The Doctrines of Christ and the Holy Spirit
The Person of Christ...
· Jesus Christ was fully God and fully man in one person and will be so forever.
· Christ’s virgin birth shows salvation comes from the Lord, made possible the uniting of full deity and humanity in one person, and enables Christ’s humanity to be inherited without sin (Gal. 4:4-5).
· The full humanity of Christ is seen in that he experienced all human weaknesses and limitations of having a human body, mind, sole, and emotions; yet he was without sin (Heb. 4:15-16).
· Jesus’ full humanity enables him to accomplish our representative obedience (Rom. 5:18-19) and be a substitute sacrifice for us (1 Tim. 2:5).
· The incarnation was the act of God the Son whereby he took to himself a human nature (John 1:14).
· The deity of Christ is seen in the following ways:
- Jesus is called God (theos) (e.g., John 1:1; 20:28), “Lord” (kyrios) in ways that indicate his divine nature (Luke 2:11). Christ also referred to himself with divine names such as “I Am” (John 8:57).
- Jesus possessed attributes of deity such as omnipotence, eternity, omniscience, omnipresence, sovereignty, and being worthy of worship (Rev. 22:13).
· Jesus’ deity was necessary because (1) only someone who was infinite could bear the full penalty of the sins of believers; (2) salvation is from the Lord; (3) only someone who was truly God could be the mediator between God and man (1 Tim. 2:5) and reveal God to us.
· Three inadequate views of the person of Christ:
- Apollinarianism: Christ had a human body but not a human mind or spirit.
- Nestorianism: there were two separate persons in Christ, divine and human.
- Monophysitism (Eutuchianism): Christ had only one nature, which was more than human but less than divine.
· The Chalcedonian definition of the person of Christ (AD 451) refused these inadequate views and became the standard orthodox statement on the biblical teaching on who Christ is. It affirmed that the eternal Son of God (1) took to himself a truly human nature; (2) his divine and human natures remain distinct and retain their own properties; (3) yet they are eternally and inseparably united together in one person. This definition means that one nature does some things the other nature does not, and anything either nature does, the person of Christ does.
· Jesus Christ was fully God and fully man in one person and will be so forever.
· Christ’s virgin birth shows salvation comes from the Lord, made possible the uniting of full deity and humanity in one person, and enables Christ’s humanity to be inherited without sin (Gal. 4:4-5).
· The full humanity of Christ is seen in that he experienced all human weaknesses and limitations of having a human body, mind, sole, and emotions; yet he was without sin (Heb. 4:15-16).
· Jesus’ full humanity enables him to accomplish our representative obedience (Rom. 5:18-19) and be a substitute sacrifice for us (1 Tim. 2:5).
· The incarnation was the act of God the Son whereby he took to himself a human nature (John 1:14).
· The deity of Christ is seen in the following ways:
- Jesus is called God (theos) (e.g., John 1:1; 20:28), “Lord” (kyrios) in ways that indicate his divine nature (Luke 2:11). Christ also referred to himself with divine names such as “I Am” (John 8:57).
- Jesus possessed attributes of deity such as omnipotence, eternity, omniscience, omnipresence, sovereignty, and being worthy of worship (Rev. 22:13).
· Jesus’ deity was necessary because (1) only someone who was infinite could bear the full penalty of the sins of believers; (2) salvation is from the Lord; (3) only someone who was truly God could be the mediator between God and man (1 Tim. 2:5) and reveal God to us.
· Three inadequate views of the person of Christ:
- Apollinarianism: Christ had a human body but not a human mind or spirit.
- Nestorianism: there were two separate persons in Christ, divine and human.
- Monophysitism (Eutuchianism): Christ had only one nature, which was more than human but less than divine.
· The Chalcedonian definition of the person of Christ (AD 451) refused these inadequate views and became the standard orthodox statement on the biblical teaching on who Christ is. It affirmed that the eternal Son of God (1) took to himself a truly human nature; (2) his divine and human natures remain distinct and retain their own properties; (3) yet they are eternally and inseparably united together in one person. This definition means that one nature does some things the other nature does not, and anything either nature does, the person of Christ does.
The Doctrine of the Atonement...
· The atonement is the work Christ did in his life and death to earn our salvation. The ultimate cause of the atonement was the love and justice of God (John 3:16; Rom. 3:25-26). As a consequence of God’s loving decision save human beings the atonement became absolutely necessary (Luke 24:25-26).
