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Spirit of Prophecy Statements

Additional Spirit of Prophecy Statements on the Human Nature of Christ 

Here is an extensive collection of Spirit of Prophecy statements on the human nature of Christ. But it is far from complete! There are over 400 such statements, so these constitute only a small fraction.

It is remarkable how many different ways that the Inspired Writings is able to describe the fact that Christ took the nature that you and I have, But there is a reason for this: The nature of Christ is an integral part of the plan of salvation. So this is a matter which concerns each of us deeply. It is surely not a truth which men ought to attempt to deny!

"When we want a deep problem to study, let us fix our minds on the most marvelous thing that ever took place in earth or heaven, the incarnation of the Son of God." 7 Bible Commentaries, 904.

"The humanity of the Son of God is everything to us. It is the golden chain that binds our souls to Christ and through Christ to God." Our High Calling. 48.

"He came with such a heredity to share our sorrows and temptations, and to give us the example of a sinless life. " Desire of Ages. 49.

"The great work of redemption could be carried out only by the Redeemer taking the place of fallen Adam. . He would take man's fallen nature and engage to cope with the strong foe who triumphed over Adam ' " Review, February 24, 1874.

"The humanity of Christ reached to the very depths of human wretchedness and identified itself with the weaknesses and necessities of fallen man, while His divine nature grasped the Eternal. . Christ's work was to reconcile man to God through His human nature, and God to man through His divine nature. " Review August 4, 1874.

"The victory gained was designed not only to set an example to those who have fallen under the power of appetite, but to qualify the Redeemer for His special work of reaching to the very depths of human woe. By experiencing in Himself the strength of Satan's temptation, and of human sufferings and infirmities. He would know how to succor those who should put forth efforts to help themselves. " Review, March 18, 1875.

"He knows how strong are the inclinations of the natural heart, and He will help in every time of temptation. " 5 Testimonies, 177.

"Shall pride be harbored after you have seen Deity humbling Himself, and then as man debasing Himself till there was no lower point to which He could descend," Review, July 5, 1887.

 "Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood. He also Himself likewise took part of the same; that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil. "Hebrews 2: 14.

"But when the fulness of the time was come. God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law," Galatians 4:4,

"For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh. God sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh." Romans 8:3.

 "Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: and every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist. whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. " 1 John 4:3-4.

"For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought. " 2 John 7-8.

"But made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." Philippians 2:7-8.

"The Son of God humbled Himself and took man's nature after the race had wandered four thousand years from Eden, and from their original state of purity and uprightness. Sin had been making its terrible marks upon the race for ages; and physical, mental, and moral degeneracy prevailed throughout the human family. . Christ bore the sins and infirmities of the race as they existed when He came to the earth to help man. " I Selected Messages, 267-268.

"Think of Christ's humiliation. He took upon Himself fallen, suffering human nature, degraded and defiled by sin. . He endured all the temptations wherewith man is beset. He united humanity with divinity: a divine Spirit dwelt in a temple of flesh." 4 Bible Commentary, 1147.

"Letters have been coming to me, affirming that Christ could not have had the same nature as man, for if He had, He would have fallen under similar temptations. If He did not have man's nature, He could not be our example. If He was not a partaker of our nature, He could not have been tempted as man has been. If it were not possible for Him to yield to temptation, He could not be our helper. It was a solemn reality that Christ came to fight the battles as man, in man's behalf. His temptation and victory tell us that humanity must copy the Pattern; man must become a partaker of the divine nature." Review. February 18, 1890.

"Christ, by His own example, made it evident that man may stand in integrity. Man may have a power to resist evil—a power that neither earth, nor death, nor hell can master; a power that will place them where they may overcome as Christ overcame. Divinity and humanity may be combined in them:' Review, February 18, 1890.

"He who was one with the Father stepped down from His glorious throne in heaven, laid aside His royal robe and crown, and clothed His divinity with humanity, thus bringing Himself to the level of man's feeble faculties:' Review, December 11, 1888.

"Wondrous combination of man and God! He might have helped His human nature to withstand the inroads of disease by pouring from His divine nature vitality and undecaying vigor to the human, but He humbled Himself to man's nature. . God became man:' Review. September 4, 1900.

"Notwithstanding that the sins of a guilty world were laid upon Christ, notwithstanding the humiliation of taking upon Himself our fallen nature, the voice from heaven declared Him to be the Son of the Eternal." Desire of Ages. 112. "He humbled Himself and took mortality upon Him." The Faith I Live by, 46.

"He came to this world in human form to live a man among men. He assumed the liabilities of human nature, to be proved and tried." Signs, June 9, 1905.

