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God the Father has manifested His great love to the world by sending His Son Jesus Christ to redeem mankind from sin. The fullness of God’s love is revealed in the sacrifice of His only begotten Son, Who willingly gave Himself for the salvation of every human being. But we as individuals must personally choose to accept salvation by repenting and believing, as the apostle John writes: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in Him may not perish, but may have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
This verse is perhaps the most memorized verse in the New Testament. But while many are able to recite this verse, few comprehend its profound meaning. Very few truly understand the awesome sacrifice that God the Father provided in the body of Jesus Christ. The magnitude of His suffering was foretold by Jesus Christ Himself at His last Passover. After breaking the unleavened bread, He said, “Take, eat; this is My body, which is being broken for you. This do in the remembrance of Me” (I Cor. 11:24).
Why did Jesus Christ, the Son of God, have to offer Himself for the sins of mankind? Was there no other way to bring salvation to the world? Could not God have removed sin simply by issuing a command?
Because God is the Creator of all things and the Supreme Ruler of the universe, people tend to think that God accomplishes everything by speaking a command. It is true that God created this present world, with all its plant and animal life, by the commands of His mouth. But God did not choose to create man in this manner. Instead, God formed man with His own hands, creating him in His own image and giving him the capacity of independent, free choice—free moral agency. Unlike the animals, which are ruled by instinct, human beings are able to discern right from wrong and to choose their own course of action. Having the ability to choose allows every human being the opportunity to sin. As the record of man’s history shows, that is the path that human beings have chosen from the beginning. It is for this very reason that Jesus Christ gave His life. Only the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, could redeem mankind from the penalty of sin, which is eternal death. In order to understand the necessity of His supreme sacrifice for sin, we must first understand the binding power of the laws of God. These laws express the very nature of God, Who is altogether righteous and perfect in character. A study of the nature of God will help us to better understand why man’s transgressions of His laws required the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
The Nature of God
The nature of God is revealed in the many names of God that are found in Scripture. The book The Names of God by Andrew Jukes offers an excellent study of the Scriptural names of God and their meanings. A brief overview of the characteristics and nature of God is presented here. The Scriptural references that are provided may be used as a basis for pursuing an in-depth study of the nature of God, should the reader desire. Any reliable concordance would be helpful.
God is Spirit (John 4:24). God is eternal, ever-living and self-existent (Deut. 33:27, Isa. 40:28). God is Light (I John 1:5). God is holy (Isa. 57:15). God is Creator (Gen. 1, John 1:1-4). God is Lawgiver and Judge (Jas. 4:12, Isa. 33:22). God is a consuming fire (Heb. 12:29). God is the Savior of all (Psa. 106:21, Isa. 43:3; 45:21-22; 60:16, Hosea 13:4, John 4:42, I Tim. 1:1; 2:3; 4:10, Tit. 1:3, 4; 2:10, 13; 3:4, 6, I John 4:14). God is our Redeemer from sin (Psa. 19:14, Isa. 41:14; 49:26, I Pet. 1:18-19, Rev. 5:9).
God is both Lawgiver and the Judge of all who break His laws. He is also the Savior and Redeemer of those who repent of their sins and transgressions of His laws. These two aspects of God’s nature are clearly revealed in the words that He spoke when Moses was allowed to see His glory: “ ‘You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live....Behold, there is a place by Me, and you shall stand upon a rock. And it will be, while My glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by. And I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back parts. But My face shall not be seen’....And the LORD [Jehovah, the covenant name] came down in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. And the LORD passed by before him and proclaimed, ‘The LORD, the LORD God [Elohim, the Creator], merciful [Psa. 103:8-18; 119:64; 136] and gracious [Psa. 86:15; 111:4; 112:4; 116:5, I Pet. 2:3] longsuffering [Rom. 2:4, I Tim. 1:16], and abundant in goodness [Psa. 31:19; 33:5; 107:8, 15, 21, 31, Rom. 2:4] and truth [Deut. 32:4, Psa. 31:5; 33:4, Jer. 4:2, John 14:6], keeping mercy to the thousandth generation, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin [Psa. 103:1-4, Acts 2:38; 3:19, Rom. 3:23-25], but Who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children...to the fourth generation’ ” (Ex. 33:20-23; 34:5-7).
Because God is merciful and gracious, He is ready to forgive the sins of the one who repents. But because He is holy and righteous, He does not allow the unrepentant sinners to escape judgment. As the righteous Judge of all, God punishes those who do evil and destroys the unrepentant wicked. The ultimate, awesome judgment of God will be poured out on the wicked at the return of Jesus Christ: “But the rest of the men who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the works of their hands, that they might not worship demons, and idols of gold and silver and brass and stone and wood, which do not have the power to see, nor to hear, nor to walk. And they did not repent of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornications, nor of their thievery” (Rev. 9:20-21).
The book of Revelation gives a graphic description of the seven last plagues of God, which will be poured out upon the earth just before the return of Jesus Christ. Even after these terrible plagues, the wicked will refuse to repent: “And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores; yet they did not repent of their works” (Rev. 16:11). The final destruction of the unrepentant wicked will come in the lake of fire (Rev. 20:14-15; 21:8).
In warning the wicked of his ultimate judgment, God shows that He takes no pleasure in executing it: “ ‘As I live,’ says the Lord GOD, ‘I have no delight in the death of the wicked, except that the wicked turn from his way, and live. Turn you, turn you from your evil ways; for why will you die, O house of Israel?’ ” (Ezek. 33:11.)
Think about these words of God! The Lord says, “AS I LIVE....” His proclamation is based on His very existence! Because God is love, He does not delight in the death of the wicked. It is God’s desire that every sinner repent and be saved: “...[God] is long-suffering toward us, not desiring that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (II Pet. 3:9). However, the gift of eternal life is granted only to those who repent of their sins and accept the sacrifice of Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in Him may not perish [die forever], but may have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
The gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ is offered to all people and nations on earth. Everyone who responds to God’s call to repentance and who is baptized will receive the gift of salvation through the begettal of the Holy Spirit from God the Father (Matt. 28:19-20, Mark 16:15-16, Luke 24:47-48, Acts 2:38-39, Rom. 1:5-6, Rev. 7:9-10). God’s desire is to grant salvation and eternal life to all humanity. This is the very reason that Jesus Christ sacrificed His life—to take away the sins of the world!
So great was the love of God the Father that He gave His own Son to redeem mankind from sin. So strong was the love of God in the Son that He gave Himself willingly, taking upon His own body the punishment that man’s sins had incurred. The love of God is His greatest attribute and characteristic: “GOD IS LOVE” (I John 4:8, 16). Everything that God does flows from His love.
