Holy Baptism in the Midst of Judgment (Romans 6:1-14)

God brought His people safely through the judgment that fell on Christ at the cross, and God will bring His people safely through the judgment that is to come upon the whole world at the end of the age. In the days of Noah, God visited the earth in a two-fold manner. He brought judgment upon the world of the ungodly, yet brought salvation to Noah and his family. Later in the days of Moses when God brought His people out of the land of Egypt, God visited the Egyptians in judgment while at the same time bringing salvation to the Israelites.  God is able to make a distinction between the righteous and the ungodly when He visits the earth in judgment. This is a pattern we see throughout the scriptures.
The flood of judgment in Noah’s day is typological of Christ. The waters of judgment came upon the earth, but Noah and his family we brought safely through the judgment by abiding in the ark. That ark is Christ. The Israelites were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and as a result of their abiding in Moses, they were brought safely through the judgments which fell upon the Egyptians. Moses is a typological figure of Christ. Those who are baptized into Christ are brought safely through the judgment at the cross and through the judgment to come upon the whole world at the end of the age.
For details on these baptismal accounts of Noah and Moses, see “Noah, Baptism, Good Conscience” 1 and “Moses, Baptism, Christ, Perseverance.” 2
We are now going to take an in depth look at baptism into Christ and what exactly that means and accomplishes for us. This will be based on Romans 6. To begin, let us look at Romans 6:1-4,
“What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.”
Since we are forgiven of our sins through the grace found in Christ, should we continue in sin? No way! We have died to sin. How have we died to sin? Paul says that all of us who were baptized into Christ were baptized into his death. The judgment of God fell upon Christ who absorbed the wrath of God on our behalf. Christ brings us safely through that judgment at the cross, just as the ark brought Noah and his family safely through the judgment of the flood waters, and as Moses brought the Israelites safely through the judgment of the sea. What brought salvation to the righteous, brought judgment upon the ungodly. The flood waters saved Noah and his family because they abided in the ark, but the same flood waters destroyed the ungodly. The sea saved the Israelites because they abided with Moses, but the same sea destroyed the ungodly Egyptians.  The wrath of God being poured out on Christ saves us believers because we abide in Christ who absorbed the wrath of God on our behalf, and this same wrath of God crushed Christ who was esteemed stricken and treated as ungodly.
As Christ died, we died; as Christ was buried, we were buried; and as Christ rose from the dead, we also walk in newness of life, because we abide in him. Now the meaning behind this newness of life is two-fold.  We walk in newness of life now, and we will walk in the newness of life more fully at the resurrection. There is a spiritual fulfillment, which we experience now, and there is a physical fulfillment, which we will experience at the resurrection. I believe Paul has both of these in mind. Our spirits were dead to the things of God, but now our spirits are alive to the things of God. Our spirits receive life through the Holy Spirit, just as branches receive nutrients from the vine, which enables us to walk in newness of life. Not in the old way of the flesh, but in the new way of the spirit (cf. Romans 7:6). To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the spirit is life and peace (Romans 8:6). At the resurrection we will receive imperishable bodies and be enabled to walk forever in the fullness of the newness of life, in body and in spirit.
Looking at verses 6 and 7 we read,
“For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.”
Once again we have a two-fold meaning and again I believe Paul has both in mind. I see a parallelism in Paul’s writing here:
1. For if we have been united with him in a death like his...
1. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing...
2. ...we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.
1. ...so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.
Jesus was tempted just like us, yet without sin. When he died on the cross, his body was brought to nothing. Our old self was crucified with Christ, and our old self is our body of sin. We were united with Christ in a death like his, and so just as Jesus’ body was brought to nothing, so also is our body of sin brought to nothing through our baptism into his death. That is the first parallelism.
Jesus was tempted just like us because he lived in a fallen body, yet without sin, but after his resurrection, his perishable body becomes an imperishable body, and this imperishable body is not in opposition to the spirit, but in full agreement with it. Since we are united with Christ in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his, which means we are to consider our own body as nothing since we were crucified with him and walk only according to the spirit, as if we already had our imperishable bodies. I think it is clear that we are going in the right direction, because in a short while Paul will say, “so you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus,” and immediately after, “let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions” (verse 11 and 12, respectively). This is what it means to be united with Christ in a resurrection like his. We are no longer enslaved to sin, because we were crucified with Christ and our body of sin has been brought to nothing. This is the second parallelism.
Re-quoting the passage will summarize this for us. “For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.”
I will now quote the rest of our passage that we will look at today, and most of it is Paul’s way of saying all that I already explained above in my own words. Romans 6:7-14 says,
“For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.”
So what is the meaning of being baptized into Christ? Well, let us look at some of the comparisons here between Christ and us, in light of the fact that we have been united with Christ in a death and resurrection like his. Jesus died to sin, once for all, and the life he lives he lives to God. Paul says that we also have died to sin, and that the life we live we are exhorted to live to God. Death no longer has dominion over Christ, so Paul says that we are not to let sin therefore reign in our mortal bodies. Our body of sin has been brought to nothing.  Christ has brought us from death to life, so Paul says we are to present our bodily members as instruments for righteousness. Our bodily members are things like the tongue, the eyes, the hands, the feet, the mind, and the heart. Christ was esteemed as a lawbreaker on our behalf, and thus the wrath of God which we deserved was absorbed by Christ, so that we are no longer under law but under grace. As Paul says later on in his letter to the Romans, we have died to the law through the body of Christ. Paul speaks a lot about the law later on in his letter. All of this stuff ties in so closely, but we do not have the time and space to go in depth on the law. The whole Bible ties in so closely, does it not?
Before we end, I do want to speak more about baptism, in particular, water baptism. Salvation is not found in water baptism,  but is found in spiritual baptism. The latter is simply being united to Christ. It is being fully immersed into Christ, just as branches are connected to a vine to receive life and nutrients to bear fruit to the glory of God. Water baptism is a ritual which points to the reality of our spiritual baptism. It points to the past, present, and future.  In the order of salvation that the Bible lays out, we get baptized in water after we have confessed Christ as Lord. This ritual of going under the water and rising up from the water points back to the reality of our spiritual baptism which occurs as we believe and exercise faith in Christ. This ritual points to the present reality of our being united with Christ and how we are to live our lives in response. This ritual points to the future when our physical bodies will be raised imperishable. The reality of baptism into Christ illustrates the entire gospel and the proper response we are to have to it.
The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ is foreshadowed in the account of Noah and the flood, and in the account of Moses and the sea. Christ brought us safely through the judgment of God upon our sins, so that we do not perish. Christ will also bring us safely through the judgment of God that will fall upon the world of the ungodly at the end of the age, so that we do not perish with the ungodly, just as Lot did not perish with the rest of the inhabitants of Sodom, Gomorrah, and the surrounding cities.  The Son of Man will separate the sheep from the goats at the end of the age; not a single sheep will be lost in the judgment, and not a single goat will escape the judgment. The sheep are baptized into Christ and have eternal life.  Noah and his family were baptized in the ark in the midst of the judgment of the great flood. The Israelites were baptized into Moses (a type of Christ) in the midst of the judgment upon the Egyptians. The sheep are baptized into Christ Jesus in the midst of the judgment upon the Suffering Servant and the sheep will be baptized into Christ Jesus in the midst of the judgment to fall upon the whole world at the end of the age.
Holy Baptism in the Midst of Judgment!
Holy is the Lord, and blessed be His name forever. Amen.
1 http://goodnews4somalis.blogspot.com/2011/12/noah-flood-baptism-judgment-deliverance.html (as of 26 Dec 11)
2 http://goodnews4somalis.blogspot.com/2011/12/moses-baptism-christ-perseverance-1.html (as of 26 Dec 11)

