- 5 -

Topical Summary of Spirit of Prophecy Concepts  

The following summary analysis of Spirit of Prophecy statements on the human nature of Christ was written by the present author in the early 1980s, and originally printed in Summary of the Human Nature of Christ (FF306).

It will provide you with an excellent source overview of the subject, so that you can study further into this wondrous theme as you have opportunity.

HIS NATURE

Christ took the same human nature which we inherit. He did in reality possess human nature (1 8M 247). He did not make—believe take human nature (5 BC 1130; 1 SM 247) and humanity upon Himself (5 BC 1124). God gave Christ to be flesh of our flesh (SD 11). He had the same nature as man (1 SM 408). He possessed all the human organism (5 BC 1130). He took human nature and lived human nature (5 BC 1124). He took humanity that He might meet humanity (DA 296; TM 190). He took upon Himself the same nature as man had (5 BC 1082). He took man's nature (5 BC 1081; DA 24,49; 2T 201; 5T 235; Te 287). God mysteriously allied Himself with fallen human beings (CT 259).

HIS WEAKNESSES

He took our inherited human weakness, with all the liabilities, degeneracies, limitations. and infirmities of that nature. Every inherited weakness to sin that we have, He took upon Himself. He was subject to the weakness of humanity IDA 49) and to the infirmities and weaknesses by which man is encompassed (1 SM 256). He subjected Himself to all of the humbling conditions of man's nature (4T 458). He took humanity with all its liabilities (DA 117). He took the infirmities of degenerate humanity upon Him (DA 117; MH 180). He took the infirmities of humanity and lived a sinless life (MH 180). He assumed the liabilities of human nature (5 BC 1114; 1 SM 226). He took on His sinless nature man's sinful nature (MM 181). He took the weakness of humanity (DA Ill). He took man's nature degraded by sin (4 BC 1147), in its fallen condition (1 BC 1085; 4 BC 1147; DA 112; EW 150; 1 SM 256), and in its deteriorated condition (18M 253). The weaknesses of fallen man were upon Him when He was tempted by Satan (5 BC 1081). He subjected Himself voluntarily to the conditions of human nature (M 333).

  HIS CHOICES

In this nature and in spite of those weaknesses, He could have sinned; but He never sinned. He took our heredity, but He never made sinful choices. Though He had our inherited weaknesses, yet He never indulged in transgression. So He developed no propensities or personal tendencies to sin. Thus, though He took the wholeness of our inherited nature, He never took our sinfulness; for He never chose sin. Because of this, although He had the inherited nature of man after 4,000 years of sin, He at the same time had the sinlessness of Adam before His fall. (Propensities are urges toward transgression, resulting from earlier decisions to indulge in sin. But Christ never chose sin, so He had no propensities.)

Christ could have yielded to temptation (5 BC 1128) if He had chosen to do so (DA 117). He could have sinned (5 BC 1128). The earth would have become Satan's kingdom if Christ had been overcome (DA 687). For our sakes, Christ took the risk of failure and eternal loss (DA 49. 131). He took the nature that we have, with the possibility of yielding to temptation (DA 117). In His humanity, He was a free moral agent (5 BC 1082; 6 BC 1074). As with us, He experienced hunger, thirst and weariness (DA 311). He was placed on probation (5 BC 1082). He was not exempt from temptation (DA 71). He took man's nature, but not its sinfulness (7 BC 912, 925). He took on Himself the infirmities of humanity and then lived a sinless life (MH 180). Christ as man had no evil propensities (5 BC 1128). Christ alone can strengthen man to fully overcome his evil propensities (3T 482).  

HIS RELATIONSHIP TO GOD

He never chose separation from His Father. This is a deeply significant fact. Although He took our fallen nature, yet He ever linked His life and interests with those of His heavenly Father, (From Gethsemane down to the time of His death, the Father separated from Him because He bore our sins. But, throughout that time, it continued to be His choice to keep His mind fixed upon the Father. )

Citations for this section can be found under "His Method" and "His Example," below.

