Historical Teachings on the
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by Jerry Finneman Appendix AA change concerning the human nature Christ took was made in Bible Readings in 1949. NOTE.—In His humanity Christ partook of our sinful, fallen nature. If not, then He was not "made like unto His brethren," was not "in all points tempted like as we are," did not over come as we have to overcome, and is not, therefore, the complete and perfect Saviour man needs and must have to be saved. The idea that Christ was born of an immaculate or sinless mother, inherited no tendencies to sin, and for this reason did not sin, removes Him from the realm of a fallen world, and from the very place where help is needed. On His human side, Christ inherited just what every child of Adam inherits,—a sinful nature. On the divine side, from His very conception He was begotten and born of the Spirit. And all this was done to place mankind on vantage-ground, and to demonstrate that in the same way every one who is "born of the Spirit" may gain like victories over sin in his own sinful flesh. Thus each one is to overcome as Christ overcame. Rev. 3:21. Without this birth there can be no victory over temptation, and no salvation from sin. John 3:3-7. Bible Readings for the Home Circle, pp. 115, 116, 1914 edition. NOTE.—Jesus Christ is both Son of God and Son of man. As a member of the human family "it behaved Him to be made like unto His brethren"—"in the likeness of sinful flesh." Just how far that "likeness" goes is a mystery of the incarnation which men have never been able to solve. The Bible clearly teaches that Christ was tempted just as other men are tempted—"in all points . . . like as we are." Such temptation must necessarily include the possibility of sinning, but Christ was without sin. There is no Bible support for the teaching that the mother of Christ, by an immaculate conception, was cut off from he sinful inheritance of the race, and therefore her divine Son was incapable of sinning. Concerning this false doctrine Dean F. W. Farrar has well said:
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