Doctrine of Christ

Jesus Christ, the second person of the Trinity, eternally exists; and therefore was present and at work in Creation (John 1:1-3; Col 1:16).  To this day He is Sovereign over the entire universe which was made by and for Him (Col 1:17; Heb 1:2-3).  He also, at the appointed time, in humility thought it not necessary to hold onto His royalty and all that He deserved based upon His being God (Phil 2:6-8).  In doing so, He became human: able to be born, eat food, shed tears, feel pain, laugh, and even die (John 1:14; Heb 2:17); yet being God, He was without a sin nature, which sets him apart from all humanity (Heb 4:14; Jas 1:13).

The miracle of the virgin birth (Isa 7:14) was the vehicle through which God the Father planned for Christ’s humanity (Luke 1:34-35).  Human understanding does not allow for this miracle to be fully understood, but it is a truth of scripture, accepted only by faith, that at conception the Holy Spirit conceived in Mary’s womb the God-Man, Jesus Christ, who would take away the sins of the world (Matt 1:18-25).  Therefore, Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man, the perfect son of God (Heb 4:14-16).

Because of man’s sin, God, who is holy and just (Rom 3:5-6, 19), must have His wrath satisfied (Isa 53:4-6).  Jesus Christ, the only acceptable sacrifice, is the One on whom God would take out His wrath (1 John 2:2).  Therefore, He came and stood in the place of humanity to pay their ransom (Matt 20:28); in order that, humanity might be redeemed back to God through Christ’s death on the cross (Mark 10:45). Not only did Christ redeem humanity through His appeasing sacrifice and substitutionary payment, but He also freed them from the bondage of sin with His death and resurrection (Rom 5:21-6:14).  Although they are still capable, believers no longer have to sin (Rom 8:1-11); but have the daily choice to either live in the knowledge of the truth that Christ has set them free or to submit again to the prison of sin (Gal 5:1, Rom 12:1-2). 

Jesus Christ, therefore, has been appointed the ultimate High Priest for believers in heaven and on earth.  While all other sacrifices were the annual shedding of deficient and incomplete blood (Heb 9:1-10, 10:1-4), Christ’s one time sacrifice was sufficient and complete to cleanse man’s sins (Heb 9:11-14, 10:11-14). The atonement made by Christ was efficacious for God’s elect but sufficient for all (1 John 2:2; 2 Pet 2:1; 3:9).  It is through Christ, the greatest High Priest (Heb 7:11-28), that the believer has access to the new covenant and to God (Heb 8:1-5, 9:15).   Therefore, all believers have hope and can endure any circumstance because of what Christ has done on their behalf (Heb 4:14-16, 9:23-28).