Can You Count to Three? The Godhead for Children
1Jo 4:3 And every
spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come
in the flesh is not of God: and this is that [spirit] of antichrist, whereof ye
have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
2Jo 1:7 For many
deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come
in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.
Rom 8:3 For what the
law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own
Son in the likeness of sinful
flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
“To love God with all the heart, to be a partaker with Christ in
His humiliation and suffering, means more than many understand. The atonement of Christ is the great
central truth around which cluster all the truths that
pertain to the great work of redemption. The mind of man is to blend with the mind of Christ. This union
sanctifies the understanding, giving the thoughts clearness and force.... {LHU
229.4}
This document is to aid parents in teaching
the Godhead and the purpose of the Atonement to their children. Jesus loves the
little children and it is the duty of parents to teach them just how much Jesus
loves them by familiarizing them with the Sanctuary Service. If your children
can count to three, they can know that there are three persons to the Godhead
in heaven because Jesus, as the Son of God, carried His humanity into the
highest heaven and He retains His humanity forever.
A good illustration of the Sanctuary Service
and its furnishings may be found at this link:
http://biblelight.net/temple.htm
Here is a song for the children before you
begin your study of the Sanctuary Service:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j01SGogFtFo
Explain how the remedy for sin before Jesus
came to this earth was the Sanctuary Service, whereby one had to confess
his/her sins on the most perfect animal they had, and then the antimal had to be killed, and the priest had to sprinkle
the blood on the posts in the Most Holy Place inside the Sanctuary.
Teach the children that:
·
Though finally the blood of Christ’s humanity was spilled for our
transgressions, that blood did not make us perfect. It did not cure the sin
problem because men still sinned after Jesus died on the cross.
·
The death of Christ on the cross redeemed man from committed
sins by Christ taking upon Himself our sins.
·
Before Christ’s death as the antitypical sacrificial Lamb, one
had to take his/her best of the herd animal and sacrifice it for his/her sins.
God the Father took His only beloved Son and offered Him as a sacrifice for our
sins.
·
The sacrifice that provided a cure for sin was the sacrifice of
the DIVINE SOUL of the life of Christ, which was/is His Holy Spirit. “Christ had stooped to take upon Himself man's nature; He
was to bear an infinite weight of woe as He should make His soul an offering for sin; yet angels desired
that even in His humiliation the Son of the Highest might appear before men
with a dignity and glory befitting His character. Would the great men of earth
assemble at Israel's capital to greet His coming? Would legions of angels
present Him to the expectant company?” The
Great Controversy, pp. 313, 314.
·
Teach them that the
soul Christ made as an offering [a cure] for sin was the life of His Divine
Nature Holy Spirit, the soul of His life: "Christ declared that after his
ascension, he would send to his church, as his crowning gift, the Comforter,
who was to take his place. This Comforter is the Holy Spirit,--the soul of
his life, the efficacy of his church, the light and life of the
world. With his Spirit Christ sends a reconciling influence and a power that takes
away sin.
In the gift of the Spirit [HIS LIFE--THE SOUL OF HIS
LIFE], Jesus gave to man the highest good that heaven could bestow....
The
Spirit was given as a regenerating agency, and without this the sacrifice of
Christ would have been of no avail....
It is by
the Spirit that the heart is made pure. Through the Spirit the believer becomes
a partaker of the divine nature. Christ has given his Spirit as a divine power
to overcome all hereditary and cultivated tendencies to evil, and to impress
his own character upon the church." E.G. White, Review and Herald Articles, May 19, 1904, vol. 5, p. 42.
·
Teach them that
Divinity could not die on the cross, so the only way Divinity could “die” was
for Christ to forsake His former existence as being DIVINE ONLY, by taking upon
Himself our humanity forever. "I am the resurrection, and the life' (John 11:25). He who had
said, 'I lay down my life, that I might take it again' (John 10:17), came forth
from the grave to life that was IN HIMSELF. Humanity died;
DIVINITY DID NOT DIE. In His
divinity, Christ possessed the power to break the bonds of death. He declares
that He has life in Himself to quicken whom He will." E.G. White, Selected
Messages, Book 1, p. 301.
·
Teach them that: "Cumbered
with humanity Christ could not be in every place personally,
therefore it was altogether for their advantage that He should leave them to go
to His Father and send the Holy Spirit to be His successor on earth. The Holy
Spirit is Himself divested of the personality of humanity and independent
thereof. He
would represent Himself as present in all places by His Holy Spirit.” E.G.
White, (Manuscript Releases Volume 14
(No’s 1081-1135) MR No.1084.
·
The Son divested
(separated) the personality of His humanity from the personality of His Divine
Nature Holy Spirit HIMSELF, and the personality of His humanity became
independent of the personality of His Divinity.
