The Doctrine of Salvation
How
"Righteousness by Faith"
Really Works
"Righteousness by Faith"
Really Works
Review of Section B:
Jesus, Our Brother or Distant Cousin?
Jesus, Our Brother or Distant Cousin?
Jesus Christ is both our remedy for sin and our example for overcoming it (1 Peter 2:21-22). His name is well-known, yet people have many uncertainties about Him as a man. Was He really God? Was He really a human being? Could He sin? Was He really tempted? Did He struggle with problems and feelings like those that trouble us?
There are some basic texts which form a foundation for understanding who Jesus was. "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" (Philippians 2:6-7). So, we know that Jesus was really God (John 8:58) and we know that He was really a man. John makes the point even more clear. "Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God" (1 John 4:2).
But let us go a step farther. What kind of human being did Jesus become? "Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same... For verily He took not on Him the nature of angels; but He took on Him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behooved Him to be made like unto His brethren" (Hebrews 2:14,16-17). Notice how the point is emphasized that Jesus Himself likewise partook of the same flesh and blood that we have.
If Jesus was born of the seed of Abraham, then we only have to ask the question, What nature did all the descendants of Abraham receive? Clearly, they all received fallen nature as a birthright. Notice also that the text says that Jesus was made like His brethren (us) in all things. We must not pass over these texts superficially or rewrite them to meet our preconceptions. Jesus really took our nature.
Under the law of heredity, we receive natural tendencies from our parents; thus Jesus received natural tendencies from His mother, for she was a fully human mother. As a human being like us, Jesus inherited the physical results of the fall, such as hunger, fatigue, thirst and mortality, as well as the tendencies all of us must contend with, toward traits such as selfishness, pride, jealousy and gluttony. Nowhere does the Bible suggest that the chain of heredity was broken between Mary and Jesus. Many times, He called Himself "the Son of man."
We can rejoice that Jesus did not sidestep the ugliness of being born into a fallen world, to a fallen mother, with a fallen nature. We indeed have a Saviour who is very near to us. He did not quarantine Himself from the disease of a fallen nature, giving us instructions by long-distance communication. He stepped right into the battle zone with us. With tender love He takes our hand and will lead us out of the quagmire in which we find ourselves, if only we follow Him. (See Psalm 23) Praise God for such a Saviour!
But was Jesus tempted as strongly as we are tempted to yield to attractive temptations? Did He have to struggle as we do? Let us consider what temptation actually is. Not only does Satan tempt us, as he tempted Eve and Jesus Himself, "But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed" (James 1:14). So, our temptations do not arise only from outside ourselves, but from within our natures. We are drawn by our own fallen tendencies and drives. The word "lust" is sometimes translated "desires" or "passions." In fact, the majority of our temptations arise from this source.
The question is, Was Jesus tempted in this way or not? Scripture gives us clear answers on this point. "For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin" (Hebrews 4:15). A simple, straightforward reading of this text tells us that Jesus was tempted just like we are tempted.
Since most of our temptations are due to the drives and impulses of our fallen human natures, if Jesus did not take this fallen nature, then He could not be tempted as we are tempted. He could not be tempted with my temptations to selfishness, pride, anger, discouragement, lust, appetite, carelessness, rebellion, and a host of other temptations arising out of my fallen nature. But this text tells us that He lived without sinning in spite of being tempted in all the same ways that I am tempted. What an encouragement to us who must live our entire lives fighting against a nature that would otherwise destroy us!
Jesus Himself said, "I seek not Mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent Me" (John 5:30). In the garden of Gethsemane, when He faced the horrific penalty for all our sins, He prayed to the Father "not My will, but Thine, be done" (Luke 22:42). He bids anyone who would be His disciple to "deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me" (Luke 9:23). Like Jesus, we must surrender our own inclinations and seek to do God's will alone.
Why is all this important? "For in that He Himself hath suffered being tempted, He is able to succour them that are tempted" (Hebrews 2:18). "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:16). Because Christ took our nature and was tempted in all points as we are, we can have full confidence that in His name we can approach the very throne of God and know that He will give us the help we need.
But there is one important difference between Christ and all other human beings. God told Mary, "The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God" (Luke 1:35). No other human being has ever had the Holy Spirit for a father. This is the most remarkable difference between Jesus and other humans. Jesus was "God manifest in the flesh" (1 Timothy 3:16).
Because the Holy Spirit was in control of His life from His very conception, Christ never yielded to the temptation to sin at any time. Although His nature was the same as our nature, His character was pure and holy from birth. Jesus was holy from His first entrance into the world, and He remained holy for the rest of His life.
The very good news is that I can have the same controlling power of the Holy Spirit and the same victory over sin when I choose to surrender my life to God. I can have the same connection with God that Jesus did by the process of the new birth. "According as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue: whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust" (2 Peter 1:3-4).
Jesus' victory was remarkable, not because as God He acted like God, but because as man He did not act like every other man. He lived a life that was supposed to be impossible to live. Jesus proved that with God the impossible is possible. Because of Christ's victory, the way is now prepared for God to do the impossible in us.