Moses, Baptism, Christ, Perseverance (1 Corinthians 10:1-5)

We will begin with the reading of God’s Word. The passage is 1 Corinthians 10:1-5,

“For I want you to know, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ. Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness.”

Moses is a typological figure of Christ (see Deuteronomy 18:15). Just as Moses delivered God’s people from slavery in Egypt, so also Christ delivers God’s people from slavery to sin. Moses brought the people through the wilderness to the Promised Land, and Christ will bring His people through the wilderness of this world to the Promised Land of the new heavens and new earth.

The people were baptized into Moses and brought safely through the righteous judgments which God brought upon the Egyptians. In the same way, those who are baptized into Christ will be brought safely through the righteous judgments which God will bring upon the entire world.

The people were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. This means that they were abiding in Moses, their deliverer, of whom God appointed for them, and were thus brought safely through the judgment upon the Egyptians. God protected His people because they were baptized, or abiding, in Moses. A detailed account of this can be found in Exodus 13-14. In the same way, our deliverer Jesus, of whom God appointed for us, will bring us safely through the judgment to fall upon the entire world at the end of the age, as we are baptized and abide in Christ. Since Moses is a typological figure of Christ, it is appropriate to use the language of “baptized into Moses” which points forward to our day as we are baptized into Christ. The prophecy of Deuteronomy 18:15, namely that God would raise up a prophet like Moses among their brethren, is fulfilled in Christ Jesus our Messianic Lord.

Next, let us look at Christ as the spiritual food and spiritual drink, how the people of Israel responded, and what that means for us today.

All the people ate the same spiritual food and all drank the same spiritual drink. They drank from the spiritual Rock which is Christ. They ate from the spiritual Manna which is Christ. The manna from heaven was a tangible food which pointed to the spiritual reality of being sustained by Christ who is our spiritual food whom we are to hunger for. The water from the rock was a tangible drink which pointed to the spiritual reality of being sustained by Christ who is our spiritual water whom we are to thirst after.

The Israelites were designated as God’s people, yet Paul and scripture declares that God was not pleased with the majority of them, and they were overthrown in the wilderness. They tasted the goodness of Christ through the manna from heaven and the water from the rock, but because of their rebellion and unbelief, they were cut off from Christ. They were God’s people by name, but because they did not persevere, they were overthrown in the wilderness and cut off from the presence of God.

Today there are many people who are God’s people by name. They say they are Christians and may even attend church regularly and be very involved in church activities. They are tasting the goodness of Christ, but through their rebellion and unbelief, they will be cut off from Him. They will not persevere.

We will not do a full survey of the New Testament, but we will look at three passages which speak of tasting [Greek word: geuomai] and then apply its meaning to our text for today.

The first passage is Hebrews 2:9, “But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.” Jesus tasted the second death, which is the death the wicked will be consumed by forever in Hell, but it was only a taste. He was not fully consumed by that death, but only a brief taste, which was just enough to satisfy the wrath of God and make His sacrifice as the Lamb of God sufficient for paying the penalty for our sins. He tasted the second death on our behalf, so that we will never taste it. He tasted it on our behalf, so that we would not be consumed by it.

