Doctrine of Christ
I. Important elements:
A. Jesus is God. Hebrews 1:8
1. Jesus is not a god. John 10:30 He is united with the Father.
2. Jesus is not the only person of the Triune God John 20:21-22 He is sent from the Father and baptized the church with the Holy Ghost.
3. Jesus is not an angel. Hebrews 1: 4-5 He is greater than angels.
4. Jesus is eternal. Hebrews 7: 16-17, Colossians 1:17 He is. Therefore, He is always alive.
5. Jesus is the creator. Hebrews 1:2, Colossians 1:16 As God, he made everything.
6. Jesus is God’s only begotten Son. Acts 13:33, John 3:16 He is begotten, not made, so that the essence of God is the same.
7. Jesus is the Image of God Genesis 1:26, Hebrews 1:3, Colossians 1:15 He is the agent of an unfailing relationship with God.
B. Jesus is Man. I Corinthians 15: 21-23
1. Jesus had a human mother. Luke 2:16-21, Matthew 13:55 His flesh and blood are human.
2. Jesus did things that men do. Hebrews 4:15
a. He ate and drank Matthew 11:19
b. He slept. Mark 4:38
c. He wept. John 11:38
d. He forgave. Luke 7:48
e. He learned. Hebrews 5:8, Luke 2:40
f. He was angry. Matthew 21: 12-13
g. He loved. John 21:20
3. Jesus did not do one thing that all mankind does, He did not sin. Hebrews 4:15. His standing with God was never compromised.
4. Jesus died a physical death. John 19:33 His spirit departed from His body. Luke 23:46
5. Jesus was raised from the dead. John 20:9
a. by the Spirit Romans 8:11
b. by the Father Acts 13:33
c. by Himself John 10:18
C. Jesus was sent to save sinful men. John 3:16, 10:15
1. All have sinned. Jeremiah 2:29, Romans 3:23 Our standing with God was and is compromised.
2. Sinners will be judged. Romans 1:32 There is no excusing mankind.
3. Jesus died for all mankind. Romans 5:6-8 All sinners are included in this formula.
4. Jesus provides an army in which mankind can enlist against the agents of condemnation. Esther, Hebrews 2:10, 1 John 4:17, 2 Peter 2:9, Romans 8:1, John 8:1-11. Whosoever will may come. John 3:16.
II. Less important elements.
A. Atonement. It is not possible to describe exactly how God has accomplished
atonement for sins. It is presumptuous of mankind to postulate that God had a single-minded, man-centered perspective in redeeming mankind. Such an attitude is put forth by sinful man with a sinner’s mindset and a need base engendered by sin (Jude 15). If Jesus’ purpose in coming was primarily to validate the decrees of God (Matthew 5:17-18), then it is possible that He could have done so without providing salvation for sinners. This condition would have been the completion of I. C. 2. above (Sinners will be judged), since a righteous God would leave no question as to the validity of His decrees; i.e., they are not arbitrarily generated. This perspective points toward the fact that the punishment for sin that God prescribed in the eternal realm was one that He knew He would personally suffer when He was “found in fashion as a man” (Phil. 2:7). Salvation, then, is contingent on the validation of God’s righteousness.
B. Descent into Hell. If Jesus “led captivity captive,” then the implication is that He went to where captivity was being held. A righteous God would leave no excuse for sinful mankind to hide behind (Genesis 3:8-10) nor would He leave any place unexplored where a man could hide from Him (Psalms 139:7-8). Certainly the above assertion follows logically if Jesus is prophet (John 4:19). The perfect prophet would not withhold the message from anyone.
