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Foundations for Relationship: The Core of Discipleship Page 1

SyllabusFoundations for Relationship: The Core of Discipleship

Outline / Implications

I. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit have always existed in a loving relationship with each

other.A. Who is God?B. God is a TrinityC. Jesus is GodD. The Holy Spirit is GodE. Questions and Answers About the Trinity

1. How can God be one person yet three?2. Is the word Trinity found in the Bible?3. By saying that Christians believe in three different persons, arent Christians

saying that they believe in three gods?4. Why is belief in the Trinity so important to Christianity?

5. Is the Trinity taught in the Old Testament?6. What are some examples of the way the Father, Son and Holy Spirit worktogether?

F. Summary of ImportanceG. Evaluation

II. As part of our creation in the Fathers image we are created for relationship with the Fatherand with each other.A. The Trinity is still important.B. The Meaning of Being Created in Gods Image.

1. Adam and Eve

2. The Children of Israel3. David and Jonathan4. Jesus and the Disciples5. The Church

C. Jesus and RelationshipsD. Scriptural Basis for Relational ImportanceE. Summary of Importance

III. Our sin disrupts our relationship with the Father.A. Sin Taints the WorldB. Sin Corrupts Us and Our RelationshipsC. The Appeal of SinD. The Extent of SinE. Summary of ImportanceF. Evaluation

IV. Our sin disrupts our relationship with each other.A. Sin Destroys Our Relationships with Each OtherB. All Relational Problems Stem from Sin


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C. Summary of ImportanceD. Evaluation

V. Our relationship with the Father is restored by the Fathers love expressed through theincarnation and continuing ministry of Jesus Christ.

A. The IncarnationB. An Allegory of the IncarnationC. The Definition of the IncarnationD. The Unity of the Person of Christ in the IncarnationE. The Continuing Ministry of ChristF. The Implications of the Incarnation

1. Summary of Incarnational Implications2. The Transforming Power of the Incarnation on Ministry3. The Transforming Power of the Incarnation and Human Need

G. Summary of Importance

H. Evaluation

VI. God reveals Himself as Father.A. God Reveals Himself as FatherB. Human Fathers and the Heavenly FatherC. The Love of Our Heavenly FatherD. The Attentiveness of Our Heavenly FatherE. The Acceptance of Our Heavenly FatherF. Our Adoption by Our Heavenly FatherG. The Affection of Our Heavenly FatherH. The Authority of Our Heavenly FatherI. Summary of ImportanceJ. Evaluation

VII. Therefore, Christian discipleship is the establishment of and growth in relationship with theFather and others through Jesus Christ. Our ministry as disciples is to allow Christ toaccomplish his ministry of reconciliation through us for the reconcilement of humanity tothe Father and the reconcilement of people to each other.

A. Salvation is the Beginning, Not the EndB. The Ministry of ReconciliationC. The Command to ShareD. Summary of ImportanceE. Evaluation


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I. The Father, Son and Holy Spirithave always existed in a loving relationship with each other.

A. Who Is God?

Children resemble their parents. Many times we can tell who a childs parents are by the way theylook or the way they act. Sometimes entire families are identifiable by facial resemblance orcertain mannerisms. The same is true for Christians. As Christians, we often resemble our ideasof our Heavenly Father. In leadership, our view of God and his leadership of his church will affectthe way we lead Gods people. To be effective leaders, we need to begin with a proper view of ourHeavenly Father.

1. When you think of God, what images come into your mind?A King An Earthquake A Cloud of EnergyA Pillar of Fire A Father A ShepherdA Man A Dictator A Friend

2. When you think of Gods characteristics or his attributes, which words do you think of?Love Holiness WrathOmnipotent (all-powerful) Omniscient (all-knowing) Omnipresent (all-present)Justice Knowledge UnchangingSovereign Alone RemovedOld Young TiredEnergetic Relational

The way we understand and view God will have an impact on our leadership. For example, if wesee God as a King dictator who makes decrees and who controls every aspect of his subjectslives, then as leaders we will tend to be controlling and dictatorial. If we see God as someone whois only love and acceptance, then as leaders we will tend to let be very passive and neverchallenge the people whom we lead.

B. God Is A TrinityOur first task as leaders is to understand who God is. Once we understand the God we worshipand serve, then we will be better prepared to lead his people. As we shall see later, the mostcomplete revelation of God is found in Jesus Christ. To see Jesus is to see God. We will saymore about this later.

There is one eternal Godhead in Trinity, and there is one Glory of the Holy Trinity If

theological truth is now perfect in Trinity, this is the true and only divine worship, and this isits beauty and truth, it must have always been so. Athanasius

Since there is only one Form of Godhead in the indivisible unity of his self-revelation asFather, Son and Holy Spirit, we believe that he is eternally triune in himself. It is indeedthrough the Trinity that we believe in the Unity of God, but it is also throughacknowledgment of the oneness and identity of being in the Son and the Spirit with the


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Father, that faith in the Holy Trinity takes its perfect and full form. This is the doctrine ofGod as Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity. Thomas F. Torrance

As Christians we believe in the Trinity. We believe that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are threeseparate personalities, yet one. We do not believe in three separate gods. There is only one God.

As Deuteronomy 6:4 tell us, Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. This is more thanjust an unimportant doctrine. The idea of the Trinity is the foundation for our understanding of God.As Christians we believe that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit have always existed in an eternal,loving relationship with each other.

C. Jesus Is GodIn this section, we will discover how we know that Jesus is one with the Father. The NewTestament book of Hebrews reveals much about the relationship between God the Father and Godthe Son. In speaking of Jesus, the author refers to Jesus in Hebrews 1:3 as the exactrepresentation of Gods being. Could someone be exactly like you without being equal to you? Ofcourse not, because if they were no longer equal to you they would not be exactly like you. So, by

stating that Christ is the exact representation of God, the writer of Hebrews is clearly stating thatChrist is equal with God the Father.

In Luke 4 Jesus is in a confrontation with Satan. In response to one of Satans temptations, Jesusquotes Deuteronomy 6:13 by saying It is written: Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.Later in his ministry, John 9 records Jesus encounter with a blind man. The blind man is cast outof the synagogue and Jesus begins searching for him. After Jesus has found him, he revealshimself as the one who gave the blind man sight. Then verse 38 records the words heworshipped him. The blind man began to worship Jesus and Jesus did not stop him. Even moreincredibly, in John 20:28 the Apostle Thomas says to Jesus, My Lord and my God. And again,Jesus did not rebuke him. Finally, in Hebrews 1:6 God himself tells his angels to worship Christ.Here we have three clear occasions where Christ is worshipped and yet Jesus told Satan that weshould only worship God. Therefore, either Jesus or God is wrong, or Jesus is God.

In John 1, John the Apostle is giving us a glimpse into eternity past. In the first verse of his Gospelhe states: In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. Itis clear from this sentence that whoever the Word is the Word is God. A few verses later Johnreveals to us who the Word is by saying in verse 14, The Word became flesh and made hisdwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from theFather full of grace and truth. By now we suspect that the Word is Jesus Christ, but John removesall doubt about the Words identity in John 1:17-18 by writing: For the law was given throughMoses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, but God the Oneand Only, who is at the Fathers side, has made him known. John not only confirms that the Wordis Jesus, but he also refers to Christ as God the One and Only.

