The Humanity of Christ

The Humanity of Christ

It's been some months ago that my heart was drawn to just simply read through the life of the Lord and just observe how he lived in his life on the earth just day to day. And so I read through, again, the gospel account given to us by John. And at the same time, I was reading through 1 John as well, and so all of that sort of converged on the burden for this morning. I want to speak about the humanity of Christ. One thing that stood out to me in my readings was the simplicity of the life of Christ and how he lived from day to day in his interaction as a man with other men there. And I guess it was about Easter that my thoughts and meditations were directed a little bit differently than perhaps we normally direct them in Easter. We usually think of that time of year and our observation of that, of his passion, the events leading up to the crucifixion and particularly the crucifixion itself and his resurrection, all that he did, all of his work that he accomplished in our behalf. And that certainly is important, and that is the primary burden of that.

But this morning, to introduce what the Lord's been speaking to my heart about these days and that I hope will be a blessing to your hearts as well, I want to draw our attention to Jesus Christ's acceptance upon his ascension after his resurrection. And I just want to… I just want to refer to two verses in this regard before moving on. But in John chapter 20 and verse 17, of course, this is in the aftermath of his resurrection. And he makes an observation to Mary here. In verse 17, he says, Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not. Now, I want to highlight that the name here that's used, is Jesus. We know that he has a number of titles. Touch me not, for I am not yet ascended to my Father. But go to my brethren and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father and your Father, and to my God and to your God. So he is mentioning he's not yet ascended yet. The emphasis is on that, is ascension. The emphasis is upon my Father and your Father, that commonality. My God. My God and your God, that commonality. And then I just want to read to you Psalm 24, a selection out of it. And we believe that this selection is what was occurring when Christ ascended. Lift up your heads, O ye gates, Psalm 24, verse 7. And be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors, and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty. The Lord, mighty. In battle.

And there's two points that I want to draw our attention to out of the acceptance of Christ upon his ascension. It's very clear from Scripture that the Father accepted his work at that point in time. There's two points I want to draw our attention to. The first is that this acceptance is God's final stamp of approval upon the earthly life of the man, Christ Jesus. This is God's final stamp of approval on the earthly life of the man, Christ Jesus. This could never have been true without the life that Christ Jesus lived. Again, we focus on the sort of culmination of that in that week, the Passion Week, and all that happened there. But the whole life was necessary for that work to have been accomplished. And then accepted, a life of abiding, a life ever animated by the Holy Spirit, a life empowered by the Holy Ghost, a life given wholly over to the will of God. And then secondly, this acceptance is the clear declaration that such a life is possible. Such a life is possible, a life which is finally approved by God.

It's often. We often repeat the truth that Christ came to show us how to live, and yet we tend really to live in weakness in spite of that example. I think that it is imperative as Christians that we keep the fact that Jesus Christ is the God-man in the front of our thoughts as we view his life, and consider our own lives in. In that light, it's interesting to notice that the earliest creed, written creed, the Nicene Creed, states that Christ is very God of very God, and for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnated and was made man. It's interesting that they, we might think it's repetitive. Why they just said he was incarnated. Why would they add that he was made man? Well, because it's very important that we understand that Christ took upon himself humanity. Yet when he comes to, when it comes to his life on earth, it's very easy to slip into thinking that his life as a man was simply due to the fact that he is God incarnate. And of course, God can live a perfect life. So, of course. Of course, Christ Jesus lived a perfect life because he was God. And there's this sort of recursive argument that we could get into with that. But that is to discount the fact that as that creed says, he was made man. He was made man. And if we take that position that he is God, so this explains his life, it really renders the example he set in his life, utterly unattainable, because we are not God. We're not God. And so we lose much by not viewing the humanity of Christ.

Let's just take a look at just two more passages of Scripture that emphasize this fact. And Paul emphasizes this in Romans chapter 5 and in verse 15, but not as the offense. So also is the free gift. For if through the offense of one, many be dead, one man, we could put in there, many be dead, much more through the grace of God and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Christ, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. The Holy Spirit moved on Paul there to emphasize that he is speaking about a man, a man, Jesus Christ. Now, none of this is intended, of course, to minimize the fact that Christ is God. But he is also man. It's interesting to note that the human name of Christ, the name Jesus, that was given to him at his birth, occurs approximately in 942 verses, while his title of Christ, meaning Messiah, occurs in about 532 verses.

