Jesus, being Divine, came to this earth and clothed His Divinity with humanity. He came to live a sinless life and die the perfect sacrifice in our behalf.

This is where many Christians stop. They see it as a business transaction. Jesus did His part on Calvary, and therefore we now have the opportunity to obtain eternal life if we only believe (passively). The world focuses on Jesus’ birth. Christmas is a time when almost the entire world feasts in celebration of the birth of Jesus. Then Easter is another opportunity for feasting as they celebrate His death, burial and resurrection. What about His life in between? We do not hear as much emphasis on this portion. Yes, His miracles are made mention of, but what about His overcoming of sin? Did He have a struggle or was it easy? After all, He was God, so the common belief is that He could not sin.

Since it is well known that Jesus did not sin, the question is, How did He do it? Was it simply because He was God—so it was an easy task?

By reading the account of the struggle in the wilderness after His baptism and also the experience in the Garden of Gethsemane we are given a glimpse of the great struggle He went through. This struggle is much greater than any man will ever have to endure. But if you ask most Christians (even some in God’s church), they do not believe anyone has to go through such struggles to resist sin. It is not possible to ever overcome sin be-cause Jesus was God, and we are not, so we do not have to worry, or concern ourselves with overcoming sin because it will not happen in this lifetime. The false belief that we have a sinful human nature and will never be able to overcome sin in this life is rife in the Chris-tian world.

JESUS

Although He is God, He took on humanity. He did it to give mankind an example of obedience. “Christ brought men and women power to overcome.” –Selected Messages, vol. 1, p. 226. He did not use any of His own strength to overcome sin. He relied on His heavenly Father. Humanity and Divinity were combined. “Christ did not exchange His divinity for humanity, but combined humanity with divinity; and in humanity He lived the law in behalf of the human family.” –Fundamentals of Christian Education, p. 492

How low did He condescend to lower Himself? Think of Jesus, the baby in a manger, the Son of God. What a contrast from the King of Glory who created the heavens and the earth. “How wide is the contrast between the divinity of Christ and the helpless infant in Bethlehem’s manger! How can we span the distance between the mighty God and a helpless child? And yet the Creator of worlds, He in whom was the fullness of the God-head bodily, was manifest in the helpless babe in the manger. Far higher than any of the angels, equal with the Father in dignity and glory, and yet wearing the garb of humanity! Divinity and humanity were mysteriously combined, and man and God became one.” –The Faith I Live By, p. 48. This great God, lowered Himself to became one single cell.

Yet this condescension, rather than showing weakness, shows what a great and loving God we serve. “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.” –Selected Messages, vol. 1, p. 408

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Why did He do it? Because of love. Love to you and to me. “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8. “As the Son of man, He gives us an example of obedience; as the Son of God, He gives us power to obey.” –The Desire of Ages, p. 24

This taking on of humanity was not just something He did for 33 ½ years. No, this is for eternity. “He who was one with God has linked Himself with the children of men by ties that are never to be broken.” –Steps to Christ, p. 14

“For both He that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause He is not ashamed to call them brethren.” Hebrews 2:11. What a wonderful Saviour and Redeemer we have. He is willing to call us brethren. All our sordid past life He is willing to forget when we repent, and He then considers us one of His family members. “He will turn again, He will have compassion upon us; He will subdue our iniquities; and Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.” Micah 7:9

“Then tell the people that Christ came in human form, that His humanity might touch humanity, and that His Divinity might lay hold upon Divinity. His servants are to be linked together.”–Christ Triumphant, p. 66

“Christ laid aside His royal robe and kingly crown, and stepped down from His high command, in order that He, Divinity and humanity combined, might make Himself a stepping stone whereby man might reach heaven. This He did that men might stand on vantage ground with God. His holiness imbues the life of everyone who eats the bread of life and drinks the water of salvation. He who receives and practices the words of Christ has eternal life. This life is in him, because he is in Christ.” –Manuscript Releases, vol. 13, p. 199

A PARTAKER OF DIVINITY

The main purpose of Christ taking on humanity is for the purpose of reconciling mankind to God once more; making this reconciliation possible. “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.” Romans 5:10 “He who created all things in heaven and in earth, and by Whom all things hold together, is the head of the church, and that by His power we are reconciled to God.” –The Desire of Ages, p. 288

The question can be asked, Can man be a partaker of Divinity? How do we explain the union of humanity and divinity in mankind? “The parable of the wedding garment opens before us a lesson of the highest consequence. By the marriage is represented the union of humanity with Divinity; the wedding garment represents the character which all must possess who shall be ac-counted fit guests for the wedding.” –Christ’s Object Les-sons, p. 307. We are one in Christ. “That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in Me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in Us.” John 17:21. “Divinity needed humanity; for it required both the Divine and the human to bring salvation to the world. Divinity needed humanity, that humanity might afford a channel of communication between God and man.”–The Desire of Ages, p. 296