D. The Holy Spirit Is GodBut it is not only Jesus who is recognized as God. The Bible also refers to the Holy Spirit as God.In Matthew 28:19, Jesus is commissioning his followers to make disciples. In his command to us,Jesus states: Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of theFather and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Jesus gives the Holy Spirit equal rank with God the


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Father and himself. This also occurs in II Corinthians 13:14 when the Apostle Paul bestows thefollowing blessing on the Corinthian believers: May the grace of Jesus Christ, and the love of God,and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Here again we see the Holy Spirit being givenequal recognition with the Father and the Son. Lastly, in Acts 5 Peter confronts Ananias andSapphira concerning their deceit. In speaking to Ananias, Peters says: Ananias, how is it that

Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit? What made you do such athing? You have not lied to men but to God. It is clear that Peter recognized the position of theHoly Spirit as equal with God the Father.

E. Questions and Answers About The Trinity1. How can God be one person yet three? How can a human understand something that seems

so impossible?

The fact that we cannot understand something should not cause us to choose not to believe it. Forexample, many of us do not understand how radio waves are transmitted, yet we still continue toturn on the radio. Many of us do not comprehend how satellite transmissions are accomplished,

but we still talk on the phone to people many miles away. If we only believe in things that wecompletely understand, our world would be radically smaller than it is now.

Further, we must understand that we are speaking about the nature of God. How could wepossibly expect to understand the infinite with finite minds? If we could understand all that there isto know about God, we would then be equal with God. God is not just a glorified human being. Heis not bound by the physical dimensions of time and space as we are. Therefore, he is able toexist and move in ways that we cannot understand; however, our inability to understand completelydoes not lessen the truth.

2. Is the word Trinity found in the Bible?

No. The actual word is used to refer to the fact of the Trinity, but the word itself is not used inScripture. Some have said that demonstrates that the doctrine of the Trinity is not true, but that isnot the case. For instance, the word omniscience (which means all-knowing) is not in the Bible,but we know that God knows all from Isaiah 46:10 where God says: I make known the end fromthe beginning. God knows all that there is to know. We use the word omniscience to refer to atruth that is revealed in Scripture. The same is true with the use of the word Trinity. We use theword Trinity to refer to a truth that is revealed in Gods Word.

2. By saying that Christians believe that God is three different persons, arent Christians sayingthat they believe in three Gods?

No. We believe that there is one God. In the Old Testament, one of the beliefs that set Israel apartfrom the other nations was its belief in monotheism. While other nations worshipped collections ofvarious deities, Israel stood fast in its recognition of one God. Christians believe in one God whoexpresses himself in the form of three distinct personalities. As the Athanasian Creed states:

So the Father is God;The Son is God; and

The Holy Spirit is God.


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And yet there are not three gods, but one GodNeither confounding the persons nor dividing the substance.

5. Why is belief in the Trinity so important to Christianity?

The most obvious reason for the importance of this doctrine is because it is Biblical. The Word ofGod does not apologize for the fact that it may be difficult to understand. God does not reveal truthon the condition that it is easy to accept. The doctrine of the Trinity, while hard to graspintellectually, is clearly revealed in the Scriptures. Our need for relationships is also based uponour acceptance of the Trinity. The fact that we are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26) andthat God has eternally existed in a loving relationship between the Father, Son, and Holy Spiritdemonstrates that our desire for relationships is a part of bearing Gods image.

6. Some people say that the Trinity is only taught in the New Testament, but not in the OldTestament. Is the Trinity taught in the Old Testament?

Yes. First of all, the name used for God (Elohim) is often found in the plural form. This suggeststhat God exists in three persons. Further, in Genesis 1:26 the Old Testament states: Then Godsaid, Let us make man in our image, in our likeness. (Emphasis added).

7. What are some examples of the way that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit interact and worktogether?

In creation, we see the Father credited with the creation (Genesis 1:1) and the Spirit of God is atwork (Genesis 1:2). Later, in the New Testament, both John 1:3 and Colossians 1:16 refer toChrists role in the creation of the world. We also see the Trinity at work in the resurrection ofChrist from the dead. In John 2:19-22, Jesus says that he will raise himself from the dead. Then,in Romans 8:11, the Bible says it was the Spirit of God that raised Christ from the dead. Finally,both Acts 2:24 and Romans 10:9 tell us that God raised Christ from the dead. Lastly, we see theTrinity at work in the indwelling of the life of the believer. I John 4:15 tells us that God lives in hischildren. Romans I:? and Corinthians 2:12 says that the Holy Spirit indwells a believer. And, inJohn 14:23, Jesus tells us that he will live in our hearts.

F. Summary of ImportanceThe way that we see God will determine much about how we serve him and how we worship him.If we believe that God is alone in Heaven, then we will believe that it is acceptable for us to bealone in this life on earth. If we believe that God is condemning and dictatorial, then our leadershipwill be negative and controlling. But, we learn from the Trinity that the Father has always existed ina perfect, loving relationship with the Son and the Holy Spirit. God is not lonely. God is not alonein Heaven. He has always been in relationship. Within the Trinity relationship there is completetrust, love, acceptance, agreement, gentleness, truth, sharing and understanding. The Father, Sonand Holy Spirit have always existed in a loving relationship with each other.

G. EvaluationTrue or False1. The Trinity teaches us that God is not concerned with relationships.


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2. Jesus knew that people should only worship God, so Jesus never allowed anyone to worshiphim.

3. As humans it is important and entirely possible for us to understand everything about God.4. What a person understands about God will affect the way they lead.5. Because Jesus was not completely God, the writer of Hebrews uses the phrase a close

representation in referring to Christ.6. It is important to understand as much as we can about God so we can lead his people.7. The Old Testament teaches that God is a Trinity.8. Lying to the Holy Spirit is not as serious as lying to God.9. If we as humans cannot understand something, then it must not be true.10. When Christians say that we believe in the Trinity, they are actually saying that they believe in

three gods?.11. The concept of the Trinity is not one of the most important beliefs of Christianity.12. There is a difference between a God who is in relationship and a God who is alone.13. Jesus is more God than the Holy Spirit.14. The word Trinity is found several places in the Bible.

15. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit only work together on really special occasions.


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II II. As part of our creation in the Fathers image we are created for relationship with theFather and with each other.

A. The Trinity Is Still ImportantThe Chance of a LifetimeWhat we believe about God will affect the way we deal with others. A wrong view of God will

cause us to be less than effective leaders. No doubt you have heard a great deal about God. Youmay have heard that God is angry with you and he waits impatiently for the opportunity to judgeyou. Or, you may have heard that God is a passive Deity who does not care about our lives or ourplanet. Some have been told that God loves us, but only on certain conditions. If we meet hisqualifications, then he will love us. What is the truth? Unfortunately, there are many people whohave rejected God because of what they have been toldabout God by others. They may haveknown someone who claimed to be a Christian and they did not like the God they represented.They may have heard someone talking about Christianity or God and heard some inaccuratethings said. Unfortunately,as a result, they will never take the opportunity to let God reveal himselfto them. They will may reject God without ever embarking on the journey to discover the truthabout God. And, by doing this, they will miss the opportunity of a lifetime.