If we do just a little rounding for easy math there, we find out that there's roughly a two-to-one ratio, that for every time his formal title Christ is used, his human name, Jesus, is used twice. It's very clear that the Holy Spirit, wants us to consider the humanity of Christ. I'm not pointing this out, of course, to pit one title or name against another, but it's very, very clear that there is an emphasis in the New Testament on his humanity. And this is crucial, because this is the very point that we are able to identify with him. We can identify with God. We're not God. We identify with men. And so, if there was any hope of us identifying in that form, he had to come as a man.

Let's take a look at Hebrews chapter 2. In Hebrews 2, and verses 16 through 17, the writer of Hebrews makes an important observation for us. For verily he took not on him the nature of angels, but he took upon him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore, in all things, behooved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of his people. Now, we'll come back to this a little bit later in the message, but it's very clear that Christ was made like unto his brethren. And if we just turn while we're there over to chapter 10 and verse 19, a very important verse here, one we're very familiar with. Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus. It's not by the blood of Christ. The emphasis, again, is upon his humanity here, the blood of Jesus. There.

It's interesting to notice that at the conclusion of the Last Supper, Jesus makes an observation which really sums up his entire earthly life. In John chapter 13 and verses 15 through 17, he says, For I have given you an example that you should do as I have done unto you. Verily, verily, I say unto you, For the servant is not greater than his Lord, neither is he that sent is greater than he that sent him. If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them. Now, I'm well aware that the immediate context of this statement is the washing of the disciples' feet. And yet, Jesus chooses the plural when he concludes. If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them. Referring back to his life and the example of that. Really, the breadth of this is broad and it encompasses all of his life. The English word example, we're familiar with that word. But it's an instance typical of a class. So he was setting forth that which should be typical, of his followers, that which should be typical of his believers. For I have given you an example that ye should do as I have done unto you. If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them, all of them. If Jesus was not true man of the same nature and constitution as us, then his life is not an example which we can attain to.

But the Holy Ghost is. He's very clear about this matter in John. He has John tell us that the word was made flesh, John 1.14, and dwelt among us. And that's literal flesh and blood. And again, John writes in his first epistle as well, the life was manifested there. Something that's manifested is something that is clearly revealed to the eyes and to the understanding. It's a pattern. It's an example. And how was the life, both the source of life and the manner of life, how life is to be lived, how was it manifest? Well, it was manifest in human form. It was manifest in the life of Jesus Christ. There are a number of places in the Bible where the humanity of Christ is set forth. But I just want to look at two of those. The first one, again, it's in a very familiar passage to us, in Philippians chapter 2, and verses 5 through 8. We probably could almost quote these from memory. Where Paul says, Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men. Being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even. The death of the cross. This passage, we're very familiar with it in the concept of the incarnation. But it also has to do with the humanity of Christ. It begins with the Holy Spirit reminding us that Christ set forth the example which we are to follow. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. It doesn't just say which was in Christ.

It was in Christ Jesus. Well, very simply, the outward flows from the inward here. And all that we see in the life of Christ had to certainly do with his relationship with the Father, the mind of Christ, how he thought about those things, and how he approached those things. But there are three terms, or four terms here, that I want to draw our attention to. In this passage, he took upon him the form of a servant. Well, that word form in English is very simply appearance. He took upon him the appearance of a servant. This was his outward form, not just in the way he had dressed, but this was the way he dressed, and his, perhaps his station in life, but this was what described him. He was made in the likeness of men. That word likeness is the representation of an object, which something which is similar to another resembles something else. So he took upon him a form, a likeness, which was recognizable. It was of men. It was in common with men. The book of Hebrews tells us that he did not, we just read that, did not take upon him the form of an angel. He took upon him something that was recognizable as men. And being found in fashion as a man. Fashion is, I know it has a connotation in our day, but it is, in this context, physical makeup or composition. It's form, shape, or appearance. So what's going on here? Everything which defines a man, Christ took upon him. When he was incarnate, and took upon him humanity, human nature. Amen.