Our second passage is 1 Peter 2:2-4, “Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation--if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious...” Peter is telling his audience that if they have tasted that the Lord Jesus is good, then they are to continuously long for more of Him [the pure spiritual milk) and to “come to Him” continuously. In other words, Peter is telling these Christians to persevere to the end. Persevere in your longing for Christ. Persevere in your coming or drawing near to Christ. If you have tasted that He is good, then persevere in your longing and coming. To taste alone is not salvation, but only in fully consuming the goodness of Christ is salvation obtained.

And the third passage is Hebrews 6:4-6, “For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.” The author of Hebrews speaks of those who have tasted the heavenly gift and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, yet do not persevere but fall away. I think taste involves some level of enjoyment and desire for more, and in the case of those who fall away, they do not want to do what is necessary to fully consume the gift, so instead of persevering they turn away. They have shared in the Holy Spirit, meaning they have experienced the Holy Spirit to some degree, but have not fully experienced Him the way a Christian is to experience Him. He is a stranger to them. We can experience good things from strangers without actually knowing them. They have tasted all these good things, but have not fully consumed them.

Applying this idea of taste to our own passage, we can see that the majority of Israelites, of whom God was not pleased with, tasted of the spiritual food and of the spiritual drink, but they did not long for and draw near to God in order to fully consume His glory and beauty and majesty. They wanted to consume Him on their own terms, which is not possible. They were rebellious and did not believe, and thus God was not pleased with them and overthrew them in the wilderness, cutting them off from Christ. Those who were designated as God’s people did not persevere.

In the verses following our passage, Paul goes on to explain that “these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did” [v. 6]. Paul encourages the Corinthians to persevere. “Therefore, let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall” [v. 12]. We are to persevere in obedience and faith. We are not to “sit down to eat and drink and rise up to play” [v. 7], or “indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day” [v. 8], or “put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by the serpents” [v. 9], nor are we to “grumble as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer” [v. 10]. Let us not desire evil, but desire God. Let us persevere, lest we be destroyed and overthrown in the wilderness of this world and never reach the promised land of the new heavens and new earth where we would be granted eternity to fully consume the glory and majesty of God. This consuming, not mere taste, begins now in our life of obedience and faith and perseverance. I end with Paul’s words in v. 13, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”

Be imitators of Paul and of Christ and of God, but be not imitators of the disobedient and rebellious people in the wilderness, or you too will be cut off from Christ after having tasted His goodness.

Noah, the Flood, Baptism, Judgment, Deliverance, and Good Conscience (1 Peter 3:20-21)

First Peter 3:20-21 says,

"...because they formerly did not obey, when God's patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ…"

Noah and his family were the righteous ones living amongst the pagans around them. The flood that God sent upon the earth was a judgment upon the unrepentant pagans, but at the same time the flood was a form of salvation for Noah and his family from the pagans. When God visited the earth, the many were judged and the few were saved. The many pagans were destroyed in the flood waters of judgment, while the few saints were brought safely through the waters of judgment.

In the same way in Peter's day, despite the few saints suffering at the hands of the many pagans around them, so too will the many pagans be judged by God while the few suffering saints will be brought safely through that judgment. In application to our own day, we few saints may suffer at the hands of the many unrepentant sinners that surround us, or at least feel the tension, yet Jesus will return, and when he does, judgment will fall upon the many sinners around us, yet Jesus will bring us few saints safely through that judgment as we are in Christ who is our Ark.

The flood of judgment in Noah's day	The flood of judgment at the end of the age
Noah and his family were safe in the ark	The saints of God will be safe in Christ
Many perished and few were saved	Many will perish and few will be saved
The ark was being built	The body of Christ is being built

I am called into ministry to Somalis, and this passage can provide comfort to the Somali Christians who may be suffering at the many unrepentant Somalis which surround them. As with Noah and his family, so also with the Somalis who trust in Christ. Let them not fear the opposition and persecution, but let them fear the Lord and trust him to bring them safely through the judgment which is to come. They are in Christ. As Noah and his family were baptized in the waters of judgment while abiding in the ark and were delivered from death, so also will we be delivered from death through the flood of judgment at the end of the age as we abide in Christ.

Let us speak in a little more depth about baptism. To begin, which baptism is the Apostle Peter talking about? Water baptism? Spiritual baptism? Or both? Water baptism is a physical ritual which points to the reality of our spiritual baptism.  We'll get to spiritual baptism afterwards, but let us speak further of water baptism first. We go under the waters of judgment to illustrate our identification with the death and burial of Christ--just as the judgment of God fell upon Christ while he hung on the cross, so also this judgment of God fell upon us at the cross, yet we are not consumed today because we are in Christ who has brought us safely through the judgment at the cross and will bring us safely through the judgment yet to come at the end of the age.  This aspect of being brought safely through the judgment at the cross is illustrated in our coming up out of the water during the ritual. Not only does the ritual of water baptism point backwards towards our judgment at the cross, so it also points forward to the judgment on the world at the end of the age and thus gives us assurance and confidence that Jesus will bring us safely through that judgment as well. God is faithful. He was faithful in the past judgment, and he will be faithful in the future judgment.