HIS TEMPTATIONS

In His human nature, He was tempted on all points like. as we are; and He was tempted on each point more strongly than any of us ever shall be. The temptations that Satan pressed upon the humanity of Christ were far more severe than those that any other human being has ever, or shall ever, experience, The fierceness of the temptations that wrung the heart of Christ were far greater even than the habitual propensities (tendencies aiding temptations, resulting from sinful practices and habits) that we must face. (In this paragraph, we are not referring to Satan's temptations upon Christ to make use of His divine nature, to aid His human nature. These temptations were also very strong, but because they are not temptations akin to ours, we shall not discuss them here.)

Fierce temptations wrung His heart (DA 753). He encountered the fiercest temptations that Satan could invent (CD 167). They were greater than any other man has ever borne (4 T 45). They were much greater than Adam's (DA 117; ML 323; 1 SM 267268) or ours (DA 116). There has never been another born of woman who was

so fiercely beset by temptation as was Christ (Ed 78). Never will mankind be tried with temptations as powerful as those that Christ resisted (4T 45), They were Satan's fiercest and most subtle temptations (GC 510). The temptations were those that the rest of us find so difficult to withstand (DA 116). The fiercest assailed Him in time of weakness (DA 120). All of these temptations could not bring Him to yield even by a thought (7 BC 927; GC 123). He met them with the Word of God (MH 181; DA 123). God's Word was His weapon of warfare in meeting them (DA 120). Humanity would have been lost if He had yielded to them (SD 24). Although they were most terrible, yet he did no parleying with Satan when he brought them upon Him (DA 120). He never invited temptation (DA 114); and when they came He had one answer for them (DA 88). His victory in meeting temptation has shown us how to meet and resist temptation also (3T 491). They were overcome at every step (MYP 16) in the strength given Him from God (DA 24).

  HIS RESPONSES

Yet in spite of these intense temptations, He never once yielded to any of them. He never transgressed His Father's Law. Not once did He ever choose sin. He never once chose a sinful thought, word. or action. He only lived to help and bless others.

It was Satan's plan to overthrow Christ in His fallen nature (EW 152). Christ defeated Satan on every point in our behalf (9T 190). In our humanity, He met and overcame Satan (5 BC 1108; MYP 95). He had a perfect hatred for sin (5 BC 1142; 7 BC 904; 1 SM 254, 322). The life of Christ, as a man, was perfect at each stage of development (COL 83). He lived a sinless (COL 83; DA 312; MH 180) and a spotless life (2T 50) from the manger to the cross (1 SM 223). He never sinned once with His lips (7 BC 936). He manifested no human weakness or imperfection (PP 480). He was obedient and sinless unto death (1 SM 324). He was perfect as a man (IT 339; TM 173), perfect in life (DA 311), and His perfect purity is an example for us (ML 300). It is an unexplained mystery that Christ could have been tempted in all points like as we, and yet be without sin (5 BC 11281129). He was perfect in His humanity (TM 173). He would not have been a perfect offering if He had sinned (5 BC 1081).

  HIS PERFECTING

Because of this continual habit of obedience, the indication is that He removed from His humanity the inherited weaknesses that could have inclined Him toward sin. In this way, He perfected a Christian character. But He did not purge sin from His life, for there never were any sins existing in His life. He removed the fallen hereditary characteristics from His nature, and then took that nature to Heaven, there to bear it forever. He took a perfected nature to heaven, not a fallen nature.

  HIS PERFECTING

Christ in His humanity wrought out a perfect character, and this character He offers to impart to us (COL 311). He retains His human nature forever (DA 2526). He took His glorified humanity to heaven (5 BC 1125; 6 BC 1054; MH 421; SD 22; 8T 267). He will wear His humanity throughout eternal ages (5 BC 1125; 6 BC 1054). For additional citations on this topic, see below under His Relationship to Us.

HIS USE OF ABILITIES

In His steadfast resistance of sin and obedience to God, He made use of no power, capacity, strength, resource, or qualification that is not fully available to us.

Citations for this section can be found under "His Method" and "His Example," given below.  

HIS METHOD

Through submission, faith, prayer, study of the Word, and a constant dependence upon His Father for enabling strength, He continually gained the victory.