As human beings, we can have or possess love, but GOD IS LOVE! In His great love, God wants every human being to be in His kingdom. But God, Who is perfect in righteousness, cannot dwell with sin. It is not possible to have the love of God where sin is allowed to exist. That is why sin, rebellion and wickedness must be destroyed. When we fully understand the nature of God, we can comprehend why the judgment of eternal death must be executed against the incorrigibly wicked. Only the righteous will inherit eternal life.
Since all human beings have sinned, there is not one who is righteous before God (Psa. 14:2-3, Rom. 3:9-10). But through faith in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, every sinner who repents can be cleansed from sin and be reconciled to God the Father. The blood of Jesus Christ sanctifies each repentant believer, who is then justified and counted righteous before God. This righteousness continues to be imputed as each believer remains under the blood of Jesus Christ by living in daily obedience to God and repenting of any sins that are committed. Every human being has the potential to be justified before God the Father through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and to live forever in the kingdom of God.
None of the other creatures on earth have the ultimate destiny of becoming the glorified children of God for all eternity. No other creature has been created in the image and likeness of God, with the potential to be transformed from mortal human beings to immortal, glorified spirit beings. This special blessing and privilege is granted only to human beings!
God’s Love in Creating Mankind
The magnitude of God’s love is revealed in the creation of man. All human beings bear the image and likeness of God, for He proclaimed: “ ‘Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the fowl of heaven and over the livestock and over all the earth’....And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him. He created them male and female” (Gen. 1:26-27).
These verses also give us additional understanding about the nature of God. The word “God” is translated from the Hebrew Elohim, which is a plural noun. Like English plural nouns, Hebrew plural nouns refer to more than one person or thing. Just as the plural noun “men” inherently means more than one man, Elohim means more than a single God. A number of passages in the Old Testament confirm the existence of more than one Divine Being (Gen. 1:26; 11:7, Psa. 110:1; 45:7-8, Dan. 7:13).
The Scriptures reveal that there are two who are Elohim. One Elohim is the God Who is called the Father in the New Testament. The other Elohim is the God Who became Jesus Christ. This truth is verified by the apostle John:
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and not even one thing that was created came into being without Him. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men....and the Word became flesh, and tabernacled [temporarily dwelt] among us (and we ourselves beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten with the Father), full of grace and truth” (John 1:1-4, 14).
The New Testament clearly teaches that Jesus Christ was with God and was God before He became flesh. The words of John leave no doubt whatsoever that Jesus Christ existed from the beginning. Jesus was the Elohim of the Old Testament Who became God manifested in the flesh of the New Testament. He was sent to earth by the Father, the other Elohim of the Old Testament.
The Scriptures reveal that the God Who appeared to the patriarchs and Who led the children of Israel out of Egypt was the One Who became Jesus Christ (Ex. 3:6-8, I Cor. 10:4). The God Who became the Father never revealed Himself to man in Old Testament times. God the Father was not revealed until the coming of Jesus Christ, as John wrote: “No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, Who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him” (John 1:18).
A major purpose of the ministry of Jesus Christ was to reveal the Father: “...No one knows the Son except the Father; neither does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son personally chooses to reveal Him” (Matt. 11:27).
Before New Testament times, not even the Jews knew the Father, as Jesus said to the Jews: “Yet you have not known Him [God the Father]; but I know Him. And if I say that I do not know Him, I shall be a liar, like you. But I know Him, and I keep His Word” (John 8:55).
These plain Scriptural statements show that the God Who manifested Himself to men and women in Old Testament times was not God the Father. John adds to the evidence by recording these words of Jesus: “And the Father Himself, Who sent Me, has borne witness of Me. You have neither heard His voice nor seen His form at any time” (John 5:37).
The God of the Old Testament Who walked and talked with Adam and Eve was not the Father. The God Who delivered the Ten Commandments to Moses was not the Father. The God Who appeared to the prophets in visions was not the Father. No man has ever seen the Father, except Jesus Christ: “And no one has ascended into heaven, except He Who came down from heaven, even the Son of man, Who is in heaven [John recorded these words in 90 AD]” (John 3:13).
The Scriptures make it absolutely clear that the Lord God Who appeared to the patriarchs and the prophets of old was Jesus Christ—not the Father. The words of Jesus Himself reveal that He pre-existed as God before He became human. In His prayer to the Father after His last Passover, Jesus said: “I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work that You gave Me to do. And now, Father, glorify Me with Your own self, with the glory that I had with You BEFORE THE WORLD EXISTED” (John 17:4-5).
It is vital to understand that the Lord God of the Old Testament was made flesh and became Jesus Christ, the Son of God. To become God manifested in the flesh, He emptied Himself of His power and glory. As Jehovah Elohim, He had formed man from the dust of the ground. As Jesus Christ, He sacrificed Himself to redeem mankind from sin and the penalty of eternal death. This sacrifice was essential to the fulfillment of God’s purpose for man.
God’s Plan for Mankind
When God created mankind, He said, “ ‘Let Us [God the Father and God the Son are the “Us” (John 17:21)] make man in Our image, after Our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the fowl of heaven and over the livestock and over all the earth’....And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him. He created them male and female” (Gen. 1:26-27).
This Scriptural passage makes it clear that both men and women have been made in the image and likeness of God. In addition to His image and likeness, God has given mankind other attributes which are like His. David was inspired to write, “O LORD our Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth....When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars which You have ordained, what is man that You are mindful of him,...You have made him a little lower than God [Hebrew elohim]...” (Psa. 8:1-5).
Many translations of the Bible, including the King James Version, render this verse as “a little lower than the angels.” However, the Hebrew word elohim, which is used in this verse, refers to deities—not to angels. This word is used countless times in the Hebrew text in reference to the true God and to false gods. In every other occurrence in the King James Version, elohim is correctly translated “God” or “gods.” In Psalm 8:5, this Hebrew word is clearly referring to the true God and should be translated accordingly. Green’s translation conveys the meaning of the text: “For You have made him lack a little from God...” (The Interlinear Hebrew-Greek- English Bible).
The correct translation of this verse reveals the tremendous potential of mankind! God made man in His image and likeness but of an inferior nature. Although made of flesh, which is subject to sin and corruption, man has the potential to receive the Holy Spirit of God and become holy and righteous, as God is. All who attain to the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ will be born into the family of God as immortal spirit beings, composed of the same substance as God. That is God’s awesome purpose for mankind!
Of all the creatures that God made to dwell on the earth, only man has been given the attributes of God—including the ability to think and reason, to speak, to write, to plan, to create, to build, to teach, to learn, to judge, to rule. God gave human beings the capacity to love, to hate, to laugh, to cry, to forgive, to repent, and to experience every type of emotion. All these qualities are godlike characteristics which man is privileged to possess although inferior to God. Man is able to experience these godlike attributes because he was given a unique spiritual dimension that God did not give to the rest of His earthly creation. Every human being has been given this quality, which makes each one “a little lower than God.” The Bible describes this spiritual quality as the “spirit of man.”
