The God-man:

Fully God, Fully Man, Full of Grace and Truth

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  1. Introduction to the Doctrine of the Incarnation.
    1. It’s Biblical context – John’s prologue, John 1:1-18
    2. Prayer.
    3. Its personal benefit.
    4. Its confessional affirmation.
  2. Fully God.
    1. Support for Jesus' full divinity.
      1. He is clearly stated to be God by scripture. John 1:1-2.
      2. He is eternal, an attribute only God can have. John 1:3.
      3. He is addressed in scripture as God. John 1:18, John 20:28-29, Titus 2:13, and 2 Peter 1:1.
      4. He confessed His deity before the High Priest. Matthew 26:62-66.
      5. He possessed divine powers.
        1. Water to wine, John 2:1-11.
        2. Fed 5,000 people, Matthew 14:15-21.
        3. Stopped a storm, Matthew 8:27.
      1. He received worship. John 9:35-38.
    1. Opposition to Jesus' full deity. Matthew 24:36.
  1. Fully man.
    1. Human birth.
    2. Human weaknesses and limitations.
      1. Human body and mind. Luke 2:7.
      2. Human soul and emotions. Isaiah 53:3.
      3. Human appearance. Isaiah 53:2.
    3. Human but sinless. John 8:46, Hebrews 4:14-16.
    4. Human forever. Matthew 26:29, John 20:27.
  2. Full of grace and truth.
    1. The glory of grace and truth.
      1. The glory of His eternal sonship.
      2. The glory of His grace.
        1. Grace upon grace, John 1:16.
        2. Law/Moses – grace and truth/Christ, John 1:17.
      1. The glory of His truth.
        1. Truth as fact.
        2. Truth as fullness: types, genuineness, satisfaction, explanation, or compliance.
        3. Truth as faithfulness – aletheia.
      2. The emphasis on truth as faithfulness, although we find all three kinds of truth in Christ.
      3. Grace and truth seen as lovingkindness and faithfulness/truth in the Old Testament, i.e. Psalm 86:15 (Hebrew: chesed and emeth).
      4. His glory seen by the disciples. John 1:14
      5. His glory revealed to Moses. Exodus 34:6-7.
    1. The problem of grace and truth.
      1. Human judges cannot be both just and merciful.
      2. Through the God-man, God was able to be both just and merciful.
    1. The problem overcome by Jesus’ divinity.
      1. To be able to bear the magnitude of the penalty.
      2. To atone sufficiently for the magnitude of the offense.
      3. To be the source of salvation. Psalm 146:3, Lamentations 3:25-26.
      4. To convey true knowledge of the Father. John 1:18.
    2. The problem overcome by Jesus’ humanity.
      1. To be our sympathetic High Priest.
      2. To be our representative in perfect obedience, Romans 5:18-19.
      3. To be our substitute sacrifice, Hebrews 2:14-15.
      4. To be our mediator, Hebrews 2:17-18, 1 Timothy 2:5.
      5. To be our example, 1 John 2:6, Romans 8:29, 1 Peter 2:21.
    3. The problem overcome by Jesus’ incarnation as one person.
      1. What it means: Two whole, perfect, and distinct natures without conversion, composition, or confusion.
      2. What it does not mean:
        1. It was not just His body that was human.
        2. It was not two persons in one body.
        3. It was not a new nature derived from His human and divine natures.
      3. How the doctrine was formalized – Chalcedonian Definition, A.D. 451.
      4. How the doctrine should be fenced:
        1. Affirm what scripture affirms.
        2. Don’t look for explanations that go beyond scripture and necessary deductions.
      5. What the doctrine protects us from:
        1. Oneness Pentecostalism.
        2. Jehovah’s Witnesses.
        3. Christian Scientists.
        4. Heretical books like The Shack.
      6. The doctrine as an example of the importance of confessions like the 1689 London Baptist.
        1. Serves like a shoulder rumble strip on the highway.
        2. It protects you from errors that might occur through accident or ignorance.
    4. The problem overcome through Jesus’ continual personal interaction.
      1. Jesus was personal while on the earth. 1 John 1:1.
      2. Jesus continues to be personal through the Holy Spirit. John 14:16-17 and John 16:14.
      3. Holy Spirit as the Spirit of Christ. 1 Peter 1:11 and Romans 8:9.
      4. Holy Spirit called the Spirit of God’s Son. Galatians 4:6.

V.            Jesus’ ongoing ministry of grace and truth through the Holy Spirit – H.O.P.E.

                A.            H stands for Helper.

                                          1.            He strengthens our faith when we are weak.

                                          2.            He builds up our faith when we are tempted to doubt.

                                          3.            He fills us with joy at the same time that we are overwhelmed with sadness.

                 B.            O stands for Opener.

                                          1.            He opens the eyes of your heart so you can receive the Gospel, believe the Gospel, and keep on believing it.

                                          2.            He opens the archives of your memory so you can recall God’s faithfulness in the past, thereby finding motivation to trust Him in the present.

                                          3.            He opens the understanding of your mind so you can better comprehend scripture.

                 C.            P stands for Pleader – He is your personal prayer warrior.

                                          1.            He prays for you. Romans 8:26-27.

                                          2.            He prays through you.

                                          3.            He prays with you.

                D.            E stands for Encourager.

                                          1.            He encourages you through people He brings into your life.

                                          2.            He encourages you through the public and private means of grace.

        1. Preaching.
        2. Teaching.
        3. Prayer.
        4. Meditation.
        5. Singing.
        6. Ordinances – Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.

                                          3.            He encourages you through the light of His countenance, allowing you to sense His presence in ways that are especially manifest and comforting. Luke 24:32.

        1. This occurs at times of God’s own choosing.
        2. This occurs more for some people than others.
        3. You should not try to manipulate this.
        4. You should not base your assurance or faith on these kinds of experiences.
  1. Closing prayer.