He depended on His Father for means to relieve His necessity (DA 368; MH 4849), wisdom and strength (DA 123), and for power to overcome (DA 208). He did not employ His divine power to lessen His burdens or to lighten His toil (CT 276277). His divine power was not used for His own benefit (1 SM 276). He lived the Law of God in humanity (7 BC 915). He lived a pure, noble and perfect life, even though cumbered with humanity (CT 488). He met and overcame Satan by relying on God's power (7 BC 924). He was not at liberty to use His divine powers to relieve His necessities (Te 276). He received power to obey God's commandments (MH 181). Though bearing our nature, He rendered to His Father the same obedience that He required of man (7 BC 929). He was victor by faith (DA 756).  

HIS EXAMPLE

He was guarded by the angels as we may be guarded. He was guided by the Holy Spirit as we may be guided. He remained in continual contact with His Father as we may. He resisted temptation as fully as we may resist it. He overcame and came off conqueror as we may. He overcame every possibility of a hereditary and environmental tendency to evil as we may. He lived life as we may live it. His example and pattern is for us. If we follow His example and walk in His steps, we may daily have His victory. His life may be ours. He exercised no powers or qualities that men may not have by faith in Him (DA 664). He was guided step by step by the Father's will (DA 147). He elevates humanity by assuming human nature (SC 15).

  HIS RELATIONSHIP TO US

While on earth He resisted and overcame every hereditary and environmental tendency to evil as we may do, through His empowering grace. He ascended to heaven still bearing that nature, but perfected by steadfast adherence to the right, through reliance upon His Father. He continues today to be one with us in bearing our human nature. He fully sympathizes, understands, and ministers to us today. He asks us to live as He lived while on earth. And through His Inspired Word, He explains how it may be done and promises abundant help in fulfilling it. Through His Holy Spirit He empowers us to do it. He is our life Companion and will never leave us for any reason, save that of our own choice.

By His humanity, Christ is linked with man (COL 169). Through His humanity He is closer to us than a father, mother, brother, friend, or lover (DA 327). He is "near of kin" to us (DA 327). Although now in heaven, He has lost none of His humanity (TM 19). The human form of humanity will be borne by Christ through the eternal ages (SC 14). The life that He laid down in humanity He took up again (5 BC 11131114; DA 787). He never forgets that He bears our nature (TM 19). Humanity is united with God's throne by Christ (DA 143). He is pledged to intercede in our behalf. He appears now before God, not merely as a petitioner but as a conqueror claiming the victory (COL 156). He pleads before God for sinful men (AA 495; 8T 178), and introduces them to the Father as His sons and daughters (6T 363). He is a personal Saviour in His role of intercessor on our behalf (Ed 132; MH 419). He presents His spotless merits with our prayers, confessions, and thanksgiving (COL 156).

  HIS RELATIONSHIP TO ADAM AND HIS RACE

Christ stands in the place of Adam, and for these reasons: Adam was the federal head of the race. When he fell, all the race fell with him (for they were all his descendants). Christ is the "second Adam." In Christ the race has a second chance. His victory redeems Adam's failure. He has become the new federal head of the race. As in Adam, we are all destined to fail; so, choosing Christ, we may all be empowered to overcome. Christ conquered on the point where Adam fell the test of appetite. And He resisted this temptation in the wilderness under the worst conditions and while bearing the nature of man after 4,000 years of sin. Adam, on the other hand, was not even hungry when he was tempted. But Christ did not overcome in the unfallen nature of Adam, for then He could only have saved the unfallen Adam—and unfallen Adam needed no Saviour. Adam and all his race had fallen into environmental and hereditary weakness to sin. And they needed One who could reach them where they were, conquer environment and heredity in their behalf and in their nature, and give them an example of overcoming in their nature, through the power of God—an example that they could genuinely follow. Adam taught them how to fail and led them into a pit of failure; Christ teaches them how to succeed and strengthens them to overcome. So, in summary of the matter: (1) Christ took Adam's nature, that is, He took the nature of Adam's race—human nature. He took the nature of man, not the nature of angels. (2) Christ took the nature of Adam's descendants after 4,000 years of sin—He took our nature, and it is fallen nature. He took not the immaculate nature of unfallen Adam. (3) He did not take two different human natures; He only took one nature. This was the nature of the human race in its fallen, apparently hopeless condition. And then, in that nature, He proved that through the power of God there is no excuse for disobedience. He passed over the ground where the first Adam fell and redeemed His failure (ML 323). He endured the test where Adam failed (SD 24). Christ was tempted by Satan in a hundredfold severer manner than was Adam, and under circumstances in every way more trying (ML 323). By enduring the test that Adam failed, Christ placed man on vantage ground so that he could overcome on his own account through the merits of Jesus (SD 24). All was lost when Adam yielded to the power of appetite. The Redeemer standing in His place, endured a six—week fast. The length of this fast is the strongest evidence of the extent of the sinfulness and power of debased appetite upon the human family (5 BC 1079). But the first Adam was in every way more favorably situated than was Christ when each met temptation (ML 323). Adam had the advantage over Christ, in that when he was assailed by the tempter, none of the effects of sin were upon him (Signs, Dec 3, 1902). He overcame, revealing to all that the sons and daughters of Adam can, through His grace, keep the Law of God (ML 323). Christ's victory was as complete as had been Adam's failure. So we may resist temptation and force Satan to flee from us (ML 323).

