- Who is this man who is called Jesus Christ? And if we started taking away from the things He did and the work He accomplished, at what point would we no longer be talking about the Jesus Christ of Scripture?
Take any historical figure. Remove all of his history and begin rewriting the things that he did. Are you then still talking about the same person, even if you’re still using the same name?
At times of the year such as Christmas and Easter, we probably see this more obviously than any other time of the year. Although, talk freely about Jesus Christ any time of the year and we will find a Christ that is quite different than the Christ of the Bible. And if anyone has a proper understanding of the Bible, you will see that there isn’t a single book of the Bible which does not point to Jesus Christ. Whether directly, or in illustrations, types, shadows, or prophesies.
Discussions this Christmas has made all this quite apparent again. I am told it is not important or vital for someone to believe in the incarnation of Christ. That God became man, while still remaining God. And that one can be a Christian and still believe that Jesus was just a good man that God decided to adopt, or an angel, or that Jesus was born of a virgin, or whether he was born at all but possibly just appeared, or if he was born sinless, or whatever. As long as you believe that a Jesus died for your sins, well...the rest is just optional to one’s preference, as long as you believe he is in your heart.
What about:
· In the Trinity of the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
· That all things were created by God, through and for Jesus Christ, as the Holy Spirit moved।
· It was man that had sinned and it was man that was separated from God, and He will not clear the guilty.
· Man is not good. All he does apart from Christ is like filthy rags. Man is sinful by nature and by choice.
· Jesus Christ became a real person. A sinless perfect man so that He could be the perfect sacrifice for man and shed His blood.
· Jesus Christ was man, so that He could take the punishment that man deserved upon Himself. But He was still God, and in receiving the complete wrath of God the Father for the sins of His people, it was only the God-man that could withstand the wrath of God.
· Jesus Christ became a man in flesh, from conception, birth and through life. So that He would be a substitute, for it was man that had sinned, and God could not shed blood.
· Jesus Christ had to be God the Son to be an acceptable sacrifice. For He was more valuable than all of humanity put together.
· Jesus Christ had to be God, for He was the only one who could truly give His life. All of man’s life is borrowed to, and is not his to give.
· Jesus Christ was the God-man. As man, He was able to take all the sins of His people upon Himself. And as God He paid for those sins and presented His people forgiven and justifies before the Father.
· Jesus Christ was God who lived a complete human life with all of its temptations and weaknesses. He was neither born in sin nor did He ever commit a sin. As a perfect sinless man He was able to transfer His righteous and sinless life unto His people. And they stand acceptable before the Father.
· Jesus Christ as God and man, now sits at the right hand of the Father and is the mediator between God and man.
· Jesus Christ as man, knows all of our weaknesses and frailties, is able to sympathize and help us in our trouble. As God He sends His Holy Spirit within us to guide, instruct, and empower us to live a Holy life in ongoing sanctification.
· Jesus Christ, upon going back to the Father, He sent another comforter (The Holy Spirit-another helper of the same kind). He not only comforts us, but regenerates His believers. Makes His people a new creation, who not only is able to live for God, but wholly desires to.
All this is only the tip of the iceberg of Jesus Christ. So my question is: How much of who Jesus is, what He has done, and the work He continues to do, can we take away before we are no longer talking about the Jesus Christ of the Bible?
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7 years ago
I can say a big amen to that!
ReplyDeleteWe have a situation like this on our hands at our church right now. He believes in Jesus, he trusts in the blood, his only hope is the work of Jesus on the cross, and yet he does not believe that Jesus is God in the flesh. He believes that Jesus is a god, similar to the JW, and yet he banks on nothing else but Christs work for his salvation.
It can be a very touchy situation, but like you said, is that even the same Jesus? Sure you say you are trusting in a Jesus, but which one? there have been millions of them created to fit the imagination of many sinners.
I appreciate your desire to uphold the Jesus of the Bible!
God bless you.
Thank you Dan,
ReplyDeleteIt is often the "half-truths" that get so many people lost. We hear some say "doctrine and theology is not important, you just need to have a personal relationship with Jesus".
This is a partial truth. But, from personal we get person. We get personal with someone to the degree that we know the person. And how can someone have a personal relationship with the person of Jesus Christ if they don't know Him, and are not willing to know about Him?
If it was not God that lived, died, and took upon Himself the punishment in our place,...we have no hope! But thanks be to our Lord Jesus Christ, we do have hope and assurance!