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Writings on Christianity

Edwards on the Incarnation

Here’s a few help insightful from Jonathan Edwards on the incarnation. Found in here.

Jonathan Edwards on why the incarnation was needed:
1. Human law needed to be obeyed
2. Human sin needed to be punished
3. Human realm (world) was the place salvation needed to take place.

Why the incarnation?
“Christ became incarnate, or, which is the same, became man, to put himself in a capacity for working out our redemption. For though Christ, as God, was infinitely sufficient for the work, yet to his being an immediate capacity for it, it was needful that he should not only be God, but man. If Christ had remained only in the divine nature, he would not have been in a capacity to have purchased our salvation; not from any imperfection of the divine nature, but by reason of its absolute and infinite perfection: for Christ, merely as God, was not capable either of that obedience or suffering that was needful. The divine nature is not capable of suffering, for it is infinitely above all suffering. Neither is it capable of obedience to that law which was given to man. It is as impossible that one who is only God, should obey the law that was given to man, as it is that he should suffer man’s punishment.” -Edwards

The Greatness of the God the Son becoming a Man:
“Christ’s incarnation was a greater and more wonderful thing than ever had yet come to pass. The creation of the world was a very great thing, but not so great as the incarnation of Christ. It was a great thing for God to make the creature, but not so great as for the Creator himself to become a creature. We have spoken of many great things that were accomplished between he fall of man and the incarnation of Christ: but God becoming man was greater than all. Then the greatest person was born that ever was or ever will be.” -Edwards

By Tom Schmidt

Christian, husband of Rach, Church Planter,musician,

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