  HIS NATURE

In consideration of all this, be careful, exceedingly careful, how you view the earthly life of Christ. We have considered His nature, but we must also correctly understand how He lived His earthly days in that nature. Do not think that because He took our human nature, that therefore it must have defiled Him in some way. It did not. He was ever pure, sinless and holy. The 4,000 year mental, moral, physical heredity that He took upon Himself did not taint Him in the least, for He never personally yielded to sin, Do not presume to think that Christ was altogether human—an ordinary human being—in the way in which He lived, for He was not. He bore our nature; but, in it, He lived a totally sinless life. He was "that Holy Thing," No selfishness, temper, haste, indulgence in appetite or passion ever marred His days. He was a pure, sinless being, without a stain of sin upon Him. He never indulged in sin. He had the nature of man but not His conduct. And this makes all the difference for it sustains God's position in the great controversy, that men on earth can obey the Law of God through divine aid. One of Satan's charges was that it is impossible for God's creatures to obey His laws, with or without His help. Jesus took upon His holy being a fallen sinful ancestry and the weaknesses and degeneracies common to us—yet He remained ever pure in that nature. His ancestry and heredity were fallen, but His soul was unfallen. Christ was not altogether such a one as ourselves, for He always made correct choices. This may seem to be a great paradox, but the key lies in the difference between nature and choice. He fully took our damaged nature, but He did not even once choose our wrong thoughts and acts. Christ could take our sinful nature without ever being defiled by it, for He never made a sinful choice. And, without a sinful choice on His part, a fallen sinful nature could give Him no defilement. Thus, at His birth, He had no taint of sin, nor thereafter. On His sinless divine nature, He took our sinful human nature but that sinful nature had no effect in disturbing His purity. A consistent life of obedience by faith was a power that Satan could not conquer. In regard to His heredity, He took all of our fallen and sinful nature. But because of His pure choices and decisions, it was as if He had a sinless nature. For even though the fallen nature and physical limitations pressed Him hard in His conflict with temptations, He determinedly, and fully, resisted them all. The fact was that He bore our fallen nature; but, by consistent dependence upon divine power, the effect was as if He did not have a fallen nature. But, if He had not had it, He could not be our Example. And this is what He is: a Perfect Example for us, a totally Godly life in a nature exactly like ours. And yet, the intensity of this contrast is amazing (so much so that most theologians cannot accept it). But it only accentuates something else that is amazing: the overcoming divine power that is available to mankind in the battle with sin.

