We Have Such An High Priest

[00:00:00] One of the most central areas of dialogue in the 1888 message was the area of the human nature of Christ. I have spoken on this topic before here at Gazeley. Well, really, I don't think it gazedly but down at Whitley.

[00:00:26] But in subsequent years, the Lord seems to reveal some additional insights into the importance of this topic to me. And I want to share some of those with you today.

[00:00:37] But I want to go back and give a little background in my personal journey along the understanding of the importance of Christ human nature.

[00:00:47] We have to realize that at the time of the early Christian church there were all sorts of views that were perpetrated concerning the nature of Christ.

[00:01:00] Some claim him to be a creative being, some an angel, some claim that he was more like an apparition when he was here. And I love the rich way in which John takes it up in a number of cases.

[00:01:15] You remember what he says in the Gospel, here right in the face of some of the worst, heresy is concerning the nature of Jesus. He starts off in the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God.

[00:01:33] You won't get anything more affirmative than that. The same was in the beginning with God. All things was made by him and without him was not anything made that was made. In verse 14 we address the humanity of Jesus and the word was made flesh and well among us.

[00:01:53] Even in some ways like better the way he starts a first epistle that he has, he gets into the same theme there. In the first epistle of John the opening statements.

[00:02:09] He says that which was from the beginning which we have heard which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon. And our hands have handled all the word of life.

[00:02:29] For this life was the life was manifest and we have seen it and bear witness and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifest unto us.

[00:02:41] That which we have seen and heard the clear beyond to you that ye also may have fellowship with us and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his son Jesus Christ. Now you'll notice that he's saying some pretty strong things here. We've seen, we've looked upon,

[00:02:59] we've even handled him. There was no operational aspect to Jesus. He was a real human being. And then of course he declares him to be eternal with the Father if we have any question about it. John had no question about that.

[00:03:19] As we look at the history of the Adventist Church, we realize that there were some questions about Jesus and his humanity. There were all three basic positions that were held by one or other of the early pioneers.

[00:03:34] Some believed that Jesus was a created being, or be it in the Eons of the past. Others believe that he wasn't created but he was begotten. You know, the only begotten of the Father. J. H. Wagner held that view by the way, the Father of Elit Wagner.

[00:03:59] Now what does it mean? He was eternal with the Father in that he was in the bosom of the Father from eternity.

[00:04:11] It's very hard for them to explain what it means that he was begotten. It all may sounds like a birth, but of course they deny that they're referring to a birth. But somewhere from the essence of the Father came the Son, that was a view.

[00:04:25] And then of course the other understanding, the one which was endorsed by inspiration, the servant of the Lord, was that Christ indeed was eternal with the Father from the very, well there's no beginning. So, from ever, from eternity.

[00:04:45] So those views were there, but interesting enough in the early years we didn't seem to have any trouble on these humanity of Jesus Christ, which has become one of the most electric issues in the seventh day Adventist Church today.

[00:05:01] One of the most controversial, perhaps the one that will create greater steam and anxiety than just about any topic with perhaps the exception of victory over sin or low to 10 to go together.

[00:05:16] Well in my own experience I remember the first time I asked a question on the human nature of Jesus. I wasn't a budding theologian or some pre-ocultious youngster, but I was about eight years of age when I turned to my mother, in rather unpleasant circumstances.

[00:05:36] I had been in trouble which was not uncommon. And my mother said to me something like this, this colon, why can't you be like Jesus was when he was a boy? That was a little low, below the bell-tilesaw.

[00:05:55] And I remember retorting, well how was it that Jesus didn't sin? And this best I can remember my mother said something like it's still very vivid in my mind, the incident. Well the Holy Spirit overshadowed him and I thought, well I wish the Holy Spirit would overshadow me.

[00:06:14] Could he have an eight years of age, of course? But I didn't understand it and I'm afraid I don't think I got an explanation of how that might happen. Well like all adventurers of that year I grew up only hearing one concept that Christ had fallen human nature.

[00:06:36] That was just understood. It wasn't spoken about much, but now I'm seeing the question it is like any doctrine that is not challenged you don't study it very much.

[00:06:49] But with the advent of questions on doctrine back there in 57 there were immediate changes in the thinking of many people.

[00:06:59] I'm amazed at how many people just by one book or one person will suddenly change their views of a lifetime with very little if any study of the issue.

[00:07:12] And it just didn't seem right but I didn't understand the implications of it and I remember when I was a teacher at Avondale chairman of the education department.

[00:07:24] I was going back to university, I had finished the doctrine in psychology but I didn't think I had enough in education so I was doing a master's in education

[00:07:31] Another, frankly, member was doing the same and one night coming back from the university of Sydney somehow we got onto the nature of Christ. And I must have said to him well Christ had fallen nature or sinful or something like that.

[00:07:46] And he was a large, no colony said Christ had unfall in nature. Nature about him before the fall.

[00:07:56] Well I didn't accept it but I didn't see it as a great issue and I came to say well the important thing is that Jesus sacrifice was efficacious for every human being. It was sufficient. Doesn't really matter how naive I was. That was about 1966 it was 1966.

[00:08:19] But instead of going back and studying it as I should have done I just left it in advance.

