THE PERSONAL UNION

By Gary Ray Branscome

The words, “Great is the mystery of godliness: God was revealed in the flesh,” tell us that the truth of Christ’s incarnation is a mystery (1Timothy 3:16). And, because it is a mystery, man’s puny finite sin corrupted mind will never be able to fully understand it (Jeremiah 17:9). For that reason, what God has revealed in Scripture must either be fully accepted or fully rejected. Made up explanations and compromise positions are not acceptable, for it is written, “No truth of scripture comes from any private explanation” (2Peter 1:20). There are only two choices, the way of Christian faith, or the way of pagan unbelief.

The words, “Can anyone hide himself in a secret place where I will not see him? asks the LORD. Don’t I fill heaven and earth? asks the LORD,” and the words, “In Him we live, and move, and have our being,” tell us that God is present everywhere, including in all of creation (Jeremiah 23:24, Acts 17:28). However, when it comes to believers the Bible also tells us that God is present with them in a special way. As it is written, “If a man loves me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come to him, and make our home with him” // “Don’t you know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” // “He who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him” (John 14:23, 1Corinthians 3:16 and 6:17). In contrast, the union of Christ’s human nature with His divine nature goes far beyond God’s presence. In Christ God and man are permanently united. The words, “I will raise to David a righteous Branch… and this is the name by which He will be called, The Lord (Jahweh) Our Righteousness,” tell us that a descendant (branch) of David will be God (Jeremiah 23:5-6). The words, “The Word (God) was made flesh, and dwelt among us,” also tell us that Christ is God (John 1:14). That is why Christ could say, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father” (John 14:9). And, that union is what Paul called a great mystery when he said, “Great is the mystery of godliness: God was revealed in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached to the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory” (1Timothy 3:16). [See Rom. 1:3-4 and 9:5.]

The words, “I am the LORD, I do not change,” tell us that God did not change into Christ (Malachi 3:6). Furthermore, because there is only one God, Christ is that One God, not a third creature who is only half God and half man. If that were the case He would not truly be God or truly be man. Therefore, that idea contradicts all of the passages that tell us Christ is God, and all of the passages that tell us that Christ is man. In addition, the words, “The Word (God) was made flesh,” tell us that God did not just join Himself to Christ, like two boards being glued together, but took upon Himself the nature of man (John 1:14). And, He took on that nature without changing (Malachi 3:6). The ideas just mentioned are some of the compromise positions invented by the deceitfulness of the human heart (Jeremiah 17:9). In contrast, God wants us to teach what His Word says, not man-made attempts to reconcile His Word with man’s ignorance.

In opposition to all compromise positions, we teach what the words of Scripture actually say, while rejecting any view that goes beyond or contradicts the plain meaning of the words. In addressing such errors the Council of Chalcedon (451) declared: "We confess one and the same Jesus Christ, the Son and Lord only-begotten, in two natures without mixture, without change, without division, without separation."