Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread,"
Many Christians are studying the human nature which the Son of God "took" upon Himself when He became a man, "Emmanuel, ... God with us" (Matt. 1:23). Did He really become a true man? Or where the Gnostics and Docetists of the early centuries right when they said He only appeared to be a man with a kind of veneer which gave that impression? The heresies of those early centuries derived from the Hindu idea of an "avatar," or supposed incarnation in which God appeared to become a man but never really was one; the "avatar's" feet never touch the ground, never leave footprints, says Hinduism. The Babylonian "wise men" also held the Hindu/Docetist/Gnostic idea that "the dwelling of the gods" is "not with flesh" (Dan. 2:11).
In contrast, the Bible reveals the Son of God as becoming truly a man, whose feet did touch the ground, yes, He left bloody footprints. The apostle John warned the Christian church against the false idea that Christ did not "come in the flesh" (1 John 4:1-3). The word "flesh" in the original Greek is sarx, the common word that means the same kind of flesh or nature that all fallen sons and daughters of Adam have by genetic inheritance.
In His becoming a man, Christ did not become a sinner as we are; but He "took upon His sinless nature our sinful nature, that He might know how to succor them that are tempted" (see Heb. 2:14-18). He became truly a man so that He might save us! He must find us where we are; His long arm reaches down to the lowest pit into which we have fallen; He is truly "touched with the feeling of our weaknesses"; He knows the strength of all our temptations to sin, yet He never yielded to even one temptation.
The Father "sent Him in the likeness of sinful flesh" and in that sarx He "condemned sin, conquered it, outlawed it, rendered sin passé, broke its strangle on humanity, and so can lift from the lowest hell any sinner who will "consider the Apostle and high priest, ... Christ Jesus" (Heb. 3:1; 2:9-18; 4:14-16; 7:25).
In contrast to this sunlit Bible truth appears the widely popular doctrine (or dogma) of the "Immaculate Conception," the idea that when the Virgin Mary was conceived in the womb of her mother she experienced an "exemption" that broke the genetic link with the fallen Adam so that she had a sinless nature or "holy flesh" which she in turn gave to her Son, Jesus. It sounds so pious and beautiful but in reality it justifies sin in our human nature, conveying the idea that it's impossible (or at least extremely difficult) for us to "overcome even as [Christ] overcame." We need better Good News than that, and we have it!
From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: April 28, 2000.Copyright © 2010 by Robert J. Wieland.
Be sure to check your e-mail for "Dial Daily Bread" again tomorrow.
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Please forward these messages to your friends and encourage them to subscribe. The "Dial Daily Bread" Web site resides at: http://1888message.org/
To subscribe send an e-mail message with "subscribe" in the body of the message to: dailybread@1888message.org
------------------------------
Robert J. Wieland's inspirational "Dial Daily Bread" messages are availalbe via e-mail to anyone who wishes to receive a daily portion of uplifting Good News. "Dial Daily Bread" is FREE. Due to travel or other circumstances, there may be intervals when "Dial Daily Bread" will not be sent.
Many Christians are studying the human nature which the Son of God "took" upon Himself when He became a man, "Emmanuel, ... God with us" (Matt. 1:23). Did He really become a true man? Or where the Gnostics and Docetists of the early centuries right when they said He only appeared to be a man with a kind of veneer which gave that impression? The heresies of those early centuries derived from the Hindu idea of an "avatar," or supposed incarnation in which God appeared to become a man but never really was one; the "avatar's" feet never touch the ground, never leave footprints, says Hinduism. The Babylonian "wise men" also held the Hindu/Docetist/Gnostic idea that "the dwelling of the gods" is "not with flesh" (Dan. 2:11).
In contrast, the Bible reveals the Son of God as becoming truly a man, whose feet did touch the ground, yes, He left bloody footprints. The apostle John warned the Christian church against the false idea that Christ did not "come in the flesh" (1 John 4:1-3). The word "flesh" in the original Greek is sarx, the common word that means the same kind of flesh or nature that all fallen sons and daughters of Adam have by genetic inheritance.
In His becoming a man, Christ did not become a sinner as we are; but He "took upon His sinless nature our sinful nature, that He might know how to succor them that are tempted" (see Heb. 2:14-18). He became truly a man so that He might save us! He must find us where we are; His long arm reaches down to the lowest pit into which we have fallen; He is truly "touched with the feeling of our weaknesses"; He knows the strength of all our temptations to sin, yet He never yielded to even one temptation.
The Father "sent Him in the likeness of sinful flesh" and in that sarx He "condemned sin, conquered it, outlawed it, rendered sin passé, broke its strangle on humanity, and so can lift from the lowest hell any sinner who will "consider the Apostle and high priest, ... Christ Jesus" (Heb. 3:1; 2:9-18; 4:14-16; 7:25).
In contrast to this sunlit Bible truth appears the widely popular doctrine (or dogma) of the "Immaculate Conception," the idea that when the Virgin Mary was conceived in the womb of her mother she experienced an "exemption" that broke the genetic link with the fallen Adam so that she had a sinless nature or "holy flesh" which she in turn gave to her Son, Jesus. It sounds so pious and beautiful but in reality it justifies sin in our human nature, conveying the idea that it's impossible (or at least extremely difficult) for us to "overcome even as [Christ] overcame." We need better Good News than that, and we have it!
From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: April 28, 2000.Copyright © 2010 by Robert J. Wieland.
Be sure to check your e-mail for "Dial Daily Bread" again tomorrow.
------------------------------
Please forward these messages to your friends and encourage them to subscribe. The "Dial Daily Bread" Web site resides at: http://1888message.org/
To subscribe send an e-mail message with "subscribe" in the body of the message to: dailybread@1888message.org
------------------------------
Robert J. Wieland's inspirational "Dial Daily Bread" messages are availalbe via e-mail to anyone who wishes to receive a daily portion of uplifting Good News. "Dial Daily Bread" is FREE. Due to travel or other circumstances, there may be intervals when "Dial Daily Bread" will not be sent.
