Monday: The Love of Christ
Sin separated the human race from God; a yawning chasm opened between them, and unless that chasm closed, humanity was doomed to eternal destruction. The gulf was deep and dangerous. It took something utterly incredible to solve the problem of sin and to reunite sinful humanity with a righteous and holy God.
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It took One eternal with God Himself, One as divine as God Himself, to become a human being and, in that humanity, offer Himself as a sacrifice for our sins.
Read John 1:1-3, John 1:14 and Philippians 2:5-8. What do they teach us about who Jesus is?
Christ was eternal and not dependent upon anyone or anything for His existence. He was God — not the mere outward appearance of God but God Himself. His essential nature was divine and eternal. Jesus retained that divinity but became a human being in order to keep the law in human flesh and to die as a Substitute for all those who have broken the law, which is all of us (Rom. 3:23) .
Christ became human, without any advantage over other humans. He kept God’s law, not through His internal divine power but by relying upon the same external divine power available to any other human.
Jesus was fully God and fully human. This means that the One who upholds “all things by the word of his power” (Heb. 1:3) was the same One who was found as a “babe lying in a manger” (Luke 2:16-17) is the same One who, as a human child, “increased in wisdom and stature” (Luke 2:52). This means that the One without whom “nothing was made that was made” (John 1:3, NKJV) was the same One who was “murdered by hanging on a tree” (Acts 5:30, NKJV).
If all this reveals to us Christ’s love for us, and Christ’s love for us is but a manifestation of the Father’s love for us, then no wonder we have so many reasons to rejoice and be thankful!
Read Romans 8:38-39. How does what we read in the study today give us powerful reasons to trust in what Paul says to us here?
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God's fairness is clearly seen in the action of Jesus equalling Himself with man to experience man's weaknesses and total dependency on the Father. What Jesus did through dependency on the Father, we can, through Him.
The Love Of Christ
One eternal - one eternal alone can offer us eternal life
With God Himself - one who knew the depth of God
One as divine as God Himself - one cannot get more divine than God Himself
To become a human being - what He was and what He became (He was brought down so that we may be brought up In Him to the heavenly throne)
In that humanity - in the weak, broken humanity
Offered himself - willingly allowed Himself to be captured.
As a sacrifice - poured His life as a living sacrifice
For our sins - He poured it for me.
Agape (self sacrificing love) demonstrated.
The Love Of Christ
The lesson puts it well when it hilights that "It took One eternal with God Himself, One as divine as God Himself, to become a human being and, in that humanity, offer Himself as a sacrifice for our sins."
It was necessary that a Saviour would enter humanity, from outside of humanity, in order to 'bypass' the inherent problem encountered by all members of humanity born under the 1st Adam - as Paul notes in Rom 5:14.
On the concept of Christ being the "sacrifice" for our sins, and as the 2nd Adam (the contrast between the 2 Adams being used extensively by Paul in Romans 5), is it possible that the meaning of being a "sacrifice" for our sins may be much broader in scope than is typically understood/presented?
If so, what might that broader experience of sacrifice encompass? (And how might Paul's use of the term 'living sacrifice' in Rm 12:1 reflect this idea of a broader scope of experience?)
And, if there is a broader scope of sacrifice for sin, what might that broader scope reflect in regard to the scope of the needs and 'process' of salvation?
Hi Phil. I'm not sure what you mean by "'bypass' the inherent problem." I don't believe Christ bypassed anything on earth. He overcame... not by His power but by God's power (John 14:10; John 5:30). Otherwise, Christ could not have been tempted in all points like as we are (Heb. 4:15 KJV).
From today's lesson: "Christ became human, without any advantage over other humans."
On earth, Christ laid down His divinity and became just like us. Consequently, I don't agree with this part of today's lesson: "He kept God’s law, not through His internal divine power..."
Christ's power on earth was God's power (John 14:10; John 5:30) as Christ had no "internal divine power" on earth apart from God. It is this same power from God by which He makes us overcomers (Phil 1:6; Phil 2:13).
Hi Sieg
I agree with the point you make.
With regard to the "bypass the inherent problem", Rom 5:14 points out that all who were born under Adam shared the fate of Adam (death) even if they didn't sin like Adam - apparently because all humans born of normal conception unfortunately inherit a 'sin nature'/terminal condition. Consequently, a Saviour/Redeemer could not arise from within humanity - that is, by normal conception. Rather, a Saviour/Redeemer needed to enter humanity from outside of humanity in order to bypass this inherent problem. (It's only pure speculation, but I would suggest that Jesus essentially had the same DNA as Adam originally - ie, direct from God - rather than Mary's DNA for the reason stated above).
Some might think that Jesus being born without a sin nature is some kind of advantage. But this is apparently not the case for this did not prevent Him from being tempted in all points as we are. It did, however, allow Him to become the 2nd Adam and therefore to be the Saviour/Redeemer of all who choose to align with His heritage.
Why would I not be interested to know this God? Am I really thankful to Him? Is my life a permanent revelation of His love? Do I really love Him? Is He near or far? Is He real to me or just a story in an old book? How much do I let Him participate in my life? Does He give me everything or part of all I have? Was I His plan or mere coincidence? I certainly answer all of these questions by being who I am everyday.
