There's a Reason

"Men need only to acquire what the incarnate Son possesses to be delivered from their bondage and return to the wholeness of creation, and it was precisely to bestow the life which He Himself possessed that Christ was born into the world".

Man and the Incarnation by Gustav Wingren (expounding Irenaeus).

Sometimes, it's useful to remind ourselves what is behind where we state things count (as I've done this month). In a recent video on YT, Dr Jordan Cooper sought to underline the real significance of essential Christianity regarding Soteriology (the work of Salvation) and Christology (the nature of Christ's incarnation) by highlighting the key theme and objective of these truths - God is for us in this vital revelation. That's what Jesus Himself is affirming in His statements to Nicodemus (John 3:16,17) and Paul proclaims when he states that God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself (2 Corinthians 5:19).

God, in both nature and intention, is truly and thereby fully revealed in the flesh and life of His beloved Son (John 1:1-18, especially verse 17). We now draw near to God because of His providing the means whereby we are brought in (faith and baptism. Romans chapters 3-6) and sustained (the supper - 1 Corinthians 10:16) by the very real closeness of Christ Himself, who has ascended bodily to the Father, and the thereby 'filled all things with Himself" (Ephesians 1:23).

The message is vitally clear. The divine and human natures of Christ are at the very centre of God's saving work and are now at the very heart of all that is being made new in heaven and earth (Revelation 5:5-14), so our life and faith revolve around this touchstone - this one wondrous foundation.

"Religion" (godliness misconstrued to be in our impoverished merits, rather than purely sourced and sustained in Christ - Colossians 2:9-14) wants to sever us from this profound and astonishing splendour. Error acts in the same fashion as the beguiler in Eden, expelling us from the genuine goodness of what God has done, hence Paul's clear warning to us: "but I am fearful, that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, you will be lead astray from genuine devotion to Christ "(via 'another' Jesus. 2 Corinthians 11:3).

True Godliness is the Gospel of full redemption (1 Corinthians 15). If it were anything 'other' (less) than this, then then procuring of what had fallen (us) would not have been achieved by Incarnation and Propitiation. We are not destined to become holy 'souls', inhabiting a disembodied domain, but resurrected, physical creatures forever.

When we begin to allow these radiant truths to take their place in our lives, then, we begin to see that, aside from meeting God in His gracious gifts (word and sacrament), our "neighbour is the holiest thing presented to our senses" (Lewis - The Weight of Glory), because there, we may truly see the truly glorified (Our Saviour) glorifying Himself amidst that which has been entirely taken up and loved exclusively by Him.

This is the true splendour of life now, and all that is to come!