If you come to Christ He will accept you as you are, today. Just come. “The Bible does not teach that the sinner must repent be-fore he can heed the invitation of Christ, ‘Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.’ Matthew 11:28. It is the virtue that goes forth from Christ that leads to genuine repentance. . . We can no more repent without the Spirit of Christ to awaken the conscience than we can be pardoned without Christ.” –Steps to Christ, p. 26

“He clothed His divinity with humanity. . . ” What does this now mean for us? What are you willing to give to Jesus in return? “. . . are you willing to deny self and follow your Saviour? Oh, do not trifle away the few moments left you by seeking worldly honor and thus lose the precious boon of everlasting life!”—Christ Triumphant, p. 65

Jesus says, “If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” Matthew 16:24. He actually laid it out for us when He said, “Be ye therefore perfect.” Matthew 5:48. We can also read that, “There is no excuse for sin or for indolence.” –Faith and Works, p. 49. “Whosoever abideth in Him sinneth not.” 1 John 3:6. It is plain and simple. Christ never asks some-thing of us that is not possible to perform when our humanity is connected to the Divinity of Christ, and in Christ, we can overcome every sin. . . yes, every single one, even in this life.

This is where a true understanding of the blending of faith and works is important. “He who is trying to reach heaven by his own works in keeping the law is attempting an impossibility. Man cannot be saved with-out obedience, but his works should not be of himself.” –Faith and Works, p. 94 This is the key, “his works should not be of himself.” While we are told to, “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,” let us remember that it is, “God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.” Philippians 2:12, 13

“God calls upon us to reach the standard of perfection and places before us the example of Christ’s character. In His humanity, perfected by a life of constant resistance of evil, the Saviour showed that through co-operation with Divinity, human beings may in this life attain to perfection of character. This is God’s assurance to us that we, too, may obtain complete victory.” –Acts of the Apostles, p. 531

Those who teach that it is impossible to keep the law of God are not receiving their messages from God. “Satan had claimed that it was impossible for man to obey God’s commandments; and in our own strength it is true that we cannot obey them. But Christ came in the form of humanity, and by His perfect obedience He proved that humanity and divinity combined can obey every one of God’s precepts.” –Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 314. “Christ took upon Himself humanity for us. He clothed His Divinity, and Divinity and humanity were combined. He showed that that law which Satan declared could not be kept, could be kept. Christ took humanity to stand here in our world, to show that Satan had lied. He took humanity upon Himself to demonstrate that with Divinity and humanity combined, man could keep the law of Jehovah. Separate humanity from Divinity, and you can try to work out your own righteousness from now till Christ comes, and it will be nothing but a failure.” –Faith and Works, p. 71

And if you feel you cannot overcome sin, just come to Jesus. You do not need to struggle alone. You just have to be willing to work with Him. “The Saviour took upon Himself the infirmities of humanity, and lived a sinless life, that men might have no fear that because of the weakness of human nature they could not overcome. Christ came to make us ‘partakers of the divine nature,’ and His life declares that humanity, combined with divinity, does not commit sin.” –Temperance, p. 107. He is our Pattern. He proved that It can be done, by connecting humanity with Divinity; through Christ alone. “Genuine faith appropriates the righteousness of Christ, and the sinner is made an overcomer with Christ; for he is made a partaker of the divine nature, and thus divinity and humanity are combined.” –Faith and Works, p. 93. “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 “ 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. Divinity and humanity may be combined in them.” –Selected Messages, vol. 1, p. 409

And He means forever, “With humanity and divinity combined you can accomplish a work as enduring as eternity.” – Faith and Works, p. 27. “For He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” Hebrews 13:5. Never, no not ever.

How happy we should be when we consider all the efforts that the Heavenly Host is making for the salvation of lost man. How honoured, but more importantly, how humble we should feel. Are we worthy? These wretched human beings that have lived many years in rebellion against God, do we deserve this? We who crucified His beloved Son? No, no. We will never be able to explain this love. Not in all eternity. Once we truly understand the love of God, we will happily lay aside every weight of sin that gets in our way. “The work of overcoming is not a joyless work; no, indeed. It means communication with Heaven. You can go to God in prayer; you can ask, and receive; you can believe, hanging your helpless soul on Christ. It means that humanity can work the will and ways of God. Humanity and divinity are combined for this very purpose.” –In Heavenly Places, p. 279

“The soul temple is to be sacred, holy, pure, and undefiled. There must be a co-partnership in which all the power is of God and all the glory belongs to God. The responsibility rests with us. We must receive in thoughts and in feelings, to give in expression. The law of the human and the Divine action makes the receiver a laborer together with God. It brings man where he can, united with Divinity, work the works of God. Humanity touches humanity. Divine power and the human agency combined will be a complete success, for Christ’s righteous-ness accomplishes everything.” –Faith and Works, p. 26

May God help us to contemplate these solemn thoughts and to lay hold on His Divinity that He is offering to unite with our humanity—what a blessed, a high and holy privilege we have. Let us take these promises to heart and let Him live out His life within us. Then we will be guar-anteed to be a complete success.

For, “Christ’s Righteousness accomplishes everything.” – Faith and Work, p. 26. Amen. (All emphases in quotes added by the author).

Amen

Wendy Eaton