Turning now to spiritual baptism, of which water baptism illustrates, this is a baptism which we do not experience in a tangible way. Water baptism is experienced in a tangible way. Our bodies experience the water and we experience it all with no doubts. It is real. Spiritual baptism, on the other hand, is not experienced in a tangible way. None of us can provide a specific time when we experienced our spiritual baptism. We don't know it happened until we see evidence of it through our changed lives, but that evidence doesn't tell us exactly when it happened.  Similar to animal sacrifices: the Israelites could not experience their sins being forgiven in a tangible way, but through the sacrificial system of the Mosaic Law, a tangible experience was provided. The tangible points to the reality of the intangible.  Same is true with the bread and wine in communion, the Passover lamb, and other parts of Holy Scripture. This is God's design.

Further depth on spiritual baptism is beyond the scope of this writing. I don't want to leave this entirely incomplete, so I want to at least provide a reference to Scripture that can be read and pondered over and meditated on to come to some further revelation on the meaning of spiritual baptism. Much can be extracted from this passage on both spiritual baptism and water baptism, which in turn would grant us more understanding to help our walk with Christ, the Ark in whom we abide. Ponder and mediate and pray and think over Romans 6.

I end with a final note on verse 21 of 1 Peter 3. Baptism into Christ, which would lack power without his resurrection from the dead, provides us with a good conscience, so that we can live our lives striving for holiness and obedience and faithfulness, even in the midst of suffering at the hands of our persecutors, because we know with assurance and confidence that Christ will bring us through it all safely and we shall not see death but only life forevermore. Glory to God in the highest, and peace to men and women and children with whom God is pleased.

Glorification: Raised with Imperishable Bodies

The topic is glorification. Glorification has to do with the resurrection. Believers will be resurrected at the end of the age and will be granted glorified bodies which will be perfected. These bodies will no longer decay but will be imperishable. In these bodies we will no longer sin, for sin will be impossible.  For this message, we will focus on parts of 1 Corinthians 15 in the Holy Scriptures which speak of this resurrection and how it is tied to Jesus the Messiah.

Resurrection of the Dead

(1 Corinthians 15:20)

(20) But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

Let us stop here and touch on the firstfruits. Jesus Christ is the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. In agriculture, the firstfruits are the first sample of a crop. It determines what the nature and quality of the rest of the crop will look like. Jesus Christ is the firstfruits of the resurrection. As Christ was bodily resurrected, so will be the bodily resurrection of all the believers.

(1 Corinthians 15:21) 

(21) For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. (22)  For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. (23)  But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.

For as by a man came death. It is obvious that this is referring to Adam. By a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. It is obvious that this is referring to Christ. The next verse is a parallel verse which specifies the men mentioned in the preceding verse. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.

Look at the parallelism:

(21a) For as by a man came death…

(22a) For as in Adam all die…

(21b) …by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead.

(22b) …so also in Christ shall all be made alive.

Through Adam came death. Through Christ comes the resurrection. Without Christ, there can be no resurrection unto life, but only the resurrection unto condemnation. Hell is the second death.

Verse 23 said, “But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.” Jesus was raised first, and at the end of the age when Christ returns, all those who have believed in Christ and in His work will also be resurrected like Christ. He had a glorified body, and likewise we who believe will also have a glorified body.

Resurrection Body

(1 Corinthians 15:35-41)

(35)  But someone will ask, "How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?" (36)  You foolish person! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. (37)  And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. (38)  But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body. (39)  For not all flesh is the same, but there is one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. (40)  There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly is of another. (41)  There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.

The Apostle Paul is answering a question that is likely to be in the minds of some. How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come? Paul is building an analogy here using a seed of grain. A seed that is planted into the ground is described as dying, and then it grows up into a plant with its own body. The plant has a body different from the seed’s body. Paul mentions that not all flesh is the same, for humans, animals, birds, and fish all have different bodies. He speaks of heavenly bodies such as the sun, moon, and stars, each with their own glory received from God the Creator. He mentions earthly bodies which he spoke of a moment ago with the humans, animals, birds, and fish.

Let us continue the analogy:

(1 Corinthians 15:42-44)

(42) So it is with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. (43)  It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. (44)  It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.

Paul is speaking of our physical bodies as that which is sown. God has sown our bodies into this world, but our bodies are perishable and we will all die. As a result of death coming into the world through Adam’s transgression, our bodies are sown in dishonor and weakness. The fact that our bodies are fragile and perishable is a dishonor. Disease, weakness, viruses, and death all bring dishonor to our bodies. As a seed is sown and raised in glory as a plant, so also are human bodies sown and raised in glory. Our bodies are sown perishable, but raised imperishable; sown in dishonor, but raised in glory; sown in weakness, but raised in power; sown a natural body, but raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. In Paul’s analogy, the seed of grain is the natural body, and the plant which results is the spiritual body. Our bodies now are natural; at the resurrection they will be spiritual.

(1 Corinthians 15:45)

(45)  Thus it is written, "The first man Adam became a living being"; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit.

Paul is quoting from Genesis 2:7, “The first man Adam became a living being.” In Genesis God creates Adam from the dust of the earth, and then breathes life into him. Paul adds that “the last Adam became a life-giving spirit.” The last Adam is Jesus Christ. In the resurrection, our imperishable bodies will be eternally sustained by the Holy Spirit. No death, no disease, no decay, no corruptness.

(1 Corinthians 15:46)

(46)  But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual.

Paul is likely to still have his analogy of the seed of grain in his mind. It is not the plant which comes first, but the seed and then the plant. The seed must perish, and then the plant results.  Our natural bodies come first, they will perish, and then the spiritual body results.

(1 Corinthians 15:47-49)

(47)  The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. (48)  As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. (49)  Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.

