CHRIST EQUAL WITH GOD by James White

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Nov 29, 1877

CHRIST EQUAL WITH GOD.

By James White

Paul affirms of the Son of God that he was in the form of God, and that he was equal with God. “Who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God.” Phil. 2:6. The reason why it is not robbery for the Son to be equal with the Father is the fact that he is equal. If the Son is not equal with the Father, then it is robbery for him to rank himself with the Father.

The inexplicable trinity that makes the godhead three in one and one in three, is bad enough; but that ultra Unitarianism that makes Christ inferior to the Father is worse. Did God say to an inferior, “Let us make man in our image?”

The great mistake of the Unitarian is in taking Christ when enfeebled with our nature as the standard of what he was with the Father before the creation of the world, and what he will be when all divine, seated beside the Father on his eternal throne.

True, Christ prayed to a superior. This is during the time of his humiliation, when enfeebled by the seed of Abraham. There was no such dependence before he humbled himself that he might reach the feeble sinner in all his weakness and shame. Neither will there be when Christ shall be seated at the right hand of power in Heaven.

We may look upon the Father and the Son before the worlds were made as a creating and law administering firm of equal power. Christ did not then rob God in regarding himself equal with the Father. Sin enters the world and the fall occurs. Christ steps out of this firm for a certain time, and takes upon himself the weakness of the seed of Abraham, that he may reach those who are enfeebled by transgression. With his divine arm our adorable Redeemer has hold of the throne of Heaven, and with his human arm he reaches to the depths of human wretchedness, and thus he becomes the connecting link between Heaven and earth, a mediator between God and man.

We notice the steps leading from Christ’s position with the Father before the worlds were made, down to his being made weak on account of the sinner, then up to his final position, strength, and glory.

Before the fall he was equal with God.
When he accepted the position as Redeemer with all its dependence and agony. Then he laid aside his glory as one of the creating and law administering firm. This glory he left with the Father, and then and there made himself of no reputation.
He next in due time became obedient to the death of the cross.
From this point he rises. God highly exalted Christ at the resurrection. Then and there he left the seed of Abraham, so that it was the divine Son of God that arose from the dead and ascended to Heaven.
Then was there given him a name above men and holy angels.
Of all created intelligences in Heaven and on earth every knee will bow to Jesus Christ, and every tongue will confess. Redemption is then completed, and again the Son is equal with the Father.

The question of the state of the dead is not a practical subject. And yet we discuss it in order to warn the people against spiritualism. The question of the trinity and the unity is not practical, and yet we call attention to it to guard the people against that terrible heresy that takes from our all-conquering Redeemer his divine power. J. W.