"Christ who knew not the least taint of sin or defilement, took our nature in its deteriorated condition. This was humiliation greater than finite man can comprehend. . He stooped to poverty and to the deepest abasement among men." 1 Selected Messages, 253.

"He condescended to connect our fallen nature with His divinity. . Having taken our fallen nature. ."3 Selected Messages, 134.

"Christ did not make-believe take human nature, He did verily take it. He did in reality possess human nature. 'As the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same' (Heb. 2: 14). He was the Son of Mary. He was the seed of David according to human descent:' 5 Bible Commentary, 1130.

"Taking human nature fitted Christ to understand the nature of man's trials, and all the temptations wherewith he is beset. . It was in the order of God that Christ should take upon Himself the form and nature of fallen man that He might be made perfect through suffering and Himself endure the strength of Satan's fierce temptations, that He might understand how to succor those who should be tempted." Spirit of Prophecy, Vol. 2, 39.

"It was not a make-believe humanity that Christ took upon Himself. He took human nature, and lived human nature. . Christ's life represents a perfect manhood. Just that which you may be He was in human nature. He took our infirmities. He was not only made flesh, but He was made in the likeness of sinful flesh:' 5 Bible Commentary, 1124 (Letter No. 106, 1896).

"He did not have a mere semblance of a body, but took human nature, participating in the life of humanity. "7 Bible Commentary, 925.

"Clad in the vestments of humanity, the Son of God came down to the level of those He wished to save. In Him was no guile or sinfulness. He was ever pure and undefiled; yet He took upon Him our sinful nature. Clothing His divinity with humanity, that He might associate with fallen humanity." Review, December 15,1896.

"It behoved Him to be made like unto His brethren." Hebrews 2:17.

"When Jesus took human nature, and became in fashion as a man, He possessed all the human organism. His necessities were the necessities of a man. He had bodily wants to be supplied, bodily weariness to be relieved. By prayer to the Father He was braced for duty and trial." 5 Bible Commentary, 1130.

"He came as a helpless babe, bearing the humanity we bear. " 7 Bible Commentary, 925.

"He.. became like one of us except in sin." Youth's Instructor, October 20, 1886.

"Think what Christ's obedience means to us! It means that in His strength we too may obey. Christ was a human being. He served His heavenly Father with all the strength of His human nature. He has a twofold nature, at once human and divine. He is both God and man. " 6 Bible Commentary, 1078.

"Though He had all the strength of passion of humanity, never did He yield to temptation to do one single act which was not pure and elevating and ennobling. "In Heavenly Places, 155.

"He took upon His sinless nature our sinful nature, that He might know how to succor those that are tempted." Medical Ministry, 181.

"As one of us He was to give an example of obedience. For this He took upon Himself our nature, and passed through our experiences. . By His humanity, Christ touched humanity; by His divinity, He lays hold upon the throne of God. As the Son of man, He gave us an example of obedience; as the Son of God, He gives us power to obey." Desire oj Ages, 24.

"But our Saviour took humanity, with all its liabilities. He took the nature of man with the possibility of yielding to temptation. "Desire of Ages, 11 7.

"He became flesh, even as we are." Desire of Ages, 311.

"For a period of time Christ was on probation. He took humanity on Himself, to stand the test and trial which the first Adam failed to endure. Had He failed in His test and trial, He would have been disobedient to the voice of God, and the world would have been lost." Signs, May 10, 1899.

"He [Christ] was to take His position at the head of humanity by taking the nature but not the sinfulness of man." Signs, May 29, 1901.

"Yet into the world where Satan claimed dominion God permitted His Son to come, a helpless babe, subject to the weakness of humanity. He permitted Him to meet life's perils in common with every human soul. to fight the battle as every child of humanity must fight it, at the risk of failure and eternal loss. " Desire of Ages, 49.

"In our humanity Christ was to redeem Adam's failure. But when Adam was assailed by the tempter, none of the effects of sin were upon him . . It was not thus with Jesus when He entered the wilderness to cope with Satan. For four thousand years the race had been decreasing in physical strength, in mental power, and in moral worth; and Christ took upon Him the infirmities of degenerate humanity. " Desire of Ages, 117.

"The nature of God, whose law had been transgressed, and the nature of Adam, the transgressor, meet in Jesus—the Son of God and the Son of man:'7 Bible Commentary, 926.

"It is the path that He traveled, and we may, with Him, experience the self-denial and the suffering, and walk in this pathway imprinted by His own blood." 2 Testimonies, 358-359.