[00:08:25] Well of course after that the new theology start to burst forth and of course one of the prime pillars was a Christ had taken the nature of Adam before the fall.

[00:08:39] I still wasn't studying it. In 1974 not long after I had become president of Columbia Union College I received a call from Elder Kenneth Wood. He was then of course the editor of the Adventist Review and what was then the Advent Review and Servic Harold.

[00:09:05] And what a courageous editor he was some of you remember the wonderful editorials that we got from Elder Wood.

[00:09:13] He called me up and he said look Colanna if you got some moments could you come up and talk with me and her that was Dr Herbert Douglas who was the associate editor at the time.

[00:09:25] I said I be glad to he said things are happening in Australia and we want to find out what's going on. So when I got up there Elder Wood said something like this.

[00:09:35] Listen there's something very wrong happening in Australia. Every move we make in the review we get a flood of letters he said I think I know every stamp that's been put out in Australia.

[00:09:45] And he said often it's coming from the ministers and they're just castigating is every time we talk about sanctification or victory over sin or those areas.

[00:09:55] And he said we thought you might be able to help well of course I knew something about what was happening there and I agreed with them that things were getting very bad in Australia.

[00:10:03] He said the problem is that most of the folk in the general conference don't know what's going on and we feel a responsibility to try and help Elder Pearson and others to understand what is happening back there in Australia.

[00:10:19] I went through that to our dialogue Elder Wood said something like this but you know the real heart of the matter is the nature of Christ. I said nothing to him. I take him my dean Dr. Jack Blanco with me.

[00:10:37] He said nothing either but my mind said well while I believe what her believes I don't see this a central problem to this situation in Australia.

[00:10:49] So as we were driving back in the car back to Columbia Union College and so on there but over a mile drive, I said to my dean Jack.

[00:11:01] I agreed with everything that Herbert can said except I'm a little concerned about this concept that the nature of Christ is the center of the problem.

[00:11:14] And he said that's how I feel about it too but I said Jack come to think if I've never studied it out this is 1974 that's only 15 years ago.

[00:11:27] And Dr. Blanco really surprised me said no I haven't studied it out either. Now why it surprised me had four degrees in theology I thought's up where he would have studied at a BA.

[00:11:39] He had a BD, he had an MTH and he had a doctorate in theology somewhere you think the nature of Christ would have come up wouldn't you? But I said well I'm going to study it out if Herbert can so have such respect for them.

[00:11:53] I believe it's so important I'm going to study it out and he said well I'll do the same too. The next five weeks or so that's what I did study it very carefully. I didn't have to take the five weeks to start to believe that they were right.

[00:12:06] You know when you start to study these things out you get entirely brought a view don't you of what the human nature of Jesus is or any topic that you study out in detail.

[00:12:17] And about five weeks later I thought I better tell Jack what I'm thinking you know is my daily order know what's happening.

[00:12:25] So when he was office lunchtime on Friday and I said Jack you're probably again to be surprised at what I'm going to say but I've been studying out this issue on the nature of Christ

[00:12:34] and I've come to the conviction of what Ken and Herbert said was absolutely correct it is the central theme of the problem.

[00:12:43] He looked at up at me and he said I've been studying it too and I came to the same convictions and we melt down there and thank God for bringing us to the convictions.

[00:12:58] Well why do I hold this? I've had many people really tell me on this I remember after preaching it in the Avandale village church or Avandale Memorial Church.

[00:13:10] There are a few years ago I got later from the past saying never again to the expected I'd be allowed to preach in his pulpit. That's pretty serious isn't it?

[00:13:20] And I got later from the conference president saying that I'd taken advantage of the generosity of letting have the pulpit to preach something that was divisive you see.

[00:13:30] I didn't preach it to be divisive I preached it to try and bring the word of life to men and women. I didn't find the people in the pubs share the same problem with it as some of the men that were in pastoral responsibilities.

[00:13:48] Then I can remember speaking not too long ago to the secretary of the Florida conference. He said you know, come on my you and work you're doing but he said there's one area that I just can't accept and that's your emphasis upon the nature of Christ.

[00:14:08] So I smiled at him and I said you know what I teach on the nature of Christ. Well, he said I think I do.

[00:14:13] Well, I thought I'd be interested to know what you believe. I said I'll let you know and he told me and it was I could see it was a very honest. He wasn't one of these people that hadn't done some studying. You know, he had studied it but I knew it was confused.

[00:14:29] I didn't sell him that and I said well in case you don't exactly know where I'm coming from it, me explained it to you and at the end he said if that's what you believe he said you got a clear picture of it but I have.

[00:14:42] And then the year and a half or so ago I was up at the general conference and I was talking to one of the men in the biblical research.

[00:14:54] He raised the same things that Colin I'm concerned about your emphasis and all you preaching on the nature of Christ. I started to think how much have I preached on it? And I quickly did, I'd hardly touched it.

[00:15:09] And I said you know, you have just raised my consciousness. I've only preached on it five times in the last five years. I eventually realized it was six times.

[00:15:22] I thought of once here but I knew it had been twice later. There's not many times to speak on the human. I preached on it much more since then because what he did was alert me that I wasn't speaking on it as much as I should.

