Archive | Jesus Christ RSS feed for this section

John Owen: Christ is God and Man in One Person

28 Dec

1616 -1683. Preeminent English Puritan theologian, pastor, and independent.

QUESTION. It was queried by some, how we may make our application unto Christ; not in general, but under what notion and apprehension of the person of Christ?

ANSWER. Because some seem to apprehend there might be danger in terminating our worship upon the nature of Christ as a creature, I shall give you my thoughts and directions in it. And,—
First. You must observe we are to have no conceptions, in our acting of any duty, towards Christ or about him, but with respect unto his person as he is God and man in one person. It is not lawful for us to have any apprehensions of Christ, to make any application to him, as man only; nor is it lawful for us to have any apprehensions of him as God only: but all our apprehensions of Christ, and all our addresses unto him, must be as God and man in one person. So he is, and so he will be to all eternity. The union is inseparable and indissoluble; and for any man to make his application unto Christ either as God or as man, is to set up a false Christ. Christ is God and man in one person, and no other. So, in all our actings of faith upon him, and applications unto him, we ought to consider him as he was “the seed of David,” and as “God over all, blessed for ever,” in one person.

~John Owen~





The Works of John Owen, ed. William H. Goold, vol. 8: Sermons to the Nations (Edinburgh: T&T Clark, n.d.), 373.

Books by John Owen

Kindle Books

Biography of John Owen

Other Owen Quotes

Tags: ,

Charles Wesley – Happy the Place, But Happier Still

26 Dec
Charles-Wesley

1707-1788. English leader of the Methodist movement along with brother John Wesley.

“Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea” – Matthew 2:1

HAPPY the place, but happier still
The heart where Christ is born:
The heart which He vouchsafes to fill
Need neither sin nor mourn;
No city could with Bethlehem share
The honour of His birth,
But every soul by faith may bear
The Lord of heaven and earth.

~Charles Wesley~





The Poetical Works of John and Charles Wesley, ed. G. Osborn, vol. 10 (London: Wesleyan-Methodist Conference Office, 1871), 142.

Books by Charles Wesley

Kindle Books

Tags: ,

Wilhelmus à Brakel – Joyously Magnify God For the Incarnation

25 Dec

brakel

The incarnation is that great work of God in which the wisdom, goodness, power, mercy, and glory of God shine forth in a most excellent manner. What wisdom, goodness, and power is manifested in bringing a sinner back to a holy God by way of the most sublime manifestation of His justice; by a Person who is both God and man; through such a way of suffering; and by leading the sinner to such a felicity in ways which pass all understanding! All this the holy angels observe, and it is an element of their felicity to perceive the perfections of God in the work of redemption revealed by the incarnation. “To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God” (Eph. 3:10). Mary perceived all this and said, “For He that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is His Name; and His mercy is on them that fear Him from generation to generation. He hath shewed strength with His arm” (Luke 1:49–51).

One ought thus to meditate upon the incarnation, in order to discern clearly these and other attributes of God, approving of them with holy adoration and joyously magnifying God with the holy angels, saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men” (Luke 2:14).

~Wilhelmus à Brakel~





The Christian’s Reasonable Service, ed. Joel R. Beeke, trans. Bartel Elshout, vol. 1 (Grand Rapids, MI: Reformation Heritage Books, 1992), 513-514.

Books by Wilhelmus à Brakel

Kindle Books

Tags: ,

Herman Bavinck – Jesus: David’s Son and David’s Lord

24 Dec

Jesus was counted a son of David by the reckoning of Joseph’s lineage, not by that of Mary’s. All the emphasis is on Joseph’s Davidic descent, not only in Matthew (1:16, 20) but also in Luke (1:27; 2:4). Although Jesus was not the natural son of Joseph, through Mary, who was engaged to Joseph, he was civilly and legally the son of Joseph (Luke 2:27, 41, 48) and inherited from him the rights to David’s throne. Also for that reason Joseph was warned by God to take Mary as his lawful wife, to act as head and father of the family, and in that capacity to give the child the name “Jesus” (Matt. 1:18–21). Thus Christ became David’s son and simultaneously remained David’s Lord.