Adam was from the earth, a man of dust. Adam’s descendants are also of dust. We bear the image of the man of dust, our father Adam. We are born in the likeness of Adam.  The second man is from heaven, Jesus Christ. As was He, so also are those who are of heaven. We who believe shall also bear the image of the man of heaven. Notice in verse 49 it says that we “have borne the image of the man of dust,” and then says that “we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven. The first is past tense and the second is future tense. We have (in the past) borne the image of the man of dust (which began at our birth) and we shall (will in the future) bear the image of the man of heaven (which begins at the resurrection).

Here is another interesting observation.  The first man Adam was created from the dust of the earth, and then God breathed life into him. The second man Jesus always existed in heaven, for He is the way, the truth, and the life, and then His body was created from the dust of the earth at His incarnation.  Adam is created from dust, then given life; Jesus is life, then is given a body of dust.  The Messiah entered a perishable body, so that we who believe will enter an imperishable body. Without Christ, there can be no resurrection of the dead. We skipped the verse, but Paul said in verse 17, “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.” If Christ was not raised from the dead, then we would all perish in our sins.

Victory over Death

(1 Corinthians 15:50-53)

(50)  I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. (51)  Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, (52) in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. (53)  For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.

In verse 50 we see a parallelism:

A) Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God,

B) nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.

Flesh and blood is perishable, and the kingdom of God is imperishable. In order for flesh and blood (which is perishable) to enter into the kingdom of God (which is imperishable) the perishable body must put on the imperishable as mentioned in verse 53.  Paul tells us that in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet, all believers will be changed. Those who are dead will be raised imperishable, and those who are alive at the second coming of Jesus Christ will be changed from perishable to imperishable in the blink of an eye. The mortal body will put on immortality. We who believe will never die again. Our bodies will no longer be dishonorable and weak, but full of glory and power.

(1 Corinthians 15:54-57)

(54)  When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory." (55)  "O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" (56)  The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. (57)  But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

After these things take place on the Day of Resurrection, the saying that is written in Isaiah 25:8 and Hosea 13:14 will come to pass. “Death is swallowed up in victory” is Isaiah 25:8, and “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” is from Hosea 13:14. As a reminder, the apostles quoted from the Septuagint, which is the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament so the words and sentence structure will vary slightly. Paul comments that the sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.  O death, where is your sting? What is the sting? Sin. Where does sin get its power? The law.  As to how the power of sin is the law, that is a topic Paul discusses in the book of Romans. That is a topic I will cover in the future, God willing.

In verse 57, Paul declares that God gives us the victory through Jesus Christ. Victory over what? Victory over death! So when the perishable puts on the imperishable, death is swallowed up in victory, and this victory comes through the Lord Jesus Christ. In Isaiah 25:8 it says that God will swallow up death forever, and He will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of His people will be taken away from the earth.  If Jesus Christ did not come to earth in the image of the man of dust, die on the cross to appease the wrath of God for the sins of His people, be buried in the grave and on the third day be raised from the dead as incorruptible and imperishable, then believers would have no victory and the believers would be swallowed up by death. The Messiah made our glorification possible.

What about unbelievers? What happens to their bodies? Obviously unbelievers will not be glorified and be given resurrected bodies like the man of heaven, but they will be resurrected unto judgment and be condemned to eternal punishment in hell. They will be swallowed up by death. They will be sinners for all eternity, whereas believers will never sin again. If you want to receive these glorified bodies so you can worship, enjoy, treasure, and adore God for all eternity with brothers and sisters, then you need to repent of your sins and confess Christ as your Lord and Savior. You need to get to know God through His Word in the Holy Scriptures, and God will sanctify you and lead you into all righteousness, for His name’s sake and for His glory.

If you are a believer, praise God! I end with Paul’s words in verse 58 at the end of the chapter we discussed.  “Therefore, my beloved brothers [and sisters], be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”

In His name,

Brother Harun

Reconciliation: Peace with God

I want to speak on the topic of reconciliation which is a part of the Gospel of Jesus the Messiah.

To reconcile means to make peace, bring into agreement, and come into harmony with someone else or something. In the Bible it refers to people being reconciled to other people, and it refers to people being reconciled to God.

Without faith in God and His promises, everyone is an enemy of God. There is no peace, agreement, and harmony between man and God. Instead, there is hostility between man and God. Every person needs to be reconciled to God. It is only through faith in God and His promises that a person can be reconciled to God. It is not through works that we are reconciled, but only through faith in God and His promises.

In the Old Testament of the Holy Bible, it was through faith in God and His promises that people were reconciled to God. In the New Testament of the Holy Bible, including today, it is through faith in God and His promises that people are being reconciled. The major change/shift between the two testaments is the coming of the promised Messiah. The Messiah is the ultimate fulfillment of the promises of God. Since the Messiah has been revealed as the ultimate fulfillment of the promises of God, it is now through faith in Jesus Christ that we are reconciled to God. It is through believing in the person and work of Jesus Christ. To reject the person and work of Jesus Christ as revealed in the Holy Bible is to reject God and His promises. To receive Christ is to receive God; and to reject Christ is to reject God.

(Romans 5:11-12, ESV) For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

The Apostle Paul is speaking to believers, so if you are a believer, I will explain this passage in reference to us first, and then if you are an unbeliever, I will explain what this passage means for you.

Brother or sister in Christ, we were enemies of God. While we were enemies, God took the initiative and reconciled us to Himself through the death of Jesus the Messiah. If this is true, as Paul says, that God reconciled us to Himself even though we were enemies, how much more so will we be saved from the wrath of God by the life of the Messiah? This is a guarantee that because we are reconciled, we will never perish and face judgment in hell, for the life of the Messiah will save us from the wrath of God which is to come upon the whole world.