"In taking upon Himself man's nature in its fallen condition, Christ did not in the least participate in its sin. He was subject to the infirmities and weaknesses by which man is encompassed, 'that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.' He was touched with the feeling of our infirmities, and was in all points tempted like as we are. And yet 'knew no sin.' He was the lamb 'without blemish and without spot.' Could Satan in the least particular have tempted Christ to sin, he would have bruised the Saviour's head. As it was, he could only touch His heel. Had the head of Christ been touched, the hope of the human race would have perished. Divine wrath would have come upon Christ as it came upon Adam. Christ and the church would have been without hope. " 5 Bible Commentary, 1131.

"Christ bore the sins and infirmities of the race as they existed when He came to the earth to help man. In behalf of the race, with the weaknesses of fallen man upon Him, He was to stand the temptations of Satan upon all points wherewith man would be assailed," 1 Selected Messages, 267,

"Satan had asserted that men could not keep the commandments of God, To prove that they could Christ became a man, and lived a life of perfect obedience through divine power," Signs, May 10, 1899.

"The study of the incarnation of Christ is a fruitful field, which will repay the searcher who digs deep for hidden truth." 1 Selected Messages, 244.

"In His closing hours, while hanging upon the cross, He experienced to the fullest extent what man must experience when striving against sin. He realized how bad a man may become by yielding to sin." Youth's Instructor, July 20, 1899.

"The great work of redemption could be carried forward only by the Redeemer taking the place of fallen Adam. . He would take man's fallen nature." Review February 24, 1874.

"Christ was not in as favorable position in the desolate wilderness to endure the temptations of Satan as was Adam when he was tempted in Eden. The Son of God humbled Himself and took man's nature after the race had wandered four thousand years from Eden, and from their original state of purity and uprightness. Sin had been making its terrible marks upon the race for ages; and physical, mental. and moral degeneracy prevailed throughout the human family.

"When Adam was assailed by the tempter in Eden he was without the taint of sin. He stood in the strength of his perfection before God. All the organs and faculties of his being were equally developed, and harmoniously balanced.

"Christ, in the wilderness of temptation, stood in Adam's place to bear the test he failed to endure. Here Christ overcame in the sinner's behalf, four thousand years after Adam turned his back upon the light of his home, Separated from the presence of God, the human family had been departing, every successive generation, farther from the original purity, wisdom, and knowledge which Adam possessed in Eden. Christ bore the sins and infirmities of the race as they existed when He came to the earth to help man. In behalf of the race, with the weaknesses of fallen man upon Him, He was to stand the temptations of Satan upon all points wherewith man would be assailed, .

"In what contrast is the second Adam as He entered the gloomy wilderness to cope with Satan single-handed! Since the fall the race had been decreasing in size and physical strength, and sinking lower in the scale of moral worth, up to the period of Christ's advent to the earth, And in order to elevate man, Christ must reach him where he was, He took human nature, and bore the infirmities and degeneracy of the race. He, who knew no sin, became sin for us (2 Cor, 5: 21 ). He humiliated Himself to the lowest depths of human woe, that He might be qualified to reach man, and bring him up from the degradation in which sin had plunged him.

" 'For it became Him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the Captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings' " (Heb. 2: 10) [Heb. 5:9; 2: 17-18, quoted).

" 'For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin' (Heb, 4: 15)." Review, July 28, 1874.

"Christ has entered the world as Satan's destroyer , . He would leave an example in His own victorious life for man to follow and overcome the temptations of Satan. ,

"Christ thus entered upon His life of conflict to overcome the mighty foe, in bearing the very test Adam failed to endure, that, through successful conflict, He might break the power of Satan, and redeem the race from the disgrace of the fall.

"The humanity of Christ reached to the very depths of human wretchedness, and identified itself with the weaknesses and necessities of fallen man, while His divine nature grasped the Eternal. .

"His first temptation to Christ was upon appetite. He had, upon this point, almost entire control of the world, and his temptations were adapted to the circumstances and surroundings of Christ, which made his temptations upon appetite almost overpowering

"Satan hoped to insinuate doubts as to His Father's love that would find a lodgment in the mind of Christ, and that under the force of despondency and extreme hunger He would exert His miraculous power in His own behalf, and take Himself out of the hands of His heavenly Father. This was indeed a temptation to Christ. But He cherished it not for a moment. He did not for a single moment doubt His heavenly Father's love, although He seemed to be bowed down with inexpressible anguish. Satan's temptations, though skillfully devised, did not move the integrity of God's dear Son. His abiding confidence in His Father could not be shaken. .

"He was to bear the trial and temptation of man, in man's behalf, under the most trying circumstances, and leave an example of faith and perfect trust in His heavenly Father.