What makes a man recognizable as a man, versus a plant, or an animal, or something else. And the key characteristics that are mentioned here of this, that go along with this form that he took upon him, are humility and obedience. He humbled himself. He became submissive, respectful, lowly in manner, not self-asserting. He became obedient. Obedient unto death. And that phrase there is a life-encompassing phrase. All the way to death, he became obedient there. Well, true obedience always follows humility, and always flows from love. It's never simply conformity to an outward law. It's part of the nature. It is part of nature. It's interesting to notice that this was part of the original creation of man, and quite opposite to disobedience, which is unnatural and the result of the fault, contrary to man, as he was originally created. But we see this manifest all through the life of Jesus. Let's take a look at two passages that certainly give a clue. Let's take a look at two passages that certainly give a clue. clear illustration of this. One of them early in his life in Luke chapter 2 and verse 51, and he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was subject unto them. But his mother kept all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature and favor with God and man. It's very clear from early in his life, these elements of humility and obedience were manifested in him.

If we turn to John chapter 8, this follows him all through his life. And eventually it transfers not just to his earthly parents, but to God the Father. In John 8 and picking up in verse 28, then said Jesus unto them, when you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you shall know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself, but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things. His human life in human form was marked by humility and obedience. And these, again, are characteristics and traits that at least should be associated with humanity. The second passage that I want to draw our attention to, concerning the humanity of Christ, is found in Hebrews, Hebrews chapter 10. And this is a very important passage because it gives us some, quite a bit of insight, not only, well, into Jesus and his humanity, and for that reason, into our own lives here. Picking up in verse 5, wherefore, when he came, he said unto them, I am he, and that I do nothing of myself, but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things to you. When he came, he said unto them, I am he, and that I do nothing of myself, but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things to you. When he cometh into the world, he saith, sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me. In burnt offerings and sacrifice for sin thou hast no pleasure. Then said I, lo, I come.

In the volume of the book it is written of me, to do thy will, O God. Above when he said, sacrifice and offering, and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein, which are offered by the law. Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. Take the way first that he may establish the second. In this passage, the Holy Spirit immediately reveals the original intention of God in creating man. Very simply, to do his will. And we're told that this is the first declaration of Christ when he came into the world. Wherefore, when he cometh into the world, he saith. Now, it's not so much that he said verbally, but his life proclaimed this. His laying hold, taking upon him human form, taking upon him the nature of man, becoming a part of humanity. He declared this matter of God's intention in creating man is to do his will. Sacrifice. And offering thou wouldest not. But a body thou hast thou prepared me. In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin, thou hast had no pleasure. And said I, Lo, I come. The volume of the book is written of me to do thy will, O God. And it's important that we note that in order to underline the importance of this point, it's immediately repeated a second time with an additional emphasis. Above when he said sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin, thou wouldest not. Neither hadst pleasure therein, which are offered by the law.

Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first that he may establish. The second he is taking away, going to take away the need of repeated sacrifice and offering. Amen. In order to establish the first principle, God created man to do his will. We certainly don't have time to pursue this this morning, but there is a principle in the Bible of things that are twice established. And there's a number of places we could go to look at that, but there's a re-emphasis of them, an underlining of them in that sense. So God's purpose in creating man was not so that man could and would make sacrifices, sacrifice and offering to him. This is certainly the natural tendency of fallen man, isn't it? You see in almost every false religion, the central theme being some sort of sacrifice or offering of some sort. But Christ took upon himself the form of man in order to take away the first, the sacrifice and burnt offering, and establish the second, the doing of the will. Of God. There was no altar in the Garden of Eden prior to the fall. And there were no sacrifices offered prior to the fall of man. It was not the keeping of ordinances which God desired in the man he created. The writer of Hebrews here is drawing from the words of David in Psalm 40, verses 6 through 8. I'm not going to take time to turn there this morning, but he's drawing upon this. Those, those.