·
Teach them that the
Trinity Doctrine, Rome’s Central doctrine, sweeps away the above stated process
by which a third person, the full humanity of the Son of God, was added to the
Godhead to make a THIRD PERSON. The Trinity Doctrine teaches that there were
three persons to the Godhead from eternity. That would make four persons to the
Godhead after Christ partook of our humanity to be fully divine and fully human
in two distinct persons.
“The Godhead was stirred with pity for the race, and the Father,
the Son, and the Holy Spirit gave themselves
to the
working out of the plan of redemption.”—Counsels
on Health, 222. {7ABC 442.1}
“Jesus, the served of all, came to be the servant of all.
And because He ministered to all, He will again be served and honored by all.
And those who would partake of His divine attributes, and share with Him the
joy of seeing souls redeemed, must follow His example of unselfish ministry.” Desire of Ages, p. 651
The Son was slain from the foundation of the earth says
scripture. So in principle, from the foundation of the earth the Son bequeathed
His Holy Spirit soul of His life for us. As soon as the Son, as Testator of the
Covenant, Testated (Willed) His soul, His Divine
Nature Holy Spirit HIMSELF, as a covenant between God and man, it was as good
as done, and this occurred from the foundation of the earth:
Rev 13:8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship
him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the
foundation of the world before the cross sacrifice by which Christ redeemed us
from committed sins by taking them upon Himself.
From the foundation of the earth the soul of the life of
the Son of God was offered up in the heavenly Sanctuary as a sacrifice for the
only cure for sin, without which, His death on the cross would have been of no avail
but to pardon sin forever.
Bases on all of the above, if
you can count to three, you can know that there are three members to the
Godhead in heaven:
1.
The Father.
2.
The Son and His
human personality which He retains forver..
3.
The eternal Holy
Spirit Divine Nature of the Son, the soul of His life; the life that WAS HIS, that He gave to us as heavens highest good crowning
gift.
“He (Christ) suffered the death which was ours,
that we might receive the life which WAS His.” Desire of Ages, p. 25 1
Cor. 11:24-265, cf. John 6:53, 54, Titus 3:5, 6.
If you can count to three, you can know and understand
the important aspects of the Godhead and the great sacrifice involved.
The Seriousness
of the Following Verses
Many fail to have a proper understanding of the following
three very serious verses of Scripture. Jesus was/is very God. What these
verses mean is that those who don’t believe that Jesus was God come in the
likeness of sinful flesh, and that His humanity is part of the Godhead FOREVER,
are antichrist.
1Jo 4:3 And every spirit that confesseth
not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that
[spirit] of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now
already is it in the world.
2Jo 1:7 For
many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is
come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.
Rom 8:3 For what the law
could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin,
condemned sin in the flesh:
“The
apostle would call our attention from ourselves to the Author of our salvation.
He presents before us His two natures, divine and human. . . . He voluntarily
assumed human nature. It was His own act, and by His own consent. He clothed
His divinity with humanity. He was all the while as God, but He did not appear
as God. He veiled the demonstrations of Deity which had commanded the homage,
and called forth the admiration of the universe of God. He was God while upon
earth, but He divested Himself of the
form of God, and in its stead took the form and fashion of a man. He
walked the earth as a man. For our sakes He became poor, that
we through His poverty might be made rich. He laid aside His glory and His
majesty. He was God, but the glories of
the form of God He for awhile relinquished. . . .
He bore the sins of the world, and endured the penalty which rolled like a
mountain upon His divine soul. He yielded up His life a sacrifice,
that man should not eternally die. He died, not through being compelled
to die, but by His own free will.” E.G. White, SDA Bible Commentary,
Vol. 7a, p. 446.
“Cumbered with humanity Christ
could not be in every place personally, therefore it was altogether for their advantage
that He should leave them to go to His Father and send the Holy Spirit to be
His successor on earth. The Holy Spirit is Himself divested of the
personality of humanity and independent thereof. He would represent Himself
as present in all places by His Holy Spirit.” E.G. White, (Manuscript Releases Volume 14 (No’s 1081-1135) MR No.1084.
Christ Carried
His Humanity Into the Highest Heaven
“God has adopted human nature
in the person of His Son, and has carried the same into the highest heaven. It is the “Son of man” who
shares the throne of the universe. It is the “Son of man” whose name shall be called,
“Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6. The I
AM is the Daysman between God and humanity, laying His hand upon both. He who
is “holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners,” is not ashamed to call
us brethren.” Hebrews 7:26; 2:11. {Hvn
72.2}
“In view of all that Christ
has suffered for us, should we complain when we are called to endure self-denial
and suffering? Would not this make God ashamed of us? Let us rejoice that it is
our privilege to be partakers in the sufferings of Christ, for thus only can we
be fitted to be partakers of His glory.... Let us live lives that will lead
sinners to the Saviour. Christ carried His humanity with Him into the heavenly courts, and all
humanity can claim Him as their representative. We may be made complete in Him.—Manuscript 58, “The Work in Washington,” a talk given May 19, 1905.