B. Being Created In Gods ImageThe truth is that you and I were created to enjoy a relationship with God. The Bible tells us inGenesis 1:27, So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him, maleand female he created them. In order to adequately express himself, when the Father created usin his image he created two people in relationship to each other. As a human being, you werecreated in the image of God the Father. All of humanity bears the mark of Gods creation. Evenfurther, friendships, families, and relationships are not the ideas of people, but they have theirorigin in our likeness of God, our creator. God further states in Genesis 2:18, The Lord God said,It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him." You and I were madeto be in relationship with other people.

Christs teaching in Matthew 22 further reinforces this concept of relationship. When Jesus isasked what is most important of Gods commandments, Jesus replied: Love the Lord your Godwith all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatestcommandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and theProphets hang on these two commandments. (Matthew 22:38-40) When asked what is mostimportant, Jesus focused on relationship with the Father and relationship with others. Paul, too,places the priority on love for others as the foundation of the Christian life. In Romans 13:8-10,Paul writes that even the Old Testament law was in its essence relational when he writes:

Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he wholoves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. The commandments, "Do not commit adultery,""Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet," and whatever other commandment theremay be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself." Love does noharm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

While there are many who point to church attendance, baptism, personal holiness and otheractivities as the foundation of the Christian life, the Word of God clearly points us in the direction ofrelationship with God and with those he created.


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As we have seen, God has always been in a relationship within the Trinity and he created us forrelationships. It is our nature. Not only did God create us with a desire for relationships, a quicksurvey of the Bible reveals that the Father consistently connects his children together. Notice justa few of the following examples:

1. Adam and EveThis relationship had its origin in Adams and Eves creation by God. In order to express himselfadequately, God created two people in relationship to each other. As Genesis 2:18 tells us, It isnot good for the man to be alone. It was true then and it is true now.

2. The Children of IsraelAs subsequent generations passed, God continued to involve people in relationship to each other.Far from just stopping at friendships and families, the Father placed his children in biggerrelationships. In fact, he placed an entire nation in relationship to himself and to each other. Therelationship that existed between the children of Israel was again ?centered in their relationship as

a people to God. It was their relationship to God that gave them identity as a people.

3. David and JonathanThe friendship between David and Jonathan is legendary. It is the story of Prince Jonathan, theson of King Saul, who befriended the lowly shepherd David and began a friendship that teaches uswhat a friendship should be. This friendship (relationship) was firmly grounded on Davids andJonathans relationship to God. The story of the friendship between Jonathan and David is foundbeginning in I Samuel 18.

4. Jesus and The DisciplesJesus did not serve the Father alone. Jesus was not a Lone Ranger. Instead, from the beginningof his ministry, Jesus gathered around him followers and disciples who shared in the ministry withhim. And again it was their common desire to serve the Father and accomplish his purposes thatknit them together.

5. The ChurchWhen you think of the word church what thoughts come to mind? Do you picture a building? Doyou think of organs, stained glass, and hymns? Well, many of us associate the word church with abuilding, but actually the church is the collection of the children of God who are united around him.As Christians, we have been called out of the world and placed in a family with our loving HeavenlyFather in the center of our fellowship. Just as it was with the Nation of Israel, we as a Christiancommunity find our center and identity in our relationship with God the Father.C. Jesus And RelationshipsAs leaders, we are often asked what is most important in Christianity. People want to know whattheir priority should be. If you had to answer this question, what would you say?

Prayer Bible Reading Tithing Church AttendanceGiving to the Poor Witnessing Discipleship FastingMissions Counseling Personal Holiness Bible Study


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As we have discussed, Jesus was asked a similar question in Matthew 22:34-36. This teaching isso foundational to our purpose that it bears repeating. An expert in the law came to Jesus with aquestion that he was hoping would stump Jesus. One of them, an expert in the law, tested himwith this question: Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Isnt this the same

type of question we often get as leaders? Jesus did not hesitate to answer this man, but theanswer he gave is surprising. Jesus did not give the man more to do. He did not give a newcommand for us to obey. Jesus simply replied: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart andwith all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And thesecond is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these twocommandments."

Christ makes it clear that relationships are the foundation of the Christian life. We often believethat it is the spiritual disciplines that are the basis for our life with Christ, but we forget that thesedisciplines are a way to strengthen our relationship with the Father. They are not meant to replaceit. We pray in order to strengthen our relationship with the Father. We witness because of our love

for the Father and our love for others. We give to the poor because of our love for the Father andour love for others. As leaders, we are called to be people who are in relationship to the Fatherand in relationship to each other. Leaders are not called to be alone and removed from everyoneelse, but to be people who are loved and who love others.

D. Scriptural Overview for Relational ImportanceScripture is abundant in references to the necessity and intention for us to be in relationship withthe Father and with each other. The Father not only created us for relationship, but also shares hiswisdom in walking in these relationships.

1. Scriptural Overview for Relationship with Each OtherThe belief that we are meant to live in relationship with each other is not drawn from a few isolatedScriptures. The fact of our connectedness is revealed throughout the pages of Gods Word.Consider this brief survey of verses:

Genesis 1:27, So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; maleand female he created them.Genesis 2:18, The Lord God said, It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helpersuitable for him."

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: Ifone falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help himup! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone?Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is notquickly broken.Proverbs 17:17, A friend loves at all times and a brother is born for adversity.


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Proverbs 18:24, A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who stickscloser than a brother.

Proverbs 27:10, Do not forsake your friend and the friend of your father and do not go to yourbrother's house when disaster strikes you - better a neighbor nearby than a brother far away.

Amos 3:3, Do two walk together unless they have agreed to do so?

Matthew 11:19, The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Here is a glutton and adrunkard, a friend of tax collectors and "sinners." 'But wisdom is proved right by her actions."

John 15:13-15, Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You aremy friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does notknow his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned frommy Father I have made known to you.

Romans 12:5, So in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all theothers.

1 Corinthians 12:12-27, The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all itsparts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit intoone body--whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free--and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. If the foot should say, Because I am not ahand, I do not belong to the body, it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. And ifthe ear should say, Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body, it would not for thatreason cease to be part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense ofhearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact Godhas arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they wereall one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

The eye cannot say to the hand, I don't need you! And the head cannot say to the feet, I don'tneed you! On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, andthe parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that areunpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no specialtreatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to theparts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should haveequal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored,every part rejoices with it.

Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

Philippians 2:3-4, Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider othersbetter than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to theinterests of others.


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James 5:16, Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you maybe healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

1. Scriptural Overview for Relationship with the FatherThe Bible not only provides a wealth of verses which support the fact of our relational nature with

each other, but it also provides manifold witness of the desire of God to have a relationship with hispeople.

Genesis 3:8, Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking inthe garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden.

Leviticus 26:9-12, I will look on you with favor and make you fruitful and increase your numbers,and I will keep my covenant with you. You will still be eating last year's harvest when you will haveto move it out to make room for the new. I will put my dwelling place among you, and I will notabhor you. I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people.

Jeremiah 3:19, "I myself said, 'How gladly would I treat you like sons and give you a desirable landthe most beautiful inheritance of any nation.' I thought you would call me 'Father' and not turnaway from following me.