"Christ knew that Adam in Eden, with his superior advantages, might have withstood the temptations of Satan, and conquered him. He also knew that it was not possible for man, out of Eden, separated from the light and love of God since the fall, to resist the temptations of Satan in his own strength. In order to bring hope to man, and save him from complete ruin, He humbled Himself to take man's nature, that, with His divine power combined with the human, He might reach man where he is. He obtains for the fallen sons and daughters of Adam that strength which it is impossible for them to gain for themselves, that in His name they may overcome the temptations of Satan.

"The exalted Son of God in assuming humanity draws Himself nearer to man by standing as the sinner's Substitute. He identifies Himself with the sufferings and afflictions of men. He was tempted in all points as man is tempted, that He might know how to succor those who should be tempted. Christ overcame in the sinner's behalf." l Selected Messages, 271279.

Jesus also told them (angels! that they would have a part to act, to be with Him and at different times to strengthen Him; that He would take man's fallen nature, and His strength would not be equal with theirs. .

"He [Satan] . . told his angels that when Jesus should take fallen man's nature, he could overpower Him and hinder the accomplishment of the plan of salvation. " Early Writings, 150-153.

 Jesus . . took upon Himself the infirmities and bore the griefs and sorrows of humanity, and conquered in our behalf. He was made like unto His brethren, with the same susceptibilities, mental and physical. He was tempted in all points like as we are, yet without sin. Review, February 10, 1885.

"Those who claim that it was not possible for Christ to sin, cannot believe that He really took upon Himself human nature; but was not Christ actually tempted not only by Satan in the wilderness, but all through His life from childhood to manhood. In all points He was tempted as we are, and because He successfully resisted temptation under every form, He gave man the perfect example, and through the provisions Christ has made, we may become partakers of His divine nature, having escaped the corruption which is in the world through lust. Jesus says, to him that overcometh will I grant to sit with Me on My throne even as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father on His throne. Here is the beginning of our confidence, which we must hold unto the end.

"If Jesus resisted Satan's temptations, He will help us to resist. He came to bring divine power to combine with human efforts. Jesus was free from all sin and error; there was no trace of imperfection in His life or character. " Manuscript 16, 1890.

"In Christ, divinity and humanity were combined. Divinity was not degraded to humanity; divinity held its place, but humanity by being united to divinity withstood the fiercest test of temptation in the wilderness. The prince of this world came to Christ after His long fast, when He was an hungered, and suggested to Him to command the stones to become bread. But the plan of God, devised for the salvation of man, provided that Christ should know hunger, and poverty, and every phase of man's experience. He withstood the temptation through the power that man may command. He laid hold on the throne of God, and there is not a man or woman who may not have access to the same help through faith in God. Man may become a partaker of the divine nature; not a soul lives who may not summon the aid of Heaven in temptation and trial. Christ came to reveal the Source of His power, that man might never rely on his unaided human capabilities. . Men may have a power to resist evil—a power that neither earth, nor death, nor hell can master; a power that will place them where they may overcome as Christ overcame," l Selected Messages 408-409.

"Satan, the fallen angel, had declared that no man could keep the law of God after the disobedience of Adam. He claimed the whole race under his control.

"The Son of God placed Himself in the sinner's stead, and passed over the ground where Adam fell, and endured the temptation in the wilderness which was a hundredfold stronger than was or ever will be brought to bear upon the human race. Jesus resisted the temptations of Satan in the same manner that every tempted soul may resist, by referring him to the inspired record and saying, 'It is written.'

"Christ overcame the temptations as a man. Every man may overcome as Christ overcame. He humbled Himself for us. He was tempted in all points like as we are. He redeemed Adam's disgraceful failure and fall and was conqueror, thus testifying to all the unfallen worlds and to fallen humanity that man could keep the commandments of God through the divine power granted to him from heaven. Jesus the Son of God humbled Himself for us, endured temptation for us, overcame in our behalf, to show us how we may overcome; He has thus bound up His interests with humanity by the closest ties, and has given the positive assurance that we shall not be tempted above that we are able, for with the temptation He will make a way of escape.

"Not only did Christ give explicit rules showing how we may become obedient children, but He showed us in His own life and character just how to do those things which are right and acceptable with God, so there is no excuse why we should not do those things which are pleasing in His sight.

"We are ever to be thankful that Jesus has proved to us by actual facts that man may keep the commandments of God, giving contradiction to Satan's falsehood that man cannot keep them. The Great Teacher came to our world to stand at the head of humanity. to thus elevate and sanctify humanity by His holy obedience to all God's requirements showing it is possible to obey all the commandments of God. He has demonstrated that a lifelong obedience is possible. Thus He gives chosen. representative men to the world, as the Father gave the Son, to exemplify in their life the life of Jesus Christ.