Can there be any dispute that
there are three persons to the Godhead? Christ carried His humanity into the
highest heaven and His humanity is seated with the Father on His throne. It is
antichrist to discount His humanity as a person of the Godhead in heaven, since
the personality of His Holy Spirit is divested from the personality of His
humanity.
“Heaven’s King—When Christ
came to this earth the first time, He came in lowliness and obscurity, and His
life here was one of suffering and poverty.... At His second coming all will be
changed. Not as a prisoner surrounded by a rabble will men see Him, but as
heaven’s King. Christ will come in His own glory, in the glory of His Father,
and in the glory of the holy angels. Ten thousand times ten thousand and
thousands of thousands of angels, the beautiful, triumphant sons of God,
possessing surpassing loveliness and glory, will escort Him on His way. In the
place of a crown of thorns, He will wear a crown of glory—a crown within a
crown. In the place of that old purple robe, He will be clothed in a garment of
whitest white, “so as no fuller on earth can white” (Mark 9:3) it. And on His
vesture and on His thigh a name will be written, “King of kings, and Lord of
lords.”—The Review and Herald,
November 13, 1913 quoted in God’s Amazing Grace, 358. {Hvn
70.2}
Received in His Joy—”The very
One who gave His precious life for them, who by His grace moved their hearts to
repentance, who awakened them to their need of repentance, receives them now
into His joy. Oh, how they love Him! The realization of their hope is
infinitely greater than their expectation. Their joy is complete, and they take
their glittering crowns and cast them at their Redeemer’s feet.:—RH
June 18, 1901 quoted in Counsels on
Stewardship, 349. {Hvn 71.1}
A Tie Never to Be Broken—By
His life and His death, Christ has achieved even more than recovery from the
ruin wrought through sin. It was Satan’s purpose to bring about an eternal
separation between God and man; but in Christ we become more closely united to God than if we had never
fallen. In taking our nature, the Saviour has bound Himself to humanity by a
tie that is never to be broken. Through the eternal ages He is linked with us. “God so
loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son.” John 3:16. He gave
Him not only to bear our sins, and to die as our sacrifice; He gave Him to the
fallen race. To assure us of His immutable counsel of peace, God gave His
only-begotten Son to become one of the human family,
forever to retain His human nature. This is the pledge that God will fulfill
His word. “Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government
shall be upon His shoulder.” {Hvn 72.1}
“In Christ the family of earth
and the family of heaven are bound together. Christ glorified is our brother.
Heaven is enshrined in humanity, and humanity is enfolded in the bosom of
Infinite Love.”—The Desire of Ages, 25, 26. {Hvn
72.3}
One With the Race He Has
Redeemed.—”God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son.” He gave
Him not only to live among men, to bear their sins, and die their sacrifice. He
gave Him to the fallen race. Christ was to identify Himself with the interests
and needs of humanity. He who was one with God has linked Himself with the
children of men by ties that are never to be broken. Jesus is “not ashamed to
call them brethren” (Hebrews 2:11); He is our Sacrifice, our Advocate, our
Brother, bearing our human form before the Father’s throne, and through eternal
ages one with the race He has redeemed—the Son of man. And all this that man
might be uplifted from the ruin and degradation of sin that he might reflect
the love of God and share the joy of holiness.—Steps to Christ, 14. {Hvn 73.1}
Ransomed Host Christ’s Chief Glory—In the intercessory prayer of Jesus with His Father,
He claimed that He had fulfilled the conditions which made it obligatory upon
the Father to fulfill His part of the contract made in heaven, with regard to
fallen man.... He declares Himself glorified in those who believe on Him. The
church, in His name, is to carry to glorious perfection the work which He has
commenced; and when that church shall be finally ransomed in the Paradise of
God, He will look upon the travail of His soul and be satisfied. Through all
eternity the ransomed host will be His chief glory.”—The Spirit of Prophecy 3:260, 261 quoted in Sons and Daughters of
God, 296. {Hvn 73.2}
Will Bear Humanity Throughout Eternity—”Christ ascended to heaven, bearing a
sanctified, holy humanity. He took this humanity with Him into the heavenly courts,
and through the eternal ages He will bear it, as the One who has redeemed every
human being in the city of God, the One who has pleaded before the Father, “I
have graven them upon the palms of my hands.” The palms of His hands bear the
marks of the wounds that He received. If we are wounded and bruised, if we meet
with difficulties that are hard to manage, let us remember how much Christ
suffered for us. Let us sit together with our brethren in heavenly places in
Christ. Let us bring heaven’s blessing into our hearts.” {Hvn
74.1}
“Jesus took the nature of
humanity, in order to reveal to man a pure, unselfish love, to teach us how to
love one another.” {Hvn 74.2}
“As a man Christ ascended to
heaven. As a man He is the substitute and surety for humanity. As a man He liveth to make intercession for us. He is
preparing a place for all who love Him. As a man He will come again with power
and glory, to receive His children. And that which should cause us joy and
thanksgiving is, that God “hath appointed a day, in the which
he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained.”
