Continued: Chapter XXXIV-The Problem of Human Redemption

13 If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am become sounding brass, or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 And if I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profiteth me nothing. 4 Love suffereth long, and is kind; love envieth not; love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 5 doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not its own, is not provoked, taketh not account of evil; 6 rejoiceth not in unrighteousness, but rejoiceth with the truth; 7 beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. 8 Love never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall be done away; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall be done away. 9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part; 10 but when that which is perfect is come, that which is in part shall be done away. 11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I felt as a child, I thought as a child: now that I am become a man, I have put away childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know fully even as also I was fully known. 13 But now abideth faith, hope, love, these three; and the greatest of these is love.

The spirit of a person acts and reacts to these spiritual laws just as elements in the physical realm act and react to the laws and forces of the material world. This statement is very important to the proper understanding of this subject and must be kept in mind.

As we keep all of this scientific data in mind, let me restate the problem on which I feel sure I have seen new light. All Christians believe in the biological law (expressed in biblical language) that all types of life, both plant and animal, produce "after their kind." After the Fall, Adam begat sons and daughters "in his own likeness, after his image," that is, in the likeness of his fallen nature. Both the father and the mother contribute their nature to the offspring. This fact, all unbiased thinkers will concede. Chemically and biologically speaking, the father therefore contributes a certain element to his progeny; the mother, her part. Obviously, that which the father contributes is different from the maternal contribution. This fact is unquestionable. The union of these two elements produces offspring in the image of the fallen parents.

Here is the crux of the whole matter: If the part contributed by either of the parents is in one state, or condition, whereas that supplied by the other is in a different state, the result of the union of these elements will be different from what issues forth if the elements contributed by both parents are in the same condition—as we learned from the illustration in the chemical realm.

Keeping this fundamental principle in mind, now let us look at the scriptural statement regarding our Lord's birth. The angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she would become the mother of the Messiah. To him the Virgin replied by asking, "How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?" His answer was, "The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee: wherefore also the holy thing which is begotten shall be called the, Son of God" (Luke 1:35). This passage affirms that the Virgin Mary would be overshadowed by the Holy Spirit and thus become the mother of Jesus the Messiah. That which was contributed by the mother would naturally issue forth from her, being influenced by her natural, sinful nature. Had her first child, the Lord Jesus, been begotten by a human father, He would have been begotten in the likeness of His father's fallen nature. But He was not, for the Holy Spirit by an act of creation begat Him, thus introducing an entirely different element. Hence, "the holy thing begotten" was not affected by sin; for the sinful nature of a child, begotten and conceived by parents in the fallen state, is the result of the action and interaction of the sinful nature of both the mother and the father. Since the Lord Jesus, according to the prophetic announcement of Isaiah 7:14, and according to the historical accounts in the New Testament, was begotten by the Holy Spirit and was conceived by the Virgin Mary, there were no action and reaction of two sinful natures on the part of two earthly parents, to produce in Him a sinful nature. Thus the "holy thing" begotten in this manner was to be called the Son of God and was unpersonal, as the old Greek theologians expressed the thought, until the union of the divine nature with this "holy thing" begotten would be effected. Then the "holy thing" begotten would come to consciousness, would be born, and would become recognized as the Son of God—the Son of God in a special and unique sense in which such thoughts could not be applied to any mortal born by human generation. This logical and incontrovertible conclusion regarding the sinlessness of our Lord becomes crystal clear in the light of the scriptural statements and the facts of science, at which we have already looked. But let us take a final glance at the relentless, irrefutable logic afforded by one of the examples drawn from the field of chemistry. We must have two atoms of hydrogen, one of sulphur, and four of oxygen in order to have sulphuric acid—that deadly fatal poison. If any one of the constituent parts is lacking, the combination is not sulphuric acid. In a manner analogous to this illustration from chemistry, the absence of the taint of sin on the part of the Holy Spirit, who did the begetting of Messiah Jesus, made it absolutely impossible for Him to have the sinful nature. It was as the angel said: That which was begotten was holy; hence free from the least taint of sin.*†

Messiah Jesus therefore stands upon the historic horizon as the spotless, sinless, perfect Man—the God-man—the Lamb of God who taketh away the sin of the world. He is the one Mediator between God and man. He is the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father except by Him (John 14:6).

John the Baptist, son of Zacharias the priest, broke the silence of approximately four hundred years by announcing that the time was fulfilled and that the kingdom of God had drawn near. In his clarion call to the nation to repent, he declared that one was coming after him who would winnow the chaff from the wheat and thoroughly cleanse his threshing floor (Matt. 3:1-12). This language indicated that this mighty one would follow immediately. In the light of all the facts this prediction is evidently a reference to King Messiah. The people had a logical right to expect His appearance at that time. Paul in Galatians 4:4,5 echoes the same in the following words: "... but when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 that he might redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons."

A careful study of the life of Jesus of Nazareth reveals the fact that there was a single personality in Him. Also, as I have pointed out from time to time, there was overwhelming evidence of the union of the divine and human natures—nevertheless there was but one personality. Thus Jesus could say, "Before Abraham was born, I am" (John 8:58)—meaning that He existed before Abraham was born.

In John's record of the Gospel we have the statement, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ... And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father), full of grace and truth" (John 1:1,14). Here we are told that the Word, which was eternal and divine and in perfect fellowship with God the Father, became flesh and dwelt among us. The process of becoming here referred to indicates the Word's assuming human form—by miraculous conception and virgin birth.

