THE PURPOSE OF THE INCARNATION

Galatians 4:4-7

Morning Meditation 5/18/2014

"But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ."

What was the purpose of the incarnation? Why did God have to become a man to redeem us? Is there not something in God's infinite wisdom that could have gone around the incarnation and come in another way to save man? These are some of the questions that I hope that this meditation will answer. First, let's look at--

THE TIME OF THE INCARNATION

Verse 4 says, "But when the fulness of the time was come. . ." There is no premature action in the Divine Providence. He does not pluck unripe fruit. The time was ripe for the coming of the long promised Seed (Gen. 3:15). The Mosaic age had come to its close. "Now once in the end of the age He appeared to put away sin" (Heb. 9:26). The psychological moment had arrived, prophetically and politically, for the Coming of Him who was to bring in the age where saving grace is emphasized to the whole world.

The fulness of time also implies that the time has come to bring together the believers and separate them from the unsaved and set up a literal kingdom in which Christ Himself will reign for one thousand years. The incarnation is one of the necessary steps that had to be made to accomplish this. Next we see--

THE PERSON OF THE INCARNATION

Verse 4 says, "God sent forth His Son." The pre-existence of the Son is clearly taught here. John 1:1 says, "In the beginning was the word. . ." Colossians 1:17 says, "He is before all things. Jesus prayed in John 17:5, "And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was."

Hebrews 1:2, "Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;" Now by His Son He seeks to save it.

What a "good-bye" among the angels when He left His Father's Home to take the form of sinful flesh, and become "God manifest in the flesh."

"During the Arian Controversy (A.D. 316-325) 318 Church Fathers (many of them maimed and scarred by the physical violence suffered in earlier persecutions) met at Nicaea and adopted a statement of faith, one section of which runs:"

"I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,

The Only-begotten Son of God,

Begotten of Him before all ages,

God of God, Light of Light,

Very God of Very God,

Begotten, not made,

Being of one substance with the Father,

By whom all things were made."

I can sign my name to this stated belief in the Deity of Christ today. True local New Testament Churches have stayed true to the faith "Once for all delivered to the Saints" through the ages. This is the reason we have it to day. Next we see--

THE MANNER IN WHICH GOD BECAME INCARNATE

Galatians 4:4, "But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,"

With regard to His physical nature, He was born of a woman; but He was never called the Son of Mary. He was not the Son of Joseph. But He called Himself "The Son of Man." He was born in a stable and nursed on the breast of Mary. She knows now that she cradled in her arms the God who made the worlds who had come through her to save those who would believe. Next we see--

THE PURPOSE OF HIS INCARNATION

1. To redeem "them who were under the law" (vs 5).

2. "That we might receive the adoption of sons" (vs 5).

3. That we might become "An heir of God through Christ" (vs 7).

Never has there been so great a price paid than God paid in the person of His Son for the redemption of mankind. We should all fall at His feet and worship continually that He would love us and seek us out and save us and make us His own, not just by creation, but by re-creation.

May the Lord bless these words to our hearts.

In Christ

Bro. White