{"id":2278,"date":"2019-12-21T17:54:29","date_gmt":"2019-12-21T17:54:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/allthecounselofgod.com\/?p=2278"},"modified":"2019-12-21T17:55:51","modified_gmt":"2019-12-21T17:55:51","slug":"why-the-incarnation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/allthecounselofgod.com\/index.php\/2019\/12\/21\/why-the-incarnation\/","title":{"rendered":"Why The Incarnation ?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The\nLord Jesus, in John 3:3, says that to be born of the flesh and not of the\nSpirit means one cannot see the kingdom of God, hence the absolute need of the\nnew birth. Unless one is born the second time while still living in this life,\nhe will not see nor enter into the kingdom of God.?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MAN\u2019S\nWAYS ARE NOT GOD\u2019S WAYS<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many individuals who have become aware of sin and its problems have devised many ways, to their own liking, to escape the judgment at death and to enter into salvation in the life to come. But man\u2019s ways are only a continuation of the way of death and darkness. In order to escape the inevitable result of this present life into which we have been born, God says we need to be born again- by the Spirit of God- that we might enter into His kingdom of light and life. The Lord Jesus Christ, knowing and recognizing these truths and principles,spoke to Nicodemus and said, \u201cThat which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again\u201d (John 3:6-7).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How\ndid this Teacher, Jesus Christ, know this? Was He just smarter than those\nliving at His time? Did He come upon a truth that others had overlooked? What\nis the answer to this situation? You and I might speculate and reason on this\nfor some time, but even if we were to hit on the truth of the matter, we would\nnot know it as the truth because \u201d \u2026 the natural man receiveth not the\nthings of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he\nknow them, because they are spiritually discerned\u201d ( 1 Corinthians 2: 14).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The kingdom of darkness into which we have come by our first birth, which is a natural, adamic birth, can only be overcome by a second birth which is \u201cfrom above.\u201d The second birth will cause the first one to be laid aside by death that the second may continue for eternity. Hence by means of a second birth and that \u201cfrom above\u201d(heavenly), one born into the kingdom of darkness can now be translated into the kingdom of light. \u201cFor whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved\u201d (Romans 10: 13).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jesus\nsaid in John 14:6, \u201d .. .1 am the way, the truth, and the life: no man\ncometh unto the Father, but by me.\u201d He is the Way; He is the Truth; He is\nthe Life. He came to this world of darkness for the purpose of giving to\nmankind \u201d \u2026 the way, the truth, and the life \u2026. \u201d Who is this\nperson called Jesus the Christ?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CHRIST\nWAS GOD IN THE FLESH<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jesus\nthe Christ, according to the Bible, is God in the flesh. The Bible says in 1\nTimothy 3:16, \u201cAnd without controversy great is the mystery of godliness:\nGod was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels,\npreached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

William H. Bowler, in his book, The Virgin Birth, <\/em>states, \u201cGod will not permit any controversy on this matter. This is an \u2018either-or\u2019 statement. Either you believe God, or you call Him a liar. There is no middle ground, and no controversy about it, and no room for human interpretation or opinion!\u201d Again he states, \u201cIf Jesus Christ were not the Son of God and God the Son, then the cross of Calvary was only a sham, and the death of Christ was only the death of one who was deceived. If Jesus Christ were not the virgin-born Son of God, then His blood could never cleanse from sin. The Bible says that we are redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:19). But if Jesus Christ were not virgin-born, His blood would have no more value than your blood! Do you see what difference it makes whether or not we believe in the virgin birth and deity of Christ? It makes the difference between Heaven and Hell!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In\nJohn 1: 1, we read, \u201cIn the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with\nGod, and the Word was God.\u201d Then in verse 14, \u201cAnd the Word was made\nflesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only\nbegotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jesus the Christ is God in human form. Philippians 2:5-8 very clearly presents this truth, \u201cLet this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 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: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFor\nit is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.\nWherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou\nwouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: In burnt offerings and\nsacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come (in the\nvolume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, 0 God\u201d (Hebrews 1\n0:4-7).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CHRIST\u2019S\nBODY HAD TO BE SINLESS<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nScriptures teach that God was manifest to mankind in a body of flesh. It was in that body that Christ bore our sins to Calvary.\nIt was the blood shed from that body that\ncleanses from sin (Hebrews 10:4).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In\nthe Incarnation of God, the kind of body is important. It must be a sinless body. The record of Scripture is\nthat God has used four ways to produce human bodies:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1.\nBy the dust of the ground (Genesis 2:7).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2.\nBy the rib from Adam (Genesis 2:22).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3.\nBy uniting man and woman (Genesis4:1).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4.\nBy the power of the Holy Spirit and the virgin (Matthew 1:20).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The last or fourth way is known as the \u201cseed of the woman.\u201d This is the manner of providing the body for the Christ. Genesis 3: 15 states, \u201cAnd I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.\u201d God is here saying that by the Seed of the woman, He will overcome Satan. The Redeemer is to be of human form, derived from the woman. Isaiah 7:14 says, \u201cTherefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.\u201d The angelic messenger to Joseph, in Matthew 1:20-21, states, \u201cBut while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CHRIST\nDIED FOR OUR SINS<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\ndoctrine of Scripture as to the Incarnation is that God took upon Himself a\nhuman body. That body was without sin, for it was conceived by the Holy Ghost\nof the virgin Mary. God in that body lived the kind of life His Word commanded\nus to live. Then, at Calvary, he paid the price of our sins by the shedding of\nHis blood on our behalf. Praise God, we now have a Saviour in the person of\nJesus the Christ who lived for us in the flesh, a life without sin, and then\ndied for the sin we had committed. Only God could be that kind of Saviour!<\/p>\n<\/body>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"