The Son Of God

Who was Jesus Christ? Not God the Son, but the Son of God. He was born miraculously by the overshadowing of Mary his mother with 'the power of the Highest'. (Luke 1.35). Joseph, the husband of Mary, was not the father of Jesus. God was his father. The fact that Jesus was born of Mary involved his participation in the physical nature of all of Adam's descendants. (Hebrews 2.14). He shared the mortal, sin-stricken nature of those he came to save, but his divine origin gave him a mental capacity to resist actual temptation and sin. (1 Peter 2.22). Hence he combined in himself sin-stricken nature with personal sin lessness. In the cruel death to which he voluntarily submitted, he upheld the righteousness of the divine law which imposed upon the human race death as the penalty for sin. Yet because of his spotless righteousness, Jesus could be granted resurrection and eternal life without the violation of the divine principles governing the corruptibility of the human race. Jesus by his resurrection became 'the firstfruits of them that slept'. (1 Corinthians 15.10). He was 'raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father'. (Romans 6.4). The mission of Christ was fulfilled in his death and resurrection. He was firstly 'the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world', (John 1.29), and secondly 'the beginning of the creation of God'. (Revelation 3.14). This creation will involve the 'making of all things new'. (Revelation 21.5)

Now God has decreed that those who receive Jesus Christ, in believing the principles exhibited by his death and resurrection, shall receive remission of sin and reconciliation to divine favour. Such men and women become incorporated in a divine family of which God is the Father, and Jesus is the eldest son: 'As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name'. (John 1.12).

his divine family is the subject of many glowing promises. The apostle Peter referred to these promises as 'great and precious', involving a participation in divine nature. (2 Peter 1.4). This change of condition from mortal to immortal nature will be effected by resurrection from the dead, and subsequent transformation from human nature to spirit nature. 'As we have borne the image of the earthly, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly'. (1 Corinthians 15.49).