What'JWmtWe i Believe ABOUT CHRIST? By STANLEY H. BAILES,* Los Angeles, California S T h e S o n o f G od is the most misun derstood Person in the universe. Nineteen centuries ago, He was misun high priest in things pertaining to God, to make recon ciliation for the sins o f the people.”
God’s Book fearlessly puts Christ’s humanity and His deity close together, even in one passage. Note especially: “ And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, inso much that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep. . . . Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea ; and there was a great calm” (Matt. 8:24, 26 ). Could more complete union o f humanity and deity be found? A very precious truth is the fact that our Lord is truly Man even in His resurrection life : “ Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have” (Lk. 2 4 :39 ). Our Saviour, in His earthly body, is in heaven to day, robed with all the glory o f the Son o f God. J e s u s C h r is t R e v e a l e d A s F u l l y G od Important as is the humanity o f Jesus Christ, another aspect o f His personality is even more significant. One o f the unique yet essential features o f our salvation was that the world’s Redeemer must be God as well as Man; and the Lord Jesus Christ is God, even as the Father is God. Perhaps the best definition o f this amazing fact is in our Shorter Catechism which asks the question: “ How many persons are there in the Godhead?” Immediately the answer is : “ There are three persons in the Godhead— the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; these three are one God, the same in substance, equal in power and glory.” The English language contains no greater definition of the Trinity than this. Let us turn to some scriptural attestations to the deity of our Lord. See the divine names by which He is called. Forty times in the New Testament He is called the “ Son of God.” Four times He is called the “ only begotten Son.” Notice also some o f the divine acts which He performed by the word o f His power. He raised the dead. He calmed the raging sea. He multiplied a paltry lunch to feed a mul titude. Consider, further, His divine characteristics. Only Deity can be omnipresent, and to the disciples the Lord Jesus gave the promise: “ Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end o f the world.” He also declared, “ Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst o f them.” W e observe additional evidence o f His deity in script ures dealing with His divine office. His was the work of creation, “ For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him” (Col. 1 :16). His divine office entitled Him to recognition as G od ; there fore, we read: “ They worshipped him” (Lk. 2 4 :52). Now one o f the peculiarities o f the Godhead is that worship given to any other than God cannot be countenanced. Ter rible judgment came upon Herod when he accepted the worship o f the multitude. Paul and Barnabas protested vigorously against the effort o f the people to worship them. But our Lord accepted worship, for it was due Him, as very God o f very God. O f Him the Father said, “ Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Jesus Christ was truly God as well as truly Man.
derstood by the very people who saw Him and lived by His side. Mary Mag dalene at the resurrection tomb, “ sup posing him to be the gardener,” cried, “ Sir, . . . ,” and millions today, still supposing Him to be a gardener who prunes and cuts away, deny Him en trance into their lives. Our supreme need is to compare our
S tanley H. B ailes
thinking with that o f the Scriptures. Let us therefore bring all our opinions regarding this matchless Son o f God and lay them beside the standards o f the Word o f God to see whether we have the mind o f Christ and the wisdom of God on this the greatest o f all topics. Scriptural truth is emphatic in a fourfold revelation o f the personality o f our Lord, and these aspects will be the objects o f our study with the Holy Spirit as our guide. J e s u s C h r is t R e v e a l e d a s F u l l y M a n There are two extreme tendencies in men’s thought about Christ today— one that He was Man and not God; the other, that He was God and not Man. We cannot fathom how He could be fully God and fully Man in one Person—no one can explain that— but we need to see His utter humanity as well as His perfect deity, for if we un derstand that He was Man as truly as any one o f us is man, it will help us to comprehend more fully His atoning mission on Calvary. The New Testament applies to the Lord Jesus Christ distinctly human characteristics, none o f which could be applied to Him if He were simply the Son o f God without humanity. W e need to note carefully: “ And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory, glory as o f the only begotten o f the Father), full o f grace and truth” (John 1 :14, R. V .) , and we shall see that the Son o f God had to become flesh before we could look upon Him and behold His glory, the glory o f God. A further sidelight is in Hebrews 2 :14 : “ Forasmuch then as the children are partakers o f flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part o f the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power o f death, that is, the devil.” Here Christ is clearly shown to have had a physical nature, the purpose o f which was that through death He might destroy him that had the power o f death. In the opening passage o f Romans, we notice also the words: “ Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made o f the seed o f David according to the flesh.” Even believers may need to be reminded that Mary was as truly the mother o f our Lord, as God was His Father. W e see a further reminder o f the humanity o f Christ in His human limitations. He hungered, He was tempted, He was wearied, He slept, He wept, and He died. Our Lord was human in all things. W e read in Hebrews 2 :17 : “ Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful *Pastor, Vermont Avenue Presbyterian Church.
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