Jeremiah 29:11-13, For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper youand not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and comeand pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with allyour heart.

John 14:23, Jesus replied, If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him,and we will come to him and make our home with him.

2 Corinthians 6:18, "I will be a Father to you and you will be my sons and daughters, says the LordAlmighty."

Galatians 3:26, You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

Galatians 4:6, Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit whocalls out, Abba, Father."

Ephesians 5:1, Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children.

Ephesians 5:8, For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children oflight.

E. Summary Of ImportanceYou and I were created in Gods image (Genesis 1:27). This creation in the image of God is wherewe get our longing for relationships. It is part of bearing the image of God in our creation.Because God is in a relationship with the Son and the Spirit, he created us in relation to him and toeach other. When God created us in his image, he did this by placing two people in a relationship


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to each other. In fact, God later says that it is not good for us to be alone (Genesis 2:18). Thebottom line is that we are made to walk in friendship with the Father and with others.

You may have heard it said, No man is an island. This is true. Sometimes, when we have beenhurt, maybe through the divorce of our parents, the abandonment or betrayal of a friend or

betrayal, we determine that we will never get in another relationship again. After all, this makessense since if we never let ourselves love someone we can never be hurt by them. This, however,doesnt work because were denying who we are. Isolating ourselves is in total opposition to whowe really are. We were made for relationship. As part of our creation in the Fathers image we arecreated for relationship with the Father and with each other.

5. EvaluationTrue or False1. People were created in Gods image.2. We are born with two hands and two feet because God has two hands and two feet.3. As leaders, we must sacrifice having close relationships for the sake of the ministry.

4. We were created to enjoy a relationship with God.5. In order to express himself adequately, God created two people in a relationship with eachother.

6. It is good for us to be alone.7. Relationships are not our nature.8. If we are hurt in a relationship, then we should never have another relationship.9. As leaders, we must make certain we are separated from those we are serving because that is

the way that Jesus did it.10. A church is a building.11. Jesus served the Father by himself.12. The Trinity teaches us about the importance of relationship with each other.13. The two great commandments are to Love the Lord your God and to Be nice to other

people.14. Relationships are the foundation of the Christian life.15. No man is an island.


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III. Our sin disrupts our relationship with the Father.

1. Sin Taints the WorldSin has had more of an impact on our lives and in our world than we realize. Many times wWetend to think of sin as something very obvious and observable, but the effects of sin go much

deeper. Sin is so prevalent in our world that in 2 Corinthians 4:4 Paul refers to Satan as the godof this age who has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of thegospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. Even Jesus refers to Satan as the princeof this world in John 16:11.

All of creation has been affected by sin. In Romans 8:19-25, the Apostle Paul writes of the effect ofsin on the world and the eager anticipation of creation for the final redemption through Christ:

The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For thecreation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one whosubjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and

brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that the whole creationhas been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so,but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerlyfor our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved.But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if wehope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

Sin spreads through our lives, our cultures and our world like dye in water. Dye spreads socompletely through the water that the two become indistinguishable from one another. The sameis true with sin. Because we are born in sin and we live in sin, we are often unable to discern justhow much transgression has influenced our world. In John 8:44, Jesus is speaking about Satanwhen he says, He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truthin him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. Sin,specifically Satan, is a destroyer. When you think of the pain and suffering in this world, all of it is aresult of sin.

B. Sin Corrupts Us and Our RelationshipsJust as creation has been stained by sin, so, too, have we as part of that creation. For ourpurposes here, we want to focus specifically on one aspect of sin: the separation that sin causes inour relationship with the Father. As we discussed, we were created for relationship with the Fatherand with each other. This is our nature. Because God has always existed in a relationship withinhimself, part of our creation in his image is to be relational people (Genesis 1:27). As we will see,sin disrupts our relationships with the Father and with each other.

God is holy. There is no sin in him. Scripture gives abundant testimony of the fact of the Fathersperfection.

Leviticus 11:44-45, I am the Lord your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I amholy. Do not make yourselves unclean by any creature that moves about on the ground. I am theLord who brought you up out of Egypt to be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy.


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Deuteronomy 32:4, He is the Rock, his works are perfect and all his ways are just. A faithful Godwho does no wrong, upright and just is he.Psalm 99:9, Exalt the Lord our God and worship at his holy mountain, for the Lord our God is

holy.

Psalm 116:5, The Lord is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion.

Matthew 5:48, Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Because God is perfect, our sin caused a disruption in the relationship we were meant to have withhim. Sin became the a barrier to the life we were created to have together with our HeavenlyFather. To help us understand both the separation that sin has caused between humanity and theFather and the separation that sin causes between us and each other, we will focus on Genesis3:1-12. These twelve verses provide us with an ample foundation to begin understanding the

disruption that sin causes in our relationships. Genesis 3:1-9 relates the story of Satanstemptation of Adam and Eve and their subsequent sin.

Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. Hesaid to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?"The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but Goddid say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and youmust not touch it, or you will die.' ""You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman. "For God knows that when youeat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye,and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some toher husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them wereopened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and madecoverings for themselves.Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in thegarden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of thegarden. But the Lord God called to the man, "Where are you?"

C. The Appeal of SinThis section of scripture is rich in knowledge?, but for our design let us just note a few things fromthe passage. First of all, Satan begins by questioning the Fathers authority. Did God reallysay? This is the beginning of disobedience. Skepticism of the Fathers commandments orauthority is a step away from assuming his role for ourselves. Secondly, Eve misrepresents theFathers command. God did not say 'You must not eat fruit from the tree and you must nottouch it; rather God said, but you must not eat from the tree. (Genesis 2:17) Eve adds to theFathers command.

Finally, and most importantly, the appeal of the forbidden fruit was not the fruit itself, but what itoffered. It offered the opportunity to be like God which is what we continually strive for. This is


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the definition of sin. Sin is subjugating the truth of our Heavenly Father to our desires andourselves. As disciplesleaders, sin often manifests itself when we devise our schemes orprograms for building disciples apart from the truth that the Father has given us in Jesus Christ.Christ alone is the embodiment of all knowledge (Colossians 2:9). As leaders we can slip into sinwhen we choose to rely on our own strength or resourcefulness instead of trusting the power of

Christ to live in and through us (John 15:5). Satan fell because he desired to be like the MostHigh. As Isaiah 14:12-14 relates:

How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn! You have been castdown to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! You said in your heart, "I willascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on themount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. I will ascend above thetops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High."

The cause for Lucifers sin was a desire to be his own God. He was not content to do thebidding of the Father, instead he wanted to take the Fathers place. His temptation to Adam

and Eve was identical to his; rather than allowing the Father to have control and leadership ofan individuals life, Satan tempted them to take control for themselves. When we sin, we dothe same thing.

D. The Extent of SinIn writing to the Christians in Rome, Paul makes a thorough case for the sinfulness of humanity. InRomans 5:12 Paul writes, Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and deaththrough sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned. Just a few verses later inRomans 6:23, Paul mentions the consequences of this sin when he states, For the wages of sin isdeath, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Sin causes death. It causes thedeath of our relationship with the Father. Sin causes the demise of our connectedness to eachother. And eventually, sin will cause the death of this world. When speaking of us before oursalvation, Paul writes in Ephesians 2:1 , As for you, you were dead in your transgressions andsins. Notice that Paul says dead, not sick.

