The Doctrine of Christ

The Person of Christ

I believe the bible teaches that Christ is both human and divine i.e. He is one indivisible person with two distinct sets of attributes. The union of the two natures of Christ began at conception and is permanent and inseparable.

  1. Christ is one indivisible person. He refers to Himself in the singular (Mt 16:15; Jn 17:23) and never makes one nature objective over the other (Jn 8:58). Though He is one indivisible person, Christ is fully divine and fully human (Mt 8:24-26; Lu 13:31-33; Jn 4:6-7, 13-14, 17-18).
    1. The Deity of Christ
      I believe that Christ is God (Jn 1:1; Tit 2:13; Heb 1:8). The Scriptures clearly establish Christ’s divinity through the various names ascribed to Him (“Son of God”—Lu 1:35; “The Word”—Jn 1:1-2; “Lord”—Jn 13:13; “Holy One”—Ac 3:14 cf. Is 48:17), the works performed by Him (creation—Jn 1:3; giving eternal life—Jn 10:28; answering prayer—Jn 14:14; preservation—Col 1:17), the attributes inherent to Him (self-existence—Jn 1:4; immutability—Heb 1:10-12; omnipresence—Mt 18:20; 28:20; omniscience—Jn 2:24-25; 6:64; incomprehensibility—Mt 11:27; impecability—Jn 8:23,46; Heb 7:26), and the worship due Him (Mt 4:8-10 cf. Heb 1:6). I believe that Christ is the eternal Son of God (Is 9:6; Jn 8:35; 1 Jn 1:2), the second person of the triune God (Jn 6:38,57; 10:17-18; 17:5; Phil 2:5-7; 1 Co 15:28) and as such is distinct from the Father (Jn 8:18) and the Holy Spirit (Jn 16:7).
    2. The Humanity of Christ
      I believe in the complete and perfect humanity of Christ. I believe that Christ is God incarnate (Jn 1:1,14); that He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin (Is 7:14; Mt 1:18-25). In His incarnation, nothing of His divine essence, either in degree or kind, was surrendered when He accepted all the essential characteristics of humanity (Phil 2:7-8; physical body—Jn 2:21; 6:51; appetites—Mt 4:2; human limitations—Lu 2:40; Jn 4:6; Heb 5:8; et al.) to become the God-Man (Phil 2:5-8; Col 2:9). The voluntary (Jn 6:38; Phil 2:7-8) and temporary (Jn 17:5; Phil 2:9; Rev 3:21) setting aside of His rights of Deity was for the purpose of revealing God (Jn 1:18; 10:30; 14:9), redeeming man (Jn 6:32-33, 51; Heb 2:14-15), and ruling over God’s future earthly kingdom (Rev 19:11-20:6).
  2. The God-Man union which began at conception is indissoluble and inseparable (Lu 1:31-33). This is also supported by his bodily resurrection (Lu 24:36-43), bodily ascension (Lu 24:50,51), His present position (Rev 1:12-18; 3:21), and His future bodily rule on earth (Lu 1:32-33; Rev 19:11-20:6; 21:3; 22:20).

The Work of Christ

For man to be redeemed He would need a mediator that is both human and divine. The significance of the “hypostatic union” in the one person of Christ is that we now have a mediator and can be saved from our sin. Humanity was a necessity in order for there to be a vicarious atonement (Is 53:5-6; Ro 5:6-8; 2 Co 5:21), while deity was essential for an atonement that would have infinite value (Jn 19:30; 1 Ti 2:6; Tit 2:11). The God-Man is both our redeemer (Eph 1:7; Col 1:14) and mediator (1 Ti 2:5; Heb 2:17-18; 7:25; 9:24).

Christ’s atonement consists of His life (active obedience-His perfect fulfillment of all the righteous demands of the law on behalf of sinners) and death (passive obedience-payment of the just penalties of the law on behalf of sinners, pecuniary[dealing with debt and things] and penal[dealing with crime and persons] satisfaction).

Christ’s atonement expiated man’s guilt (Heb 9:26), redeemed him from bondage (Mt 20:28), propitiated God’s wrath (1 Jn 2:2), and reconciled man to God (2 Co 5:18). It secures salvation and all its attendant blessings to all who believe.

Christ’s atonement was a sacrifice for the sins of the whole world (Heb 2:9), makes salvation and its blessings available to all men (Titus 2:11), exerts a drawing power on all men (Jn 12:32), restrains sin for all men (Eccl 8:11), and extends common grace to mankind (Mt 5:45).