[00:15:36] Now you all know the statement here. Some people say, look, you can believe whatever you want to on this. Since when is the seventh day Adventist Church being eclectic in its beliefs? Since when have we been pluralistic in our beliefs?

[00:15:50] We believe that truth is absolutely, don't we? It's not this or this or this take your pick? And if we don't know it we start it until we do come to the truth. There is only one truth on the human nature of Jesus.

[00:16:04] You know, I read this statement in 244 of Selected Messages, Volume 1, you know it well. But let me read it to you again, the humanity of the Son of God is everything to us. Do you think it's central? Think it's important? It's everything to us.

[00:16:23] It is the golden chain that binds our souls to Christ. You want to be bound to Christ? Humanity of Jesus doesn't. And through Christ to God. This is to be our study. Christ was a real man, he gave proof of his humility and becoming a man,

[00:16:43] Yet he was God in the flesh and so on. The humanity of Jesus is everything to us. You'll notice that in the book, at the perceptions of the new theology, we're going to some detail there, some considerable detail.

[00:17:01] I'm sorry, we're sold out of that. I just by chance bought over an extra 30 or 40 copies of it, because I was told that Richard didn't have many, but we sold out all his and mine as well.

[00:17:17] So we'll get some more over here. This is a very important book. And in that area, there is one full chapter, long chapter on the nature of Christ as it relates to the new theology.

[00:17:36] Now, let's look at it. Why do I believe the Christ to fall in nature? Well, I suppose the first and least important reason but still a reason to be seriously considered is the fact that everyone of our pine years believed in the fallen nature of Jesus.

[00:17:57] That's a good starting point, isn't it? How many of you have gone through Dr. Larsen's book? Isn't that a classic?

[00:18:05] That is the classic on the nature of Christ. It looks imposing, you know, today we don't like books at B because we don't read, we don't study like people used to do it.

[00:18:23] The word made flesh. This is the only copy I saw down the back there. He's Richard here. I wonder if he's got any more tucked away. There's no more on the table, but he might have some inside. I don't know because some of you might want this book.

[00:18:38] This is the only copy I pulled it off the table just now to bring it here. Yes, right, that's I'm saying. The word, oh yes, the word made flesh. Now in this book Dr. Larsen issues a challenge.

[00:19:00] He says, for one clear statement by Alam White, the Christ took unfall in our sinful nature. He would give her a reward of $10,000.

[00:19:11] He gave people 12 months to make their claims. I asked him why I didn't make it a million dollars and he turned it to make it. Well, he had a good reason.

[00:19:20] He said, you know, there's always a possibility that someone will sneak an apocryphal statement into the wider state. He's a careful man. So I didn't want to give them too long. He'd say something like that happened.

[00:19:33] But when I spoke to him, you realized not one person even made a claim against that not one person. Of course, there's a good reason. There's another one. That's all it is, just two.

[00:19:50] Now what El de Larsen did was to do a, the broadest research he could. He took the English speaking papers of the church.

[00:20:03] In the United States, in Great Britain, in South Africa and in Australia, and he researched them all right from day one. That's quite a research project. And then he found all the statements on the nature of Christ.

[00:20:20] In here, he has recorded everyone of those statements and he found the first one was in 1852 by El de Stephenson. First statement he found on the human nature of Christ, not the divinity but on the human nature of Christ.

[00:20:37] And he found that for 100 years, exactly up until 1952 not one author writing in our periodic holes in America, in Great Britain, in South Africa or in Australia, said anything but that he had fallen nature.

[00:21:00] They're all in here, 400 of them approximately are El de Mite statements, by the way, about one third of them are El de Mite. And the other statements come from all sorts of people and some pretty impressive people too like here I'm looking at this page.

[00:21:14] El de Runderwood, who was a very prominent person at the 1888 General Conference, El de Prescott, El de Erias Smith. They fought on some issues but they all agreed on this one.

[00:21:27] I was excited to see some of the Australian pioneer pastors that I knew as a boy, here's, I just kicked one there, R.A. Salton. That name probably means nothing to you. There was one of the greatest men in my life, I just flicked her.

[00:21:48] He was an old pastor and I was a boy. Never owned a car, I'd seen bicycling from one appointment to the other. And when I was a young man in my 20s he was in his 80s.

[00:22:05] You think it'd be retired when you should be in your 80s? No, he was out there at Marubra, migrant camp.

[00:22:14] I want to tell you we saw a lot of English migrants, we saw a lot of Dutch migrants. In that camp they were this was a dumping ground until they found their place to send them.

[00:22:25] This was just after the war. This is in the 50s I suppose really. A lot of England, mainly English but there were others nationalities and every Sunday he'd gather together for sabboursco.

[00:22:41] Then he came over to Wollara Church where I was and he was pleading for help. You couldn't turn down this old patriarch. He wanted some young people to help him.

[00:22:50] We used to have 60 or 70, so of course I am much to some others we volunteered to go out there every Sunday morning to teach these youngsters.

[00:23:00] I couldn't imagine him picking up Samara. He wasn't that kind of a man, he was just a man until he died he was a worker for God. You know, sinful fleshed he lived a sinless life. That's what he said. Pretty clear isn't it?