But Paul isnt the only one to point out the depth of our depravity. The Word of God bearsconsistent witness to our sinfulness. Consider how these verses describe the extent of our sin andthe separation it has caused with our Creator:

Genesis 6:5, The Lord saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that everyinclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time.

Genesis 8:20-21, Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and, taking some of all the clean animalsand clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on it. The Lord smelled the pleasing aroma and saidin his heart: "Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination ofhis heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done.

Isaiah 59:2, But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his facefrom you, so that he will not hear.


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Jeremiah 17:9, The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?

John 3:18-20, Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe standscondemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. This isthe verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their

deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fearthat his deeds will be exposed.

Romans 3:23, For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Romans 6:23, For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus ourLord.

E. Summary of ImportanceIf we are to minister in a world such as ours, then we must understand what we are going toencounter. This is a world that is separated from the Father. The entrance of sin into the world

has had an overwhelming effect on us and on the world around us. The advent of sin our desireto control our own lives and to be our own God has transfigured the culture around us. We are apeople who are dead in transgressions and sins. Before we meet Christ, sin separates us fromthe Father. Our sin disrupts our relationship with the Father.

6. EvaluationTrue or False1. Sin has had more of an effect on our world than we realize.2. Sin disrupts our relationship with the Father.3. Most humans are born into sin, except for some that come from really good families.4. All of creation has been touched by sin.5. The pain and suffering in this world are a result of sin.6. Sin has caused a little tension in our relationship with God.7. God does not like sin, but he tolerates it because he is so loving and patient.8. Sin can be contained and rarely spreads to other areas of our lives.9. Sin is not really as bad as some things.10. It is okay for Christians to tolerate little sins as long as they dont do the really bad sins.11. Satan fell from Heaven because he wanted to be like God.12. Much of our sin comes from our desire to control our own lives.13. The wages of sin is death.14. As leaders we can slip into sin when we rely on our own abilities rather than depending on the

Father.15. Sin spreads.


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IV. Our sin disrupts our relationship with each other.

A. Sin Destroys Our Relationships with Each OtherSin destroyed the relationship that we were created to have with the Father. We were made in hisimage to walk in relationship with him, but our desire for control over our lives severed the

connection. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way. (Isaiah53:6) But this separation has not only changed our relationship with the Father; it has alsodestroyed our relationships with each other. When we are in the Father, we understand who weare and who we were created to be. We can live a life of purpose. But, when that connect ion issevered, we are like a locomotive that has gone off of the tracks. Our lack of center ? causes greatpain in our lives and in the lives of others. Sometimes, because Christ has forgiven us, we becomelazy about the sin in our lives and we fail to see the great harm it has caused and it continues tocause. Forgiveness is not an excuse to keep on sinning.

Genesis 3:8-12 dramatically illustrates the consequence of sin in relationship s. In chapter three ofGenesis, the serpent has tempted Adam and Eve to disobey the command of the Father and to

choose to control their own destinies by eating the fruit that the Father forbade them from eating.Adam and Eve chose to find knowledge apart from the knowledge of God, which really isntknowledge at all.1

Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in thegarden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of thegarden. But the Lord God called to the man, "Where are you?" He answered, "I heardyou in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid." And he said, "Whotold you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not toeat from?" The man said, "The woman you put here with me--she gave me some fruitfrom the tree, and I ate it."

Do you notice what happens when sin enters the relationship between the man and the woman?Immediately they turn on each other. Adam blames both God and Eve for his sin. He says Thewomanyou put here with me caused me to sin. As if it werent enough to blame Eve, Adammakes sure that he reminds God just who created Eve. Sin causes the disruption of therelationship between Adam and Eve, just as it causes disruption in our relationships.

When you think about the problems that people have with each other, what are some of the causesof those problems? Dont all of the problems that we have in relationship with each other havetheir roots in sin. How many relationships have you seen destroyed by . . .

Pride Dishonesty Rebellion ArroganceApathy The Desire to Control Jealousy Unwarranted AngerEnvy Ambition Lack of Self-control LazinessGossip Callousness Fear Abuse

If we consider the problems we have with each other, we can see how the root of sin causes thoseproblems. If we think about the conflicts within our families and friendships, we can discover thatour sinfulness produces those conflicts.


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B. All Relational Problems Stem from SinAll of our problems within relationships come from our sin. Sin separated us from our HeavenlyFather and sin continues to separate us from each other. We separate ourselves from each otherby our selfishness. Our desire for control works against our unity. Our lies prevent others from

trusting us. This revelation of sinful separation holds true into the New Testament. As Jameswrites in James 4:1-6:

What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires thatbattle within you? You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannothave what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God.When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you mayspend what you get on your pleasures

Galatians 5:19-20 continues to reveal the effect of sin on our relationships:

The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery;idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition,dissension, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I didbefore, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

C. Summary of ImportanceOur sin disrupts our relationship with each other. Sin is the root cause of the conflicts weexperience with each other. This sin is a result of our separation from the Father. Because wehave been separated from the Father, who is the source of our self-knowledge, we have adifficult time entering into relationships with other. Sin destroyed our connectedness to theFather and it destroys our connectedness to each other.

D. EvaluationTrue or False1. The only effect of sin was to separate us from the Father.2. Our sin disrupts our relationship with each other.3. Their sin brought Adam and Eve closer together.4. Adam blamed both God and Eve for his sin.5. Sin caused the disruption of the relationship between Adam and Eve, just as it causes

disruption in our relationships.6. Sin is the root cause of the conflicts we experience with each other.7. Sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy,

fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissension, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies are the resultof our sinful nature.

8. Adam took full responsibilities for his sin.9. Since we are forgiven from all of our sin, we shouldnt worry about trying to avoid it in our lives.10. The fights and quarrels among us come from our desires that battle within us.11. Sin destroyed the relationship that we were created to have with the Father.12. We were made in the Fathers image to walk in relationship with him, but our desire for control

over our lives severed the connection.


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13. The separation from God has not only changed our relationship with the Father; it has alsodestroyed our relationships with each other.

14. When we are in the Father, we understand who we are and who we were created to be.15. Our lack of center causes great pain in our lives and in the lives of others.


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V. Our relationship with the Father is restored by the Fathers love expressed through theincarnation and continuing ministry of Jesus Christ.