  THE HOLY ONE OF ISRAEL

He was holy and pure. His human soul was holy (2T 201) and His humanity was perfect (DA 664). In taking man's nature, He did not in the least participate in its sin (5 BC 1131; 1 SM 256). He is the one faultless character that has lived on this planet (4T 541). He knew not the least taint of sin or defilement (1 SM 253). The life and death of Christ would have been of no value to us if He had not been without sin (7 BC 933). He became like one of us except in sin, so that His life and character should be a pattern for us to copy (8D 23). He was a brother in our infIrmities but not in possessing like passions (2T 202). He never did one wrong action (WM 287). He did not become a sinner by His incarnation (SD 25). He did not possess the passions of man's fallen nature (2T 509). Divine wrath would have come upon Christ if He had sinned (1 SM 256). He was free from all sin and error (7 BC 929), from the slightest stain of sin (MM 20; WM 5354) and from the taint of sin (7 BC 927). As a sinless offering, He was a full and perfect sacrifice (LS 246). He was the great sinlessness propitiation (7 BC 925). Guiltless, He bore the guilt of the guilty (1 SM 322). He had no evil propensity (5 BC 1128), no inclination to corruption (5 BC 1128), no propensities to sin (5 BC 1128), and no taint of corruption (5 BC 1128). He had a perfect hatred for sin (5 BC 1142; 7 BC 904; 1 SM 254,322) and was holy and pure. Have no misgivings regarding the perfect sinlessness of the human nature of Christ (5 BC 1131; 1 8M 256). He was tempted in all points as we are, yet He was untainted by corruption (7 BC 907). He was the spotless Lamb of God (DA 652; SD 25). He was a perfect specimen of sinless humanity (7 BC 907). The perfection revealed in Christ, God expects from us (CG 477). The purity and elevated morality of Christ awed men (3T 422). The purity of divine character was maintained in the midst of His human nature (ML 323). Sin found no place in Christ (5 BC 1117).

  THE NATURE THAT HE TOOK

Christ really took our nature all of it. He did not merely take our "physical nature" and weaknesses. The physical part of man can only be separated from the rest the mental and the emotional by the theoretician. If such a major division took place within Christ at His incarnation, we would be told about it somewhere. Instead, we are told: (1) Christ did not make-believe take our nature or half-take our nature. (2) He took our fallen, sinful nature. (3) He took all of our weaknesses, all of the weaknesses of our nature. Do remember: He partook of all of our fallen nature, but He partook in none of our fallen choices. That is the key to the entire issue. Also remember that if Christ only took part of our nature, then He can only be partly our Example. Is Jesus only an example for your physical nature your skin, bones, and physical organs but not an example for your moral nature your mind, emotions and thinking, choices and will power? The splitting of the intellectuals in regard to the incarnation of Christ is simply an attempt to explain away a truth, which they are not willing to accept.

He took on His sinless nature man's sinful nature (MM 181). He took man's nature degraded by sin (4 BC 1147). He was made in the likeness of sinful flesh (Letter 106.1896). He united the offending nature of man with His own nature (Review, July 17, 1900). He took fallen, suffering human nature, degraded and defiled by sin (Youth's Instructor, Dec 20. 1900). He took our sinful nature (Review, December 15, 1896). He had all the strength of passion of humanity (Heavenly Places. 155). He came down to the level in humanity of those whom He wished to save (Review, Dec 15, 1896). He took humanity in its deteriorated condition (1 SM 253). He was made in the likeness of sinful flesh (DA 147). He had a truly human nature (3 SM 135). He had a human nature that was identical to that of our own (MS 94. 1893). He took upon Him the infirmities of degenerate humanity (DA 117). God permitted Him to meet life's peril in common with every human soul, and to fight it as every human being must fight it (DA 49). He bore the humanity that we bear (Manuscript 21. 1895). He accepted humanity when the race had been weakened by sin (DA 49). He was placed on probation. just as man is (Manuscript 29. 1899). He came in the likeness of sinful flesh (DA 312). He carried all our infirmities and bore all our temptations (Letter 22. 1898).  

THE GREAT MYSTERY

We are repeatedly told that the human nature of Christ is a great mystery. What is mysterious about Christ's human nature? If we had all the answers, there would be no mystery. It is because some aspects of the nature of Christ are beyond our understanding and/or were never revealed, that there is a mystery. Among these are: (1) How could Christ be at once fully human and fully divine? How could He have two distinct natures? We do not know, but He did; for this is what we are told in the Inspired Word. (2) How could Christ go through early childhood without sin? How could He fully bear our fallen nature and resist sin in His infancy? We do not know, but He did take our fallen-ancestry and nature; He never sinned. This is the teaching of God's Word. In connection with this, it is of interest that we are told that Christ was guided by the Holy Spirit from His birth; and. Elsewhere, we are told (in Adventist Home) that through the faith of praying mothers, their children may be guided by the Holy Spirit from their earliest childhood also. In summary, then, on this great mystery: "The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law" (Deut. 29:29).

