Orthodox Christian doctrine defines God succinctly as: Within the one Being that is God, there exists eternally three co-equal and co-eternal Persons, namely, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Regarding the Son, also called the Word (Rev.19:13; the Word was God Jn.1:1) the doctrine of the incarnation describes that event when the eternal Word (the pre-incarnate Christ) took on human nature, sin excepted, (Jn.1:14). Further describing this event Theologians teach the hypostatic union - an attempt to explain the divine nature and human nature coming together in the one person of the God-man Jesus Christ. Jesus will forever possess these two inseparable yet distinct, unmixed, undiluted, natures uniquely qualifying Him as the Mediator between God and man. This also explains those references which refer to Christ as divine or human for He is both.
In eternity past the Persons of the One Being of God covenanted that the Father would send and give a people to the Son, the Son willingly would go and accomplish their redemption, and the Holy Spirit would empower Jesus and apply His redeeming work to a particular people. (Ps.2; Isa.53:10-12)
Jesus' physical death on the cross accomplished the propitiatory (satisfaction) sacrifice in behalf of the elect, paying the penalty of all their sins. Being fully God and having no sin of His own death could not hold Him in punishment. Therefore God, being satisfied with the full payment of His broken law (Heb.2:17; Rom.6:23), God raised Him from the dead (Acts 13:22-41). Because of who He is and what He has done we have the "Carmen Christi":
"Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in the appearance of a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him a name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus 'Every knee will bow', of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Phil.2:5-11
Reminiscent of Isaiah 45:23: Almighty God speaking in the Old Testament says: "I have sworn by Myself, The word has gone forth from My mouth in righteousness and will not turn back, that to Me, every knee will bow, every tongue will swear allegiance."
Regarding the Son, also called the Word (Rev.19:13; the Word was God Jn.1:1) the doctrine of the incarnation describes that event when the eternal Word (the pre-incarnate Christ) took on human nature, sin excepted, (Jn.1:14). Further describing this event Theologians teach the hypostatic union - an attempt to explain the divine nature and human nature coming together in the one person of the God-man Jesus Christ. Jesus will forever possess these two inseparable yet distinct, unmixed, undiluted, natures uniquely qualifying Him as the Mediator between God and man. This also explains those references which refer to Christ as divine or human for He is both.
In eternity past the Persons of the One Being of God covenanted that the Father would send and give a people to the Son, the Son willingly would go and accomplish their redemption, and the Holy Spirit would empower Jesus and apply His redeeming work to a particular people. (Ps.2; Isa.53:10-12)
Jesus' physical death on the cross accomplished the propitiatory (satisfaction) sacrifice in behalf of the elect, paying the penalty of all their sins. Being fully God and having no sin of His own death could not hold Him in punishment. Therefore God, being satisfied with the full payment of His broken law (Heb.2:17; Rom.6:23), God raised Him from the dead (Acts 13:22-41). Because of who He is and what He has done we have the "Carmen Christi":
"Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in the appearance of a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him a name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus 'Every knee will bow', of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Phil.2:5-11
Reminiscent of Isaiah 45:23: Almighty God speaking in the Old Testament says: "I have sworn by Myself, The word has gone forth from My mouth in righteousness and will not turn back, that to Me, every knee will bow, every tongue will swear allegiance."
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