"We need not place the obedience of Christ by itself as something for which He was particularly adapted, by His particular divine nature, for He stood before God as man's representative and was tempted as man's substitute and surety. If Christ had a special power which it is not the privilege of man to have, Satan would have made capital of this matter. The work of Christ was to take from the claims of Satan his control of man, and he could do this only in the way that He became man, tempted as a man, rendering the obedience of a man. .

"Bear in mind that Christ's overcoming and obedience is that of a true human being. In our conclusions, we make many mistakes because of our erroneous views of the human nature of our Lord. When we give, to His human nature, a power that is not possible for man to have in his conflicts With Satan, we destroy the completeness of His humanity. His imputed grace and power He gives to all who receive Him by faith. The obedience of Christ to His Father was the same obedience that is required of man.

"Man cannot overcome Satan's temptations without divine power to combine with his instrumentality. So With Jesus, He could lay hold on divine power. He came not to our world to give the obedience of a lesser God to a greater, but as a man to obey God's law, and in this He is our example.

"The Lord Jesus came to our world, not to reveal what a God could do, but what a man could do, through faith in God's power to help in every emergency. Man is, through faith, to be a partaker in the divine nature, and to overcome every temptation wherewith he is beset. The Lord now demands that every son and daughter of Adam, through faith in Jesus Christ, serve Him in human nature which we now have.

"The Lord Jesus has bridged the gulf that sin has made. He has connected earth with heaven, and finite man With the infinite God. Jesus, the world's Redeemer, could only keep the commandments of God in the same way that humanity can keep them. 'Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises, that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust' (2 Peter 1:4) . . We must practice the example of Christ, bearing in mind His Sonship and His humanity. It was not God that was tempted in the wilderness, nor a god that was to endure the contradiction of sinners against Himself. It was the Majesty of heaven who became a man—humbled Himself to our nature. " Manuscript Releases. Vol. 6, 342.

"Christ did in reality unite the offending nature of man with His own sinless nature, because by this act of condescension He would be enabled to pour out His blessing in behalf of the fallen race." Review, July 17. 1900.

"As God He could not be tempted: but as a man He could be tempted, and that strongly, and could yield to the temptations. His human nature must pass through the same test and trial Adam and Eve passed through. His human nature was created; it did not even possess angelic powers. It was human, identical with our own. He was passing over the ground where Adam fell. He was now where, if He endured the test and trial in behalf of the fallen race, He would redeem Adam's disgraceful failure and fall, in our own humanity.

"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 . . 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' (Isa. 27:5). "Abundant provision has been made that finite, fallen man may so connect with God that, through the same Source by which Christ overcame in His human nature, he may stand firmly against every temptation, as did Christ. He was subject to inconveniences that human nature is subjected to. He breathed the air of the same world we breathe. He stood and traveled in the same world we inhabit, which we have positive evidence, was no more friendly to grace and righteousness than it is today.

"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 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. 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." 3 Selected Messages, 129-131.

"Leaving the royal courts of heaven Christ came down to our world to represent the character of His Father, and thus help humanity to return to their loyalty. The image of Satan was upon men, and Christ came that He might bring to them moral power and efficiency. He came as a helpless babe, bearing the humanity we bear. 'As children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same.' He could not come in the form of an angel; for unless He met man as man, and testified by His connection with God that divine power was not given to Him in a different way to what it will be given to us, He could not be a perfect example for us. He came in humility, in order that the humblest being upon the face of the earth could have no excuse because of his poverty or ignorance, and say, Because of these things, I cannot obey the law of Jehovah. Christ clothed His divinity with humanity, that humanity might touch humanity, that He might live with humanity, and bear all the trials and afflictions of man. He was tempted in all points like as we are, yet without sin. In His humanity He understood all the temptations that will come to man." 7 Bible Commentary, 925.

"He was to come as one of the human family, and to stand as a man before heaven and earth. He had come to take man's place, to pledge Himself in man's behalf, to pay the debt that sinners owed. He was to live a pure life on earth, and show that Satan told a falsehood when he claimed that the human family belonged to him forever, and that God could not take men out of his hands. 'He became one with us.' " Youth's Instructor, November 21, 1895.

"It was not make-believe humanity that Christ took upon Himself. He took human nature, and lived human nature. . Christ's life represents a perfect manhood. Just that which you may be,

He was in human nature. He took our infirmities. He was not only made flesh, He was made in the likeness of sinful flesh." 5 Bible Commentary, 1124 (Letter 106, 1896).

