The Right Personal Conclusion Of The Incarnation

The right Personal conclusion of the Incarnation

Philippians 2:5-11 John 1:1-5, 14

If we want to enter into the spirit and celebration of Christmas in Christian worship, we must focus our attention on the event of the incarnation, which is the heart of the Christmas message. Those who reject the biblical teaching of the incarnation also reject the authority of the Scriptures. The idea of a “god” involving himself in the affairs of men by coming to the earth is not a new one. In the culture of New Testament times, there were several instances in which the “gods” were said to have manifested themselves in human flesh.

Humanly speaking, no one anticipated God’s involvement into human history by the birth of a child, born in a manger. Not even God’s chosen people were looking for Messiah to come in this way. Some of us have become so familiar with the biblical account of the birth of our Lord and the belief of the incarnation we have ceased to appreciate the mystery.

The incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ was both a high point and a beginning. In and of itself the incarnation of Christ was an event, unique and never again to be repeated. The incarnation is more than an event. May God’s Spirit guide us as we seek to discover how to daily apply the incarnation to our daily lives?

1. the incarnation is a belief we need. The first step in understanding the implications of the incarnation, is to see that in addition to the incarnation being a particular event, the coming of the Christ, it is also a belief. In the incarnation of our Lord, God chose to manifest Himself in the human flesh in the person of Jesus Christ. God chose to manifest Himself through humanity.

That God reveled Himself through humanity, is first clear in the creation of man in the Garden of Eden. In GEN. 1:26, we are told that God created man in His own image. Man was created as a reflection of God. Ironically and sadly the image and likeness of God in man was distorted because of man’s fall. Often in the Old Testament, God revealed Himself in human form. For example, angels were distinctly human in appearance. Even the “Angel of the Lord,” appeared in human form. The human appearance of these angels was so convincingly human that those who saw them understood them to be only men.

How is God explained in human terms? His omniscience is described in terms of His eyes. He sees all. His omnipotence is described in terms of His ‘strong arms.’

The ultimate example of incarnation is in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ:

“No man has seen the Father at any time; the only begotten God, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.” “And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature”. We must believe God came to earth.

2. the incarnation is a belief, WHICH Applies to Every Christian.

God has not only chosen to reveal Himself in the person of Jesus Christ, but also personally through the godly lives of His children. Incarnate means “to give actual form to or to make real or” to “flesh out or”. This is precisely what is intended by the belief of incarnation. God intends to bring His character to life through the godly lives of Christians: In the wording of Phil 2:15 “That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;” We are to display the character of God.

3. some necessary Distinctions about the incarnation.

We must be careful also to distinguish between the incarnation of our Lord and the belief of incarnation as it relates to us. In the first place, the Lord Jesus was God, and at His plan, He added humanity to His deity. We, on the other hand, have become one with God because He sought us out and gave us new birth through His Spirit.

Secondly, in our Lord’s incarnation perfect humanity was added to His deity. We are neither divine nor sinless. We are sinful human beings who have been redeemed by the blood of Christ and who have become one with God through new birth. We are not “gods;” rather God is in us and we in Him. It is one thing to become “partakers of the divine nature” and quite another to fully possess a divine nature. He is the Vine and we are the branches. He is the Son of God and we are sons of God. Jesus has been one with the Father eternally and we receive eternal life. Although created in God’s image, our sins have separated us from God. We become one with God only in the person of Jesus Christ. In Him, our sins are forgiven. In Him, we enter into a union with God. The Holy Spirit renews our lives and gives new birth. The Holy Spirit indwells the Christian, enabling him to manifest godly character.