And the Holy Spirit moves upon him to give some additional insight into Jesus Christ and God's intent in creating man. A body hast thou prepared me. So what we're seeing is we're seeing that Christ came, took upon him human form in order to establish and show us what God created man for, how we ought to live in the light of that. So he's now going to show us, to talk to us about God's intention in creating man. A body hast thou prepared me. I want us to, to again consider the fact of Christ's humanity. He took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of man. We're very familiar with the creation account in Genesis where we're told that God said, let us make man in our image and after our likeness in Genesis chapter 1, verse 26. Well, more light is shed on this in Hebrews 1, 3, where we're told who the son being the brightness of his God's glory and the express image of God's person. So the body that created Adam was of the same likeness as that of Jesus Christ, a body thou hast. A body thou hast prepared me. Now, someone may say to us, well, the body of Jesus was a special body. Again, falling back on that, this almost excuse that, well, Jesus Christ was God and we're not God, so we really cannot live the life or completely live the life that he lived. But the body of Jesus, we may say, was a special body. But each body God. God creates is a special body.

And again, we're not seeking to minimize those unique characteristics of Christ's body. It was unique, very clearly. It was, we're going to see, crafted for the intent that God crafted it for. But yet, every body is created with care and intent by God. When God created Adam, he reached down. Into the ground. The language there is very, very clear, even in the English and more so in probably in Hebrew. He got his hands dirty. He reached down, he picked up ground. He formed man out of the dust of the ground, Genesis 2, 7. And the dust there is ground that has been tilled or turned over, that's suitable and ready to plant into. So, this was freshly tilled ground, it was fertile ground. And God picked this up and God formed. God did not speak this being into existence as he had all others. God did something different, totally different, when he created man. This is a significant difference. The text implies that he took the ground into his hands. and carefully worked it to give it shape, structure, and expression in the body of man. Now, maybe we think, well, that's reading into it a bit. Well, the Spirit did not move upon Moses to give us much more detail in Genesis, but he did move upon David to do so. Let's take a look at Psalm 139. We'll pick up in verse 13. Now, as we read this psalm, we need to read it with a consciousness of the humanity of Jesus Christ and that humanity really, his human body being really the prototype for all bodies to be created after.

Every man will be brought into the world after that. For thou hast possessed my reins, thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Marvelous are thy works, and that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from thee when I was made in secret. I want to just draw our attention to several of these words as we go through here. Substance. Substance is very simply that which exists by itself. It's that which is essential. It's that which makes a thing what it is. My substance. My substance was not hid from thee. There's a uniqueness here that David's drawing our attention to. My unique substance was not hid from thee when I was made in secret. God was conscious of that. God was involved in that, just like he was back with Adam in taking the soil and forming the soil. And curiously, raw. In the lowest parts of the earth. Now, here are a few terms that have changed in their meaning over time. We think of curious as something that's, you know, well, that's kind of odd. Or that's kind of interesting. But in English at this time, it simply meant wrought with a repeating care and art. In other words, it has the idea. Something that was done out of carefulness and attentiveness. Out of attentiveness. Now, if we say, well, a child's curious. It's usually because they're giving attention to something.

And a lot of it. And we may be curious about a thing. And that's the way we use the term. But here, it's that idea, but intentionally, it's attentiveness and care. Curiously wrought. That wrought, which is malleable. Something that's malleable, but has been brought into a form. So this is something that you can see God is giving attention to. He's giving great care. It almost implies that this has God's undivided attention here. It says God's undivided attention. This work. Of. Creating. The body. Well, curiously wrought occur as a phrase. That translates a single Hebrew term. And that Hebrew term is used in some other places. Let's look in Exodus 26. I think that this will give us a little bit more insight to the great care and detail. That's what we want to draw our attention to here. In the creation of a body. And certainly, the body of the Lord Jesus Christ becoming the foremost example of that. But Exodus 26 and verse 36. And thou shalt make a hanging for the door of the tent of blue and purple and scarlet. And fine twined linen wrought with needlework. And wrought is the term there. Wrought, of course, that's also here in Psalm 139. But I think that if you. If you consider what it takes to wrought needlework. And I'm sure that the ladies know what this involves. You're having to count stitches. Having to keep track of where you are.

