We Believe In The Lord Jesus Christ, The Savior

And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21 (NLT)

For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. Colossians 2:9 (NLT)

We believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Savior of men, conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, very God and very man.

This doctrine is the heart of the faith. There is so much that is packed into the statement. It confirms the identity of Jesus Christ and his redemptive work. His birth was miraculous, and he was completely man and completely God.

We believe these truths by faith. Our limited minds are incapable of comprehending how these things could be true. The human mind struggles to grasp the divine generation of the Son because it represents something fundamentally alien to our experience. Even if we could achieve understanding of this mystery, explaining it to others would prove impossible, and the idea that we could understand it through natural reason is absurd.

Is there any hope for us to understand the mysteries of God? Certainly not with our own minds, but the spirit of God reveals truth beyond our mind’s understanding. For who has known the Lord’s mind, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ. 1 Corinthians 2:16 (CSB)

We must not be discouraged that we have a God that we cannot completely understand. In fact, if we could comprehend with our minds the things of God, he would not be a big enough God. But we must accept these truths. Because there is no other name under heaven by which we can be saved.

He Was Born of a Virgin

Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign: See, the virgin will conceive, have a son, and name him Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14 (CSB)

It is not unheard of for a woman to learn that she is pregnant only to protest that she is a virgin. In literature, movies, and television, further examination disproves her claim. Joseph and Mary were confronted with the same skepticism. We know how babies are conceived.

There is a connection between those who deny the virgin birth and those who do not believe in miracles. Nevertheless, the virgin birth is foundational to our Christian belief. The early Church Fathers emphasized it more than virtually any other event as proof of the incarnation and deity of Christ.

This is not a peripheral issue. The doctrine of Christ deity directly depends on the virgin birth and was incorporated into the creeds with the phrase “born of the Holy Spirit and from the Virgin Mary.” Historically, groups that denied Christ’s deity also denied the virgin birth.

As fully human and fully divine, Jesus has two complete and distinct natures eternally united in one person—what theologians call the hypostatic union. This paradoxical doctrine is central to Christianity’s understanding of Christ. Jesus has always existed, but when Jesus was conceived, He became a human being in addition to being God.

The Savior of the World

There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12 (CSB)

The exclusivity of Jesus as the sole source of salvation is problematic for many people. To them it sounds naïve, offensive, or arrogant. Even the Dean of Students at a well-known Christian University recently stated that to say, “We are in Christ alone,” is a sign of “white privilege.” What does that even mean?

To the “coexist crowd,” proclaiming Christ’s uniqueness appears to exacerbate misunderstanding, marginalization, and oppression. People might accept hearing that individuals have found salvation in Jesus, but they resist the assertion that Jesus stands alone as Savior.

Empowered by the Holy Spirit, Peter’s declaration that salvation is found in no one else was both a proclamation and a challenge. Just as he confronted the authorities who rejected Jesus—and therefore salvation—we must do the same in our world today.

Jesus uniquely possesses the capability to save because he is God. Jesus was introduced by John the Baptist: Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! John 1:29 (CSB). Jesus stands as the only Savior available, the only one who died to rescue us from our sins. Those who abandon this conviction suggest that either Jesus’ death was unnecessary or that alternative paths exist. Either case undermines the coherence of the Gospel message.

We must not be embarrassed by the exclusivity of Jesus. He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6 (CSB). Instead of being concerned that there is only one way for salvation, we should be grateful that we have a Savior.

The Heart of the Gospel Message

The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We observed his glory, the glory as the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14 (CSB)

Rejecting the virgin birth undermines nearly every foundational doctrine of historic Christianity. Contemporary teachers who deny it proclaim a gospel the Apostles would not have recognized, and Scripture refutes.

Without Christ’s divinity and unique role as Savior, the incarnation becomes symbolic, the atonement unnecessary, and the resurrection stripped of its universal significance. The faith would no longer resemble historic Christianity.

This is the message that the apostles proclaimed from the very beginning. And we have seen and we testify that the Father has sent his Son as the world’s Savior. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God—God remains in him and he in God. 1 John 4:14–15 (CSB)

How the infinite God became finite is an unfathomable mystery. Though rational explanations risk distortion, the church has sought to describe it faithfully. “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’”  Matthew 1:23 (NLT)

Steve Ekeroth

Photo: Steve Ekeroth-Yosemite Valley