Then we may have the assurance forever that the whole unfallen
universe is interested in the grand work Jesus came to our world to accomplish,
even the salvation of man.—Ms 16, 1890 quoted in The
S.D.A. Bible Commentary 5:1125, 1126. {Hvn 74.3}
“Christ has carried His
humanity into eternity. He stands before God as the representative of our race.
When we are clothed with the wedding garment of His righteousness, we become
one with Him, and He says of us, “They shall walk with me in white: for they
are worthy.” His saints will behold Him in His glory, with no dimming veil
between.”—The Youth’s Instructor,
October 28, 1897 quoted in The S.D.A.
Bible Commentary 7:925. {Hvn 74.4}
“Christ ascended to heaven,
bearing a sanctified, holy humanity. He took this humanity with Him into the
heavenly courts, and through the eternal ages He will bear it, as the One who
has redeemed every human being in the city of God.—The Review and Herald, March 9, 1905 quoted in The S.D.A. Bible
Commentary 6:1054. {Hvn 75.1}
Christ’s Humanity Pledges
God’s Faithfulness—”We have everything we could ask to inspire us with faith
and trust in God. In earthly courts, when a king would make his greatest pledge
to assure men of his truth, he gives his child as a hostage, to be redeemed on
the fulfillment of his promise; and behold what a pledge of the Father’s
faithfulness; for when He would assure men of the immutability of His council,
He gave His only-begotten Son to come to earth, to take the nature of man, not
only for the brief years of life, but to retain his nature in the heavenly
courts, an everlasting pledge of the faithfulness of God. O the depth of the
riches both of the wisdom and love of God! “Behold, what manner of love the
Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God” (1 John
3:1).—RH December 22, 1891 quoted in Selected Messages 1:258. {Hvn 75.2}
A Marvel to the Universe—”This
is the mystery of godliness. That Christ should take human nature, and by a
life of humiliation elevate man in the scale of moral worth with God: that He
should carry His adopted nature to the throne of God, and there present His
children to the Father, to have conferred upon them an honor exceeding that
conferred upon the angels—this is the marvel of the heavenly universe, the
mystery into which angels desire to look. This is love that melts the sinner’s
heart.”—Ms 21, 1900 quoted in Sons and Daughters of
God, 22. {Hvn 75.3}
“The Bible is a treasure house of knowledge, and
all who make this book their study, sinking the shaft deep into the mine of
truth, will exclaim, 'I behold wondrous things out of thy word.' The
INCARNATION of Christ is but dimly appreciated by many students who have studied
long in our schools. This subject should be and will be better understood by
all who in truth love Truth, and walk in the way of the Lord. The experimental
knowledge of this is as essential to sanctify daily as to redeem.” E.G. White, The Advocate, 05-01-99, pr. 03.
“Christ declared that after his ascension, he would
send to his church, as his crowning gift, the Comforter, who was to take his
place. This Comforter is the Holy Spirit,--the soul of his life, the efficacy
of his church, the light and life of the world. With his Spirit Christ sends a
reconciling influence and a power that takes away sin.
In the gift of the Spirit [HIS LIFE--THE SOUL OF
HIS LIFE], Jesus gave to man the highest good that heaven could bestow....
The Spirit was given as a regenerating agency, and
without this the sacrifice of Christ would have been of no avail....
It is by the Spirit that the heart is made pure.
Through the Spirit the believer becomes a partaker of the divine nature. Christ
has given his Spirit as a divine power to overcome all hereditary and
cultivated tendencies to evil, and to impress his own character upon the
church.” E.G. White, Review and Herald
Articles, May 19, 1904, vol. 5, p. 42.
“Christ brought men and women power to overcome. He
came to this world in human form, to live a man amongst men. He assumed the
liabilities of human nature, to be proved and tried. In His humanity He was a
partaker of the divine nature. In His Incarnation He gained in a NEW SENSE
the title of the Son of God. Said the angel to Mary, '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). While
the Son of a human being, He became the son of God in a NEW SENSE. Thus
He stood in our world--the Son of God, yet allied by birth to the human race.”
E.G. White, Selected Messages, vol.
1, p. 226.
“They must have His grace, the Spirit of Christ,
to help their infirmities, or they cannot form a Christian character. Jesus
loves to have us come to Him, just as we are—sinful, helpless, dependent.” Faith and
Works, p. 38.
“Christ gives them the breath of His own Spirit, the life of His own Life.” Desire of Ages, p. 827, par. 3.
“The Holy Spirit is the breath of life in the soul.
The impartation of the Spirit is the impartation of the life of Christ. It
imbues the receiver with the attributes of Christ.” Desire of Ages, p. 805.
Act 3:26 Unto you first God, having raised up
his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his
iniquities.
