EDITORIAL by Editor

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, Cal. · Jul 16, 1912

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 39, No. 27.

EDITORIAL

By Editor

The Word Made Flesh

THE incarnation of our Lord is not a living truth for Christmas, or any other noted day of man's setting apart. It is, however, a great, living message for one day of the year, and that is this day. We have the promise of no other. Christmas is a long way off, and the usual spirit of its celebration is foreign to the message of the incarnation of our Lord. Like all the great facts of redemption, the incarnation is based in man's need, and is the fruit of God's love — God's love responding to man's need, an ever-present fact.

THESE notes will not discuss the philosophy of the incarnation, will not seek to explain the unexplainable, but will note its great facts, and endeavor to bring home to longing hearts its great truth.

WHEN man was created, he was innocent of all sin and guilt. In harmony with God's great law, he was a constant recipient of the great floods of God's life, ever flowing in the channel of His law. God dwelt in man by His Holy Spirit; and spirit life dominated, nay, joyfully controlled soul life. The whole man was responsive to God.

BUT when, in that evil hour, man fell, sin became incarnate, infleshed. God was driven out of one of His rightful dwellings, the inflood of the spirit life was cut off, and the soul life was yielded to the flesh under the control of selfishness and sin and Satan. And the flesh of itself has been dominated by sin ever since. The mind that controls it is the carnal (fleshly) mind; and "the carnal mind," "the mind of the flesh," "is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can it be: and they that are in the flesh [controlled by it] can not please God." Rom. 8:7, 8.

BUT it was not God's plan that man should thus become a slave and lost. In the very beginning was the fact assured that the seed of the woman — man — should bruise the serpent's head. Gen. 3:15. A new power was to come into humanity, right into the very citadel and stronghold of sin in this world. More, it was to come into sinful humanity, into human flesh in its fallen condition. It was to demonstrate not alone that man while innocent could be kept from sin, that the pure heart might be shut against the power of the devil; but it was to demonstrate that victory might be won in a captured province, in the very citadel, or fortress, of sin's strength. Elsewise humanity is left without hope.

THEREFORE "when the fulness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, that He might redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons." Gal. 4:4, 5. "Under the law" means, here, condemned by the law. God made Him who knew no sin to become sin for us, "that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him." 2 Cor. 5:21. He stood for us. He represented us in His vicarious offering. He bore for us, suffered for us, became sin for us, died for us. His prayers of agony, predicted by Psalm 22, described by Heb. 5:7, were in our behalf. He was tempted in all things like as we are, and met them all, and triumphed in them all, revealing in all the goodness, the glory, of God. Thus "the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, . . . full of grace and truth." John 1:14.

JESUS was not a different being from the Word who created or the Angel of God's presence. He did not, in becoming flesh, lose His identity, His oneness with God the Father, His Deity. He laid aside His power and glory in our behalf, that He might demonstrate in our behalf God's power over sin in the flesh of humanity. Identified with God, He forever also identified Himself with humanity. He made an eternal sacrifice for us. He will never be in form what He once was, He will ever bear the lineaments and form of humanity, not to degrade Deity, but to exalt redeemed humanity.

INTO your flesh He wishes to come to-day, dear soul. He knocks at the door for admittance. He wishes you to give up to Him the mind of the flesh, let it die, and let Him rule. He has demonstrated to you that He will rule in you just as He ruled in Jesus of Nazareth. Incarnate in you, He will

conquer the habits of sloth and ease and lust, and make you eternally victorious, till you may say with the mighty apostle: "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I that live, but Christ liveth in me: and that life which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, the faith which is in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself up for me." Gal. 2:20. Then will the heart no longer be at enmity with God, not subject to His law, but the righteousness (ordinance, requirement) of the law will "be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." Rom. 8:4. Then will we say with another apostle: "For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments: and His commandments are not grievous." 1 John 5:3.