[00:23:17] Emphasis he is by the way and he has emphasized that. Robert here, sure you've heard of the hair family. Robert here was the father of very care. One of the, they're hair family was the first Adventist family in New Zealand 1886.

[00:23:38] The son of God became the son of man dressed in human flesh united with the one fallen race in the universe.

[00:23:45] That's what he says. They all come through and you'll probably find some of the old pioneer English you would because it takes in the old British messengers and so on of the past. And every one of them agreed on four different continents, that's pretty consistent isn't it?

[00:24:05] Not one deviating one little bit. So that tells us what the pioneer has believed. It's all in there. In 1952, El Alas and found the first beginning deviation on this issue of the human nature of Christ 1952.

[00:24:27] And of course by 1957 it was emboldened by coming out in the book Questions on Doctrine. By the way, that wasn't the first time even though Dr. Larsson said that's the first time he found it in written form.

[00:24:42] He had taught to folk that were students at the seminary as early as 1947 when it was in Washington, DC by the general conference and have been told that they were being taught the unfall and nature of Christ in 1947.

[00:24:59] But takes a while before you see the print after you've been taught that you see.

[00:25:05] And now just about all our ministry have been taught this, this Augustinian Catholic Heresy. That's what it is. You'll notice that in the exceptions of the new theology it makes it very clear that this is a Roman Catholic Heresy that came right out of Augustinians deviations from truth Augustine Bishop of Heeper Hippo.

[00:25:30] I don't think there is a man that has more perverted Christianity than Augustine. He's considered to be one the greatest church father by the Roman Catholic Church.

[00:25:41] There is a whole chapter on how he perverted the Christian church doctrines in these areas and was the foundation of the new theology.

[00:25:51] Well, that is a reason. Now, pine is all uniformly believe it. The first challenge that we can find to the human nature of Christ came in 1900.

[00:26:03] And this book here, Adventism vindicated, has some of that in it. And it tells you about the experience. It happened with, would you believe it, they holy flesh people?

[00:26:19] They were the first ones at least that I can find. They may not have been the first, but they were the first ones that publicly declared that Christ took unfall in nature. Let me read it to you. This is a letter written by Elder S. N. Haskell.

[00:26:37] What had happened? There's holy flesh that broke out. They said they're holy flesh. They couldn't see it in all that.

[00:26:42] They were not committing abominations and sin claiming that they were sinless. And the general conference told the president to go and visit with them and try to do something about it. And the president went and he joined them. He came part of the movement.

[00:26:58] The fact that later he renounced it and said that he was not worthy ever to be a leader again because of what he'd done showed true repentance, but the time he joined it.

[00:27:07] And so the general conference had to take some briefs, quick steps and they said the whole trusted warhorse Stephen in Haskell down to try to handle this situation. Another minister went with him but Haskell was the one that led out.

[00:27:22] And on September 25, 1900 he wrote this letter to Ellen White. She would have just be arriving back then from Australia. She arrived back September of 1900 from Australia.

[00:27:35] And this is what he wrote. Now by the way if you ever want to get the full letter, you can get it from the widest state, but I just want to warn you.

[00:27:43] There were two letters written by Haskell, September 25, 1900 on this issue to Ellen White. How I discovered that was after I'd spoken at it. Some man wanting to be sure that I was accurate wrote to the general conference and they sent him the other letter.

[00:28:00] And he wrote to me quite strongly saying, listen, I got that letter and there's not one word about what you said there.

[00:28:07] So I wondered what was going on. No, you got in touch with the widest state and discovered there were two letters and they'd sent the other one.

[00:28:13] So if you ever want to get the full letter, the best thing to do is ask them for both letters of September 25 and then you'll be sure to get this one.

[00:28:22] In it he'd said, when we stayed, this has escalating to Ellen White. When we stated that we believe that Christ was born in fall and humanity. That's clear isn't it?

[00:28:32] The Holy flesh people would represent us as believing the Christ sinned. Notwithstanding the fact that we would stay to our position so clearly that it would seem as if no one could misunderstand us.

[00:28:43] Ever had any people say you make Christ a sinner when you talk about sinful flesh, you say. They're point of the algae in this particular respects he needs to be this. They believe that Christ took Adam's nature before he fell.

[00:28:56] Of course Ellen White agreed with that. She didn't write back and say, hey you're wrong and they're right. But you can understand. Second, the most important reason why I believe that Christ took fall in nature is because the Bible says it. That's the most important reason isn't it?

[00:29:19] I'm sure most of you know the texts. I think of Hebrews 2, you all are familiar with it. Let's just quickly go through it. I won't read all the verses from verse 14, just perhaps a little bit there, verse 14.

[00:29:38] For as much as them as the children up at take is a flesh and blood he also himself like ways took part of the same that through death. He might destroy him that had the power of death. That is the devil.

[00:29:51] 16, for verily he took not on him the nature of angels but he took on him the seed of Abraham, where for and all things it behold him to be made like under his brethren.

[00:30:04] That he might be a merciful and faithful high priest. That's so clear. I don't know how we could reject it because Hebrews, and rather Romans 8, 3, and how strong that is for what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh.

