Why the Incarnation? (3)

For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous. Romans 5.19

Obedient unto death
The disobedience of Adam plunged the entire human race into sin and death. All people are born in sin and are thus naturally inclined to disobey God, preferring instead the sinful desires of our own hearts. This is what is referred to as the doctrine of original sin. Nothing in us is either willing or able to overcome this preference for disobeying God.

How, then, can we ever be made acceptable to Him, and how can we live in His favor, since we will not and cannot obey His Word? How will we ever be restored to a path of obedience, so that we might know the blessings of God in every area of our lives, and thus realize the fullness of His good and perfect plan?

Anselm explained that it was to restore obedience to the human race that the Son of God became a man and willingly submitted to the righteous Law of God and the punishment of our sin. God the Father did not compel His Son to die, Anselm explained to Boso, “but he suffered death of his own will, not yielding up his life as an act of obedience, but on account of his obedience in maintaining holiness; for he held out so firmly in this obedience that he met death on account of it.”

Two aspects
There are two aspects to the obedience which Jesus accomplished on behalf of sinful men. I mentioned these briefly in our previous installment, but I want to visit them again here.

The first is what theologians refer to as His active obedience. By His active obedience Jesus perfectly fulfilled all the righteous requirements of God’s Law. He never failed in a single jot or tittle of the Law, but kept and fulfilled all it requires, perfectly, and at all times. Thus He presented to God a righteousness full and complete, without stain or fault. His righteousness is the ground on which God is willing to accept us.

The second aspect of Christ’s obedience is what is known as His passive obedience. By this Jesus allowed Himself to be taken and crucified in order to suffer the punishment of a holy and just God against the sins of the human race. God made Him Who knew no sin to be sin for us, as Paul said, so that, through His active and passive obedience – not ours – we might be made the righteousness of God in Him (2 Cor. 5.21).

By actively submitting to the requirements of the Law of God, Jesus accomplished the righteousness we require in order to know, enjoy, and serve God. By submitting to the punishment of the Law at the hands of wicked men, He became our Substitute, and, taking our sins upon Himself, took our sin away, so that all who believe in Him have no reason to fear the wrath of God. Now all men possess the means, through Jesus Christ, for enjoying fellowship with God forever.

Obedient and exalted
Anselm summarized this reason for the Incarnation of Christ: “So the Father desired the death of the Son, because he was not willing that the world should be saved in any other way, except by man’s doing so great a thing as that which I have mentioned [he means, restoring obedience]. And this, since none could accomplish it, availed as much with the Son, who so earnestly desired the salvation of man, as if the Father had commanded him to die; and, therefore, as the Father gave him commandment, so he did, and the cup which the Father gave to him he drank, being obedient unto death.”

Because of His obedience, and as the culmination of it, Jesus has been exalted to the right hand of God and received a Kingdom and glory and honor (cf. Dan. 7.9-14). Now He is advancing His rule on earth as it is in heaven (Phil. 2.5-11), giving His Kingdom to His saints, who inherit and rule in it forever. (Dan. 7.18-27). The obedience of Jesus Christ our King cancels our sins and provides a power for righteousness by which we are increasingly transformed into His image as His Word and Spirit work in us (Phil. 2.13; 2 Cor. 3.12-18).

As Jesus obeyed the Father, fulfilling all righteousness, so all who believe in Him are called to obey His Word as well, not that they might earn salvation, but that, being saved, they might participate in the life of Christ by the power of His Spirit, and thus know full and abundant life in Him. Through the obedience of Christ we are saved, and through the obedience of Christ we obey, unto righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit, precisely according to God’s eternal plan.

Next steps: How many different ways can you see the obedience of Christ at work in your life? Talk with a Christian friend about this question, and give thanks and praise to Jesus for restoring us to obedience.

T. M. Moore

We’re taking a 3-week intermission from our series on The Disciplined Life to review three archive series on the meaning of Christmas. This week’s study, Why the Incarnation?, is part 1 of a 3-part series on Christmas, As Advertised, and is available as a free download.

Subscribe to receive our daily Scriptorium studies on the book of Revelation. Visit the website, www.ailbe.org, and use the subscriptions box on the home page. In today’s Crosfigell, the monk Jonas leads us to consider how we should respond to tests the Lord allows to come our way. Sign-up at the website to begin receiving Crosfigell three times a week.

Sign up for ViewPoint Leaders Training, free and online, and start your own ViewPoint discussion group.
Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.