https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/God-Appeared-in-the-Flesh.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n\tby Jeffrey W. Hamilton<\/p>\n\t
Text: I Timothy 3:14-16<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
I. Before the first century ended, several varieties of false teachings arose. <\/p>\n A. One set has been referred to as the gnostics. The name derives from the Greek\nword for “knowledge.” – I Timothy 6:20-21\n B. These were a diverse group, but they were tied by a belief that they had secret\nknowledge that ordinary people didn’t have\n
1. In other words, it appealed to a person’s pride<\/p>\n C. They considered the God in the Old Testament to be an inferior god who made an\nevil creation.\n
1. Thus, they see the physical world as flawed or evil<\/p>\n
2. Salvation is escaping this world<\/p>\n D. They see Jesus as a divine being, superior to the god of the Old Testament, who\ncame to lead mankind to see the divine nature\n 1. But to them, Jesus could not have come in the flesh, since the material\nworld is evil\n
2. He was a phantasm. He didn’t actually experience suffering or death<\/p>\n
3. The name for this belief is docetism<\/p>\n
E. One early promoter of these false ideas was Marcion around A.D. 144<\/p>\n
II. The dual nature of Jesus has always caused debates<\/p>\n
A. How can God take on human form and be both God and man?<\/p>\n
B. Yes, Jesus fully represented God in bodily form – Colossians 2:9<\/p>\n
C. He was born of virgin, as prophesied – Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23 <\/p>\n D. John the Baptist was sent to testify that God (the Light) came into the world –\nJohn 1:1-11, 32-34\n
E. God also witnessed to Jesus being God in the flesh – John 5:31-37<\/p>\n F. Understanding that God came in the flesh is so important that to deny it was to\ndeny Christ – I John 4:1-3\n
III. The significance of God coming in the flesh<\/p>\n
A. Jesus proved that temptation could be resisted<\/p>\n
1. He was tempted in all ways like we are – Hebrews 4:15<\/p>\n
2. This doesn’t mean he faced exactly the same temptations that I face<\/p>\n 3. I can’t be tempted to change rocks into bread. But temptations come in\ncategories and Jesus faced each of them – I John 2:15-17\n
4. But how can God be tempted? – James 1:13<\/p>\n
a. God, as deity cannot be tempted <\/p>\n
(1) He has no physical body, so the lusts of the flesh don’t exist<\/p>\n
(2) He can make everything, so lusts of the eyes affect Him<\/p>\n
(3) He is the supreme being, so pride of life has no foothold<\/p>\n b. But God took on flesh and so added the avenues that could be use\nto tempt – Philippians 2:5-8\n
5. Yet, unlike us, he faced temptation without giving in – I Peter 2:21-22<\/p>\n
a. He set for us an example<\/p>\n b. Jesus didn’t use his abilities as God to overcome. He cited God’s\nwords to drive off Satan – Psalms 119:11\n
B. In suffering temptation, he is able to offer us aid – Hebrews 2:17-18<\/p>\n
1. He was acquainted with grief – Isaiah 53:3<\/p>\n
2. He became poor in order to help us – II Corinthians 8:9<\/p>\n 3. He is able mediate between us and God. (Notice “the man”) – I Timothy\n2:5 \n 4. In this role, he functions as the High Priests did under the Old Law –\nHebrews 4:15\n
C. He became our Savior when we could not – Isaiah 59:14-17<\/p>\n
1. He obeyed God to the point of death – Philippians 2:8<\/p>\n
2. And in dying, he reconciled all men to God – Ephesians 2:14-16<\/p>\n
3. This man offered one sacrifice – Hebrews 10:12<\/p>\n
D. He is able to righteously judge us because he knows what we face – Acts 17:31<\/p>\n
IV. None of this could have happened without God choosing to experience the flesh<\/p>\n A. Understanding that Jesus really did live, suffered, and died is at the core of what\nChristianity is about\n
B. Will you accept this man, who is your Savior to be your Lord this day?<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: I Timothy 3:14-16 I. Before the first century ended, several varieties of false teachings arose. A. One set has been referred to as the gnostics. The name derives from the Greek word for “knowledge.” – I Timothy 6:20-21 B. These were a diverse group, but they were tied by a belief that…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20,119,32],"tags":[413,591,1223,73,47,185],"class_list":["post-85598","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-answer","category-audio","category-sermon","tag-flesh","tag-gnosticism","tag-high-priest","tag-jesus","tag-salvation","tag-temptation"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":57094,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-mystery-of-godliness\/","url_meta":{"origin":85598,"position":0},"title":"The Mystery of Godliness (Moyer)","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"December 21, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"by Doy Moyer Paul through the Spirit provides what early Christians confessed, possibly even sang. He calls it the \"mystery of godliness.\" Yet what had been a mystery was revealed and understood through Jesus (Ephesians 3:1-6). \"Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":34518,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/what-does-godliness-mean\/","url_meta":{"origin":85598,"position":1},"title":"What does “godliness” mean?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"August 28, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: What does \"godliness\" mean? Answer: \"Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":17172,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-gospel-of-judas-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":85598,"position":2},"title":"The Gospel of Judas?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"December 21, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"by Ron Lehde Tonight (April 9, 2006) the National Geographic Magazine is scheduled to present a television program that deals with an ancient work known as \u201cThe Gospel of Judas\u201d.\u00a0\u00a0It is a 26-page manuscript (ca. AD 300) that is a Coptic translation of a Greek manuscript that is at least\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/12\/Gospel-of-Judas-389px-Codex-Tchacos-p33.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":58179,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/mormonism-and-the-virgin-birth-of-christ\/","url_meta":{"origin":85598,"position":3},"title":"Mormonism and the Virgin Birth of Christ","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 20, 2005","format":false,"excerpt":"by Connie W. Adams via\u00a0Guardian of Truth\u00a0XXXIX: 5 p. 3-4, March 2, 1995 \"Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph her husband, being\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":20955,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/soldiers-of-christ-arise-and-put-your-armor-on\/","url_meta":{"origin":85598,"position":4},"title":"Soldiers of Christ Arise and Put Your Armor On","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 17, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"by Wayne Fancher Revelation 12:17 And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. Ephesians 6:12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":46019,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/healing-in-his-wings\/","url_meta":{"origin":85598,"position":5},"title":"Healing in His Wings","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 20, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Jeremiah 8:4-22 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0I was reading a letter years ago from someone who tried to introduce false doctrine into the church and then left after they failed. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The author discussed how pleased she was that these members had left. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a01.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0She said their leaving was a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85598","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=85598"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85598\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=85598"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=85598"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=85598"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}