It is an unexplainable mystery that Christ could be tempted in all points like as we, and yet be without sin (5 BC 1128-1129). The doctrine of the incarnation of Christ is mystery (1 SM 246. 249), a great a profound mystery of godliness (1 SM 246). It is a great mystery (7 BC 915) of love (2T 215). It is a mystery (5 BC 11301131; 5 BC 1082) of mysteries that no man can explain (5 BC 1129). It is too deep for the human mind to explain or fully comprehend (SC 106). It is a mystery that even the disciples did not understand (DA 507). It is an unfathomable mystery (5 BC 1130). It is one of the most precious and most mysterious truths of the entire plan of redemption. It will ever remain a mystery (5 BC 1129).

  SUMMARY

Here is the heart of this Scriptural teaching: Christ took our fallen nature, but He never made our fallen choices. This is the two sides to the truth of the human nature of Christ. And here is the heart of what it can mean to you: We have the same nature that He took. In His strength we can make the same good choices that His Father enabled Him to make. Jesus offers to let you live His humble, submissive obedient life and to begin it right now. Christ's way of living is offered to you at this very time. Take it. It is free for the asking; but it costs it costs a way of Iife. Christ's way of life, Christ's clinging, Christ's prayers. Christ's victories. You already have His nature; now accept His life in that nature.

The truth is that the human nature of Christ is an open door that you may enter, just now. An open door into His life. And, to express this wondrous truth in a different way: As you draw near to receive that life, you kneel in repentance before Him at the cross; rising, you enter the Sanctuary in acceptance; and sit with Him in heavenly places as He ministers for you precious blessings from His Father.

  WHY I BELIEVE THAT CHRIST TOOK OUR NATURE

1 BECAUSE THE BIBLE SAYS SO—It says He was the son of Abraham, and the son of David, through the line of Judah. He was the second Adam in that He did the work of resisting sin that the first Adam failed to do. In nature, He was the son of 4,000 years of humanity; in mission, He overcame on those points on which Adam failed—and far more besides.

2 BECAUSE THE SPIRIT OF PROPHECY SAYS SO—In all those voluminous writings, she repeatedly, and in many ways, describes how He took the very nature that we have, the very nature of real, fallen people such as you and me. And then in that nature, by relying upon the strength of His Father, He fully resisted sin and never once yielded to it. He was a perfect Example in overcoming for His children.

3 BECAUSE DESIRE OF AGES SAYS SO—The book about Jesus is Desire of Ages. And pages 49 and 117 are the passages within it that discuss the human nature of Christ. Read them. They tell the human nature that He took. And other Spirit of Prophecy statements in other books only add to this basic concept of the very real humanity of Christ, while cautioning us not to think that He ever once sinned, for He never did. His inheritance is ours; His choices were what ours may be by relying upon Him as He relied upon His Father.

4 BECAUSE IT HAS BEEN THE HISTORIC TEACHING OF OUR CHURCH DOWN THROUGH THE YEARS, until the 1940s, when the Bible Readings note was changed and the 1950s, when the General Conference—Evangelical Conferences were held and Questions on Doctrine was published.

5 BECAUSE I DON'T BELIEVE IN THE ROMAN CATHOLIC ERROR OF ORIGINAL SIN—the teaching that all men are born saddled with Adam's guilt, and therefore Christ could not have been born with a nature like ours or He could never have been able to resist temptation, even with the help of God. It is because so many modernist theologians believe that legend that they see logic in the concept that Christ had to be somehow protected from that nature also. The truth is that the problem is not with historic Adventist theology; the problem is in sending our men to worldly universities, to obtain their Ph.D.s and refusing to hire them for key positions in our schools unless they have those degrees. Catholic legends laid the foundation for this error.