And make sure that this thing looks right when you get done. And you have to give your undivided attention to this. Probably you can't sit there and do needlework. True needlework. While you're doing something else. Well, you're doing something else. You certainly can't with your hands. But if your mind is not focused on it, you've got to pay attention. Or you'll slip a stitch. And you won't see that until you're out some ways. And you pull stuff out and keep going back and forth with it. And just the process there indicates the intensity of this work. My substance was not hid from thee when I was made in secret. And curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. There's great care here. And we would do well to consider that. Great care and expenditure of mental and even physical energy involved in this. I know that God is not primarily physical. He takes on form in Christ. Certainly in his humanity took on physical understanding. But we use some anthropomorphic sort of human language there. So there was a great deal involved in creation of all bodies. And the body of Christ. Really all four of these English words go to great lengths to help us understand the intricate detail and exquisite work and art that God puts in the creation of a human body. He does not just speak it into existence. And I'm not being dismissive with that. It's something that God could speak a word and it comes into existence.

And probably if it were left to us, we would have just spoken man into existence too because it's a lot more convenient to just say it and have it done. But there's something to God taking time to actually put effort, thought, and a lot of work. He doesn't simply rely on simple biological processes. That's not the way that God works. And the body of Christ was the prototype, the image, or the form really. It's different. To set forth what all others were to and will be. And that's important here. But there's two other words I want to draw our attention to before coming to a conclusion this morning about this. And that's the purposes of the creation of the body. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect, and in thy book all my members. Were written. And which in continuance were fashioned when as yet there was none of them. How precious are thy thoughts unto me. This idea of a book is very important. Here is the book of each individual's life written prior to the creation of the individual body. This is the most authoritative biography that was ever written about you, by the way. There is a biography about you and it's in heaven. It was written prior to the creation of the individual body. In my… In thy book, all my members were written when as yet there was none of them. Now, we certainly probably most often think of books in heaven as first and foremost the book of life and then the book of works.

Those are the two books we're familiar with. But in Revelation 20 and verse 12, we read the books were opened and another book opened, which was the book of life. So it's clear here that there are more than two books. There is the book of life and then there are the books, other books, not just the works of our life. The Bible speaks of several books, clearly. Malachi 3.16, there's a book of remembrance. In Psalm 56.8, David speaks of a book which God keeps written about the wanderings and tears of his life. And here we read about yet another book. A book in which our members were written before they came into existence. So God wrote these things now, before we were born, before Christ was born. In the passage we're looking at here, we see there's also a book which contains a design, an intent of the body, which God carefully fashions for each individual. This is something that we need to carefully consider this morning. Before you were conceived, God had, with great care, great consideration, great investment of thoughts. Oh God, how great is the sum of them, his thoughts. He had invested these things and written in a book which exists to this hour in heaven, all of his designs, plans, desires, and will for your life. He did this for Christ, too. Christ is the example of it. This is why we would do well to consider the humanity of Christ. Because we, again, we identify with him there.

We would do well to invest time in meditation and consideration, really of the profound implications of the fact that God invested individual attentive care in each of our bodies and creating them for a purpose. Now, let's go back to Hebrews chapter 10. And see where this really ties in. This should now shed a lot of light on these two statements. Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not. You did not want these. This was not what your original intention was, Lord. But a body hast thou prepared me. In contrast to that, you prepared a body. And what was the reason for that? Well, let's emphasize this again. In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin, thou hadst no pleasure. Then said he, lo, I come. In the volume of the book, that book, back there in Psalm 139, it is written of me. What was God's? Well, it's not written of me that you should offer sacrifice for sin. It's not written of you that you should even sin. It's not what was written down. It was written of you to do thy will, O God. And there was a body created that was perfect for that purpose, the doing of the will of God. And Christ becomes our example in this. He is our example, and it is possible to live a life that will be accepted by God as he was. He is not. He did not. He did not live his life in its ultimate acceptance simply because, well, he was God and he had that power because he was God incarnate.