[00:30:19] God sending his own son in the white. Likeness of what kind of flesh, sinful flesh and for sin can dem sin in the flesh that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us. That's putting the nature of Christ with righteousness, isn't it? The righteousness by faith.

[00:30:36] The law might be fulfilling us who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit. Some people say, but it says there in the likeness of sinful flesh.

[00:30:49] Well I want to tell you, there's a lot of difference between the likeness of sinful flesh and the likeness of sin less flesh. But that word likeness comes from the Greek word from which today we get words such as homeostasis. Homogeneity.

[00:31:07] Homosexuality, by the way, which we don't like to use, but it's the same root word, the sameness of the same order. He was made of the same order as human flesh or sinful flesh.

[00:31:24] And if you have any question upon this likeness, come over to Philippians 2-7 and you'll see how Paul uses the same word there. And it leave you with no doubt whatsoever. People are using a straw man when they try to pick on that. Philippians 2 and verse 7.

[00:31:42] But made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men. Well John made very clear he was a real man. In the likeness didn't mean like but not the same as Romans 3, one verse 3, another wonderful text.

[00:32:09] Concerning his son Christ, Jesus Christ our Lord which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh. I want to tell you how clear it can be. Don't say the seed of Abraham, Adam does it. Says the seed of David according to the flesh.

[00:32:25] We know what David was. What I like is the way the 1888 men, Wangren Jones, Bestie Jones, who's Galatians. Why don't we come over to Galatians see how they use that text? That was a favorite text on the human nature of Christ. Galatians 4 verses 4 and 5.

[00:32:57] And when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth his son, made of a woman, made under the law to redeem them. That were under the law. He was made under the law to redeem them that were under the law. Does that sound like a difference?

[00:33:18] No. That is in nature. That doesn't mean character of course. Jesus, character was all together different. He never sinned. You have sinned. I have sinned. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

[00:33:36] So Christ always retained a perfect character. That's a little difference from his nature. Never did he deviate at all in character. He never once sinned. But he gave us an example of how we by remaining totally connected with the Father

[00:33:55] through the power of Jesus can keep from sinning in full and human flesh. How many of you have read this book by A.T. Jones? The consecrated way to Christian perfection.

[00:34:18] To me, you may have different. This is a greatest book that was put out on the A.T. in A.T. M.E. at least it is to me. The consecrated way to Christian perfection. You know how many chapters that has in it? Seventeen.

[00:34:36] Now, remember, he's talking about the consecrated way to Christian perfection. Do you know how many of them are spent on the nature of Christ? The first 11 chapters. That's how important it is to our perfection of character.

[00:34:52] Let me read you the titles. You'll notice how much he uses, Galatians 4 here. Such in high priest Christ as God, Christ as man, he took part of the same, made under the law, made of a woman, you're these words.

[00:35:09] The law of heredity and all things like further qualifications of our high priest, the son that I made well upon them and, eventually, in verse 1, the chapter 12, I guess, the chapter in title perfection.

[00:35:25] If you want to know what the 1888 men taught on the relationship between the nature of Christ, it's only a very cheap little book this. We've got a few of them up there, maybe five or six or something.

[00:35:42] I wouldn't be without this book. That was a message that I might endorse. The consecrated way, the Christian perfection. The Bible teaches it. Well, some say, but there are texts in the Bible that you go better

[00:36:03] be careful of and they come over to Luke. Let's have a look at it. And these are earnest people by the way. These are not. These are most of them I'm sure. And as they look through Luke chapter 1, they come to verse 35,

[00:36:36] talking about Mary and the angel answered and said under her the Holy Ghost, you'll come upon the power of the highest shall overshadow thee. Therefore also that holy thing which I'll be born of the shall be called the son of God.

[00:36:54] And they say that proves that he had the nature of Adam before the poor Paul. There's a proof that? No. Holy thing, the word holy, of course, mean sanctified in the Greek, it's the same root word. And Elamite also says he was sanctified from his earliest times,

[00:37:14] signs of the times October 29, 1994. That holy thing that shall be born of thee shall be called the son of God. It's interesting to note in chapter 2 verse 23, what the same writer says, in a parenthetical statement, as it is written in the lore of the Lord,

[00:37:36] every male that opener for womb shall be called holy to the Lord. Interesting isn't it? We've got to look at what the authors were talking about. And here just a few paragraphs later, he's repeating the fact that every male that open

[00:37:55] if the womb shall be called holy unto the Lord. Now I don't mean for one moment the Christ wasn't holy in the real sense of the word he was. Another text that brings people a concern is Hebrew 726. For such and high priest became us who is holy, harmless,

[00:38:25] underfiled separate from sinners and made higher than the heavens. Well, of course the first thing you notice is talking about him as our high priest. I'm not talking about his human existence, but secondly,

[00:38:41] Ellen White uses this text and says, this is the characteristics of the saints that will be saved. So we've got to realize that what we're dealing with here. Neither of these texts say anything about his nature being that a full amount.

[00:38:57] Now, of course the other reason why I believe in the human nature of Jesus is because the Spirit of prophecy confirms it so many times. I have talked to my friends and sometimes I wonder if there isn't an awesome spiritual blindness.

