In general, you and I can differ on many doctrinal beliefs and opinions and still call ourselves Christians.  You might be a premillenialist, I might be an amillenialist.  You might be more Arminially disposed, I might lean towards Calvinism.  I might see the gift of tongues as continuing today, you might see it as done for today.  In all of these differences, we would be disagreeing within the bounds of Christian orthodoxy.  When you think of it, there really is a great deal of breathing room within the Christian faith.  But when it comes to the nature of Christ, the breathing room is gone.  Essential to the very nature of Christianity is the nature of Christ.  Consider what theologian Roger Olson wrote:

“A saying often repeated in Christian churches and movements states ‘Christianity is Christ.’ That is simply another way of saying that the person of Jesus Christ is the most important reality for Christianity and therefore believing rightly about him is absolutely crucial to preserving authentic Christianity.”

What is it that we must believe rightly about Jesus Christ?  One of the key components of right belief (orthodoxy) regarding Jesus Christ is the Incarnation.  The Incarnation, in it’s simplest form, is God the Son embodied in human flesh.  It is what we celebrate at Christmastime, and without it we would have no hope for salvation.

This Sunday, I hope to approach this topic from several directions:

1. Scriptural. What does the Bible have to say about the person of Jesus Christ?
2. Historical. What statements have been developed through the ages regarding the Incarnation?  What controversies and heresies have arisen?
3. Practical. What does the doctrine of the Incarnation mean for you?  What does it mean to live incarnationally?

For preparation, spend some time reading John 1 and Philippians 2:5-11.  Also, look for verses that refer specifically to Christ’s humanity, and those that refer specifically to his divinity.

I’m looking forward to learning with you on Sunday!