God Incarnate (Part 2)

Last week, I posted some excerpts from J.I. Packer's book "Knowing God." The point that I showed was that "The baby born in Bethlehem was God." J. I. Packer used text from John to back up his statements, giving 7 seven points that the baby was God.

This week I would like to share his second point, which is actually just a more in depth version of the first. Point two is as follows:

2. The baby born in Bethlehem was God made man.

This truth is so important and precious. Have you ever felt that God, though he knows us better than we know ourselves, did not understand you? The fact that Jesus, who is God, came to earth as a man, is very comforting. He suffered the weaknesses of a human body and mind.

J. I. Packer writes:

"He who made man was now learning what it felt like to be man. He who made the angel who became the devil was now in a state in which He could be tempted - could not, indeed, avoid being tempted - by the devil; and the perfection of his human life was achieved only by conflict with the devil."

Hebrews 2:18; 4:15 - "Because He himself suffered when He was tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted...For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet was without sin."

When you feel like sin is pushing in all around you, remember that Jesus has been where we are. He knows what it is like to been tempted; He knows how hard it is. He endured it, then He died so that we might be free of it. Ask Him for strength and praise Him for His gift of killing the sins that are so hard to overcome.

Psalm 32:1 - "Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit."

Psalm 32:5 - "I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord," and you forgave the iniquity of my sin."

Psalm 32:8 - "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you."