The Spirit of Man
The spirit that dwells in man is not another spirit being, such as an angel or demon. Rather, it is a spirit essence that imparts the power of thought, intellect and other godlike characteristics, and which makes man unique from all other creatures that God has created. This spirit essence comes from God: “Thus says LORD God, He who created the heavens and stretched them out, spreading forth the earth and its offspring; He Who gives breath to the people upon it and spirit [Hebrew ruach] to those who walk in it” (Isa. 42:5). God is actively forming this spirit essence within human beings: “Thus declares the LORD who stretches forth the heavens, and lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit [Hebrew ruach] of man within him” (Zech. 12:1).
The spirit of man is different from what the Bible calls the “soul.” The word “soul” is translated from the Hebrew nephesh, which refers to physical life, whether human or animal. In many occurrences, nephesh is translated “creature” or “life” (Gen. 1:20-21, 24, 30; 2:19; 9:4-5, 10, 12, 15-16). When translated “soul,” it refers to the physical life and strength of a human being (Gen. 2:7, Ex. 1:5, Lev. 23:27, Deut. 4:29, Josh. 11:11, Ezek. 13:18-19; 18:4, 20). Unlike the soul, which ends with the death of the body, the spirit in man returns to God when a human dies (Eccl. 12:7). The spirit of man is the unique power that gives each person thought and consciousness: “But there is a spirit in man and the inspiration of the Almighty gives them understanding” (Job 32:8). The apostle Paul wrote, “For who among men understands the things of men except by the spirit of man which is in him?” (I Cor. 2:11.)
It is the spirit in man which gives him the potential to become a son or daughter of God. The Scriptures show that the spirit of man was made to receive and unite with the Holy Spirit of God as a begettal from God the Father: “Everyone who has been begotten by God does not practice sin because His [God the Father’s] seed of begettal is dwelling within him, and he is not able to practice sin because he has been begotten by God” (I John 3:9). This spiritual begettal takes place only after a person has repented and been baptized, and has had the laying on of hands to receive the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit unites with the individual’s spirit, he or she is spiritually begotten as a child of God: “...You have received the Spirit of sonship, whereby we call out, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit itself bears witness conjointly with our own spirit, testifying that we are the children of God” (Rom. 8:15-16). At the resurrection, every spiritually begotten child of God who has grown to spiritual maturity, having been led by the Holy Spirit to develop the mind and character of God, will be born into the family of God as an immortal spirit being (II Pet. 1:4-11). The resurrection is truly the “new birth,” when the flesh is transformed to spirit and spiritually begotten Christians are born again as the immortal sons and daughters of God.
Because all human beings possess the spirit of man, every individual on earth can receive the Holy Spirit of begettal from God the Father. This is the glorious potential of every human being! In Psalm 8, David expresses his awe at God’s purpose in creating man. David’s description of God’s creation of mankind reveals that his ultimate destiny is to exercise dominion over the entire physical universe: “...And have crowned him with glory and honor. You made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet; all sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; the birds of heaven, the fish of the sea, and all that pass through the paths of the seas. O LORD, our Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth!” (Psa. 8:5-9.) The New Testament shows that this dominion will be granted to all who become the glorified children of God through faith in Jesus Christ (Heb. 2:6-10).
To prepare man for his ultimate destiny, God gave him rulership over the earth: “And God blessed them. And God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the fowl of heaven and over every living thing that moves upon the earth’ ” (Gen. 1:28). After finishing the creation of the world and of Adam and Eve, “...God saw every thing that He had made, and, indeed, it was exceedingly good” (verse 31).
Everything that God created on the earth was given to man to be used for his benefit. What a tremendous blessing God gave to mankind— the entire world over which to have dominion!
A Choice Between Two Ways of Life
The creation of Adam and Eve is described in detail in Genesis 2. As the account shows, Adam was the first to receive life: “Then the LORD God [Jehovah Elohim] formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being” (Gen. 2:7). God created within Adam’s mind a fully functioning language and the capacity to choose (Gen. 2:16-17). Adam’s wife, Eve, was created from one of his ribs (verses 18, 21-23). Eve, like Adam, was created with a fully functioning language and the capacity to choose. This capacity is manifested in the account of the two trees that God placed in the Garden of Eden: “And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there He put the man whom He had formed. And out of the ground the LORD God caused to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life also was in the middle of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” (Gen. 2:8-9).
God instructed the man and set before him choices. The command that God gave him includes a warning of the consequences for making the wrong choice: “And the LORD God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, ‘You may freely eat of every tree of the garden, but you shall not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for in the day that you eat of it in dying you shall surely die [be subject to the penalty of death]’ ” (Gen. 2:15-17).
God created man as a free moral agent and gave him the power of independent choice. Every human being has been given this capacity to choose. The choice that each must make is whether or not to love and obey God. As Creator and Lawgiver, God has decreed that the penalty for disobedience to His commands is death. But through faith, love and obedience, God grants the gift of eternal life (Rom. 6:23). This is the choice that God set before Adam and Eve, as portrayed in the description of the two trees—the tree of life, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Both Adam and Eve were created in a state of innocence. They were sinless and blameless before God. Although in the beginning they were not subject to the penalty of death, they did not have eternal life because they were made of the dust of the earth. They could have inherited eternal life by choosing to obey the commands of God and to eat of the tree of life, but instead they chose to disobey God by eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. As we will see, their choice has affected all mankind. What a different world it would have been, if Adam and Eve had chosen to obey God and had eaten of the tree of life instead of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil!
Man Chooses the Way of Sin
After God had created them, Adam and Eve walked with God and talked with Him. Since their minds were innocent, they were not ashamed of being naked in God’s presence: “And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and they were not ashamed” (Gen. 2:25).
The book of Genesis records that Adam and Eve received God’s instructions before the serpent, Satan the devil, was allowed to test them as to which way they would choose—the way that leads to eternal life, or the way that leads to sin and death (Gen. 2:16-17). Since they had been in personal contact with God, their knowledge of God’s commands was direct and firsthand.
Notice the account in Genesis 3: “Now the serpent was more cunning than any creature of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, ‘Is it true that God has said, “You shall not eat of any tree of the garden?” ’ And the woman said to the serpent, ‘We may freely eat the fruit of the trees of the garden, but of the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has indeed said, “You shall not eat of it, neither shall you touch it, lest you die” ’ ” (Gen. 3:1-3).
As the Scriptural record reveals, Eve had full knowledge of God’s instructions and commands concerning the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. But Eve listened to the serpent: “And the serpent said to the woman, ‘In dying, you shall not surely die! For God knows that in the day you eat of it, then your eyes shall be opened, and you shall be like God, deciding good and evil’ ” (verses 4-5).
Instead of rejecting the persuasions of the serpent and obeying God, Eve took some of the fruit and ate it, and gave some to her husband Adam: “And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasing to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate” (verse 6).