[00:39:15] I say now many times, but especially 40 sometimes explicitly without any reservation, she says, Fall and flesh or sinful flesh. I think the best way she explains it is by saying, he took upon his sinful nature our sinful nature. He took upon, he didn't have sinless nature, yes.

[00:39:46] He took upon his sinless nature, our sinful nature. He had to take it was a natural for the Son of God to have that nature. He had to agree to take it. We're born with it, whether we like it or not.

[00:40:01] But he didn't take our fallen nature or sinful nature. But that does not mean for one moment he sinned. But you see the problem those who believe in original sin have they say just, by nature we are sinners.

[00:40:18] And therefore if you say that someone has a fallen nature then they believe that that is sin and they cannot do that for Christ. That's what Augustine got into that mess. You'll find that in the sections of the New theology all the way,

[00:40:31] that influence the development of Augustine and theology. You need to read it because that deception of the New theology is a most important book for today. And we're going to get more of them over here. How many of you didn't get it and wanted that book?

[00:40:47] There's quite a number of hands gone up. Yes, it looks like about eight or so anyway. I didn't get it. And I'm sure there are others that were here yesterday that didn't get it and would have liked to have got it.

[00:41:00] You listen to some of these statements from Ellen White and see if you can understand it any other way. She had people in her day that didn't believe that we could live as Jesus did or if Jesus had the fallen nature then obviously he would have failed.

[00:41:20] She says in first elect a message, four or eight letters have been coming into me affirming that Christ could not have had the same nature as man. For if he had he would have fallen under similar temptations. And you notice her response.

[00:41:33] If he did not have man's nature he could not be our example. If he had not a partaker of our nature he could not have been tempted as man had been. She had a good answer for that. Review and heral February 24,

[00:41:48] 1874 the great work of redemption could be carried out only by the redeemer taking the place of fallen Adam, not unfall an Adam but fallen Adam. Early writings won 50 when the Jesus was speaking to the angels about his coming incarnation he said he would take man's fallen nature.

[00:42:15] That's clear, isn't it? Then you have all those desire of ages statements that 49 and 112 and 117 just so strong those statements. But notice four spiritual gifts, one one five. This dispels the idea he just took the physical nature of man.

[00:42:49] It was in the order of God that Christ should take upon himself the form and nature of fallen man. That leaves no doubt that it's not just the form but also the nature. Four selected four spiritual gifts, one one five.

[00:43:06] You can go back there and have a look at some of the other statements. There are many more in here of that type. And there's not one on the other side of it. Now some have said but how do you get around the baker letter?

[00:43:20] Well I think we're last in this given the ultimate answer to the baker letter in this book.

[00:43:25] The baker letter for those of you who are not familiar with it was a letter that Ellen White wrote to elder baker and American who was ministering in Tasmania at the time.

[00:43:35] And she gave him some very severe warnings about how he was trying to make Jesus all together like us. We didn't know until last and did the research was what really was baker teaching?

[00:43:47] And what baker was teaching was that up until the time of his reason he may have been in a sinning situation. Now I said be careful about that. Don't make him all together like us because we have been in a program of falling before we come to Christ.

[00:44:12] But never once in that statement does Ellen White say Christ took unfall in nature. And last and gives the whole letter in the fifth volume of the Bible, commentaries one,

[00:44:25] twenty-eight to one, one, thirty-one. We have part of the letter and I think the most important part by the way. I'm not saying anything was deliberately left out. I don't think so.

[00:44:35] But in this book it has the totality of a very long letter that Ellen White wrote to elder baker. You can see it all and then you can understand what baker was teaching and why Ellen White wrote such a strong letter to him on it.

[00:44:50] But that baker letter has formed the basis of every objection that I've ever read to Christ taking the fall in nature. See we're moving into this same way, we're being bombard with the same Augustinean Catholicism today that's most of Protestantism.

[00:45:09] And now Satan is not satisfied with us. He wants our church too and we have to resist it because that's binding the whole world together. That Augustinean concept. The shadow of Augustine is dying to reach across into our church and we must not allow relevant systems.

[00:45:27] We must fight it at every corner because it is the devil's delusion. But I want to bring you and there's so much more I should say on that but I think most of you are fairly familiar with it.

[00:45:42] Yes, we did pass the baker go wrong. This is the September 87 issue that was written by Lars and wasn't. Yes, if you can't get this book at least you can get that part of it. How many have we got there not many there either?

[00:46:01] Oh, you've got a box for them so there you are. That's good. Oh, so good to him.

[00:46:08] Well, there's enough for everyone I take it. So we don't need to hand them out now. But the areas that came to me back in February last year that I want to share with you this morning as additional insights that the Lord has given me.

[00:46:24] You think you know it all but the Lord keeps bringing new concepts to you. I was over at the heart of the Bible conference at the Chula Vista Church in San Diego February last year.

[00:46:34] When a woman came to me and she said, have you read this book by Alan Walker? Well, of course I already knew Alan Walker is one of the finest writers that we have. I hadn't read the book. It was last day delusions.

[00:46:54] In about 1952, I think, because Alan Walker is dead now. And at the time I was researching for a book on the anti-Christ still doing it but I just haven't really got around to finishing the book.

