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Phil



Last Updated: 11/25/2009

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Gender: Male
Status: Married
Age: 43
Sign: Gemini

City: DENISON
State: TEXAS
Country: US
Signup Date: 5/21/2006

Who Gives Kudos:

(2)
Wednesday, December 17, 2008 

Current mood:  blessed
Category: Religion and Philosophy

Happy 'late' Thanksgiving and 'early' Merry Christmas!

This year I am in a Christmas musical at my home church of First Baptist of Denison, TX. I play the part of a wiseman (a.k.a. magi). We re-tell the story of the birth of Christ in a music and drama orignial production. It is very good. And this has gotten me to think about the need for the virgin birth in bringing Jesus into our world.

So as you get ready to celebrate with your friends and family the birth of Christ this Christmas season, allow me to share with you 3 quick applications of the virgin birth as it relates to God and to us. Here first is the Scripture:

"Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child of the Holy Spirit," (Matthew 1:18).  And,

"Mary asked the angel, "But how can this happen? I am a virgin." The angel replied, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he, will be called the Son of God," (Luke 1:34-35).

1. The virgin birth shows that salvation of humanity ultimately must come from the Lord. It takes a supernatural work of God to bring about salvation, never forget this in your own life...it wasn't you who saved yourself, rather it was God who worked and saved you.

2. The virgin birth made possible the uniting of full deity and full humanity in one person. Jesus was born of a human mother in the way all of us are born into this world, thus starting his complete identification with us as a human being. And yet, his conception in the womb of Mary was a supernatural work of God, in a mysterious way uniting deity with humanity in one person. So we have Jesus, one person, but two natures. He is simply one of a kind! (space doesn't permit me to fully answer why we needed both natures to effect our salvation...but if you want to know, please message me.)

3. The virgin birth also makes possible Christ's true humanity without inherited sin. The Bible teaches that all human beings have inherited legal guilt and a corrupt moral nature from their first father, Adam. The fact that Jesus did not have a human father means that the line of descent from Adam is partially interrupted. This helps us understand why the legal guilt and moral corruption that belong to all other human beings did not belong to Christ.

So take time to thank the Lord for these 3 very important truths about Jesus Christ and then celebrate Him this Christmas season!

God bless you!

Currently reading:
The Heavenly Man: The Remarkable True Story of Chinese Christian Brother Yun
By Brother Yun
1:27 AM
 
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Phil

 
Thank for the comments. I will have to respectfully disagree with all three of your points....

First, the coming of Christ into the world was a supernatural event, because God transcends nature, for He is a spirit. So for Him to take on 'flesh and blood' this was a miracle of the highest order. So to have the divine nature and the human nature united in one person takes the work of God Himself...thus the miracle of the incarnation.


Second, the availability of other supernatural births in other religions in now way impacts or discredits the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. I see it, as imitation by the 'enemy of God' i.e. Satan to do all in his power to discredit the works of the Lord. And, if you look at the other 'false' and pagan religions none of them have birth accounts that are rooted in historical settings...they all are written as myths, sound like myths, and are thus myths.


Third, do not be deceived by the 'higher criticism' that is used to date the various gospel accounts and stories. Form criticism is also a very 'shaky' house of cards and one that is fraught with intellectual presumptions all throughout its shadowy existence. There are very good reasons why Matthew and Luke record the birth narratives, and Mark and John omit them. Any good evangelical commentary (especially John MacArthure) will give you good solid reasons for this occurence.


Finally, if you desire a God who you can understand, figure out, predict, and in essence, contain in your own intellectual box, then you really have no need for Christianity. God is not one to be limited by our own finite musings, so I encourage all (and you) to recieve by faith the mystery of the incarnation and rejoice in the fact that our God is beyond our thoughts in most of His ways and works.
Merry Christmas!
 
Posted by Phil on Sunday, December 21, 2008 - 12:29 AM
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