The account of the temptation of Adam and Eve shows that their eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was a knowledgeable sin. It was not due to ignorance or misunderstanding. When they ate the fruit of the tree, they knew that they were transgressing and violating God’s command. But they knowingly chose to disobey God by eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
The Consequences of Adam and Eve’s Sin
As a result of their sin and disobedience to God, they were no longer innocent but became sinful: “And the eyes of both of them were opened [to know good and evil], and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves” (verse 7).
When Adam and Eve ate of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, sin entered into the world in the human realm. With their first act of disobedience, sin became part of their very minds and beings. They had experienced evil. Because they now had a sinful nature—a mixture of good and evil—they were ashamed that they were naked and were afraid of God. Before they sinned, Adam and Eve were not afraid of God. They walked and talked with God and were not ashamed of being naked in His presence. But after they sinned, their thoughts became a mixture of good and evil and they were ashamed that they were naked: “And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day. Then Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. And the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, ‘Where are you?’ And he said, ‘I heard You walking in the garden, and I was afraid because I am naked, and so I hid myself.’ And He said, ‘Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree which I commanded you that you should not eat?” (verses 8-11.)
The sin of Adam and Eve had profound consequences for them and for all humanity. God’s judgment was upon them, upon the earth and upon all mankind. Notice God’s judgment upon Adam and Eve: “To the woman He said, ‘I will greatly increase your sorrow and your conception—in sorrow shall you bring forth children. Your desire shall be toward your husband, and he shall rule over you.’ And to Adam He said, ‘Because you have hearkened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree—of which I commanded you, saying, “You shall not eat of it!”—the ground is cursed for your sake. In sorrow shall you eat of it all the days of your life. It shall also bring forth thorns and thistles to you, and thus you shall eat the herbs of the field; in the sweat of your face you shall eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken: for dust you are, and to dust you shall return” (verses 16-19).
God’s judgment included the sentence of death. Just as sin became part of their nature, the sentence of death became part of their beings. However, the sentence of death was not imposed immediately. Adam and Eve lived many hundreds of years after their sin. The book of Genesis does not tell us how long Eve lived but records the length of Adam’s life: “And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years. And he died” (Gen. 5:5).
As a result of their sin, they were exiled from the Garden of Eden, cutting them off from the tree of life and from access to the Holy Spirit of God, which imparts the power to live forever (Gen. 3:24). Moreover, their sinful nature and the sentence of death passed into all their descendants, who were also cut off from access to the Holy Spirit. Without the Holy Spirit of God, mankind was powerless to resist the temptations of the flesh and the influence of Satan the devil, and could not be freed from “the law of sin and death” (Rom. 8:2). No human being can escape the death that Adam brought upon all mankind: “for in Adam all die” (I Cor. 15:22). Again it is written: “...it is appointed unto men once to die” (Heb. 9:27).
The apostle Paul confirms that the sentence of death came to all mankind as a result of the first human sin: “Therefore, as by one man [Adam] sin entered into the world, and by means of the sin came death; and in this way, death passed into all mankind, and it is for this reason that all have sinned” (Rom. 5:12). The only escape from subjection to sin and death is through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, through which sinful human beings can be reconciled to God and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
When God pronounced His judgment on Adam and Eve, He gave the first prophecy of the coming Messiah, Who would redeem humanity from the curse of Adam’s sin (Gen. 3:15). Until Jesus Christ came to the earth to reconcile man to God, the Holy Spirit was not available to mankind as a whole, but only to a few selected persons, including the patriarchs.
The Nature of Mankind
Like Adam and Eve, all human beings have a nature that causes them to sin by yielding to the wrong desires. These desires originate in the mind and are an integral part of human nature. The apostle Paul shows that the mind of man is motivated by “the law of sin and death” (Rom. 8:2). The law of sin and death is within every human being and generates the evil desires that the Bible refers to as “fleshly lusts” or “the lust of the flesh” (Eph. 2:3, I Pet. 2:1, II Pet. 2:18). It is these fleshly lusts that lead human beings to commit sin (Jas. 1:14-15).
The fleshly nature of sin within man is further described in Romans 8:7-8: “Because the carnal mind [the mind of the flesh] is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of God; neither indeed can it be. But those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”
All human beings are born with this nature of sin and death, which opposes the laws of God. This carnal nature is the source of every evil thought and deed, as Jesus said: “For from within, out of the hearts of men, go forth evil thoughts, adulteries, fornication, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickednesses, guile, licentiousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness” (Mark 7:21-22). Every human being is by nature an enemy of God because of these wicked works, which originate in the mind (Col. 1:21).
The apostle Paul shows that the sinful nature of the flesh has alienated all human beings from God: “For we have already charged both Jews and Gentiles—ALL—with being under sin, exactly as it is written: ‘For there is not a righteous one—not even one! There is not one who understands; there is not one who seeks after God. They have all gone out of the way; together they have all become depraved. There is not even one who is practicing kindness. No, there is not so much as one! Their throats are like an open grave; with their tongues they have used deceit; the venom of asps is under their lips, whose mouths are full of cursing and bitterness; their feet are swift to shed blood; destruction and misery are in their ways; and the way of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes.’ Now then, we know that whatever the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God” (Rom. 3:9-19).
Although the entire world has been shut up under sin, Paul shows that there is hope for mankind: “But the Scriptures have shut up all things under sin, so that by the faith of Jesus Christ the promise might be given to those who believe” (Gal. 3:22). No one who is practicing evil can be in right standing with God, but through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, those who repent of their evil works can be reconciled to God and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Every believer who is begotten by the Holy Spirit receives power to overcome “the law of sin and death” and to resist the fleshly lusts of the carnal mind.
At conversion, every repentant believer begins a lifelong battle to overcome his or her sinful nature through the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit. The apostle Paul describes this fierce inner struggle against the nature that is inherent to human flesh. He writes: “So then, I am no longer working it out myself; rather, it is sin that is dwelling within me; because I fully understand that there is not dwelling within me—that is, within my fleshly being—any good. For the desire to do good is present within me; but how to work out that which is good, I do not find. For the good that I desire to do, I am not doing; but the evil that I do not desire to do, this I am doing. But if I do what I do not desire to do, I am no longer working it out myself, but sin that is dwelling within me” (Rom. 7:17-20).
Although Paul desired to do the will of God, he was experiencing conflict within himself because his flesh was constantly tempting him to sin. Despite his earnest desire to obey God, he found himself being drawn into sin by the powerful pulls of the flesh, which made him captive to “the law of sin” within his body: “Consequently, I find this law in my members, that when I desire to do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man; but I see another law within my own members, warring against the law of my mind, and leading me captive to the law of sin that is within my own members. O what a wretched man I am! Who shall save me from the body of this death? I thank God for His salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of this, on the one hand, I myself serve the law of God with my mind; on the other hand, with the flesh, I serve the law of sin” (verses 21-25).