"Satan declared that it was impossible for the sons and daughters of Adam to keep the law of God, and thus charged upon God a lack of wisdom and love. . Jesus humbled Himself, clothing His divinity with humanity, in order that He might stand as the head and representative of the human family, and by both precept and example condemn sin in the flesh, and give the lie to Satan's charges. He was subjected to the fiercest temptations that human nature can know, yet He sinned not; for sin is the transgression of the law. . Although tempted upon all points even as men are tempted, He sinned not. He did not surrender His allegiance to God, as did Adam. . But He fulfilled every specification of the law, and condemned sin in the flesh. .

"God was manifested in the flesh to condemn sin in the flesh, by manifesting perfect obedience to all the law of God. Christ did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth. He corrupted not human nature, and though in the flesh, He transgressed not the law of God in any particular. More than this, He removed every excuse from fallen man that he could urge for a reason for not keeping the law of God. Christ was compassed with the infirmities of humanity, He was beset with the fiercest temptations, tempted in all points like as men, yet He developed a perfectly upright character. No taint of sin was found upon Him." Signs, January 16,1896.

"Though He had no taint of sin upon His character, yet He condescended to connect our fallen nature with His divinity. By thus taking humanity. He honored humanity. Having taken our fallen nature, He showed what it might become, by accepting the ample provision He had made for it, and becoming a partaker of the divine nature." 3 Selected Messages, 134.

"All may study with profit the experience of the first Adam in contrast with that of the second Adam. . Christ, the second Adam, came to a world polluted and marred, to live a life of perfect obedience. The race, weakened in moral power, was unable to cope with Satan, who ruled his objects with cruel authority. Christ came to stand on the field of battle in warfare against all the satanic forces. By representing in His life the character of God, He sought to win man back to his allegiance. "Had He not been fully human, Christ could not have been our substitute." Signs, June 17, 1897.

"While bearing human nature, He [Christ] was dependent on the Omnipotent for His life. In His humanity, He laid hold of the divinity of God; and this every member of the human family has the privilege of doing. Christ did nothing that human nature may not do if it partakes of the divine nature.

"If we repent of our transgression, and receive Christ as the Lifegiver, our personal Saviour, we may become one with Him, and our will is brought into harmony with the divine will. We become partakers of the life of Christ, which is eternal. We derive immortality from God by receiving the life of Christ; for in Christ dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. This life is the mystical union and cooperation of the divine with the human." Signs, 23, June 17, 1897.

"The Lord Jesus has made a great sacrifice in order to meet man where he is. He took not the nature of angels. He did not come to save angels. It is the seed of Abraham that He is helping. 'I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.' Christ helps humanity by taking human nature." 7 Bible Commentary, 927.

"He was born without a taint of sin, but came into the world in like manner as the human family. He did not have a mere semblance of a body, but He took human nature, participating in the life of humanity." 5 Manuscript Releases, 115

After the fall of man, Satan declared that human beings were proved to be incapable of keeping the law of God, and he sought to carry the universe with him in this belief. Satan's words appeared to be true, and Christ came to unmask the deceiver. The Majesty of heaven undertook the cause of man, and with the same facilities that man may obtain, withstood the temptations of Satan as man must withstand them. This was the only way in which fallen man could become a partaker of the divine nature. In taking human nature Christ was fitted to understand man's trials and sorrows and all the temptations wherewith he is beset. Angels who were unacquainted with sin could not sympathize with man in his peculiar trials. Christ condescended to take man's nature, and was tempted in all points like as we, that He might know how to succor all who should be tempted.

"In assuming humanity Christ took the part of every human being. He was the Head of humanity. A Being divine and human, with His long human arm He could encircle humanity, while with His divine arm He could lay hold of the throne of the Infinite.

"What a sight was this for heaven to look upon! Christ, who knew not the least taint of sin or defilement, took our nature in its deteriorated condition. . Christ came to the earth, taking humanity and standing as man's representative, to show in the controversy with Satan that man, as God created him, connected with the Father and the Son, could obey every divine requirement. .

"But Christ was unmoved. He felt the strength of this temptation; but He met it in our behalf, and conquered. And He used only the weapons justifiable for human beings to use—the Word of Him who is mighty in counsel'—It is written'.

  "Christ's humanity would demonstrate for eternal ages the question which settled the controversy. In taking upon Himself man's nature in its fallen condition, Christ did not in the least participate in its sin. He was subject to the infirmities and weaknesses by which man is encompassed, 'that it might be fulfIlled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities. . and was in all points tempted like as we are. And yet He 'knew no sin' . . We should have no misgivings in regard to the perfect sinlessness of the human nature of Christ." Signs, June 9, 1898 (1 Selected Messages, 252-256).