How does Jesus bless us in turning every one from
his iniquities? Via the soul of His life, His Holy Spirit:
“The Power of God in the Third Person.—The prince of
the power of evil can only be held in check by the power of God in the third
person of the Godhead, the Holy Spirit.-- Special
Testimonies, Series A, No. 10, p. 37. (1897).
“In His humanity Christ partook of our sinful, fallen
nature. If not, then He was not 'made like unto His brethren,' was not' in all
points tempted like as we are,' did not overcome as we have to overcome, and is
not, therefore, the complete and perfect Saviour man needs and must have to be
saved. The idea that Christ was born of an immaculate or sinless mother,
inherited no tendencies to sin, and for this reason did not sin, removes Him
from the realm of a fallen world, and from the very place where help is needed.
On His human side, Christ inherited just what every child of Adam inherited--a
sinful nature. On the divine side, from His very conception He was begotten and
born of the Spirit. And all this was done to place mankind on vantage-ground,
and to demonstrate that in the same way everyone who is 'born of the Spirit'
may gain like victories over sin in his own sinful flesh. Thus each one is to
overcome as Christ overcame. Rev. 3:21. Without this berth there can be no
victory over temptation, and no salvation from sin. John 3:3-7. Bible Readings
for the Home,
Copyright Review and Herald Publishing Association, all editions
1914-1949, Pacific Press Publishing Association, page 173.
Human Nature of Christ: “The example He [Christ]
has left must be followed,' Ellen White counseled. 'He
took upon His sinless nature our sinful nature, that
He might know how to succor those that are tempted.” E.G.
White, Medical Ministry, page 181.
“Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of
flesh and blood, he Christ] 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, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things
pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.” Hebrews 2:14, 16-18.
“The example He [Christ] has left must be
followed...He took upon His sinless nature our sinful nature, that He might
know how to succor those that are tempted.” Medical Ministry, p. 181.
“Think of Christ's humiliation. He took upon
Himself fallen, suffering human nature, degraded and defiled by sin. He took
our sorrows, bearing our grief and shame. He endured all the temptations
wherewith man is beset. He united humanity with divinity a divine spirit dwelt
in a temple of flesh.... 'The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us,' because
by so doing He could associate with the sinful, sorrowing sons and daughters of
Adam.” E.G. White, Youth's Instructor, December, 1900.
“While bearing human nature, He [Christ]
was dependent upon the Omnipotent for His life. In His humanity, He laid hold of the
divinity of God; and this every member of the human family has the privilege of
doing. . . .” {Mar 302.4}
“If we repent of our transgression, and receive Christ as
the Life-giver, . . . we become one with Him, and our
will is brought into harmony with the divine will. We become partakers of the
life of Christ, which is eternal. We derive immortality from God by receiving
the life of Christ, for in Christ dwells all the fulness
of the Godhead bodily. This life is the mystical union and cooperation of the
divine with the human.” {Mar
302.5}
“Christ became one flesh with us, in order
that we might become one spirit with Him. It is by virtue of this union that we are to come forth
from the grave--not merely as a manifestation of the power of Christ, but
because, through faith, His life has become ours. Those who
see Christ in His true character, and receive Him into the heart, have
everlasting life. It is through the Spirit that Christ dwells in us; and
the Spirit of God, received into the heart by faith, is the beginning of the
life eternal.” {Mar
302.6}
“He (Christ) came to this
world in human form, to live a man amongst men. He
assumed the liabilities of human nature, to be proved and tried. In His
humanity He was a partaker of the divine nature. In His incarnation He gained
in a new sense the title of the Son of God.--The Signs of the Times, Aug. 2, 1905. {7ABC
449.3}
“But our Saviour took
humanity, with all its liabilities. He took the nature of man, with the possibility
of yielding to temptation. We have nothing to bear which He has not
endured.”—The Desire of Ages, p. 117. {7ABC 449.4}
“Christ bore the sins
and infirmities of the race as they existed when He came to the earth to
help man. In behalf of the race, with the weaknesses of fallen man
upon Him, He was to stand the temptations of Satan upon all points wherewith
man would be assailed.”—The Review and Herald, July 28, 1874. {7ABC
449.5}
“Jesus was in all things
made like unto His brethren. He became flesh, even as we are. He was hungry and
thirsty and weary. He was sustained by food and refreshed by sleep. He
shared the lot of man; yet He was the blameless Son of God. He was God in
the flesh. His character is to be ours.”—The Desire of Ages, p. 311.