The exclusion of the man from his conception at the same time had the effect that Christ, as one not included in the covenant of works, remained exempt from original sin and could therefore also be preserved in terms of his human nature, both before and after his birth, from all pollution of sin. As subject, as “I,” he did not descend from Adam but was the Son of the Father, chosen from eternity to be the head of a new covenant. Not Adam but God was his father. As a person he was not the product of humankind but himself came to humankind from without and entered into its ranks. And since he thus, in God’s righteous judgment, remained exempt from all original sin, he could be conceived by the Holy Spirit and by that Spirit remain free from all pollution of sin. Conception by the Holy Spirit was not the deepest ground and final cause of Jesus’ sinlessness, as many theologians say, but it was the only way in which he who already existed as a person and was appointed head of a new covenant could now also in a human way—in the flesh—be and remain who he was: the Christ, Son of God the Most High.

~Herman Bavinck~




Reformed Dogmatics Volume 3: Sin and Salvation in Christ (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2006), p. 294-295.

Books by Herman Bavinck

Kindle Books

Biography of Herman Bavinck

More Bavinck Quotes

Tags: ,

Wilhelmus à Brakel – The Incarnation Was For You

23 Dec

brakel

(4) You who yearn for Jesus, however, in order to be justified and sanctified by Him, even if it is accompanied by much darkness, fear, anxiety, and concern (John 6:40); you, in whose heart Jesus dwells by faith, so that your desires are repeatedly drawn towards Him (Eph. 3:17); you, in whom Jesus has been formed (Gal. 4:19) and in whom Jesus lives (Gal. 2:20), so that He is all your joy and desire, generating within you a hatred towards sin, a desire to walk as He walked, and perceiving within you a battle between spirit and flesh; you, who love Jesus (1 John 4:19)—you have reason to be assured that He has been born for you. Therefore you have double reason to rejoice with delightful and unspeakable joy, and to jubilate concerning the coming of the Lord Jesus in the flesh.

Fifthly, come therefore, and acknowledge Him as your Lord. “Kiss the Son” (Psa. 2:12), “For He is thy Lord; and worship thou Him” (Psa. 45:11). Surrender yourself to Him, seek to please Him, fear Him, serve Him, and hold Him before you as your only and perfect example, and thus follow in His footsteps (1 Pet. 2:21).

As one must consider the Lord Jesus as being very God—and thus interact with Him with awe, reverence, fear, confidence, and in a worshipful frame—one may and must likewise have fellowship with Him as man, as being our brother, “for … He is not ashamed to call them brethren” (Heb. 2:11). Such fellowship with Him the bride desired. “O that Thou wert as my brother!” (Song of Sol. 8:1). Since He has become our brother, we may and must have fellowship with Him as such, always viewing Him as being in such a relationship to us, “For both He that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one” (Heb. 2:11). He is flesh of our flesh and bone of our bones. This yields boldness and familiarity to bring all our needs before Him who, being man Himself, understands man’s frame of mind when he suffers pain and is troubled in both soul and body. He can and does have compassion with them (Heb. 2:17; 4:15). This familiarity makes the heart tender. It gives boldness to approach unto Him and commune with Him in human fashion as speaking to a man, commending our cause to Him, and on the basis of His Godhead entrusting it to Him. This in turn will stir up the heart in sweet love towards Him.

~Wilhelmus à Brakel~





The Christian’s Reasonable Service, ed. Joel R. Beeke, trans. Bartel Elshout, vol. 1 (Grand Rapids, MI: Reformation Heritage Books, 1992), 516.

Books by Wilhelmus à Brakel

Kindle Books

Tags: ,

Charles Spurgeon – He Drank Damnation Dry

5 Dec

20120713-214637.jpg

The whole of the punishment of his people was distilled into one cup; no mortal lip might give it so much as a solitary sip. When he put it to his own lips, it was so bitter, he well nigh spurned it.—“Let this cup pass from me.” But his love for his people was so strong, that he took the cup in both his hands, and

“At one tremendous draught of love
He drank damnation dry,”

for all his people. He drank it all, he endured all, he suffered all; so that now for ever there are no flames of hell for them, no racks of torment; they have no eternal woes; Christ hath suffered all they ought to have suffered, and they must, they shall go free.


~Charles Spurgeon~




The New Park Street Pulpit Sermons, Vol. III (London: Passmore & Alabaster, 1855), 155. Sermon No. 126; Titled: Justification by Grace; Delivered on Sabbath Morning, April 5th, 1857.

Books by Charles Spurgeon

Kindle Books

Biography of Charles Spurgeon

Other Spurgeon Quotes

Tags: ,

John Bunyan – Jesus Is The Virgin’s Son

4 Dec

John_Bunyan

14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. – Isaiah 7:14 ESV.

This woman must be a virgin (Isa 7:14) where it is said, ‘A virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Imanuel.’ And Jesus is he that was the fulfilling of this scripture (Matt 1:22, 23), ‘Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a Son, and they shall call his name Imanuel.’