A. The Incarnation

The Father created us in his own image to enjoy relationship with himself ? and with others whomhe created. The entrance of sin into the world destroyed the relationship that humanity had withthe Father and it has destroyed our ability to have relationships with each other. God, however,whos love is unfathomable, was not content to allow us to slip away into the abyss of separationfrom Him . In his love he sent Jesus Christ to redeem us and to bring us back into relationship withhimself and, consequently, into relationship with each other. God undertook to redeem the worst ofwhat we have are and had have become. He did not retreat back in horror and disgust at our plight,but instead chose to remedy the situation by coming to earth in the form of Jesus Christ. AsDietrich Bonhoeffer writes in Ethics:

God loves man. God loves the world. It is not an ideal man that He loves, but man as he

is; not an ideal world, but the real world. What we find abominable in mans opposition toGod, what we shrink back from with pain and hostility, the real man, the real world, this isfor God the ground of unfathomable love, and it is with this that He united Himself utterly.God becomes man, real man. While we are trying to grow out beyond our manhood, toleave the man behind us, God becomes man and we have to recognize that God wishesus men, too, to be real men. While we are distinguishing the pious from the ungodly, thegood from the wicked, the noble from the mean, God makes no distinction at all in His lovefor the real man.2

B. An Allegory of the IncarnationOnce upon a time there was a great king. He lived in a beautiful castle on a mountain thatshadowed the village below. He was a good king. He was revered and respected by his subjects.The monarch was so loved, in fact, that his fame had spread to many lands. Within the mightywalls of the castle, he was served and adored by his attendants. He was the center of all activity inthe fortress.

Early each morning, the king would ride his white steed through the forests around his castle. Theforests were green and lush. The songs of birds would greet the king as he entered their world.The forest animals would watch timidly as their sovereign rode past.

One day, during his morning ride, the king stopped by a clear mountain stream for a drink of water.The water was cool and refreshing. Suddenly, he heard a sound. He was not alone. He wasaware of an intruder. Slowly he gazed up. There, a few feet from where he was, he noticed a localvillage girl drawing water for her family. He gently parted the overhanging tree branches to gaze ather. She was unaware of his presence. He watched her in silence. She was beautiful. Perhapsothers would not see her as such. Some would say the she was rather plain. And she felt thesame way. Alone in her room, when she gazed at her image in the a broken mirror,.She saw nobeauty; she saw only her flaws and imperfections. She saw no beauty. But for the king, it waslove at first sight. He saw her as she could be. He saw her as a beautiful bride adorned for awedding.


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But what was he to do? Though he was dressed for riding, his garments still bore testimony to hisposition. Whether dressed in robe and crown or wearing riding boots, he was still the king. Shewould recognize him. And upon seeing him, she would immediately do as so many othershadwhat everyone else did--she would fall at his feet in reverence and fear. As his subject, shewould surely do as he asked. He knew he could command her to come away with him. By simply

voicing a command, he could have his queen. But, he wanted more. He wanted her to love himfor who he was. He wanted to love her for who she was.

The questions raced through his mind. Would she love him for who he was, or would she feelcompelled to love him? Would she speak with him honestly, or because of fear would she only tellhim those things she knew he would want to hear? And what of their relationship? They camefrom totally different worlds. He had lived his entire life as royalty. Hundreds obeyed his everywish. He could simply speak a word and his wishes would be fulfilled. She, on the other hand, hadalways lived in the village below. Her life was filled with turmoil and struggle. How could hesuddenly ask her to enter his world when he had no idea of her life? He knew nothing firsthand ofher life. All that he knew he had observed from the castle.

At last, the king devised a plan. He would forsake lay aside his rightful kingdom and enter herworld. He would alert no one in the village as to his plan, lest she find out. He would arrive as asimple servant and live his life before her. If necessary, he would give his life to gain her love. Bydoing this, he would know what it was to be a villager. And she would see him for who he was. Noobligation to honor him. No compulsion to obey. All he would offer her is a promise of love in a lifetogether in the village and a future hope of glory together.

B. The Definition of the IncarnationThe incarnation has been the subject of many Christian writers. Each of them brings out a part ofthe fullness behind the concept of the incarnation.

Because Jesus is the Logos, the Word of God become flesh (not because of the man inhimself), we apprehend God in the man Jesus.There is no person existing apart from theLogos. Karl Barth

Not much is made of the fact that the Son is only the Son because he comes from theFather. Thomas Smail

If God reveals himself through the Logos and the Logos is Jesus, the one who reveal sGod can hardly be less than God. Carl E. Braaten

But in Jesus Christ himself, we encounter the same divine love and power appearingpersonally among us as our fellow man. God is now not only exalted in Heaven but mademan on earth. The acts of Jesus are the acts of God, the words of Jesus are the words ofGod, the suffering of Jesus is the self-sacrifice of God, the person of Jesus is the person ofGod, so that the confession of the Church echoes the confession of Thomas (John 20:28)and addresses not the Father in Heaven but the risen human Jesus, My Lord and myGod. Thomas Smail


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What are we speaking of when we mention the incarnation of Christ? The word "Incarnation"refers to Christ's willingness to take on human flesh and come to this earth. Many speak of their"search for God." The incarnation is God's search for us. He did not minister to us from adistance, but rather chose to invade our culture. T.F. Torrance writes that the incarnation was "anact of God himself in which he really became man, and took the whole nature of man upon

himself."3

God did not don a disguise. He did not wear cheap sunglasses and a trench coat. Inthe incarnation, God became human. To further add to our understanding Torrance adds, "Theincarnation was not the bringing into being of a created intermediary between God and man, butthe incarnating of God in such a way that in Jesus Christ he is both God and man in the fullest andmost proper sense."4 In a simple manger in Bethlehem, divinity and humanity met in the person ofJesus Christ. He was "the best of both worlds."

It is significant that Jesus became flesh (John 1:14). There are many paintings of Christ in whichthe Lord Jesus is glowing or walking about six inches above the ground. His appearance is alienand strange. This is not a true portrait. In the incarnation, God became man. "Nothing markedhim off from other men. He wore no halo, held no office, and recognized no boundary between his

life and other men."

5

When we visualize Jesus as some "other worldly" individual, we lose sight ofthe significance of the incarnation. God became flesh. If we believe that he was in some wayman, but still not completely human, then we compromise the wonder of the work of Christ.

The incarnation was God's choice. He was not constrained to reveal himself in Jesus Christ. Weoften hear teachers say that Christ redeemed us because God was lonely or because God wantedsomeone to love. While this sounds good and tends to give us a "warm spiritual fuzzy," it alsoappeals to our pride. We could just as easily say that we were so important to God that he neededto save us. God had to do something for us. An unfortunate aspect of this belief is that while weare busy decrying the evils of humanism in our society, we sometimes fall prey to this exaggeratedview of our importance. We will rail against a society that considers humanity the measure of allthings, yet we subtly place ourselves in a position of controlling the actions of the Almighty. Theincarnation had its only source in the boundless grace of God.

Even our creation was an act of the grace of God. He called us into being by choice, not necessity.And our redemption is a further act of God's grace (Ephesians 2:8-9). We were not rescued fromourselves our sin because of some sense of moral obligation on the part of God. He did not initiateour salvation in an effort to meet some need he had within himself. God loved us and rescued hischildren because he chose to do so.

By stating this, I am in no way suggesting that we do not have importance to God. I am notadvocating a diminished view of the dignity of being human. Quite the contrary - we are of infinitevalue to our Heavenly Father. However, it is because of God's grace revealed to us that we havesignificance. It is not because God had to redeem us that we have worth, but rather simply it isbecause God loves us that we have value. The difference between the two views is that onebegins with our importance and the other begins with God's grace.