Brother or sister in humanity, you are an enemy of God. You do not have peace, agreement, and harmony with God the Creator of the heavens and the earth. None of your works and obedience to the law of God will establish peace between you and Him. You have fallen short of God’s perfect standard. You have fallen short of His holiness. You are in debt to God, and only the infinite God can remove that debt and reconcile you to Himself. The Holy Scriptures declare that this is accomplished through the death of the Messiah. Empty yourself of all your works and deeds, repent of your sins, and receive reconciliation with God through the sacrificial death of the Messiah. If you do so, you will receive the righteousness of God and the life of the Messiah will save you from the wrath of God which is to fall upon the whole world at the end of the age. You cannot save yourself from the wrath of God, but only God can save you from His wrath. This reconciliation and peace with God comes through faith in Jesus Christ.

(2 Corinthians 5:18-21) All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Brother or sister in Christ, God has given us the ministry of reconciliation and entrusted to us the message of reconciliation. The ministry of reconciliation is our duty to share the Gospel of Jesus Messiah with those who do not know Him, so that they can be reconciled to God if they repent and receive the work of the Messiah on their behalf. The message of reconciliation is that through the sacrificial death of the Messiah on the cross, our sins can be paid for and we will no longer be enemies of God, but instead will be at peace and in harmony with God the Creator of the heavens and the earth. This is good news! This is the Gospel! We must share this with others. For our sake God made Jesus Christ to be sin, even though He had no sin, so that in Christ we can become the righteousness of God.

Brother or sister in humanity, I and the church implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. Repent of your sins and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and put your faith in God and His promises. If you do so, then through faith in the Messiah you will become the righteousness of God. Not the righteousness of man, which is depraved and corrupt and filthy and not found to be righteous at all, but you will become the righteousness of God. One of the major points of this all is that we must trust in and depend on God for all things, including our righteousness. Our righteousness is obtained through reconciliation with God. You want to have peace with God? Be reconciled to Him through Jesus the Messiah, whom God promised to the world for this very reason: peace. Not peace with the world, but peace with God. The Messiah came not to make peace between us and the world. The Messiah came to make peace between us and God. I pray that God will grant you understanding and guidance to receive reconciliation with God through Jesus Christ.

Reconciliation with God through Jesus Christ Alone

Sin has separated us from God. Due to this separation, we need to become reconciled to God, and this is only possible through Jesus Christ. We are all declared sinners from birth. How can this be? How did sin enter the world? How can God justly declare us guilty of sin from birth, even before we have committed any sin? Why is Jesus Christ necessary in order to reconcile us to God? It is these questions I seek to answer through the exposition of a passage of the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Church of Rome.

Romans 5:12-19

“12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—13 for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. 14 Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.

15 But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. 16 And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. 17 For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.

18 Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. 19 For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.” (Romans 5:12-19).

Context

In verse 12 we see the connector ‘therefore’ which tells us that this verse connects to the previous thought. Paul is speaking of reconciliation and says that “while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation” (Romans 5:10-11). The passage we will be digging into, therefore, explains how this reconciliation functions.

Death Spread to All Men

“Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.” Paul begins at the very beginning when God created Adam, whom disobeyed God’s command to not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. As a result of Adam’s transgression, sin entered the world through him. Satan was the one who enticed Adam and his wife to break God’s law, yet God holds not Eve, who ate first, but God holds Adam responsible. God told Adam that “for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (Genesis 2:17). Adam did eat from the tree, and so sin came into the world through him, and death came into the world through sin. Death also spread to all men because all sinned.

Paul interrupts his comparison and goes on to explain in verses 13-14 in more detail on how death spread to all men. “For sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.” Sin was in the world before the giving of the law. What law is this referring to? It is referring to the Mosaic Law which God gave to the Israelites at Mount Sinai through the prophet Moses. Sin is not counted where there is no law, yet Paul concedes that death reigned from Adam to Moses. He said that sin is not counted where there is no law, yet surprisingly proclaims that death reigned from Adam to Moses. How have all men sinned if sin was not counted before the giving of the Mosaic Law? It seems that the answer would be that there are other laws given in the past such as the covenant with Noah and the covenant with Abraham which men have disobeyed. Paul, however, refutes that idea with his next statement that death reigned “even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam.”

How was the sin of these men not like the transgression of Adam? Well, Adam was given a command from God to not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, yet Adam willfully disobeyed God. These other men being referred to, therefore, did not willfully disobey any commands revealed to them by God, yet they are still guilty of sin. Who are such people? One example of such people would be infants. Infants can die, yet they have not received any laws which they have the ability to choose to obey or disobey. So what sin have infants committed which results in the punishment of physical death? Paul says immediately after that Adam was a type (or pattern) of the one who was to come. In order to answer these questions any further, we must continue to follow Paul’s argument.

The Free Gift

Verse 15 begins with “but the free gift is not like the trespass.” Paul then explains, “For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many.” Paul is speaking of a contrast between the trespass of Adam and the free gift of Jesus Christ. He emphasizes how the grace of God is superior to the trespass of Adam. Just as Adam’s trespass caused many to die, then so much more can the grace of God overcome the death brought by Adam’s sin. Despite the greatness of Adam’s transgression and its major effect on all people, the grace of God is greater and we can put our trust in grace to deliver us from the death which has spread to us. The free gift is greater than the trespass.