~John Bunyan~


The Works of John Bunyan Vol. 2: Some Gospel Truths Opened (Edinburgh, London; Banner of Truth, 2009) p. 144

Books by John Bunyan

Online Books Available

Tags: ,

John Owen: Fresh Springs Of Grace

2 Dec

A steady spiritual view of the glory of Christ by faith, will give them [believers] a gracious revival from inward decays, and fresh springs of grace, even in their latter days. A truth this is, as we shall see, confirmed by Scripture, with the joyful experience of multitudes of believers, and is of great importance unto all that are so.

~John Owen~





The Works of John Owen, Vol. 1: The Glory of Christ (Edinburgh; T&T Clark; n.d.) p. 432-433.

Books by John Owen

Kindle Books

Biography of John Owen

Other Owen Quotes

Tags: ,

John Owen: The Promised Seed

23 Nov

God having from the foundation of the world promised to bring forth the ‘Seed of the woman,’ to work out the redemption of his elect in the conquest of Satan, did, in the separation of Abraham from the rest of the world, begin to make provision of a peculiar stock, from whence the Seed of the woman should spring. That this was the cause and end of his call and separation is evident from hence, that immediately thereupon God assures him that ‘in his seed all the kindreds of the earth should be blessed,’ Gen. 12:1–3, 22:18; which is all one as if he had expressly said to him, ‘For this cause have I chosen and called thee, that in thee I might lay a foundation of bringing forth the promised Seed, by whom the curse is to be taken away, and the blessing of everlasting life procured,’ as Gal. 3:13, 14. For this cause was his posterity continued in a state of separation from the rest of the world, that He might seek a godly seed to himself, Num. 23:9; Mal. 2:15: for this cause did he raise them into a civil, regal, and church state, that he might in them typify and prefigure the offices and benefits of the promised Messiah, who was to gather to himself the nations that were to be blessed in the seed of Abraham, Gen. 49:10; Ps. 45; Hos. 3:5; Ezek. 34:23. And all their sacrifices did but shadow out that great expiation of sin which he was to make in his own person.

~John Owen~





An Exposition of the Epistle to the Hebrews, Vol. 3 (Edinburgh; Johnstone and Hunter; 1854) p. 12-13.

Books by John Owen

Kindle Books

Biography of John Owen

Other Owen Quotes

Tags: ,

Martin Luther – The Very Heel Of The Serpent-Opposing Seed

18 Nov

But the gift of God that I particularly love and revere in you above all the rest is that you emphasize the righteousness of faith so faithfully and purely in all your writings. For this article is the head and cornerstone that alone begets, nurtures, builds, preserves, and defends the Church of God. Without it, the Church cannot remain standing for a single hour, as you know and perceive. That is why you insist upon it as you do. For no one can teach correctly in the church or resist any adversary successfully, unless he has grasped this article or, as Paul calls it, “the sound doctrine” [Titus 2:1], one who, as the same Paul says, “holds fast to the doctrine” [cf. Titus 1:9 Vg]…

We see how those who do not do this are carried about by so many winds of uncertain doctrine [Eph. 4:14], driven up and down by opinions that are endlessly multiplied, always learning and never coming to a knowledge of the truth [2 Tim. 3:7]. And we not only see this but have also experienced it ourselves, when we were being spun about in the same whirlwinds of doctrines until the grace of God brought us to port and built us upon this solid rock [Matt. 7:24], so that we are certain of what we teach, learn, and hold, and we no longer vacillate as we did. Therefore, I beg you, most excellent Brenz, continue vigorously to press this article concerning righteousness by all means, wherever you are able, even until they are sick of it, just as you are doing. For otherwise the whole world is full enough of writers, shouters, and printers who very boldly neglect this article. Then, too, there are many who persecute it; most (since they are unable to do any other harm) obscure and corrupt it. But I am not surprised, for this article is the very heel of the Seed who opposes the ancient serpent, the heel that crushes its head. Therefore, Satan on his part can do nothing but lie in wait for it. But whatever harm he may do with his endless and tenacious snares, nevertheless he cannot conquer and crush it. As it is written: “He will crush your head.”

~Martin Luther~






Luther’s Works – Vol. 59 (St. Louis, MI; Concordia Publishing House, 2012) p. 288-289. Preface to Johann Brenz, Exposition of the Prophet Amos.

Books by Martin Luther

Luther’s Works on Logos Bible Software

Kindle Books

Biography

Other Luther Quotes

Tags: ,

← Older Entries
Newer Entries →