If we realize that within the Trinity God has eternally been in a loving relationship with the Son, thenwe understand that God already had someone to love. Further, if we understand that the Son andthe Father have been in an eternal relationship through the Holy Spirit, we see that God was not


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lonely. The bottom line is that the incarnation is an expression of God's grace. God was notconstrained to reach out to us. Our Heavenly Father chose to reach out to us. God did not touchour lives out of simple obligation, but rescued us as an act of grace.

D. The Unity of the Person of Christ in the Incarnation

In the incarnation, Jesus was at the same time "very God and very man." He was not at one timeGod and then, at another time, man. As man, Jesus brought humanity into a relationship with theAlmighty. As God, he represented God to us. "Jesus Christ is the unveiled image of God."6 In hislife we see an intimate picture of God. As Phillip Yancey tells us, "Jesus offered us a long, slowlook at the face of God."7 To see the face of Christ is to see the face of God. To see Christ moveand minister among individuals is to see God move and minister among individuals. Even thename "Immanuel" means "God with us" (Matthew 1:23). In Christ, we see God revealed.

This is of particular comfort to me. I grew up in Sunday School hearing all of the great stories ofthe Old Testament. I heard about the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah and the plagues inEgypt. I was told about the great military expeditions of the Nation of Israel. As a child, I was

impressed with how "mean" God seemed to be. Then, we reached the New Testament. Suddenly,I was confronted with a "nice" Christ. I heard about a Jesus who healed people, who touchedpeople, and who loved people. Rather than condemning others to death, this Jesus gave his ownlife. This seeming paradox was confusing to me. How could Jesus and God be the same personwhen they were so different in the way they seemed to relate to people? The result of all of thiswas that in the back of my mind, I began to formulate a concept of an angry God and a loving Son.God was the stern dictator. Jesus was the loving Father.

But, in realizing that Christ is God, we understand that there is no contradiction between the two.In other words, in Christ there is no unGodliness and in God there is no unChristlikeness. The twoare one and the same. God is not some shadowy figure who lurks behind the person of Christ.God reveals himself through the life of Jesus Christ. This unity between the Father and Son isvitally important. In Christ, God took upon himself bodily form. Therefore, to see Christ interactwith people is to see the Father interact with people. To see Christ reach out to the sinful is to seethe Father reach out to the struggling. In other words, there is no contradiction between the Fatherand the Son. In the book T. F. Torrance: An Intellectual Biography, Alister McGrath relates a storyfrom the life of T. F. Torrance that illustrates the importance of embracing the unity between theFather and the Son.

When daylight filtered though, I came across a young solider (Private Phillips), scarcelytwenty years old, lying mortally wounded on the ground, who clearly had not long to live.As I knelt down and bent over him, he said: Padre, is God really like Jesus? I assuredhim that he was the only God that there is, the God who had come to us in Jesus, shownhis face to us, and poured out his love to us as our Savior. As I prayed and commendedhim to the Lord Jesus, he passed away.

That incident left an indelible impression on me. I kept wondering afterwards what moderntheology and the Churches had done to drive some kind of wedge between God andJesus, and reflected on the damage done by natural theology to Christology and theproclamation of the Gospel! The evangelical teaching, which I had from Karl Barth, was


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considerably reinforced on the battlefield. There is no hidden God, no Deus Absconditus,no God behind the back of the Lord Jesus, but only the one Lord God who becameincarnate in him. Years later in my Aberdeen parish an old lady who had not very long tolive said to me one day: Dr. Torrance, is God really like Jesus? I was startled, for thosewere the very same words I had heard on that battlefield in Italy. What have we been

doing in our preaching and teaching in the church, to damage in the faith of our people therelation between their faith in Jesus Christ and God? How important was the teaching ofJesus in the Gospel about the mutual and exclusive relation between him and God theFather?8

E. The Continuing Ministry of ChristChristians often speak of the ministry of Christ in terms of his death on the cross. We point to thefact that Jesus came to die. And too often it is left there. The incarnation is seen as solely anavenue to the cross. Christ simply becomes a tool that God used to redeem us. But there is moreof a purpose to the incarnation than just formality. Jesus came to this earth to do more than justdie. If Christ's only purpose was to give his life on the cross, why did Jesus live on the earth for

over thirty years? Some would suggest that Jesus did this to give us a pattern for life. He wantedto show us how its done. While there is a great deal of truth in this, to limit it to that alone is againto make Jesus simply a great moral example.

Throughout this life, we are plagued with sin and error. Despite our best efforts at being what weshould be, we often come up short. Jesus, on the other hand, was able to do what we cannot.Jesus He lived a perfect life. He committed no sin and left no omission. And by being faithful, heredeemed our lives. Jesus lived for us the life we are unable to live. He was faithful in our place.Just as his death was vicarious in that it was in our place, so too was his life vicarious in that helived the perfect life in our place. Christ died for us because we were unable to attain our ownsalvation. Christ lived a perfect life for us because we are unable to do the same.

Too often we look to Adam to see a picture of perfect humanity. However, our knowledge of theperfect Adam is limited to a snapshot revealed in the first few chapters of Genesis. In Jesus Christwe see the entire picture. Jesus was fully human--the perfect man. In him wWe see a picture ofwhat it means to be truly human. We can view true humanity at its fullest. We are often tempted tosee humanity as sinful. Whenever we commit a transgression, we simply chalk it up to being a partof the family of man. This is a skewed view. It tends to degrade humanity.

To be perfectly human is to be like Jesus Christ. In the incarnation Jesus reveals to us whatperfect humanity is. "In Jesus Christ we not only have the Revealing God, but also the Believingman. Not only do we have a revelation of who God is, but also a revelation of true humanity. Inthe vicarious humanity of Christ, therefore, God makes a claim on every human being and ajudgment upon our ideas of human nature."9 In the incarnation, we realize that Christ is the modelfor true humanity. "Since he is the advocate for humanity, the criterion for what is authenticallyhuman is his own humanity, not a general principle of humanity." 10 Only when a person is living ina Christlike manner will they understand what it means to be human. Many in the world are settlingfor a cheap substitute for life. We are called to tell them what they are missing.


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F. Implications of the IncarnationWhen we see the value that God has placed on our lives, it transforms us. When we understandthe concern that God has for humanity, it challenges us to share that love with others. The factthat Christ became human and continues to exist in human (not fleshly) form adds new dignity tothe concept of being human. Our callous stereotypes fade in the light of his truth. The street

person is no longer just a "bum," but is now someone who bears at least in part the image of God.The redemptive work of Christ in our humanity forbids us from "giving up" on anyone. No matterhow badly one of our kids messes up or how often they ignore our concern, the grace of Godrevealed in Jesus Christ forbids us to give up.

Fairy tales do come true. There was a king who loved his bride so much that he was willing to giveall to win her love. He did indeed leave his kingdom to live in her world. The implications of therevelation of God in the incarnation are sweeping. This truth has the potential to transform us and,therefore, our ministries. As Christian ministers, we desire to do God's work in God's way. Wewant to allow God to work through our ministries. By seeing just a glimpse of the grace of Goddemonstrated in the incarnation, we are challenged to evaluate our lives and work. We must

examine our ministries and the motivation behind our labor to see if we are walking as Jesus did.