Paul clearly defines the inherent evil nature of human beings as “the law of sin...within my own members.” In Romans 8:2, he further defines it as “the law of sin and death.” This law of sin and death is in every human being! This is the sinful human nature that we all receive from Adam and Eve by heredity.
When they ate of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, Adam and Eve’s nature became sinful—their eyes were opened to know good and evil. When God pronounced His judgment upon Adam and Eve for their sin, the sentence of death became part of their beings. From that time, the law of sin and death became part of the nature of mankind. As a result, mankind’s way has been the way of sin and death. The book of Proverbs tells us: “There is a way which seems right to a man, but the end thereof is the way of death” (Prov. 14:12; 16:25). “The wages of sin is death...” (Rom. 6:23).
All mankind has chosen the way of sin and death under the influence of Satan the devil. The nature of sin and death makes all human beings subject to the deceptions of Satan, who is the god of this world (II Cor. 4:4, Rev. 12:9). Together with his fallen angels, he is the ruler over the spiritual darkness and wickedness of this world (Eph. 6:11-12). Satan’s evil influence works with human nature to lead all people in the way of disobedience to God—the way of sin and death. The far-reaching effect of Satan’s influence is described in Paul’s epistle to the Ephesians: “Now you were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you walked in times past according to the course [society and times] of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air [Satan the devil], the spirit that is now working within the children of disobedience; among whom also we all once had our conduct in the lusts of our flesh, doing the things willed by the flesh and by the mind, and were [before God’s calling] by nature the children of wrath, even as the rest of the world” (Eph. 2:1-3).
What a dilemma! All human beings have this sinful nature of death, cutting them off from God and making them subject to Satan’s rule and society. God has subjected the entire world to this sentence of sin and death! But in so doing, God also promised a way out. There is hope! God will deliver the world from the “bondage of corruption” through Jesus Christ, according to His plan and purpose (Rom. 8:19-22).
It was God Who placed the law of sin and death within human beings, and He alone can save each person. This is why the sacrifice of Jesus Christ was planned from the foundation of the world (Rev. 13:8). God’s purpose in giving man the nature of sin and death was to ultimately redeem mankind from subjection to sin and Satan. God has provided the way of salvation for all mankind through the sacrifice of His only begotten Son. Redemption from sin and death is offered only through Jesus Christ: “And there is no [Greek ouk, the impossibility of] salvation in any other, for neither is there another name under heaven which has been given among men, by which we must [Greek dei, mandatory, obligatory] be saved” (Acts 4:12).
Why is it obligatory for every individual to be saved through Jesus Christ? How could His one death atone for the sins of multiple millions and billions of human beings and redeem every one of them from the sentence of death? The answer is found in the New Testament, which explains the significance of the body and flesh of Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ Was God in the Flesh
The Lord God, Who had created man from the dust of the ground, came to earth in the flesh of Jesus Christ: “And undeniably, great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh...” (I Tim. 3:16). Why did the Lord God of the Old Testament, Jehovah Elohim, become flesh? What kind of flesh did God take upon Himself when He became Jesus Christ? Was His flesh the same as ours, or was He composed of spirit that only appeared to be flesh? The apostle Paul reveals the answer: “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, Who, although He existed [Greek huparchoon, to exist or pre-exist] in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but emptied Himself [of His power and glory], and was made in the likeness [Greek homoioma, the same existence] of men, and took the form of a servant [Greek doulos, a slave]; and being found in the manner of man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Phil. 2:5-8).
These inspired words of Paul confirm that before Jesus Christ became human He was, in fact, Jehovah Elohim, the Lord God of the Old Testament. Existing as God, He was composed of ever-living Spirit. As a spirit being it was impossible for Him to die. However, to redeem man from the law of sin and death, it was necessary for God to die. The only way for God to die was to become human—to be “manifested in the flesh.” The God Who had created man in His image and likeness took on the same substance as man.
Paul’s words to the Philippians reveal exactly how God did this. The one of Elohim Who became Jesus Christ “emptied Himself” in order to be made in the likeness of man. In emptying Himself of His glory as God, He placed Himself under the power of God the Father, who reduced Him to only a pinpoint of life. By the power of the Holy Spirit of God the Father, He was impregnated into a human ovum within the virgin Mary’s womb.
When the virgin Mary asked the angel Gabriel how it was possible for her to conceive, not having known a man, he answered, “The Holy Spirit shall come upon you, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow you; and for this reason, the Holy One being begotten [Greek gennoomenon, a present tense, passive participle, meaning that the impregnation was taking place at that very moment] in you shall be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:35).
At the instant Jesus was conceived in the womb of the virgin Mary, He became the divinely begotten Son of God, fulfilling the prophecy in Psalm 2: “I will declare the decree of the LORD [the Elohim Who became the Father]. He has said to me, ‘You are My Son; this day I have begotten You” (verse 7).
The fact that His begettal was foretold in “the decree” indicates that there was a written agreement, or covenant, between the Elohim Who became God the Father and the Elohim Who became the Son. This is also indicated in another prophecy of Jesus’ coming in the flesh: “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire; My ears You have opened; burnt offering and sin offering You have not required. Then I said [the Son], ‘Lo, I come; in the scroll of the book it is written of Me; I delight to do Your will, O My God; and Your law is within My heart” (Psa. 40:6-8). In his epistle to the Hebrews, the apostle Paul quotes these words in Psalm 40: “For this reason, when He comes into the world, He says, ‘Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but You have prepared a body for Me [Christ’s human body of flesh]. You did not delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin. Then I said, “Lo, I come (as it is written of Me in the scroll of the book) to do Your will, O God’ ” (Heb. 10:5-7).
The word “volume” in Psalm 40 is more accurately translated “scroll,” as in Hebrews 10. The words that the psalmist quotes from the scroll are not found in any book of the Old Testament. These words, which were spoken by the Father and the Son, would have remained hidden to the world had they not been revealed to the psalmist through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
The decree that is quoted in Psalm 2:7 and the prophecy that is quoted in Psalm 40:7 were apparently recorded in a special book known only to God the Father and Jesus Christ. Since They always accomplish Their will through covenants, this book is evidently a special covenant book that the Father has at His throne. While Jesus did not speak of a covenant between Him and the Father, Isaiah prophesied that Jesus would be given as “a covenant for the people” (Isa. 42:6, 49:8). In addition, Jesus revealed that He had authority from God the Father to lay down His life and to receive it back again. Notice: “On account of this, the Father loves Me; because I lay down My life, that I may receive it back again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have authority to lay it down and authority to receive it back again. This commandment I received from My Father” (John 10:17-18).
