Doctrine is defined as a belief or set of beliefs held and taught by a Church, political party, or other group.
The doctrines of our faith serve the same function for our spiritual lives that the skeletal systems do for our physical lives. So the doctrines of our faith support and protect our beliefs.
The third doctrine in this series is that God Almighty, the one that we worship and who we know exists took on human form and came to earth and actually lived among his creation as one of us. The Incomparable Christ is also Almighty God.
John 1:1-5, 10-14 CEV In the beginning was the one who is called the Word. The Word was with God and was truly God. From the very beginning the Word was with God. And with this Word, God created all things. Nothing was made without the Word. Everything that was created received its life from him, and his life gave light to everyone. The light keeps shining in the dark, and darkness has never put it out. The Word was in the world, but no one knew him, though God had made the world with his Word. He came into his own world, but his own nation did not welcome him. Yet some people accepted him and put their faith in him. So he gave them the right to be the children of God. They were not God's children by nature or because of any human desires. God himself was the one who made them his children. The Word became a human being and lived here with us. We saw his true glory, the glory of the only Son of the Father. From him the complete gifts of undeserved grace and truth have come down to us.
This is the third in our series “The Doctrines Of Our Faith”.
Doctrine is defined as a belief or set of beliefs held and taught by a Church, political party, or other group.
The doctrines of our faith support and protect our beliefs.
Our first doctrine is that the Bible is divine revelation, or the Living Word. The second is the doctrine that the One we believe in and worship does exist and He is Almighty God.
The Bible is filled with certainties in regard to God’s existence and involvement in human activities.
God is in creation:
Psalms 19:1 ESV The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
Romans 1:20-23 CEV God's eternal power and character cannot be seen. But from the beginning of creation, God has shown what these are like by all he has made. That's why those people don't have any excuse. They know about God, but they don't honor him or even thank him. Their thoughts are useless, and their stupid minds are in the dark. They claim to be wise, but they are fools. They don't worship the glorious and eternal God. Instead, they worship idols that are made to look like humans who cannot live forever, and like birds, animals, and reptiles.
God is in humanity.
Not only is the creation itself evidence but the evidence that God exists is our in their hearts. It’s just that many refuse to acknowledge it.
Romans 2:14-16 ESV For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.
God is in the Bible, the Living Word,
Psalms 19:7-11 ESV The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.
The Bible describes God's nature.
He is Spirit.
This means that he is not limited in any way. God is omnipotent. This means that he is almighty and has all power. There is nothing that he cannot do. God is omniscient. He has all knowledge. Simultaneously, God knows all things—past, present, and future. God is omnipresent. He is everywhere all the time. Not only is he everywhere, but there is also an added dimension to his omnipresence because he is love. He cares about everything everywhere.
Yet in spite of his inconceivable majesty and power, God is concerned about mankind.
Text:
Now to our text for today. It's in the scripture we just read.
John 1:14 CEV The Word became a human being and lived here with us. We saw his true glory, the glory of the only Son of the Father. From him the complete gifts of undeserved grace and truth have come down to us.
Introduction
The doctrine that we want to talk about today is that God Almighty who we worship and who we know exists took on human form and came to earth and actually lived among his creation as one of them. The Incomparable Christ is also Almighty God.
Where do you begin when you start to talk about Jesus Christ? If our subject was some outstanding historic figure, like Abraham Lincoln, you would begin with his beginning—his birth, his parents, and heritage. But with Jesus, there was truly no beginning.
John 8:58 CEV Jesus answered, “I tell you for certain that even before Abraham was, I was, and I am.”
So we can start anywhere and start talking about Jesus and never get it all said! But today we’ll attempt to choose some of the most basic facts concerning the Lord Jesus Christ.
I. First, let’s examine Christ in his preincarnate glory, that time before He before took on flesh and came to earth as a human being.
This is a staggering concept for the human mind. For us, everything has a beginning. But the Bible teaches conclusively that Christ had no beginning He existed eternally.
