Christ Had a Human Body and a Human Mind—A human body and a human mind were his. He was bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh. He was subjected to poverty from his first entrance into the world. He was subject to disappointment and trial in his own home, among his own brethren. He was not surrounded, as in the heavenly courts, with pure and lovely characters. He was compassed with difficulties. He came into our world to maintain a pure, sinless character, and to refute Satan’s lie that it was not possible for human beings to keep the law of God. Christ came to live the law in his human character in just that way in which all may live the law in human nature if they will do as Christ was doing. He had inspired holy men of old to write for the benefit of man: “Let him take hold of my strength, that he may make peace with me; and he shall make peace with me” (Isaiah 27:5). His Attributes May Be Ours—The higher attributes of his being it is our privilege to have, if we will, through the provisions he has made, appropriate these blessings and diligently cultivate the good in the place of the evil. We have reason, conscience, memory, will, affections—all the attributes a human being can possess. Through the provision made when God and the Son of God made a covenant to rescue man from the bondage of Satan, every facility was provided that human nature should come into union with his divine nature. In such a nature was our Lord tempted. He could have yielded to Satan’s lying suggestions as did Adam, but we should adore and glorify the Lamb of God that he did not in a single point yield one jot or one tittle. Two Natures Blended in Christ—Through being partakers of the divine nature we may stand pure and holy and undefiled. The Godhead was not made human, and the human was not deified by the blending together of the two natures. Christ did not possess the same sinful, corrupt, fallen disloyalty we possess, for then he could not be a perfect offering.—Manuscript 94, 1893. The Reality of Christ’s Temptations—When the follower of Christ meets with trial and perplexity, he is not to become discouraged. He is not to cast away his confidence if he does not realize all his expectations. When buffeted by the enemy, he should remember the Saviour’s life of trial and discouragement. Heavenly beings ministered to Christ in his need, yet this did not make the Saviour’s life one of freedom from conflict and temptation. He was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. If his people will follow this example, they will be imbued with his Spirit, and heavenly angels will minister to them.
Posted on: Fri, 18 Jul 2014 21:27:54 +0000
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