As learnt in previous lessons,it may be difficult without the help of the Holy Spirit to fully comprehend this mystery of salvation.'We witness a strong reaction against the substitutionary understanding of the death of Christ..'
It is by beholding Christ that we are transform from glory to glory, calvary shows us that God is love and his love is incomprehensible. Thank God for the gift of eternal life. Amen!
Esther Moran
In answer to the question: we Know that Gods love for us is greater than any chasm of sin because He didn’t even spare His own Son to save us (Romans 8:32). I am not worthy of such love, but I am so thankful!
The lesson here says that "Jesus became a human in order to keep the law." But I would go farther than that in saying that Jesus became a human so that humans could see the law demonstrated in humanity. Jesus was and is the embodiment of the law. He is the law in human flesh. He became human so that He could die for the sins of the world.
Christ was born with an advantage over “natural man”, Adam, and his progeny. Christ, being born of the Spirit/God, is a Spiritual Man(John 3:6). Adam was created a natural man (1 Cor 15:43-49). This was all according to God’s plan and purpose.
Christ, begotten of God, WOULD NOT nor COULD NOT sin (1 John 3:9). He was sent to “destroy the works of the Devil”(1 Jn 3:8). “Whatever is born of God overcomes the world.” (1 Jn 4:5). The Devil is the god of this world (2 Cor 4:4). Christ was dutifully prepared by the Father for this encounter: Law written on His heart so that He would not sin against His Father (Ps 40:8; Heb 10:5-7); God “put His Spirit upon Him”, “I will hold you by the hand and watch over you…” (Isa 42:1,6); He was BORN of the Spirit.
Therefor Christ commands: “You must be born from above.” (Jn 3:7). “… unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” (Jn 3:5). We must become spiritual humans.
The natural man, Adam, disobeys God’s command and brings this people to ruin and corruption. The Spiritual Man, Christ, obeys His Father’s commands even to the death of the cross and elevates corrupted humanity to “eternal life”, to possession of the Life of God. Satan and Adam sought to elevate themselves to equality to God. God allowed man, made lower than angels, to further abase himself but then elevated him to sit with Him on His throne - by the power of His Love through His Son, born of God.
Kenny, if Christ *could not* sin, then the account of His terrible temptations is nothing but play-acting. There is no "temptation" if there is no possibility of yielding. Furthermore, if Christ "could not" sin, then He lacked freedom of choice, which is a basic foundation of love. Thus I find the belief that Christ *could not* sin contrary to biblical teaching.
I remember a time when I visited a young teaching colleague at his desk when he was studying the Bible. He asked me, "Could Christ have sinned?" As we discussed the subject he (an evangelical Christian) said that he concluded that if Christ could not sin, then His sacrifice was a sham. In order for it to be real, He had to be able to choose to sin - just as Adam and Eve had.
Christ was born of the Spirit from birth, and that can be considered an advantage to modern humanity born with the imprint of sin. Christ did not have a history of sin. On the other hand, He freely offers His righteousness and His power to every believing soul. He offers the "new birth" - to be born of the Spirit to everyone who is willing to accept Him as Savior. When we lay claim to HIs righteousness and His power, His victory can be ours.
I find that my struggle is primarily with remembering to lean on Him and call on Him in every difficulty and every decision. "The world is too much with us," and we tend to try to live the Christian life solo - and that's when we fail.
Hi Kenny. Please see my post to Phil above. On earth, Christ had NO advantage over man whatsoever. His power, all of it, came directly from God (John 14:10; John 5:30). It is God who supplies that same power for us.
All of us who believe are born of God (1 John. 4:7, 5:1,4). This is why God considers us co-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17). We are as much God's children as Christ is God's Son.
This is definitely an interesting 'topic' to consider.
Kenny, the first 2 sentences of your last paragraph echo Romans 5:14 and Romans 5:19 plus Phil 2:8 respectively. In Romans 5 Paul draws heavily and repeatedly upon the contrast of 2 Adams.
It would appear that the 2nd Adam needed to retrace the 'path' of the 1st Adam as the necessity in order to bring salvation/redemption to humanity. Whereas the 1st Adam 'fell' and consequently subjected humanity to the inherent consequences (death/loss of eternal life) of that 'fall', the 2nd Adam maintained the necessary 'conditions' to retain eternal life. This appears to be the tone of Paul's exposition in Rm 5).
If indeed the 2nd Adam did need to retrace the same path as the 1st Adam (but do so successfully instead of 'falling'), it would seem reasonable to propose that both Adam's shared the same state at the start. Both started out with no disposition to sin - that is, sinless, but with the freedom and capacity to choose sin if they wanted to. Both needed to develop/'perfect' their characters to greater and greater maturity with repeated experience in choosing the way of life at every temptation point. The 1st Adam 'fell' during this process, the 2nd did not.
We owed God a debt that we wouldn't repay. something worthy was required for the repay. Not the angels, not the 1st born of Adam, but a precious blood. the Brightness of God's glory and the express image of His person (Heb 1:3) was more than ready to offer Himself.
i thank Christ Jesus for His wonderful love for the fallen race. he really chose us before we even knew Him (Rom 5:8). May we glorify Him forever and ever. AMEN.
I all thank you very much.You, by the help of the holly spirit, tried to give a clear picture of who is Jesus.God bless you and Happy Sabbath o everybody