God the Father and Jesus Christ had no need of a written agreement between Themselves because Their word is true and They will fulfill it. But for the sake of the future sons and daughters of God, their plan for mankind was apparently written down in a covenant book called “the volume [scroll] of the book” (Psa. 40:7). When the apostle Paul quoted the words of the scroll that are found in Psalm 40, he was inspired to add the phrase from the Greek Septuagint, “You have prepared a body for Me.” Although these words are not part of the Hebrew psalm, the Holy Spirit inspired Paul to include them. Perhaps these words are also found in the scroll of the book that is spoken of in Psalm 40.
As Paul shows, Jesus gave His body as the one perfect sacrifice for sin (Heb. 10:10). Jesus said of Himself: “I am the living bread, which came down from heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he shall live forever; and the bread that I will give is even My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world” (John 6:51). In order to give His flesh for the life of the world, Jesus Christ had to be fully human, sharing the same mortal existence that every human being experiences.
Jesus Christ Shared the Human Experience
In writing to the Hebrews, the apostle Paul used many passages in the Old Testament to show that Jesus Christ shared the mortal existence of all human beings. Paul’s inspired explanation of Psalm 8 makes this fact very clear. In translating this Hebrew psalm into the Greek language, Paul used the middle voice, which expresses a personal involvement by God: “You Yourself are mindful” and “You Yourself visit him.” These expressions convey God’s personal and special love for mankind. God was not remote and far away from man. He was directly and personally involved. He came to earth in the flesh as Jesus Christ, sharing the full range of human existence and experience, from conception and birth to adulthood and death.
As Paul shows, the suffering and death of Jesus Christ were essential to the fulfillment of God’s purpose for man: “But in a certain place one fully testified, saying, ‘What is man, that You [Yourself] are mindful of him, or the son of man, that You [Yourself] visit him? You did make him a little lower than the angels; You did crown him with glory and honor, and You did set him over the works of Your hands; You did put all things in subjection under his feet.’ For in subjecting all things to him, He left nothing that was not subjected to him. But now we do not yet see all things subjected to him.
“But we see Jesus, Who was made a little lower than the angels, crowned with glory and honor on account of suffering the death, in order that by the grace of God He Himself might taste [partake of] death for everyone; because it was fitting for Him, for Whom all things were created, and by Whom all things exist, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the Author of their salvation perfect through sufferings” (Heb. 2:6-10).
What a magnificent expression of God’s love! The Creator of all mankind gave up His eternal existence as God and lowered Himself to the level of mortal man, so that He could suffer and die for every human being. Think of it! By the grace and love of God, through the power of the Holy Spirit, He willingly took upon Himself the death penalty that had come upon all mankind through sin.
Some claim that Jesus Christ was not a mortal human being but possessed an angelic or spirit body that gave the appearance of being flesh and blood. The apostle Paul clearly contradicts this teaching: “Therefore, since the children are partakers of flesh and blood, in like manner He also took part in the same [flesh and blood], in order that through [His] death He might annul him who has the power of death—that is, the devil.
“And that He might deliver those who were subject to bondage all through their lives by their fear of death. For surely, He is not taking upon Himself to help the angels; but He is taking upon Himself to help the seed of Abraham. For this reason, it was obligatory for Him to be made like His brethren in everything [sharing the same flesh and nature] that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, in order to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because He Himself has suffered, having been tempted in like manner, He is able to help those who are being tempted” (Heb. 2:14-18).
An examination of this passage in the Greek text makes it emphatically clear that Jesus Christ was made of human flesh. In Verse 14, Paul proclaims that Jesus partook of flesh and blood “in like manner” as the children of Abraham. The phrase “in like manner” is translated from the Greek word parapleesioos, which means “in exactly the same way.” Its meaning is very specific, as this definition by a leading authority shows: “similarly, likewise; the word does not show clearly just how far the similarity goes. But it is used in situations where no differentiation is intended, in the sense in just the same way” (Arndt and Gingrich, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament). Paul’s use of the Greek word parapleesioos confirms that the body of Jesus Christ was composed of the same substance as all other human bodies. It is important to understand this truth. The Bible teaches that Jesus Christ was fully human, sharing the same flesh that all human beings have. The fact that Jesus Christ was God in the flesh qualified Him, and Him alone, to be our Savior.
Paul goes on to show that the fulfillment of God’s purpose for man made it mandatory for Jesus to be fully human. The verb “was obligated” is translated from the Greek verb opheiloo, which is defined as, “owe, be indebted, be obligated, one must, one ought” (Ibid.). When God entered into covenant with Abraham by taking a maledictory oath, He obligated Himself to die to fulfill the promises of the covenant. In other words, He obligated Himself to become flesh and blood. This is what He had prophesied, and this is what He did. He partook of flesh and blood because He was under obligation to take on a mortal body that was subject to death. But the promises could not be fulfilled by His death alone. In order to fulfill the promise of spiritual seed by redeeming mankind from sin, He was also obligated to become man’s Mediator with God the Father. For this reason, He took on the same nature that all human beings share. Because He experienced the same temptations, He is able to make intercession for the sins of those who repent of their sins, and give them strength to overcome the pulls of human nature.
Paul leaves no room to doubt that Jesus was fully human. In Hebrews 2:17, he states that Jesus was obligated “to be made like His brethren.” The phrase “to be made like” is translated from the Greek verb homoiooo, which is defined as follows: “to make like, make someone like a person or a thing, become like, be like” (Arndt and Gingrich, A Greek- English Lexicon of the New Testament). Paul’s use of this Greek expression makes it clear that Jesus was made like every other human being. He shared the same flesh and blood and the same human nature, which could be tempted to sin.
Many arguments have been presented by theologians, philosophers, and scholars who are convinced that Jesus was not made of human flesh. But the apostles clearly taught that Jesus was fully human. As the apostle John shows, this truth is essential to the Christian faith. In fact, it is a test by which Christians can discern a false minister from a true minister of God. Anyone who does not believe and profess that Jesus came in a fleshly body is antichrist! Those who teach that Jesus did not come in the flesh are false prophets, inspired by the spirit of antichrist and not by the Spirit of God. John warns Christians not to be deceived by their false words:
“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this test you can know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God.
“And every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not from God. And this is THE SPIRIT OF ANTICHRIST, which you heard was to come, and even now it is already in the world....By this means we know the Spirit of the truth and the spirit of the deception” (I John 4:1-3, 6).
The Scriptures clearly condemn the teaching that Jesus Christ was not made of flesh. This deceptive teaching strikes at the very foundation of man’s salvation. In order to offer His own body as the substitute sacrifice for man’s sins, Jesus had to become a mortal human being. Since man is composed of flesh and blood, He also took part in the same. Anyone who claims otherwise is rejecting the Spirit of truth, which inspired the teachings of the apostles in the New Testament.