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him; and without him was not anything made that hath been made. 4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shineth in the darkness; and the darkness apprehended it not. 6 There came a man, sent from God, whose name was John. 7 The same came for witness, that he might bear witness of the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came that he might bear witness of the light. 9 There was the true light, even the light which lighteth every man, coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, and the world knew him not. 11 He came unto his own, and they that were his own received him not. 12 But as many as received him, to them gave he the right to become children of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father), full of grace and truth. 15 John beareth witness of him, and crieth, saying, This was he of whom I said, He that cometh after me is become before me: for he was before me. 16 For of his fulness we all received, and grace for grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him (John 1:1-18).

The Word of God, the second person of the Trinity, the Son of God, entered the world by miraculous conception and virgin birth. Though He—for the purpose of entering the world as a human being to work out man's redemption—voluntarily limited Himself during the incarnation, He was co-equal with the other two personalities of the Holy Trinity, each of them being given, in the Scriptures, the name Jehovah—the Self-existing Uncaused Cause of all things. "Hear, 0 Israel! Jehovah, our Gods [Jehovah the Father, Jehovah the Son, and Jehovah the Holy Spirit], is Jehovah, a Unity" (lit. trans. Deut. 6:4). Though each of these is co-equal and co-eternal with the others, there is a relationship existing between two of them which is expressed by the human terms of Father and Son. This thought is found in the following quotation:

Who hath ascended up into heaven, and descended?
Who hath gathered the wind in his fists?
Who hath bound the waters in his garment?
Who hath established all the ends of the earth?
What is his name, and what is his son's name, if thou knowest? (Prov. 30:4).

In Isaiah 9:6 we read,
For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

The Book of Isaiah—with the exception of the historical section, chapters 36:1 to 38:9 and 38:21 to 39:8—is put in poetical form, the fundamental principle of which is known as Hebrew parallelism, thought rhyme. The Child in the first line is the Son of the second. In the third line this one is Ruler of Israel; and in the fourth He is the Prince of Peace. This Child that is given is designated as the Son of Him who gives Him to the nation. According to lines 3 and 4 this future Ruler of the Jews is to be God, the Prince of Peace. When the ideas of the four lines are blended, the complete thought is that God promises to give His Son in the form of a child to mount the throne of David and to establish peace in Israel. He begins His universal reign as King of the Jews. According to verse 7 other nations are added to His empire until His reign becomes universal. "7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with Justice and with righteousness from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of Jehovah of hosts will perform this" (Isa. 9:7).

In perfect alignment with this teaching is that which is set forth in John 3:16: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life." This is He who is called the only begotten Son and who is sent by the Father into the world. The same thought occurs in John 1:14: "And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father), full of grace and truth." Words to this same effect are found in I John 4:9, "God has sent his only begotten Son into the world that we might live through him." This one personality of the Trinity is called "the Word" and also "the only begotten Son," which terms are used to refer to Him in His pre-incarnate state, and which, as already seen, connote eternal relationships existing between Him and the one who is called the Father. Since the Son is declared unequivocally to have been co-eternal, "in the beginning was the Word ..." (John 1:1), and co-equal with the Father, "who [Christ Jesus], existing in the form of God, counted not the being on an equality with God a thing to be grasped" (Phil. 2:6), we see that the terms Father and Son connote a relationship similar to that of father and son in the human realm but radically different from it in other ways. These human terms of father and son are employed to convey to our limited understanding a faint idea of this divine relationship. Whenever therefore the Lord Jesus is called the Son of God, we are to understand that reference is made to this eternal relationship. Nevertheless since our Lord Jesus used the terms, Father and Son, continually in speaking of the relationship that existed between the Father on the one hand and Himself as the God-man, Christ Jesus, on the other, we are to understand that this usage is also an echo of His becoming incarnate.

The Word in the person of Jesus of Nazareth was the only one who was begotten by Deity into the human realm. From this special viewpoint He is called the only begotten of the Father.

In Matthew 1:18-25 we have the record of the virgin birth of Christ which reads as follows:

18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. 19 And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily. 20 But when he thought on these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 And she shall bring forth a son; and thou shalt call his name JESUS; for it is he that shall save his people from their sins. 22 Now all this is come to pass, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, 23 Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, And they shall call his name Immanuel; which is, being interpreted, God with us. 24 And Joseph arose from his sleep, and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took unto him his wife; 25 and knew her not till she had brought forth a son: and he called his name JESUS (Matt. 1:18-25).

Here Jesus is called Immanuel. He is also named Jesus, "for it is he that shall save his people from their sins."

In these Scriptures we see the fulfillment of what was announced by the Lord to the serpent originally (Gen. 3:15), was foretold by Isaiah the prophet (Isa. 7:14 and 9:6,7), and was recorded as a historical fact by Luke, who has proved to be a most reputable and accurate historian,³and by Matthew, the apostle, an eye-witness of the Lord Jesus. Those features which characterize them as historians can be accounted for only upon the basis of their having been divinely inspired.

We have seen that, under God's moral government, man lost everything on the human level and in the realm of the will; that the only way the loss could be retrieved is by one who champions man's cause on the human plane and in the realm of the will; and that no ordinary man, born of natural generation, could accomplish man's restoration. On the contrary, according to the divine revelation, we see that man's redemption would be worked out by Deity, who enters the human realm by miraculous conception and virgin birth. We are now in a position to take another step forward in our investigation.

Footnotes:

* While the analogies presented in this discussion point most clearly to a possible solution of the problems involved in the question regarding the origin and essential nature of sin as a force and power in the universe and in the additional question regarding the sinlessness of the Lord Jesus, I feel certain that there is further light for us which the Lord will enable us to see at the proper time. Let us all pray and labor for further light on these matters.

† The facts drawn from science, especially chemistry, and the arguments based upon them, I first used in a private conversation with two physicians. Then I introduced this material into a message on the sinlessness of Christ, which was broadcast over KGER, Los Angeles. It was published in the Biblical Research Monthly. Finally, I recast it into its didactic form as it here appears.

³ See Luke the Historian by A. T. Robertson.