[00:47:09] And there was a chapter on the anti-Christ and actually I turned to that first. And in that chapter he said something that was pretty obvious. He's talking about the mystery of an equity and the mystery of godliness.

[00:47:24] And he said, obviously the mystery of an equity and the mystery of godliness are opposite each other. That makes sense. Obviously opposites.

[00:47:34] Now he said the Bible doesn't specifically tell us what the mystery of an equity is but it does tell us what the mystery of godliness is. What is the mystery of godliness? All right, let's read it first Timothy 316. It's always good to open read it together isn't it?

[00:47:59] 316. And without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh, the human nature of Christ has sent it to the mystery of godliness.

[00:48:19] Now he then made a conclusion from that which I believe was a wrong conclusion. It was a logical but not a correct people equal conclusion.

[00:48:29] Walker then said if the mystery of godliness is god manifest in the flesh then the mystery of an equity is Satan manifest in the flesh. Now there's no question the Satan's going to be manifest in the flesh.

[00:48:43] But my mind immediately said no that's not what the Bible is talking about. I saw the centrality in a way differently from before of the human nature of Christ. I said where as the mystery of godliness is the belief in the fallen human nature of Christ.

[00:49:08] Remember this is the common Greek word sucks as translated flesh here. It's not some sophisticated newfangled word. It's just a common word that's used for animal as well as human flesh. And the mystery of an equity I believe is the denial of the human nature of Christ.

[00:49:32] You see. And then I started my mind start to go over to first John and the antichrist. Let's look at it. There are only four times the word antichrist is used in the Bible and all by John in his epistles.

[00:49:48] Three of them in the first epistle and one in the second epistle. So we've got to read them all so you get a picture of them. First John to 18, little children it is the last time and as you have heard that antichrist

[00:50:04] you'll come even now and there are there many antichrist where by we know that it is the last time. Verse 22, who is a liar but he that denial that Jesus is the Christ. He is anti-Christ that denial for father and the son.

[00:50:23] But the real strength comes over in first John 4. Again to read the first reverse, it's beloved. Believe not every spirit but try the spirits where they are of God because many false prophets are gone out into the world. And notices he by no either spirit of God.

[00:50:45] Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God. You think the human nature of Christ is unimportant? Certainly John didn't believe it, it is. Verse 3, and every spirit that confesses not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God.

[00:51:10] And that is that spirit of anti-Christ where we have heard that it should come and even now already is it in the world. You might just look at verse 7 of chapter 2 of not chapter 2 of the second epistle.

[00:51:28] For many deceivers are ended into the world who confess not that Jesus Christ is coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an anti-Christ. There are only four times of word anti-Christ is using the Bible.

[00:51:40] And these last two all point out that if you do not accept Christ coming in the flesh, you have the spirit of anti-Christ. Now just do a little deduction. Who is the anti-Christ? Who is it? For more let's get better answers than that.

[00:52:05] The papacy, yes Satan is behind it of course. Let's be clear that the papacy is the anti-Christ. Now what does the anti-Christ believe? What does the papacy believe on the nature of Christ? He came in unfall and flesh.

[00:52:26] He doesn't believe that he truly came in human flesh as we understand it. Now I want you to come back to the mystery of Nicodé and the mystery of Godliness. Let's look at it logically. The mystery of Godliness is God manifest in the flesh.

[00:52:45] There are many of the modern translations that use the word God there. You know what I say? He was manifest in the flesh. I'm glad to know that God was manifest in the flesh. All right, he was manifest. Have you ever noticed that those who believe that Jesus

[00:53:11] was manifest in fallen human flesh also believe that the same Jesus can give them power. Again, victory over sin. Can you see why the mystery of Godliness is tied up with the fallen nature of Christ?

[00:53:31] I have yet to meet a man or woman that understands that Jesus had light, flesh as we had, that was tempted in all points like as we are. Who does not also believe that that same Jesus has the power to give them victory in the life?

[00:53:52] That's you, you see. And on the other hand, almost all and I have to say almost all because I do know a couple that contrary to this but almost all that believe that Jesus came in unfall in nature will declare that we cannot keep the law of God.

[00:54:19] Even in the power of Jesus Christ. You can see why one is called the mystery of Godliness. Listen, the human nature of Christ is the key that unlocks the mystery of Godliness. And a deception on this locks unlocks the door to the mystery of an equity.

[00:54:40] Now when you understand here, this is life and death. This is between us and eternity. And the exceptions of the New theology lays this out very carefully.

[00:54:53] It's in no other book that we've written because this part of the insights came to us after we've written some of the other books. The insights the Lord gives to us certainly develop.

[00:55:07] They don't change and change the truth but it's given a little deeper insight to me as I've linked this up with a mystery of Godliness, and the human equity with the issue of the anti-Christ.

[00:55:21] And I want to tell you something, those that believe the Christ came and unfall in nature who believe that we cannot gain victory over sin will indeed worship the beast. They will be lost to God's kingdom. The practical thought isn't it, but that's where it is.

[00:55:41] This is an eternal life and death matter. We're dealing with here. I thought those additional sobering thoughts might add just a little more enrichment to some that may not have come in contact with that as I had.