· The nature of the atonement involves both his obedience for us (he represents as he obeyed the requirements of the law in our place, Rom. 5:19), and his suffering and death for us (He took the penalty due for our sins, 1 Peter 2:24). Christ suffered for us his whole life and on the cross, where he suffered physical pain and death, bearing sin, abandonment, and bearing the wrath of God.
· Christ atones for sin by paying the penalty of sin in his sacrifice, removing God’s wrath as our propitiation, overcoming our separation from God as through reconciliation, and freeing us from bondage to sin and Satan in redemption.
· The atonement is the work Christ did in his life and death to earn our salvation. The ultimate cause of the atonement was the love and justice of God (John 3:16; Rom. 3:25-26). As a consequence of God’s loving decision save human beings the atonement became absolutely necessary (Luke 24:25-26).
· The nature of the atonement involves both his obedience for us (he represents as he obeyed the requirements of the law in our place, Rom. 5:19), and his suffering and death for us (He took the penalty due for our sins, 1 Peter 2:24). Christ suffered for us his whole life and on the cross, where he suffered physical pain and death, bearing sin, abandonment, and bearing the wrath of God.
· Christ atones for sin by paying the penalty of sin in his sacrifice, removing God’s wrath as our propitiation, overcoming our separation from God as through reconciliation, and freeing us from bondage to sin and Satan in redemption.
Jesus’ Resurrection and Ascension...
· Jesus’ physical resurrection body affirms the goodness of God’s original creation of man as a creature with a physical body that was “very good.” Christ’s resurrection insures our regeneration (1 Peter 1:3), justification (Rom. 4:25), and our perfect resurrection bodies as well (2 Cor. 4:24). Christ’s resurrection power in our lives should lead to obedience, focus on heavenly reward, and provide increasing freedom from sin in this life (Col. 3:1-4).
· After his resurrection Christ ascended to a place in heaven (Acts 1:9-11) where he received glory and honor that had not been his before as the God-man (Phil. 2:9). In a demonstration of the completion of his saving work and his position of power (Heb. 1:3), Christ is now seated at the right hand of the Father in his heavenly session. Christ’s ascension foreshadows our future ascension into heaven with him (1 Thess. 4:17), gives assurance of our final home in heaven with him (John 14:2-3), and enables us to already share in Christ’s authority over the universe (Eph. 6:12).
· Christ perfectly fulfilled the OT offices of prophet, priest, and king. As prophet he spoke the words of God to the people (Duet. 18:15-18). As priest he offered the perfect sacrifice for sin, continually brings us near to God, and prays for us (Rom. 8:34). As king he rules over his people, the church, and the entire universe (Rev. 19:16).
· Jesus’ physical resurrection body affirms the goodness of God’s original creation of man as a creature with a physical body that was “very good.” Christ’s resurrection insures our regeneration (1 Peter 1:3), justification (Rom. 4:25), and our perfect resurrection bodies as well (2 Cor. 4:24). Christ’s resurrection power in our lives should lead to obedience, focus on heavenly reward, and provide increasing freedom from sin in this life (Col. 3:1-4).
· After his resurrection Christ ascended to a place in heaven (Acts 1:9-11) where he received glory and honor that had not been his before as the God-man (Phil. 2:9). In a demonstration of the completion of his saving work and his position of power (Heb. 1:3), Christ is now seated at the right hand of the Father in his heavenly session. Christ’s ascension foreshadows our future ascension into heaven with him (1 Thess. 4:17), gives assurance of our final home in heaven with him (John 14:2-3), and enables us to already share in Christ’s authority over the universe (Eph. 6:12).
· Christ perfectly fulfilled the OT offices of prophet, priest, and king. As prophet he spoke the words of God to the people (Duet. 18:15-18). As priest he offered the perfect sacrifice for sin, continually brings us near to God, and prays for us (Rom. 8:34). As king he rules over his people, the church, and the entire universe (Rev. 19:16).
The Work of the Holy Spirit...
· The work of the Holy Spirit is to manifest the active presence of God in the world and especially in the church.
· The Holy Spirit (1) empowers by giving life (John 6:63) and power for service (Acts 1:8). He also (2) purifies (1 Cor. 6:11), (3) reveals (2 Peter 1:21), including guiding, directing, teaching, illuminating, and assuring (John 16:13), (4) unifies.
· The work of the Holy Spirit is to manifest the active presence of God in the world and especially in the church.
· The Holy Spirit (1) empowers by giving life (John 6:63) and power for service (Acts 1:8). He also (2) purifies (1 Cor. 6:11), (3) reveals (2 Peter 1:21), including guiding, directing, teaching, illuminating, and assuring (John 16:13), (4) unifies.