From the scripture we read at the beginning John says;
John 1:1 CEV In the beginning was the one who is called the Word. The Word was with God and was truly God.
He explains in out text at verse 14 that the “Word” and Christ are the same.
John 1:14 CEV The Word became a human being and lived here with us. We saw his true glory, the glory of the only Son of the Father. From him the complete gifts of undeserved grace and truth have come down to us.
The “beginning” he is talking in verse 1 is the same beginning as;
Genesis 1:1 CEV In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
In other words, he is saying that Christ goes back beyond the beginning of the creation of humanity.
In John 17 Jesus prayed
John 17:5 CEV Now, Father, give me back the glory I had with you before the world was created.
Not only does Christ exist eternally, but this same Apostle John records in Revelation that Jesus came as “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” .
Revelation 13:8 NKJV All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
Because God is omniscient (He has all knowledge. past, present, and future) , he knew that people would sin even before he created them. Therefore, because God’s nature is love, he provided a way for people to be reconciled to their Creator before they were made! God loved mankind so much that He put a plan in moton to save us and “In the fullness of time” Jesus came as the sacrifice for the sins of the world.
Galatians 4:4-5 CEV But when the time was right, God sent his Son, and a woman gave birth to him. His Son obeyed the Law, so he could set us free from the Law, and we could become God's children.
From the Bible itself, we have abundant evidence concerning the preexistence of Jesus before he was born of Mary.
In our scripture passage John wrote
John 1:3-4 CEV And with this Word, God created all things. Nothing was made without the Word. Everything that was created received its life from him, and his life gave light to everyone.
In his letter to the Collessions Paul wrote:
Colossians 1:16 CEV Everything was created by him, everything in heaven and on earth, everything seen and unseen, including all forces and powers, and all rulers and authorities. All things were created by God's Son, and everything was made for him.
Having said and read all this we must conclude by faith that God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit have always existed as one God both in purpose and in equality.
II. Okay we’ve established that Christ has always existed. Now let’s consider His incarnate, His earthly manifestation in flesh as a man.
When we consider the incarnation, God becoming man, there are two important truths we must hold with all the tenacity faith provides for us.
First, Jesus became at the same time and in an absolute sense both God and man. He did not “become God” at his baptism and “cease to be God” at his death. When he was born in Bethlehem, he was God; when he ascended from back to heaven, he was God! Second, in becoming flesh, Jesus, though he laid aside his heavenly glory, in no sense laid aside his deity. This had to be true, for his full deity and complete humanity were necessary if his death on the cross was to have redeeming value for humanity.
Our text declares that Jesus , The Word, became a human being and lived here with us.
In the miracle at Bethlehem, God became what he had never been before. God became Jesus of Nazareth, and John said that he was “full of grace and truth.”
John 1:14 CEV The Word became a human being and lived here with us. We saw his true glory, the glory of the only Son of the Father. From him the complete gifts of undeserved grace and truth have come down to us.
Some say that Jesus was no more than “a good man” or perhaps “the best man who ever lived,” but they stop short of admitting that he was God. John declared that Jesus was “full”—the sum total—of “grace and truth.” He was the fullness of God’s expression of grace and the complete revelation of God to humanity.
Another significant word in this phrase is “truth.” The Greek word for “truth” is alethes and it means unconcealed. “truth” literally means “the unconcealed.” Until Jesus came, God Almighty was at least partially hidden from humanity in an aura of majesty and transcendency. He was, for the most part, unapproachable by humankind.
2 Chronicles 7:1-3 CEV As soon as Solomon finished praying, fire came down from heaven and burned up the offerings. The Lord 's dazzling glory then filled the temple, and the priests could not go in. When the crowd of people saw the fire and the Lord 's glory, they knelt down and worshiped the Lord . They prayed: “The Lord is good, and his love never ends.”
Thus people had a poor, limited concept of God as a personal God. Jesus came and “unconcealed” God: he became the complete revelation of God.
