was obedient unto death.  Whether or not you accept it is your choice.  However it doesn't change God's word.  If Jesus wasn't born supernaturally, there would be no Calvary, there would be no salvation, and there would be no hope for eternal life.  I praise the Lord for being the God of the impossible.

(I Corinthians 1:27-29)  "But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence." 

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