THE WORD BECAME FLESH pt 4 // Sunday, March 9, 2025 // Jeff Hines, Lead Pastor
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Sunday, March 9, 2025
Healthy People Grow
Growing People Change
Changed People, Change People
The Word Became Flesh
John 1: 1 – 18 (ESV)
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. 6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. 9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”) 16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known.
Incarnate –
Jesus was BOTH human and divine!
Kenosis –
Divinity put on Humanity – Body
Gnosticism
Physical is Evil Divine is Good
Nag Hammadi codices
Divinity put on Humanity – Mind
Apollinarianism
Apollinaris of Laodicea
Jesus had a human Body and a sensitive human soul, but a Divine Mind and not a human rational Mind
Hebrews 4: 15 (ESV)
… we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.
Humanity Divinity
Tested Without Sin
Tempted
Divinity put on Humanity – Will
Matthew 26: 39 (ESV)
…going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”
St. Gregory in his letter to Cledonius
That which is not taken up (or assumed) is not healed.
That which is united to God, that will be saved.
If half of Adam fell, also half will be taken up and saved. But if all [of Adam], all of his nature will be united [to God], and all of it will be saved.
Why does Christology matter?
Romans 7: 15 – 17 (NLT)
I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. 16 But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. 17 So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.
Romans 8: 1 - 4 (ESV)
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.