[00:56:02] It's less than two years ago that that additional kind of insight seemed to come in understanding this topic. I pray dear brothers and sisters, at all of us will realise that we are indeed trading on sacred ground. You know the beautiful thing to me about it?

[00:56:25] When I understand what Jesus gave up or even tried to understand, not just to come down to be like Adam, so superior to the rest of us. It came down like you and me. That draws me even closer to him.

[00:56:41] Can I love him more to know that he was willing to come down and face a test that we have in the same weaknesses that we have? And yet he never once failed. That gives me confidence that I can ask him to keep me from falling.

[00:57:02] And to present me faultless before the throne of grace. Or the two are indivisible whether you take Romans 8, Romans 8, 3 and 4, the two are together, the rice and the spice and the nature of Christ. Whether you take Galatians 4, 4 and 5 they are together there.

[00:57:26] Whether you take hold of the first Timothy 3, 16, whether you take hold of the issues of 1, John 4, 3 and 2 and 3 and 2 and 2 and 2 and John 7, they are all there together. And I tell you the Bible has linked rights to this by faith with the human nature of Christ.

[00:57:49] They are not separatists. They are indivisible. One goes with the other. They cannot be rightly separated apart. That is what God is placing before us. Let us bow ahead and ask him. Thank him and ask him for the blessing. Your Father in heaven, we thank thee.

[00:58:13] But thou, in thy great infinite love, design the Jesus should come here on earth. Walk among men as a man with all the weaknesses of men after 4,000 years of sin, but with none of the defects of character. Lord, we confess that we have all sined.

[00:58:44] Come short of thy glory. And our lives have so often been abomination unto thee. And yet we ask for that forgiveness and the power of Jesus of one who has been perfectly successful to take our lives and in our weak flesh yet nevertheless

[00:59:03] establish the kingdom of grace in every heart and life. We pray in His precious name. Amen.

[01:00:31] We pray in our Lord's name. Let us pray in our Lord's name. We are just seeing one more. Would you like that? Number 3, 2, 3. It is on the song, Sheet as well as your Timbukes. We do not very often sing evening hymns because it seems a brick.

[01:00:54] We don't have many evening services. Some of the evening hymns are perhaps the most beautiful in the book. And this one I think is just right, isn't it? The day thou gave us Lord is ended. The darkness falls at thy behest.

[01:01:06] To thee our morning hymns ascended, our praise, it's I pray shall I follow now our rest. Number 3, 2, 3. The day thou gave us Lord is ended. The darkness falls at thy behest. To thee our morning hymns ascended, thy praise shall I follow now rest.

[01:02:12] We thank thee land thy judge, I'm sleeping while earth's rose onward into light. Through all the world, the world is keeping. And rest on now thy day as Lord is caught in it. And I let the dawn be so full of the day.

[01:03:09] The voice of prayer is never silent. No dies the stray, for praise of it. The sun that paints us fresh is waking. A bread run near the western sky. And all his whits are making thy wondrous to ease. And all his whits are made.

[01:04:11] So be it Lord thy thrones shall never like us all. Thy king of stars and grows forever. Till all thy creatures all thy swears. You sang those words, do you meant them?

[01:04:51] And I love them too because it seems to me that in those words you're in trying some of the things I love about being the member of the seventh day up into family. Even today, here in this tent we have represented folk from all around the world.

[01:05:09] And it's not good. It is good. We'll be very sorry to say goodbye to some of you who will be going. But we're part of one family. And sometimes we've seen God be with you till we meet again.

[01:05:25] And I'm quite sure that if we don't meet in this world, we shall certainly meet in that kingdom of heaven. If we're faithful, it's good to have Australian irrepresented. And that's about as far away as you can get from here, I think.

[01:05:41] But while Dr. Sandish was talking this afternoon, my wife and I were just thinking about how many different nationalities have been represented in these meetings in Gazely.

[01:05:53] You'd be surprised just about every nation in Europe as how it represents to us here and quite a few of them are here today. But if we would go across to the Americas, we've had a lot of folk from the United States.

[01:06:09] We've had folk from many, many of the Western, the islands from Canada. You can remember people that I can't remember but perhaps. That's true, but isn't it wonderful that no matter where the Lord has found us, we're all one in Christ. And that's marvelous.

[01:06:31] I was just thinking as Dr. Sandish was talking about very first mid-set of meetings we had in the little room over there. Dr. Sandish said to me, where are all the black people? Well, that prayers be marvellously answered. It's so good to see you here.

[01:06:49] The Lord has drawn people from all parts but you know he's done that for a purpose. It's because he wants this message to go like the fire in the stubble. And you're taking a spark back, whether you're going a few miles or whether you're going thousands of miles.

[01:07:06] The Lord's given you something to do and he's taken a, given you a message to take with you. So we can live for these weekends and they're wonderful. They give us good fellowship and they give us good food. But that isn't what it's for.

[01:07:21] These meetings are so that when you go away, you will be more effective members of the set of staff than just church. That's the only reason because the Lord wants you to be part of this finishing of his work. Let's say it together, shall we?

[01:07:39] This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations. And then shall the end come and I want to be a part of that, don't you?