"We must open our understanding to realize that Christ laid aside His royal robe, His kingly crown, His high command, and clothed His divinity with humanity, that He might meet man where he was, and bring to the human family moral power to become the sons and daughters of God. To redeem man, Christ became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

"The humanity of the Son of God is everything to us. It is the golden chain that binds our souls to Christ, and through Christ to God. This is to be our study. Christ was a real man; He gave proof of His humility in becoming a man. Yet He was God in the flesh. When we approach this subject, we would do well to heed the words spoken by Christ to Moses at the burning bush, 'Put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground' (Ex. 3:5). We should come to this study with the humility of a learner, with a contrite heart. And the study of the incarnation of Christ is a fruitful field, which will repay the searcher who digs deep for hidden truth." Youth's Instructor, October 13, 1898 (1 Selected Messages. 243244).

"It would have been an almost infinite humiliation for the Son of God to take man's nature, even when Adam stood in his innocence in Eden. But Jesus accepted humanity when the race had been weakened by four thousand years of sin. Like every child of Adam He accepted the results of the working of the great law of heredity. What these results were is shown in the history of His earthly ancestors. He came with such an heredity to share our sorrows and temptations, and to give us the example of a sinless life. "Satan in heaven had hated Christ for His position in the courts of God. He hated Him the more when he himself was dethroned. He hated Him who pledged Himself to redeem a race of sinners. Yet into the world where Satan claimed dominion God permitted His Son to come, a helpless babe, subject to the weakness of humanity. He permitted Him to meet life's peril in common with every human soul, to fight the battle as every child of humanity must fight it, at the risk of failure and eternal loss. " Desire of Ages, 49.

"Upon Him who had laid off His glory and accepted the weakness of humanity the redemption of the world must rest. He saw and felt it all, but His purpose remained steadfast. Upon His arm depended the salvation of the fallen race, and He reached out His hand to grasp the hand of Omnipotent love. " Desire of Ages, 111.

"Satan had pointed to Adam's sin as proof that God's law was unjust, and could not be obeyed. In our humanity, Christ was to redeem Adam's failure. But when Adam was assailed by the tempter, none of the effects of sin were upon him. He stood in the strength of perfect manhood, possessing the full vigor of mind and body. He was surrounded with the glories of Eden, and was in daily communion with heavenly beings. It was not thus with Jesus when He entered the wilderness to cope with Satan. For four thousand years the race had been decreasing in physical strength, in mental power, and in moral worth; and Christ took upon Him the infirmities of degenerate humanity. Only thus could He rescue man from the lowest depths of his degradation. "Many claim that it was impossible for Christ to be overcome by temptation. Then He could not have been placed in Adam's position; He could not have gained the victory that Adam failed to gain. If we have in any sense a more trying conflict than had Christ, then He would not be able to Succor us. But our Saviour took humanity with all its liabilities. He took the nature of man, with the possibility of yielding to temptation. We have nothing to bear, which He has not endured. . From the time of Adam to that of Christ, self-indulgence had increased the power of the appetites and passions, until they had almost unlimited control. Thus men had become debased and diseased, and of themselves it was impossible for them to overcome. In man's behalf, Christ conquered by enduring the severest test. For our sake He exercised a self-control stronger than hunger or death. And in this first victory were involved other issues that enter into all our conflicts with the powers of darkness. " Desire of Ages, 117.

"The uncontrolled indulgence and consequent disease and degradation that existed at Christ's first advent will again exist, with intensity of evil, before His second coming. .

"In our own strength it is impossible for us to deny the clamors of our fallen nature. Through this channel Satan will bring temptation upon us. Christ knew that the enemy would come to every human being, to take advantage of hereditary weakness, and by false insinuations to ensnare all whose trust is not in God. And by passing over the ground which man must travel, our Lord has prepared the way for us to overcome. It is not His will that we should be placed at a disadvantage in the conflict with Satan. He would not have us intimidated and discouraged by the assaults of the serpent. 'Be of good cheer,' He says; 'I have overcome the world' (John 16:33). "Let him who is struggling against the power of appetite look to the Saviour in the wilderness of temptation. See Him in His agony upon the cross, as He exclaimed, 'I thirst.' He has endured all that it is possible for us to bear. His victory is ours." Desire of Ages, 122-123.

Jesus rested upon the wisdom and strength of His heavenly Father. He declares, 'The Lord will help Me; therefore shall I not be confounded . . and I know that I shall not be ashamed. . Behold the Lord God will help Me.' Pointing to His own example, He says to us, 'Who among you that feareth the Lord. . that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God' Isa. 50:710).