Verse 16: “And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin.” How is it different? Well he goes on, “For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification.” One trespass is all it took to condemn man, yet the free gift covers many trespasses and brings justification. Once again we see that the gift is greater than the judgment.

“For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.” Here in verse 17 we see an interesting parallel beginning to stand out. Since death reigned through the trespass of Adam, much more then will life reign through Jesus Christ for those who receive His gift of righteousness. Paul shows us that this free gift he has been speaking of is a gift of righteousness. We can begin to see how all have sinned, despite the fact that those who have not sinned in the likeness of Adam still suffer the punishment of physical death. It is not through the individual sins of all men from Adam to Moses that brought them death, but it is solely through the trespass of Adam that brought death to all men. Infants can experience death because of Adam’s trespass which caused death to spread to all men, in the same way that the righteousness of Christ causes life to spread to all who will receive Him and His abundant grace. If you receive the gift of righteousness through Christ, you will receive life and ultimately conquer death by rising again at the resurrection unto eternal life, but if you reject the gift, you will be conquered by death and perish because of Adam’s trespass alone, although your own individual sins will also add to your condemnation. Even if you had no sins of your own, you would be condemned as guilty by Adam’s trespass alone.

Moving on to verse 18 we read, “Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men.” Paul explains more details in verse 19, “For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.” The parallelism should be clear. Adam’s trespass brought condemnation on all men who are in Adam, and in contrast the one act of righteousness by Jesus Christ brings justification and life on all men who are in Christ. All people are in Adam for we have all descended from Adam. We are all guilty of sin because Adam’s guilt is imputed to us. God declares us guilty because of our father Adam who is the head of the human race. In contrast, Jesus Christ is the head of the new humanity, and all who receive Christ are in Christ and the righteousness of Christ is imputed to us who believe. Through Adam’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so how much more through Jesus’ obedience will the many be made righteous? Paul used the word ‘all’ in verse 18, for one trespass led to condemnation for all men who are in Adam, while one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men who are in Christ.

Looking back at the end of verse 12 where Paul said that death has spread to all men because all have sinned, we can see why he did not finish his comparison until verse 18. Paul used the phrase ‘just as’ when describing how sin came into the world through one man, and death came through sin and spread to all men because all sinned, but then he diverts to explain how all have sinned, before continuing the comparison in verse 18. Let us try and put together what Paul would have said without the digression. Verse 12, “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned,” and then in the second half of verse 18, “so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men,” and then verse 19, “for as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.” We can see the reason why Paul stopped after verse 12 to clarify how all have sinned before continuing the comparison in verses 18-19. He made the parallel clear to us in order to avoid misunderstandings.

Reconciliation

In the beginning, before we dug into the passage, I mentioned the context preceding it. Paul was talking about reconciliation. Speaking to the believers at the church of Rome, he pointed out that while they were enemies of God, they were reconciled to Him by the death of Jesus Christ. The guilt of Adam was imputed to his descendents. This is original sin. This is what is meant when it is said that all people are born sinners. Adam is the head of the old humanity and his descendents are declared guilty from birth. A man is also the head of a household and the ruler over his wife. Eve ate from the tree first, yet God held Adam accountable. Christ is the head of the new humanity, and His righteousness is counted on behalf of those who have received Him and His gift of righteousness. Adam’s sin is imputed to us, and Jesus’ righteousness is imputed to us, if we receive Him. Although Christ had no sin of His own, He died on the cross on behalf of those who will receive Him. Jesus Christ did not physically die because Adam’s sin was imputed to Him, but rather, Christ died physically because He was a substitute who took the sins of His people upon Himself and bore the punishment of death on their behalf.

If you have received reconciliation and justification by receiving Christ and the gift of righteousness by His amazing grace, then let us rejoice in our Lord Jesus Christ. If you have not received the gift of righteousness by the grace of Christ, then you will be condemned and perish if you continue to reject it. Righteousness comes by faith in Christ, not by works. Good works do not make a sinner righteous; good works only keep a sinless person righteous. Since none of us are sinless, we can’t be reconciled to God and declared righteous apart from faith in Christ. Seek the righteousness of God! If you seek your own righteousness, you will never find it because you have no righteousness uncontaminated by sin. God did not create humans as self-sufficient and self-sustaining independent creatures. God created humans as dependent creatures who must depend on Him for there sufficiency and sustainment. You can’t have your own righteousness and even if you did have your own righteousness, you can’t sustain it on your own. We must receive the righteousness of God which has been revealed to us in Jesus Christ. Romans 1:16-17 sums up what I just said, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, ‘The righteous shall live by faith.’”

How can Jesus be both God and man?

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God….And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:1-2, 14). How can God come to the earth as a man, yet remain God? God does not eat, drink, sleep, and die, yet Jesus Christ did all these things. How can this be?

Let us dive into the Doctrine of the Incarnation. Jesus Christ is the second person of the Trinity. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are eternally divine and have no beginning and end. They were not created, but are self-existent and self-sustaining. “God is spirit” (John 4:24). At the incarnation, Jesus Christ whom is spirit, wrapped Himself in human flesh and thus became the God-man. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word had one nature, namely His divine nature. At the incarnation, Jesus took on a second nature, namely a human nature. How did these two natures co-exist in the single person of Christ?