There are some basic texts which form a foundation for understanding who Jesus was. "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" (Philippians 2:6-7). So, we know that Jesus was really God (John 8:58) and we know that He was really a man. John makes the point even more clear. "Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God" (1 John 4:2).
But let us go a step farther. What kind of human being did Jesus become? "Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same... For verily He took not on Him the nature of angels; but He took on Him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behooved Him to be made like unto His brethren" (Hebrews 2:14,16-17). Notice how the point is emphasized that Jesus Himself likewise partook of the same flesh and blood that we have.
If Jesus was born of the seed of Abraham, then we only have to ask the question, What nature did all the descendants of Abraham receive? Clearly, they all received fallen nature as a birthright. Notice also that the text says that Jesus was made like His brethren (us) in all things. We must not pass over these texts superficially or rewrite them to meet our preconceptions. Jesus really took our nature.
Under the law of heredity, we receive natural tendencies from our parents; thus Jesus received natural tendencies from His mother, for she was a fully human mother. As a human being like us, Jesus inherited the physical results of the fall, such as hunger, fatigue, thirst and mortality, as well as the tendencies all of us must contend with, toward traits such as selfishness, pride, jealousy and gluttony. Nowhere does the Bible suggest that the chain of heredity was broken between Mary and Jesus. Many times, He called Himself "the Son of man."
We can rejoice that Jesus did not sidestep the ugliness of being born into a fallen world, to a fallen mother, with a fallen nature. We indeed have a Saviour who is very near to us. He did not quarantine Himself from the disease of a fallen nature, giving us instructions by long-distance communication. He stepped right into the battle zone with us. With tender love He takes our hand and will lead us out of the quagmire in which we find ourselves, if only we follow Him. (See Psalm 23) Praise God for such a Saviour!
But was Jesus tempted as strongly as we are tempted to yield to attractive temptations? Did He have to struggle as we do? Let us consider what temptation actually is. Not only does Satan tempt us, as he tempted Eve and Jesus Himself, "But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed" (James 1:14). So, our temptations do not arise only from outside ourselves, but from within our natures. We are drawn by our own fallen tendencies and drives. The word "lust" is sometimes translated "desires" or "passions." In fact, the majority of our temptations arise from this source.
The question is, Was Jesus tempted in this way or not? Scripture gives us clear answers on this point. "For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin" (Hebrews 4:15). A simple, straightforward reading of this text tells us that Jesus was tempted just like we are tempted.
Since most of our temptations are due to the drives and impulses of our fallen human natures, if Jesus did not take this fallen nature, then He could not be tempted as we are tempted. He could not be tempted with my temptations to selfishness, pride, anger, discouragement, lust, appetite, carelessness, rebellion, and a host of other temptations arising out of my fallen nature. But this text tells us that He lived without sinning in spite of being tempted in all the same ways that I am tempted. What an encouragement to us who must live our entire lives fighting against a nature that would otherwise destroy us!
Jesus Himself said, "I seek not Mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent Me" (John 5:30). In the garden of Gethsemane, when He faced the horrific penalty for all our sins, He prayed to the Father "not My will, but Thine, be done" (Luke 22:42). He bids anyone who would be His disciple to "deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me" (Luke 9:23). Like Jesus, we must surrender our own inclinations and seek to do God's will alone.
Why is all this important? "For in that He Himself hath suffered being tempted, He is able to succour them that are tempted" (Hebrews 2:18). "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:16). Because Christ took our nature and was tempted in all points as we are, we can have full confidence that in His name we can approach the very throne of God and know that He will give us the help we need.
But there is one important difference between Christ and all other human beings. God told Mary, "The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God" (Luke 1:35). No other human being has ever had the Holy Spirit for a father. This is the most remarkable difference between Jesus and other humans. Jesus was "God manifest in the flesh" (1 Timothy 3:16).
Because the Holy Spirit was in control of His life from His very conception, Christ never yielded to the temptation to sin at any time. Although His nature was the same as our nature, His character was pure and holy from birth. Jesus was holy from His first entrance into the world, and He remained holy for the rest of His life.
The very good news is that I can have the same controlling power of the Holy Spirit and the same victory over sin when I choose to surrender my life to God. I can have the same connection with God that Jesus did by the process of the new birth. "According as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue: whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust" (2 Peter 1:3-4).
Jesus' victory was remarkable, not because as God He acted like God, but because as man He did not act like every other man. He lived a life that was supposed to be impossible to live. Jesus proved that with God the impossible is possible. Because of Christ's victory, the way is now prepared for God to do the impossible in us.
CONCLUSION:
Jesus Christ, the pre-existent Son of God, lived a fully human life with a fully fallen (sinful) human nature,
but by continually submitting His human will to the will and saving power of God, He lived without sinning.
Jesus Christ, the pre-existent Son of God, lived a fully human life with a fully fallen (sinful) human nature,
but by continually submitting His human will to the will and saving power of God, He lived without sinning.