Colossians 1:15 CEV Christ is exactly like God, who cannot be seen. He is the first-born Son, superior to all creation.
Yet He became one of us so that we could see how much He loves us by experiencing every thing that we experience.
Hebrews 4:15 CEV Jesus understands every weakness of ours, because he was tempted in every way that we are. But he did not sin!
Here we see Jesus’ humanity in that God allowed Satan to do everything he could to keep Jesus from the cross. This was necessary not to see if Jesus was truly God, but to prove that he was God.
III. We looked at Christ in both His preincarnate and incarnate existence. Now let’s see Christ in his present ministry.
When Jesus ascended into heaven, he did not leave behind just a fond memory of himself in the hearts of his followers. He had told them,
Matthew 28:19-20 CEV Go to the people of all nations and make them my disciples. Baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to do everything I have told you. I will be with you always, even until the end of the world.
So what about his present ministry in heaven? He is completing in heaven the work he began on earth.
Romans 8:34 CEV Or can anyone condemn them? No indeed! Christ died and was raised to life, and now he is at God's right side, speaking to him for us.
The phrase “right hand of God,” describing Jesus’s position now in heaven, is a symbol of his power, authority, and glory. Part of his present ministry in heaven is the preparation of a place for his church.
He said to the disciples,
John 14:2 CEV There are many rooms in my Father's house. I wouldn't tell you this, unless it was true. I am going there to prepare a place for each of you.
At the same time, he has kept his promise and sent the Holy Spirit to build and equip the church and to prepare it as his bride. He is preparing heaven for us and us for heaven!
But that’s not all. Christ also intercedes for us. Every Christian has a redeemed soul (spirit), but that soul is housed in an unredeemed body (flesh) that sometimes disobeys and dishonors God.
On the basis of his complete sacrifice on the cross, Jesus is our intercessor before the throne of grace. He takes our imperfect prayers, perfects them, and offers them to God as a sweet-smelling savor.
Often we find ourselves crying out as Paul did;
Romans 7:24 CEV What a miserable person I am. Who will rescue me from this body that is doomed to die?
But like Paul we can say;
Romans 7:25 CEV Thank God! Jesus Christ will rescue me. So with my mind I serve the Law of God, although my selfish desires make me serve the law of sin.
Finally, Christ’s present ministry in heaven brings to completion and perfection the three Old Testament offices: prophet, priest, and king. After Jesus was baptized in the Jordan, the Holy Spirit was manifested in him
John 1:32 CEV I was there and saw the Spirit come down on him like a dove from heaven. And the Spirit stayed on him.
Therefore, possessing all of the gifts of the Holy Spirit without measure, he has the full knowledge of a prophet, the perfect holiness of a priest, and the absolute power of a king.
A prophet spoke to the people about God and declared God’s word to them. Jesus was the very embodiment of that word.
A priest mediated between people and God; Jesus suffered in humankind’s place, satisfied the divine holiness of God, and opened the way for people to be reconciled to God.
Kingship is one of Christ’s eternal prerogatives. He was born a king; during his earthly life, he asserted his kingship and people recognized his claim. His resurrection proved his sovereignty as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Revelation 19:13-16 CEV The rider wore a robe that was covered with blood, and he was known as “The Word of God.” He was followed by armies from heaven that rode on white horses and were dressed in pure white linen. From his mouth a sharp sword went out to attack the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod and will show the fierce anger of God All-Powerful by trampling the grapes in the pit where wine is made. On the part of the robe that covered his thigh was written, “KING OF KINGS AND Lord OF Lord 'S.”
Conclusion
Sometimes we hear the story of the Bible told as Creation-Fall-Redemption-Restoration. But as good as Eden was, we’re not merely headed back to Eden as it once was. The story of the Bible is Creation-Fall-Redemption-Consummation. We’re looking forward to a home that will be even better than Eden.
Now as we anticipate Christ’s return, Christians rejoice in the prospective majesty of the Son of God, for Jesus will in reality be crowned King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
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