No, he lived that life perfectly in accordance with what was written in the book of his life. He fulfilled the will of God. That will was redemption of man. Okay, that's very important. But it was the will of God. Just like God has a will for every one of us. And he was equipped to do that will, that unique will. But so are we. So are we. All the way back there when we were first conceived. There's not this wedge between us and the man Christ Jesus. That wedge being, well, he was God. He was God. But that's not an excuse. That doesn't divorce us from being able to follow his example. I wanted to conclude with just a few other, leave you with just a few other thoughts. The Christian life is, above all else, one of deliberate and willful action. Holy Spirit empowered action. But action nonetheless. In John 1, 12, we're told, But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God. Now, what is the son of God? Well, just look at Jesus. He is the first begotten. That's the first in order. He is the elder brother. That's where that term comes from. To them gave he the power to become that, to become the sons of God. Even to them that believe on his name. The verb here, become, in this verse, is in both the English and the underlying Greek, by the way, in the active voice, become. It's active. We all know what the active voice verbs mean.

They describe the subject as performing the action there. That's important. Here's the declaration. In this verse is the declaration of the fact of potential. But as many as received him, to them gave he the power to become. To become sons of God. And the realization of that potential is contingent not upon the power and strength of the believing one, not in and of ourselves, but it is contingent upon the will of the believing one. We have the power in the form of the indwelling spirit of God. But the question becomes, will we do? Will we lay hold of that? Power is not at all in question. It's given at the moment. Of receiving. But as many as received him, to them gave he power. We don't have it of ourselves. It is within ourselves, in the person of the spirit of God. The question really becomes a question of will. Will we follow the example of the life of Christ? Well, you'll remember the words of the Lord to that father in Mark 9, 23. Thou canst believe all things are possible to him that believeth. When my sons were young and we were working on something, I would ask them possibly to go and get a screwdriver from my toolbox. And whichever one, they wouldn't hesitate, right? They would just, you've seen this, head out the door to find the screwdriver. They didn't. They didn't argue about the existence of the screwdriver.

They didn't argue about the concept of the screwdriver and whether you could understand what a screwdriver was and what exactly did it look like and functionality and that sort of thing. But they immediately ran whichever one and just brought it back. Why? They just believed the screwdriver was going to be there. And what they did was they acted on that belief. They acted on that belief. They engaged their will and they went and did that. And they returned with it, having found that that belief was well grounded in the very act of the will responding to that. This is exactly and simply how Christ lived his human life among them. And this is exactly and simply how God desires and expects us to live our redeemed life. There is all the difference in the world between us and Christ. We're not God. But there is no difference, if you understand, in the context of what was said this morning, between Jesus and us in humanity. God equipped him very carefully, gave him exactly what he needed to do and to live. And he did that and God accepted that. He announced that. He accomplished the will of God. He lived his life, all of it from his youth forward. And the same resource has been given to us to live in accordance with that example. And really it just boils down to will we? Will we lay hold of that and do that? Maybe the objection might be raised, another objection. He had no sin nature. We're born with sin.

He had no sin nature. We're born with sin. But here we would need to look and echo the words of Paul in Romans chapter 5, verse 20. But we're sin about it. Grace did much more about it. So it's not an excuse. It becomes an opportunity for even greater manifestation of the power of God in the life, bringing it into conformity to the life and character of Christ. May the Lord help us. This morning to spend more time meditating upon the fact that Christ is a man. He took upon him a real, it was real, yeah, it's tangible, but it was real in every other way. Just like us. And there ought to be a great deal of encouragement in that for our hearts and our lives. Father, we thank you for your word this morning. We thank you for the simplicity of it. We pray, Lord, that you will help us not to overcomplicate things and, Lord, not to allow the enemy of our soul to use the fact that Christ Jesus is God. We believe that, 100%. But to use that fact to discourage us in our desire and pursuit to have the character and image of your Son, who is the most powerful, that you have ever worked in our lives to become sons of God. That's a real possibility. And we pray, Lord, that you will help us to pursue this thing, Lord, with all of our heart, and may we one day be able to stand before you and have a life that is acceptable before you. We believe that's possible. We ask these things in Jesus' name. Amen. Thanks for watching!