6 BECAUSE I LOVE GOD AND WANT TO OBEY HIM, CHRIST IS MY GREAT EXEMPLAR; AND HE WILL ENABLE ME TO DO SO—His life and death and mediation are all for me, and I intend that no one shall remove from me His life on earth or His mediation in heaven. The "new theology" is trying to tear out both from the heart of Adventism. Calvary is not all that there is to the salvation of mankind. His life of obedience by faith and His heavenly intercession on our behalf are equally important.

7 BECAUSE I BELIEVE, FROM SCRIPTURE, THAT THE HUMAN NATURE OF CHRIST IS PART OF GOD'S PLAN FOR MY LIFE—By laying hold, by faith, on the earthly life of Jesus and by clinging to the intercessory work of Jesus in heaven, He enables His little children to be successful in following that pattern—in resisting sin and living a Godly life. His life may be my life, and I thank God for it. Because Christ's nature is part of God's plan for my life.

  The Human Side of Christ: A Brief Compilation

This is the only study in this book which was not written by the present author. It was sent to him by a friend in the early 1980s, and was printed in Christ's Nature and You (FFS09).

This study is actually a very nicely arranged Spirit of Prophecy compilation. The original title was "The Incarnation and the Human Side of Christ." Here is this study:

"The humanity of the Son of God is everything to us. It is the golden chain which binds our souls to Christ, and through Christ to God. This is to be our study. "Youth's Instructor, Oct. 15, 1898.

ARE MISTAKES BEING MADE? "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 it is not possible for man to have in his conflicts with Satan, we destroy the completeness of His humanity." 7 Bible Commentary, 929 (2 John 7).

WHY HUMAN? "The only begotten Son of God came to our world as a man, to reveal to the world that man could keep the law of God. Satan, the fallen angel, had declared that no man could keep the law of God after the disobedience of Adam. "Manuscript 1, 1892.

THE SECOND ADAM 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 heredity to share our sorrows and temptations, and to give us the example of a sinless life." Desire of Ages, 49.

"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. " Desire of Ages, 117.

"The great work of redemption could be carried out only by the Redeemer taking the place of fallen Adam. . What love! What amazing condescension!

"The King of glory proposed to humble Himself to fallen humanity!

"He would place His feet in Adam's steps. He would take man's fallen nature and engage to cope with the strong foe who triumphed over Adam." Review, Vol. 1, 140.

THE DIFFERENCE "He . . became like one of us except in sin, that His life and character should be a pattern for all to copy, that they might have the precious gift of eternal life. Youths Instructor, October 20, 1886.

"Be careful, exceedingly careful as to how you dwell upon the human nature of Christ. Do not set Him before the people as a man with the propensities of sin. He is the second Adam. The first was created pure, a sinless being without a taint of sin upon him; he was in the image of God. He could fall, and he did fall through transgression. Because of sin his posterity was born with inherent propensities of disobedience. But Jesus Christ was the only begotten Son of God. He took upon Himself human nature, and was tempted in all points as human nature is tempted. He could have sinned; He could have fallen. But never for one moment was there in Him an evil propensity." 5 Bible Commentary, 943.

THE DIFFERENCE MUST GO "Self-indulgence, self-pleasing, pride, and extravagance must be renounced. We cannot be Christians and gratify these propensities." Review, May 16, 1893.

"We need not retain one sinful propensity. "7 Bible Commentary, 943.

"Moral perfection is required of all. Never should we lower the standard of righteousness in order to accommodate inherited or cultivated tendencies to wrongdoing. We need to understand that imperfection of character is sin. "Christ's Object Lessons, 330.

"As we partake of the divine nature, hereditary and cultivated tendencies to wrong are cut away from the character and we are made a living power for good. "Review, April 24, 1900 (I Peter 2:24; 2 Cor. 9:8; 1 John 2:29; 1 John 3:6-9).

CHRIST'S NATURE—A human body and a human mind were His. He was born bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh." 3 Selected Messages, 129-130.

"Christ did in reality unite the offending nature of man with His own sinless nature." Review, Vol. 4, 201.

"Letters have been coming in 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 temptations and victory tell us that humanity must copy the Pattern; man must become a partaker of the divine nature. "I Selected Messages, 408.

"Christ did not make believe take human nature, He did verily take it. He did in reality possess human nature (Heb. 2: 14) . . He was the son of Mary. He was the seed of David according to human descent. He is declared to be a man, even the Man Christ Jesus." l Selected Messages, 247.