{7ABC 449.6}
“The human nature of Christ
is likened to ours, and suffering was more keenly felt by Him; for His
spiritual nature was free from every taint of sin. Therefore His desire for the
removal of suffering was stronger than human beings can experience. . . . {7ABC
449.7} The Son of God endured the wrath of God against
sin. All the accumulated sin of the world was laid upon the Sin-bearer,
the One who was innocent, the One who alone could be
the propitiation for sin, because He Himself was obedient. He was One with God. Not a taint of corruption was upon
Him.”—The Signs of the Times, Dec. 9, 1897. (450) {7ABC 449.8}
“As one with us, He must
bear the burden of our guilt and woe. The Sinless One must feel the shame of
sin. . . . Every sin, every discord, every defiling lust that
transgression had brought, was torture to His spirit.”—The
Desire of Ages, p. 111. {7ABC 450.1}
“The weight of the sins
of the world was pressing His soul, and His countenance expressed
unutterable sorrow, a depth of anguish that fallen man had never realized.
He felt the overwhelming tide of woe that deluged the world. He realized the
strength of indulged appetite and of unholy passion that controlled the
world.”—The Review and Herald, Aug. 4, 1874. {7ABC 450.2}
“Entire justice was done in
the atonement. In the place of the sinner, the spotless Son of God received
the penalty, and the sinner goes free as long as he receives and holds
Christ as his personal Saviour. Though guilty, he is looked upon as innocent.
Christ fulfilled every requirement demanded by justice.”—The Youth's
Instructor, April 25, 1901. {7ABC 450.3}
“Guiltless, He bore the
punishment of the guilty. Innocent, yet offering Himself as a substitute for the transgressor. The guilt of every sin
pressed its weight upon the divine soul of the world's Redeemer.”—The
Signs of the Times, Dec. 5, 1892. {7ABC 450.4}
“He took upon his sinless
nature our sinful nature, that He might know
how to succor those that are tempted.”—Medical Ministry, p. 181. {7ABC
450.5}
V. Tempted on All Points
“Christ alone had experience in all the sorrows and temptations that befall
human beings. Never another of woman born was so fiercely beset by
temptation; never another bore so heavy a burden of the world's sin and pain. Never
was there another whose sympathies were so broad or so tender. A sharer in
all the experiences of humanity, He could feel not only for, but with, every
burdened and tempted and struggling one.”—Education, p. 78. {7ABC 450.6}
“God was in Christ in human
form, and endured all the temptations wherewith man was beset; in our behalf He
participated in the suffering and trials of sorrowful human nature.”--The
Watchman, Dec. 10, 1907. {7ABC 450.7}
“He ‘was in all points
tempted like as we are.’ Satan stood ready to assail Him at every step, hurling
at Him his fiercest temptations; yet He “did no sin, neither was guile found in
His mouth.” “He . . . suffered being tempted,” suffered in proportion
to the perfection of His holiness. But the prince of darkness found nothing
in Him; not a single thought or feeling responded to
temptation.”—Testimonies, vol. 5, p. 422. {7ABC 450.8}
“Would that we could
comprehend the significance of the words, “Christ suffered, being tempted.”
While He was free from the taint of sin, the refined sensibilities of
His holy nature rendered contact with evil unspeakably painful to him.
Yet with human nature upon Him, He met the arch-apostate face to face, and
single-handed withstood the foe of His throne. Not even by a thought could
Christ be brought to yield to the power of temptation. Satan finds in human
hearts some point where he can gain a foot-hold; some sinful desire is
cherished, by means of which his temptations assert their power. But Christ
declared of Himself, “The prince of this world cometh, and hath
nothing in Me.” The storms of temptation burst upon Him, but they could not
cause Him to swerve from His allegiance to God.”—The Review and Herald,
Nov. 8, 1887. {7ABC 451.1}
“Many claim that it was impossible
for Christ to be overcome by temptation. Then He could not have been placed in
Adam's position; He could not have gained the victory that Adam failed to gain.
If we have in any sense a more trying conflict than had Christ, then He would
not be able to succor us. But our Saviour took humanity, with all its liabilities.
He took the nature of man, with the possibility of yielding to
temptation. We have nothing to bear which He has not endured. . . . In
man's behalf, Christ conquered by enduring the severest test. For our sake He
exercised a self-control stronger than hunger or
death.”—The Desire of Ages, p. 117. {7ABC 451.3}
VI. Bore the Imputed Sin and Guilt of the World
“Christ bore the guilt of the sins of the world. Our sufficiency is found
only in the incarnation and death of the Son of God. He could suffer, because
sustained by divinity. He could endure, because He was without one
taint of disloyalty or sin.”—The Youth's Instructor, Aug. 4, 1898. {7ABC
451.4}
“He [Christ] took human nature,
and bore the infirmities and degeneracy of the race.”—The Review and Herald,
July 28, 1874. {7ABC 452.1}
“It would have been an
almost infinite humiliation for the Son of God to take man's nature, even when
Adam stood in his innocence in Eden. But Jesus accepted humanity when the
race had been weakened by four thousand years of sin. Like every child of
Adam He accepted the results of the working of the great law of heredity.
What these results were is shown in the history of His earthly
ancestors. He came with such a heredity to share
our sorrows and temptations, and to give us the example of a sinless life.”