Jesus Took on “The Law of Sin and Death”
The apostle Paul specifically states that the flesh of Jesus was sinful: “For what was impossible for the law to do, in that it was weak through the flesh [because of the law of sin and death within human flesh], God, having sent His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh” (Rom. 8:3). A literal translation of the Greek text is “in the likeness of flesh, of sin....” The word “likeness” is translated from the Greek homoioomati, which means “likeness, the same” (Arndt and Gingrich, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament).
Paul’s statement that Jesus was made “in the likeness of sinful flesh” leaves no doubt that “the law of sin and death” was passed on to Jesus from His mother Mary. Because Jesus had inherited “the law of sin and death,” He had the potential to sin at any time during His human life. If, as some claim, Jesus was incapable of sin, it would have been impossible for Him to be tempted. The devil could not have tempted Jesus in the wilderness, as the Scriptures record (Matt. 4:1-11, Mark 1:12-13, Luke 4:1-13).
The fact that Jesus experienced this temptation by Satan shows that the law of sin and death was operating within His flesh. But through the power of the Holy Spirit, He was able to resist the desires and pulls of the flesh, through which Satan was tempting Him to sin. Jesus understood that those who succumb to the lusts of the flesh are practicing the ways of Satan. During His ministry, He openly condemned the religious leaders of the Jews for following Satan. Jesus said, “You are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father you desire to practice. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has not stood in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he is speaking from his own self, for he is a liar, and the father of it” (John 8:44).
At the same time, Jesus made a statement which shows that He had the potential to sin: “Yet you have not known Him [God the Father]; but I know Him. And if I say that I do not know Him, I shall be a liar, like you” (John 8:55).
These words of Jesus reveal that it was possible for Him to tell a lie, if He had chosen to do so. But, unlike the religious leaders of the Jews, Jesus always chose to do the things that pleased the Father (John 8:29). He did not lie because He was “full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).
Because Jesus had the same flesh as all human beings, and the same nature as all human beings, it was entirely possible for Him to be tempted. Since it was possible for Him to be tempted, He was also capable of sinning. And if He had sinned, He would have incurred the penalty of death. In other words, Jesus was made subject to the Law, which had the power to impose the death penalty for sin.
The apostle Paul states very plainly that Jesus was made subject to the Law: “But when the time for the fulfillment came [the time in God’s plan to fulfill the prophecy of the Messiah], God sent forth His own Son, born of a woman, born under law, in order that He might redeem those who are under law, so that we might receive the gift of sonship from God” (Gal. 4:4-5).
The word “under” is translated from the Greek hupo, which means “under, under the power of, or subject to the power of” (Arndt and Gingrich, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament). If Jesus had been born above the Law, then it would have been impossible for Him to sin, since the Scriptures define sin as “the transgression of the law” (I John 3:4). But because He was born under the power of the Law, Jesus was subject to the penalty of death—eternal death—if He committed sin: “The wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23).
In Romans 7:5-8:2, Paul describes in great detail how “the law of sin and death” works in every human being to bring death. Only through Jesus Christ, Who overcame “the law of sin and death” through the power of the Holy Spirit, can human beings be delivered from this sinful nature that leads to death: “Because the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has delivered me from the law of sin and death” (Rom. 8:2).
Jesus Christ, made in the likeness of sinful flesh, overcame every temptation to sin because He was filled with the Holy Spirit. During His forty days of temptation by Satan, Jesus chose to humble Himself by fasting rather than to nourish His flesh, so that He would rely on the Word of God and be led by the Holy Spirit of God. He did not rely on His own strength and His own mind.
There would have been no reason for Jesus to undergo such a brutal temptation if He had no potential to sin. In other words, if it were absolutely impossible for Jesus to sin, His temptation by Satan the devil would have had no purpose whatsoever. There would have been no way for Jesus even to experience temptation if there was no potential for being influenced by the pulls of sinful flesh, through which all humans are tempted to sin (Jas. 1:14-15).
In his epistle to the Hebrews, Paul reveals that Jesus experienced the same temptations that beset all human beings: “For we do not have a high priest who cannot empathize with our weaknesses, but one Who was tempted in all things [in every way] according to the likeness of our own temptations; yet He was without sin. Therefore, we should come with boldness to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:15-16).
The phrase “according to the likeness of our own temptations” is translated from the Greek phrase kath omoioteeta, which literally means “in every way just as we are.” In other words, while Jesus was in the flesh, He experienced exactly the same temptations that we do because He was made “in the likeness of sinful flesh.” Yet He never sinned because He never yielded to a single temptation of the flesh or of Satan the devil.
NOWHERE DO THE SCRIPTURES SAY THAT IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE FOR JESUS TO SIN. ON THE CONTRARY, THE NEW TESTAMENT REVEALS THAT JESUS WAS TEMPTED TO COMMIT SIN. BUT ALTHOUGH HE WAS TEMPTED, HE DID NO SIN.
Jesus Overcame Sin in the Flesh
Jesus was made in the likeness of sinful flesh, with the law of sin
and death within His members, just as it is within us, so that as our High Priest He could empathize with our weaknesses. Jesus fully understands our struggle against the pulls of the flesh, having experienced the same battle in His own human flesh. Because he has shared the same sinful nature, He can have compassion when we weaken and commit sins. He mercifully intercedes for us with the Father, obtaining His forgiveness for our sins. Through Jesus’ ongoing intercession in our behalf, God the Father’s mercy and grace can continually be imparted to each one of us.
The gift of grace is possible only through Jesus Christ, Who offered His own sinless body as the substitute sacrifice for our sins: “...Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow in His footsteps Who committed no sin; neither was guile found in His mouth...Who Himself bore [carried] our sins within [Greek en, within] His own body on the tree...” (I Pet. 2:21-24).
When Jesus Christ was nailed to the cross, He paid the penalty for the sins of the whole world. Although He was made in the likeness of sinful flesh, and had the law of sin and death within His flesh, He never sinned. Because He was sinless, He was therefore able to offer His own life for the sins of others. As Paul wrote, “For He [God the Father] made Him [Jesus Christ] Who knew [Greek ginooskoo, to know by self-experience] no sin to be sin for us...” (II Cor. 5:21). As the Lord God of the Old Testament, Jesus had created mankind. Because His life was of greater value than the lives of all other human beings combined, His death was able to atone for the sins of the entire world.
This profound aspect of the body of Jesus Christ reveals the magnitude of God’s love toward man. Jesus Christ gave up His power and immortality as one of the Elohim of the Godhead and took upon Himself the weak, sinful nature of human flesh. He willingly left His eternal glory with the Father and came to this earth to offer His body as a perfect and complete sacrifice for sin. Jesus said: “On account of this, the Father loves Me: because I lay down My life, that I may receive it back again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have authority to lay it down and authority to receive it back again. This commandment I received from My Father” (John 10:17-18). In His great love for mankind, God willingly gave up His power and glory to become a man with the law of sin and death within His flesh. If He had succumbed even once to the pulls of the flesh, He would have been required to die for His own sin.