"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 (Letter 179, 1902).

"Not withstanding that the sins of a guilty world were laid upon Christ, not withstanding 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. "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 guilt of sinfulness; He was ever pure and undefiled; yet He took upon Him our sinful nature." Review, Dec 15, 1896. "In taking upon Himself man's nature in its fallen condition, Christ did not in the least participate in its sin."5 Bible Commentary, 1131. "He took upon His sinless nature our sinful nature, that He might know how to succor those that are tempted." Medical Ministry, 181 (Rom. 1:3; Gal. 4:4-5; John 5:20; Phil. 2:8).

  WHAT DID JONES AND WAGGONER SAY? "Moreover the fact that Christ took upon Himself the flesh, not of a sinless being, but of sinful man, that is, that the flesh which He assumed had all the weaknesses and sinful tendencies to which fallen nature is subject, is shown by the statement that He 'was made of the seed of David according to the flesh.' David had all the tendencies of sinful human nature." Christ and His Righteousness, by E. J. Waggoner, 25-27.

"For Him to be separated a single degree, or a shadow of a single degree, in any sense, from the nature of those whom He came to redeem, would be only to miss everything. "The Consecrated Way to Christian Perfection, A. T Jones, 34.

And that this likeness to man as he is in his ... fallen, sinful nature and not as he was in his original, sinless nature is made certain. "The Consecrated Way to Christian Perfection, A. T. Jones, 21.

EXAMPLE TO US IN CHILDHOOD, YOUTH, AND MANHOOD "Christ did nothing that human nature may not do if it partakes of the divine nature." Signs, June 17, 1897.

"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, "Desire of Ages, 117,

"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." Desire of Ages, 24,

"Temptation is resisted when a man is powerfully influenced to do a wrong action; and knowing that he can do it, resists, by faith, with a firm hold upon divine power, This was the ordeal through which Christ passed," Youth's Instructor, July 20, 1899,

"The Son of God in His humanity wrestled with the very same fierce, apparently overwhelming temptations that assail men—temptations to indulgence of appetite, to presumptuous venturing where God has not led them, and to the worship of the god of this world," l Selected Messages, 95,

"But the plea, 'I cannot keep the commandments,' need never be presented to God; for before Him stands the marks of the crucifixion upon His body, a living witness that the law can be kept, It is not that man cannot keep the law, but that they will not," Review, May 28,1901,

Jesus revealed no qualities and exercised no powers that men may not have through faith in Him, His perfect humanity is that which all His followers may possess, if they will be in subjection to God as He was, "Desire of Ages, 664.

 "The world's Redeemer, could only keep the commandments of God in the same way that humanity can keep them," 7 Bible Commentary, 929; 3 Selected Messages (1 Peter 1:21, 22; 1 John 2:6),  

CONCLUSION—"In His humanity, Christ partook of our sinful fallen nature, If not, then He was not made like unto His brethren; therefore He was not, in all points tempted like as we are, did not overcome as we have to overcome, and is not therefore the complete and perfect Saviour man needs, and must have to be saved. The idea that Christ was born of an immaculate, sinless mother and inherited no tendencies to sin removed Him from the realm of a fallen world and from the very place where help is needed. On His human side, Christ inherited just what every child of Adam inherited, a sinful nature, On the divine side, from His very conception, He was begotten and born of the Spirit. And all this was done to place mankind on vantage ground and to demonstrate that, in the same way, every one who is born of the Spirit may gain like victories over sin in his own sinful flesh. Thus each one is to overcome as Christ overcame (Rev. 3:21). Without this birth, there can be no victory over temptation and no salvation from sin," Bible Readings for the Home 1914-1946 (Rev. 3:21; Rev. 14:12),

Since God's messenger, as well as Jones and Waggoner, clearly shows that a proper understanding of Christ's fallen nature is essential to a proper understanding of the "Faith of Jesus," and therefore of the Third Angers Message of Righteousness by Faith, shouldn't we study into this matter and accept the light that God has given us on it? Is it not for our best good to do so?

CONTINUE- PART 6   TOC