The Bible tells us that Jesus is both God and man, but it does not tell us how the two natures co-existed. In the early church there were discussions over this exact issue. A gathering took place in 451 known as the Council of Chalcedon. Three main views discussed were monophysitism (one single nature), miaphysitism (one united nature), and dyophysitism (two natures).

One particular position was that Jesus’ human nature was absorbed by His divine nature to form a new nature. The problem with this view is that it contradicts the fact that Jesus is fully God and fully man. It was determined at the Council of Nicaea in 325 that Jesus Christ is of one ‘substance’ with the Father in His divine nature and one ‘substance’ with man in His human nature. This monophysite position contradicts this understanding. This position is better understood with an illustration. If you take yellow paint and mix it with blue paint, you end up with green paint. If this was true of Christ, then His divine nature mixed with His human nature to form a new nature which would mean that Christ is not fully God or fully man but some nature in between. The church had to reject this view as unbiblical.

The council concluded that Jesus has two natures (or dyophysitism) beginning at the incarnation. The divine nature and human nature are united together in such a way that each nature retains its characteristics. The two natures of Christ united at the incarnation to form the single person of Christ who is fully God and fully man. Protestants, Catholics, and most Orthodox hold to the two natures of Christ while some Orthodox such as the Ethiopian and Egyptian Orthodox hold to the miaphysite position. To touch on this briefly, they believe that Jesus’ divine nature united with His human nature in such a way that Christ has one nature, yet without any change and mutation of the individual natures. If you recall the monophysite illustration with the mixing of the two paint colors to form a new color, such mixing does not apply to the miaphysite position. An illustration of the miaphysite position would be helpful. The Bible declares that through the union of marriage a man and a woman become one flesh (Genesis 2:24; Ephesians 5:31). Even though a husband and wife unite to become one flesh, the husband retains the characteristics of masculinity, and the wife retains the characteristics of femininity. When the two natures of Christ unite to form a single nature, they retain their individual characteristics. I disagree with this view and hold to the position of two natures in Christ as held by most followers of Jesus Christ.

In case all this philosophical talk has boggled your mind, which is completely normal--especially if this is your first time thinking about it--let me re-establish the widespread understanding of the two natures of Christ at the incarnation as understood by the world wide church over the span of history. Jesus Christ has always had a divine nature, but at the incarnation He received for Himself a human nature in order that He may provide salvation and forgiveness of sins to all who will receive Him. His two natures unite in such a way that Jesus Christ retains His divinity while becoming fully human, yet without sin.

Here is an illustration:



What is the nature of a square? It has four corners. Each side is the same length. It has four 90 degree angles. What is the nature of a perfect circle? It has no corners. The radius and diameter are the same from all points of the circle. When the nature of the square and the nature of the circle unite to form a single entity, do the natures of the individual shapes change? The square is still 100% square, and the circle remains 100% circle. The natures of the shapes remain distinct and unique even after they unite. The same is true with the incarnation of Jesus Christ. The divine nature and human nature of Christ unite in one person, yet each nature retains all of its characteristics.

Not only does Jesus have two natures, a divine and a human, but men and women have two natures as well. All of us are body and spirit. We have a spiritual nature and a human nature. At birth, our spirit and body are united to form us as an individual person. At death, our spirit departs from our body. At the resurrection, our spirit re-unites with our body. Without our spirit, our body is lifeless. When Jesus died on the cross, the scripture says He gave up His spirit (John 19:30). When Stephen was stoned to death, he called out for Jesus to receive his spirit (Acts 7:59). Such language describes the experience of death.

When the scripture states that Jesus ate food, drank wine, got tired, slept, and died, it is clearly referring to His human nature, namely His body. When you and I as regular humans eat, drink, and sleep, we are doing so for our bodies. Your spirit and my spirit do not eat or sleep. Our bodies do that. When Jesus ate bread and drank wine, it was not His divine spirit which ate and drank, but His body which ate and drank. The fact that Jesus did these things like other humans does not mean He can’t be God.

A moment ago I said that humans have two natures, namely a spiritual nature and a human nature. It is important for me to point out that our spiritual nature exists as either dead or alive. An unbeliever has a spiritual nature, but the spirit is dead to the things of God and can’t receive the truth of God. “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14). In brief, the natural person is a person whose spiritual nature is dead and unresponsive to the truth of God. What are the things of the Spirit of God? God speaks the truth and does not lie, so the things of the Spirit of God would be the truth. A natural man with a dead spiritual nature is unable to discern the truth of God for it is not discerned with the eyes, ears, mind, and body alone, but it is discerned through the spirit. Such people find the death of Christ on the cross for the sins of His people as utter foolishness and refuse to receive it. In order to understand, believe, and receive the truth of the Spirit of God you must be born-again by the Spirit so that your spirit is awakened to the truth of God. If your spiritual nature is dead then pray for mercy and guidance. If your spiritual nature has been made alive by the Spirit of Christ then set your mind on the things of the Spirit and put to death the deeds of your body (Romans 8:13).

I hope and pray that my explaining of the natures of Christ was sufficient and that my explanations and illustrations have been helpful. Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man. He had to become a man in the likeness of sinful flesh in order to appease the wrath of God through the sacrifice of Himself in the place of repentant sinners. If Jesus was not fully God and not fully man, then His death on the cross is meaningless and we will all perish in our sins. God is glorified in the humiliation of Christ on the cross, because God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. God loved His people for His own glory and He provided salvation for His people for His name’s sake. The incarnation of Christ and His death on the cross was necessary to purchase the gift of eternal life for our spiritual nature and the restoration for our human nature. Let Christ be magnified!