Jesus Christ risked losing His glory forever in order to save mankind from sin! By becoming a man, made of flesh and blood, and having the same nature as all human beings, He was subject to the pulls of the flesh and “the law of sin and death.” Although He was tempted “in all things according to the likeness of our temptations,” He never sinned. Because He was sinless, He was able to offer Himself as God the Father’s perfect sacrifice for the sins of the whole world, so that all mankind may be delivered from the sentence of death in God’s awesome plan.
The apostle John understood that the death of Jesus Christ paid the penalty for the sins of the entire world: “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And yet, if anyone does sin, we have an Advocate with the Father; Jesus Christ the Righteous; and He is the propitiation for our sins; and not for our sins only, but also for the sins of the whole world” (I John 2:1-2). According to God’s plan, in His time, the sacrifice of Jesus Christ will be applied to the entire world, redeeming all mankind from the sentence of death. What an awesome sacrifice! The Creator of the world died to save mankind from death.
The love of God was openly manifested to the world when God the Father sent His Son Jesus Christ to die for sinners who are the enemies of God: “For even when we were without strength, at the appointed time Christ died for the ungodly. For rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, although perhaps someone might have the courage even to die for a good man. But God commends His own love to us because, when we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more, therefore, having been justified now by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His own Son, much more then, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life” (Rom. 5:6-10).
Jesus Gave His Body to Redeem Mankind
God Himself, Who had sentenced mankind to the death penalty, voluntarily became a human being and took upon Himself the sentence of death in man’s stead. He gave up His glory and took a body of human flesh, which was subject to “the law of sin and death.” Because He was capable of being tempted to sin, His eternal existence as God was at risk! If Jesus Christ had sinned even once, He would have died for His own sins and would never have returned to His glory with the Father.
Jesus was fully aware of the consequences of giving in to the pulls of His flesh. The apostle Paul shows how earnestly and agonizingly Jesus prayed for strength to resist the temptations of the flesh: “Who, in the days of His flesh, offered up both prayers and supplications with strong cryings and tears to Him Who was able TO SAVE HIM FROM DEATH, and was heard because He feared God [was reverent and submissive to God the Father]. Although He was a Son, yet He learned obedience from the things that He suffered; and having been perfected [by overcoming the law of sin and death], He became the Author of eternal salvation to all those who obey Him” (Heb. 5:7-9).
Because Jesus had the potential to sin, He needed to be saved from
death. That is why He prayed so fervently to God the Father. If there had been no possibility for Jesus to sin, there would have been no need to beseech the Father to save Him from death. Paul’s description of His prayers makes it undeniably clear that Jesus Christ was made in the likeness of sinful flesh and was subject to the law of sin and death. If Jesus only appeared to be flesh but was not truly human, He could not have experienced temptation, suffering, and death.
From the beginning of the world, it was ordained that Jesus Christ would suffer and die to atone for the sins of mankind. As Paul writes: “But we see Jesus, Who was made a little lower than the angels, crowned with glory and honor on account of suffering the death, in order that by the grace of God He Himself might taste death for everyone; because it was fitting for Him, for Whom all things were created, and by Whom all things exist, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the Author of their salvation perfect through sufferings” (Heb. 2:9-10).
As the Son of God, Jesus came in the flesh and died in order that He might give life to the world: “I am the living bread, which came down from heaven; if anyone shall eat of this bread, he shall live forever; and the bread that I will give is even My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world” (John 6:51).
The law of God, which is eternal and inexorable, had condemned sinful mankind to the penalty of death. That penalty had to be paid. In order to redeem mankind from death, the Creator, whose life was of greater value than the lives of all mankind, paid the penalty in man’s stead. The Creator died for His creation! In so doing, He demonstrated His eternal love for mankind. Through His sacrifice, every human being can be delivered from the sentence of sin and death, and can receive the gift of eternal life: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in Him may not perish, but may have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
Each one who repents of sin and accepts the sacrifice of Jesus Christ can be reconciled to God the Father: “For you were once alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works; but now He has reconciled you in the body of His flesh through the death [His death for the sins of mankind]...” (Col. 1:21-22).
Reconciliation with God the Father is granted only through the body of Jesus Christ. His sacrifice alone can atone for human sin because He alone lived a perfect, sinless life as a fleshly human being. As the Son of God, God in the flesh, He overcame the law of sin and death, which was working within His fleshly body. As Paul writes: “...God, having sent His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh” (Rom. 8:3). Jesus Christ CONDEMNED SIN IN THE FLESH— HIS FLESH! By mastering the pulls of the flesh, He showed that the power of God is able to deliver mankind from the law of sin and death. Because God has provided the way of deliverance, man need not remain under bondage to his fleshly nature. That is the wonderful meaning of the body of Jesus Christ!
The apostle Paul was inspired and overwhelmed by the greatness of God’s plan of salvation for man: “O the depth of the riches of both the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How unfathomable are His judgments and unsearchable are His ways! For who did know the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? Or who first gave to Him, and it shall be recompensed to him again? For from Him, and through Him, and unto Him are all things; to Him be the glory into the ages of eternity” (Rom. 11:33-36).
Blessings Through Partaking of the Body of Christ
When we accept the body of Jesus Christ for our salvation, we receive not only forgiveness of sin but also the promise of physical healing. As our sin offering, Jesus took upon His own body both our sentence of death and our physical sufferings, that He might be both our Savior and our Healer. Jesus was wounded for our sins and transgressions, and by His stripes we are healed of our sicknesses and diseases (Isa. 53:4-12, Matt. 8:17, Jas. 5:14-16, I Pet. 2:24).
When we understand the significance of the body of Jesus Christ, we can begin to grasp the importance of obeying His command to partake of the unleavened bread of the Christian Passover: “Take, eat; this is My body, which is being broken for you. This do in the remembrance of Me” (I Cor. 11:24).
True Christians will be manifesting their acceptance of the body of Jesus Christ for their forgiveness and healing by partaking of the unleavened bread each year at the Christian Passover. By partaking of this symbol of His body, they will be showing that they as individuals have a part in the blessings that are offered through His sacrifice for sins (I Cor. 11:26). These blessings are offered only to those who have repented of their sins and been baptized in the name of Jesus Christ (Acts 2:38).
Upon receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands, each believer becomes a child of God and a member of the body of Christ. The New Testament makes it clear that every true Christian is a member of the body of Jesus Christ, which is the true Church of God, and He is the Head (Eph. 1:22-23; 4:4, 12, 16; 5:23-30, Col. 1:18; 2:17, I Cor. 12:13-27, Rom. 12:5). This wonderful relationship of love and grace is offered by God the Father to all true believers through the body and blood of Jesus Christ.
In the next chapter, we will study the significance of the blood of Jesus Christ, which is symbolized by the wine of the Christian Passover.