{7ABC 452.2}
“Satan in heaven had hated
Christ for His position in the courts of God. He hated Him the more when he himself
was dethroned. He hated Him who pledged Himself to redeem a race of sinners.
Yet into the world where Satan claimed dominion God permitted His Son to come,
a helpless babe, subject to the weakness of humanity. He permitted Him
to meet life's peril in common with every human soul, to fight the battle as
every child of humanity must fight it, at the risk of failure and eternal
loss.”—The Desire of Ages, p. 49. {7ABC 452.3}
“Wondrous
combination of man and God! He might have helped
His human nature to withstand the inroads of disease by
pouring from His divine nature vitality and undecaying
vigor to the human. But He humbled Himself to man's nature. . . . God
became man!”—The Review and Herald, Sept. 4, 1900. {7ABC 452.4}
“In our humanity, Christ
was to redeem Adam's failure. But when Adam was assailed by the tempter,
none of the effects of sin were upon him. He stood in the strength of
perfect manhood, possessing the full vigor of mind and body. He was surrounded
with the glories of Eden, and was in daily communion with heavenly beings. It
was not thus with Jesus when He entered the wilderness to cope with Satan. For
four thousand years the race had been decreasing in physical strength, in
mental power, and the moral worth; and Christ took upon Him the infirmities of
degenerate humanity. Only thus could He rescue man from the lowest depths
of his degradation.”—The Desire of Ages, p. 117. {7ABC 452.5}
“Clad in the vestments of
humanity, the Son of God came down to the level of those He wished to save.
In Him was no guile or sinfulness; He was ever pure and undefiled; yet He took
upon Him our sinful nature. Clothing His divinity with humanity, that
He might associate with fallen humanity, He sought to regain for man that
which, by disobedience, Adam had lost for himself and for the world. In His own
character He displayed to the world the character of God.”—The Review and
Herald, Dec. 15, 1896. {7ABC 452.6}
“He for our sakes laid
aside His royal robe, stepped down from the throne in heaven, and condescended
to clothe His divinity with humility, and became like one of us except in sin,
that His life and character should be a pattern for all to copy, that they
might have the precious gift of eternal life.”—The Youth's Instructor,
Oct. 20, 1886. {7ABC 453.1}
“He was born without a
taint of sin, but came into the world in like manner as the human family.”—Letter 97, 1898. {7ABC 453.2}
“Harmless and undefiled,
He walked among the thoughtless, the rude, the uncourteous.”—The
Desire of Ages, p. 90. {7ABC 453.3}
“Christ, who knew not the
least taint of sin or defilement, took our nature in its deteriorated
condition. This was humiliation greater than finite man can comprehend. God
was manifest in the flesh. He humbled Himself. What a subject for thought, for
deep, earnest contemplation! So infinitely great that He was the Majesty of
heaven, and yet He stooped so low, without losing one atom of His dignity and
glory! He stooped to poverty and to the deepest abasement among
men.”—The Signs of the Times, June 9, 1898. {7ABC 453.4}
“Notwithstanding that the
sins of a guilty world were laid upon Christ, notwithstanding the
humiliation of taking upon himself our fallen nature, the voice from heaven
declared Him to be the Son of the Eternal.”—The Desire of Ages, p. 112.
{7ABC 453.5}
“Though He had no taint
of sin upon His character, yet He condescended to connect our fallen
human nature with His divinity. By thus taking humanity, He honored
humanity. Having taken our fallen nature, He showed what it might become,
by accepting the ample provision He has made for it, and by becoming partaker
of the divine nature.”—Special Instruction Relating to the Review and Herald
Office, and the Work in Battle Creek, May 26, 1896, p. 13. {7ABC 453.6}
“He [Paul] directs the mind
first to the position which Christ occupied in heaven, in the bosom of His
Father; he reveals Him afterward as laying off His glory, voluntarily subjecting
Himself to all the humbling conditions of man's nature, assuming the responsibilities
of a servant, and becoming obedient unto death, and that death the most
ignominious and revolting, the most shameful, the most agonizing--the death of
the cross.”—Testimonies, vol. 4, p. 458. {7ABC 453.7}
“The angels prostrated
themselves before Him. They offered their lives. Jesus said to them that He
would by His death save many, that the life of an angel could not pay the debt.
