Post by foxjj on Dec 12, 2021 17:25:22 GMT
To Believe Or Not Believe The Virgin Birth.
To some people the virgin birth is just a nice story. However, to believe, or not believe the virgin birth of Jesus Christ is the difference between eternal life, or eternal death. Let me explain why it's truth is so important. It's important because, if Jesus had been born of the seed of Joseph He would have inherited a sinful nature as all who are born naturally do. Consequently, because Jesus was The Son of God, and thus virgin born, He did not have the need to offer a sacrifice for His own sin because, He did not have a sinful nature, thus He was sinless. That being so, Jesus' sacrifice for sin on the cross, was offered, not on His own behalf, but on the behalf of sinful humanity.
Spirituality speaking, humanity was lost and on its way into a dark eternity. They had turned from the God of the Bible, and contrived their own concepts of God as the prophet Isaiah wrote in chapter 53:6: "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned--every one--to his own way." Isaiah gave another wonderful promise in chapter 7:14 when he wrote; "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel." The word Immanuel means God with us.
The birth of Jesus is confirmed in Luke 1:26-38: “In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.”(ESV)
The Birth of Jesus Christ is recorded in Matthew 1:18-25: “Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.”(ESV)
Consequently, all Bible believing Christians accept that the virgin birth of Jesus is a historical fact and praise Our Heavenly Father because: “God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.” (John 3:16-21 ESV)
Today, let us praise The Lord for His Son.
John Joseph Fox.
To some people the virgin birth is just a nice story. However, to believe, or not believe the virgin birth of Jesus Christ is the difference between eternal life, or eternal death. Let me explain why it's truth is so important. It's important because, if Jesus had been born of the seed of Joseph He would have inherited a sinful nature as all who are born naturally do. Consequently, because Jesus was The Son of God, and thus virgin born, He did not have the need to offer a sacrifice for His own sin because, He did not have a sinful nature, thus He was sinless. That being so, Jesus' sacrifice for sin on the cross, was offered, not on His own behalf, but on the behalf of sinful humanity.
Spirituality speaking, humanity was lost and on its way into a dark eternity. They had turned from the God of the Bible, and contrived their own concepts of God as the prophet Isaiah wrote in chapter 53:6: "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned--every one--to his own way." Isaiah gave another wonderful promise in chapter 7:14 when he wrote; "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel." The word Immanuel means God with us.
The birth of Jesus is confirmed in Luke 1:26-38: “In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.”(ESV)
The Birth of Jesus Christ is recorded in Matthew 1:18-25: “Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.”(ESV)
Consequently, all Bible believing Christians accept that the virgin birth of Jesus is a historical fact and praise Our Heavenly Father because: “God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.” (John 3:16-21 ESV)
Today, let us praise The Lord for His Son.
John Joseph Fox.