" 'The prince of this world cometh,' said Jesus, 'and hath nothing in Me' (John 14:30). There was in Him nothing that responded to Satan's sophistry. He did not consent to sin. Not even by a thought did He yield to temptation. So it may be with us. Christ's humanity was united with divinity; He was fitted for the conflict by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. And He came to make us partakers of the divine nature. So long as we are united to Him by faith, sin has no more dominion over us. God reaches for the hand of faith is us to direct it to lay fast hold upon the divinity of Christ, that we may attain to perfection of character.

And how this is to be accomplished, Christ has shown us. By what means did He overcome in the conflict with Satan? . . 'It is written,' He said. And unto us are given 'exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust' (2 Peter 1 :4). Every promise in God's Word is ours. 'By every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God' are we to live. When assailed by temptation, look not to circumstances or to the weakness of self, but to the power of the Word. All its strength is yours. 'Thy Word,' says the psalmist, 'have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee.' 'By the Word of Thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer' (Ps. 119:11; 17:4)." Desire of Ages, 123.

"There is no excuse for sinning. A holy temper, a Christlike life, is accessible to every repenting, believing child of God.

"The ideal of Christian character is Christlikeness. As the Son of man was perfect in His life, so His followers are to be perfect in their life. Jesus was in all things made like unto His brethren. He became flesh, even as we are. He was hungry and thirsty and weary. He was sustained by food and refreshed by sleep. He shared the lot of man; yet He was the blameless Son of God. He was God in the flesh. His character is to be ours. The Lord says of those who believe in Him, 'I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people' (2 Cor. 6:16).

"Christ is the ladder that Jacob saw, the base resting on the earth, and the topmost round reaching to the gate of heaven, to the very threshold of glory. If that ladder had failed by a single step of reaching the earth, we should have been lost. But Christ reaches us where we are. He took our nature and overcame, that we through taking His nature might overcome. Made 'in the likeness of sinful flesh' (Rom. 8:3), He lived a sinless life." Desire of Ages. 311312.

"In what consisted the strength of the assault made upon Adam, which caused his fall? It was not his indwelling sin; for God made Adam after His own character, pure and upright. There were no corrupt principles in the first Adam, no corrupt propensities or tendencies to evil. Adam was as faultless as the angels before God's throne. . "His humanity had felt the shock of Satan's tremendous effort to overcome Him, but the enemy was vanquished and the human race was placed on vantage ground with God. In His human nature Christ conquered in behalf of the fallen race. For time and eternity man would be able to resist the power of the satanic agencies by becoming partaker of the divine nature. He could keep the law of God. . Every advantage that Christ had in the conflict He has made it possible for man to have. . Oh, if men would avail themselves of their advantages, they would in turn become victors over the powers of darkness. "Manuscript Releases, Vol. 16, 86, 88.

"Christ stooped to take man's nature, that He might reveal the sentiments of God toward the human race. Divine power was brought within the reach of all, that sinful beings might reflect the image of God. Christ assumed our nature in order to counterwork Satan's false principles. He came to give by His ministry an expression of the mind of God. " Signs, May 16, 1900.

Adam was tempted by the enemy, and he fell. It was not indwelling sin, which caused him to yield; for God made him pure and upright in His own image. He was as faultless as the angels before His throne. There were in him no corrupt principles, no tendencies to evil. But when Christ came to meet the temptations of Satan, He bore 'the likeness of sinful flesh.' " Signs, October 17, 1900.

"Think of Christ's humiliation. He took upon Himself, fallen suffering human nature, degraded and defiled by sin. He took our sorrows, bearing our grief and shame. He endured all the temptations wherewith man is beset. He united humanity with divinity, a divine spirit dwelt in a temple of flesh. He united Himself with the temple. 'The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us,' because by so doing He could associate with the sinful sorrowing sons and daughters of Adam." Youth's Instructor, December 20, 1900.

"He could not have been tempted in all points like as man is tempted had their been no possibility of His falling. He was a free agent, placed on probation, as was Adam and as is man. " Manuscript Releases, Vol. 6, 1.

"Christ declared, where stands Satan's throne, there shall stand My cross, the instrument of humiliation and suffering. No single principle of human nature will I violate. Clothing My divinity with humility, I will endure every temptation wherewith man is beset. I will call to My aid the powers of heaven, that men and women, imbued with My Spirit, may overcome as I overcame. . The working out of My purposes in behalf of degraded humanity require that divine and human forces be combined. " Manuscript, Vol. 5, 114.