His life alone could be accepted of His Father as a ransom for man. Jesus also
told them that they would have a part to act, to be with Him and at different
times strengthen Him; that He would take man's fallen nature, and His strength
would not be even equal with theirs; that they would be witnesses of His humiliation
and great sufferings.”—Early Writings, p. 150. {7ABC 454.1}
“Amid impurity, Christ
maintained His purity. Satan could not stain or corrupt it. His character
revealed a perfect hatred for sin. It was His holiness that stirred
against Him all the passion of a profligate world; for by His perfect
life He threw upon the world a perpetual reproach, and made manifest the
contrast between transgression and the pure spotless righteousness of One
that knew no sin.”—The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 5, p. 1142. {7ABC 454.2}
VII. Perfect Sinlessness of Christ's Human
Nature
“We should have no misgivings in regard to the perfect sinlessness
of the human nature of Christ. Our faith must be an intelligent faith,
looking unto Jesus in perfect confidence, in full and entire faith in the
atoning sacrifice. This is essential that the soul may not be enshrouded in
darkness. This holy substitute is able to save to the uttermost; for He
presented to the wondering universe perfect and complete humility in His
human character, and perfect obedience to all the requirements of God.”—The
Signs of the Times, June 9, 1898. {7ABC 454.3}
“With His human arm, Christ
encircled the race, while with His divine arm, He
grasped the throne of the Infinite, uniting finite man with the infinite God.
He bridged the gulf that sin had made, and connected earth with heaven. In
His human nature He maintained the purity of His divine character.”—The Youth's
Instructor, June 2, 1898. {7ABC 454.4}
“He was unsullied with
corruption, a stranger to sin; yet He prayed, and that often with strong crying
and tears. He prayed for His disciples and for Himself, thus identifying
Himself with our needs, our weaknesses, and our failings, which are so
common with humanity. He was a mighty petitioner, not possessing the
passions of our human, fallen natures, but compassed with like infirmities,
tempted in all points like as we are. Jesus endured agony which required help
and support from His Father.”— Testimonies, vol. 2, p. 508. {7ABC 454.5}
“He is a brother in our
infirmities, but not in possessing like passions. As the sinless One, His
nature recoiled from evil. He endured struggles and torture of soul in a
world of sin. His humanity made prayer a necessity and privilege. He required
all the stronger divine support and comfort which His Father was ready to
impart to Him, to Him who had, for the benefit of man, left the joys of heaven
and chosen His home in a cold and thankless world.”—Ibid., p. 202. {7ABC
455.1}
“His doctrine dropped as
the rain; His speech distilled as the dew. In the character of Christ was
blended such majesty as God had never before displayed to fallen man, and such
meekness as man had never developed. Never before had there walked among men
one so noble, so pure, so benevolent, so conscious of His godlike nature; yet
so simple, so full of plans and purposes to do good to humanity. While abhorring
sin, He wept with compassion over the sinner. He pleased not Himself. The
majesty of heaven clothed Himself with the humility of a child. This is the
character of Christ.”—Ibid., vol. 5, p. 422. {7ABC 455.2}\
“The life of Jesus was a
life in harmony with God. While He was a child, He thought and spoke as a
child; but no trace of sin marred the image of God within Him. Yet He
was not exempt from temptation. . . . Jesus was placed where His character
would be tested. It was necessary for Him to be constantly on guard in order
to preserve His purity. He was subject to all the conflicts which we
have to meet, that He might be an example to us in childhood, youth, and
manhood.”—The Desire of Ages, p. 71. {7ABC 455.3}
“In taking upon Himself
man's nature in its fallen condition, Christ did not in the least participate
in its sin. He was subject to the infirmities and weaknesses by which man
is encompassed, “that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities,
and bare our sicknesses.” He was touched with the feeling of our infirmities,
and was in all points tempted like as we are. And yet He “knew no sin.”
He was the Lamb “without blemish and without spot.” . . . We should have no
misgivings in regard to the perfect sinlessness of
the human nature of Christ.”—The Signs of the Times, June 9, 1898. (456)
{7ABC 455.4}
“Christ alone could open
the way, by making an offering equal to the demands of the divine law. He
was perfect, and undefiled by sin. He was without spot or blemish. The
extent of the terrible consequences of sin could never have been known, had not
the remedy provided been of infinite value. The salvation of fallen man was
procured at such an immense cost that angels marveled, and could not fully
comprehend the divine mystery that the Majesty of Heaven, equal with God,
should die for the rebellious race.”—The Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 2, pp.
11, 12. {7ABC 456.1}
“Thus it is with the leprosy
of sin,--deep-rooted, deadly, and impossible to be cleansed by human power.
“The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. From the sole of the foot
even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and
putrefying sores.” Isa. 1:5, 6. But Jesus, coming to dwell in humanity,
receives no pollution. His presence has healing virtue for the sinner.”—The
Desire of Ages, p. 266. {7ABC 456.2}
Conclusion:
Children are far more
perceptive than we generally give them credit for. We can all remember when our
parents were discussing things they didn’t think we understood, BUT WE DID! It
is so important that we all understand ALL the Jesus did for us, and that
involves so much more than the cross, as important as that was for our redemption.
All must understand that in addition to redeeming us from sin by taking our
confessed sins upon Himself, Jesus gave us heaven’s highest good, crowning
gift, His Holy Spirit soul of His life as a cure for sin so we would not
continue to crucify the Son of God afresh.
—rwb