1. Summary of Incarnational Implicationsa. God in Christ comes to us.b. God in Christ becomes one of us. He chose to be enfleshed.c. God in Christ walks with us.d. God in Christ sought out relationships with us.e. God in Christ provides the definition of true humanity. To be perfectly human is to be like

Jesus.f. The impact of Christs ministry is not limited to his death. Christ lives the life we cannot live.

He is faithful when we are unfaithful. He prays when we are prayerless. He is obedient whenwe are disobedient.

2. The Transforming Power of the Incarnation on MinistryThe grace by which God created and rescued us has some radical implications for ministry. AsChristians we often find ourselves working feverishly out of a sense of obligation. We "have to" dothese things. We flirt with burnout because we believe that we must be continually doingsomething. We seem to spend our time engaged in frantic activity. Some Christians are alwaysrunning to and fro doing "God's work." While at first glance it appears that we are simply doing thework of the ministry, I wonder if we work so hard because we believe so little. In other words, arewe working so much because we think that God works so little?

I sometimes wonder if I minister as an act of grace in response to what God has done for me orbecause I feel constrained to minister? Am I so busy because it is a joy or because I believe Imust? Contrary to many popular beliefs, the portrait of God's ministry is a view of "graciousministry."11 God did not reach out to us because he "had to," he reached out to us because hechose to. Even in our creation God was not required to create us out of a need he had, but ratherhe created us "in love out of his freedom." 12 As Karl Barth has reminded us, God's sovereignty ishis freedom. No one or no thing controls the Almighty.


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As believers we lose our way so easily. There is a part of us that is continually drawn to the idea ofmaking ourselves more acceptable to God. It is hard for us to believe that enough has been done.We subtly replace our faith with works. If asked, we would readily confess that salvation is by faithalone in Christ alone. Yet, we work as though faith is not enough. We labor as though we areconvinced that working harder will make us more appealing to God. However the work has been

done. No amount of work will make us more acceptable. Even the faith we confess is notsingularly enough.a work. "Hence our response of faith is made within the ring of faithfulnesswhich Christ has already thrown around us, when in faith we rely not on our own believing butwholly on his vicarious response of faithfulness toward God. In this way Christ's faithfulnessundergirds our feeble and faltering faith and enfolds it in his own." 13 So both our faith and ourworks are made acceptable through the work of Christ. The incarnation reveals the grace thatundergirds our faith and works.

One of the best prescriptions for a number of Christians would be to schedule regular times of restand recreation. I suspect that this would be very difficult for many to do. The pattern of ourministries indicates that we believe ministry is always "doing." When this happens the schedule

becomes more frequently read than the Bible. In order to legitimately be engaged in ministry, weseem to think that we must always be doing something. This, however, is a skewed view of themajesty of God and his ministry. As Barth reminds us, "The mystery reveals to us that for God it isjust as natural to be lowly as it is to be high, to be near as it is to be far, to be little as it is to begreat, to be abroad as to be at home." 14 If Christ is in all things and it is natural for him to be invarious "states," is Christ not just as much Lord at rest as he is when he is active? Do we believethat God must always be active in order to be God? No. God is always God.

3. The Transforming Power of the Incarnation and Human NeedChristians are confronted with needs from early in the morning until late in the evening. Weminister to a needy generation. And, at times, there seems to be no avoiding the masses. In theswirling whirlpool of demands and crises, we can feel ourselves slipping beneath the waves of thesea of brokenness. Yet, when we consider taking time to step out of the line of fire to reload, wefind ourselves racked with guilt.

The Gospels are filled with accounts of Jesus miraculous deeds. We see him healing, feeding,restoring, and counseling. Each time we turn a page we are confronted by another loving act ofgrace done by our Savior. The Apostle John tells us that only a fraction of the miracles that Jesusdid are even recorded in Scripture (John 20:30; 21:25). Yet, there is one fact that often escapesnotice: Jesus did not meet every need. Though Christ healed many of the sick, he did not heal allof them. When he healed the invalid at the Pool of Bethesda in John 5, Jesus did not heal all ofthe "great number of disabled people" who were present there. In fact, it may well be that Jesushad to step over some in order to get to this man. Though Christ met to counsel with Nicodemus(John 3) and the Samaritan Woman (John 4), he could not and did not speak with everyone whodesired an audience. Pilate found himself frustrated with the Silent King (John 19:8-10). Andthough Christ fed the multitudes, he did so only twice. Eventually, he rebuked many of thembecause a full stomach was their only motivation for following him (John 6:26-27).

Knowing that as ministers of Christ we will be continually confronted with demands for our time andpresence, what shall we do? Do we throw ourselves headlong into the work until we burn out? Or,


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do we withdraw and do nothing? In his book, Ministry on the Fireline, Ray Anderson shares hisown conclusions when he was presented with a similar dilemma. While somewhat lengthy, I dobelieve that it is worth including.

"...Jesus' ministry was not connected to ministry-related incidents but to his obedience

and service to the Father. 'My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to completehis work' (John 4:34). 'I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge; and my judgment isjust, because I seek to do not my own will by the will of him who sent me' (John 5:30). Itthen became clear. Jesus' calling was not to serve the world but to serve the Father. Itwas the Father who loved the world and who sent Jesus into the world.

"From this I determined that our calling is not to serve the world but to serve Godthrough our participation in Christ's ongoing ministry. I have only one calling, and that isthrough my baptism into Christ's ongoing ministry, to serve God in Christ. Where and howI fulfill that calling is determined by where God is sending me."15

While this shift in thinking may at first appear to be subtle, it is actually revolutionary. Our first

commitment should always be to Christ. He alone must be the sole object of our focus. We arenot called simply to minister to people, but rather to minister to people through the power andpresence of Christ. We do not discover needs and then ask the Father to empower us to meetthem. Instead, we walk in obedience to the Father's will as he points out those needs along thepath.

This means that some needs seemingly go unmet. While there are many lives in which we canplay a significant role, there will be others that we cannot enter in a dramatic fashion. Thisunderstanding, unfortunately, does not remove the feelings of frustration that we will sometimesexperience. This truth does not excuse callousness to the suffering. However, we mustremember that we are not called to meet needs. We are not called to expend our lives in beingonly what others require. As ministers of Jesus Christ, we are called to walk in obedience to ourHeavenly Father. It is in that calling which we must be faithful (I Corinthians 4:2).

Should we then be active in the work of the ministry? Yes, if we understand that it is God'sministry. "The anchor of our faith is not that we believed but that Jesus first believed. Because ofhis faith I can now participate in his faith through the Spirit." 16 The same is true of the work we do.It is because Christ is still ministering that we even have the opportunity to labor. And it is not "ourwork." Because Christ continues to minister, the Spirit enables us to participate in his ongoingministry.

7. Summary of ImportanceThe incarnation is the heart of Christianity. By becoming man, God declared clearly the value heplaces on humanity. He did not invite us to come to him without first coming to us. In Jesus Christwe have the fullest revelation of God. In the incarnation Christ was both completely God and man.The implications of the incarnation stretch far beyond just the theological and expand to the attitudeand manner in which we serve the Father. Our relationship with the Father is restored by theFathers love expressed through the incarnation and continuing ministry of Jesus Christ.


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8. EvaluationTrue or False1. God loves really good people only.2. The incarnation is not really an important doctrine for Christians, but it is good to know.3. The incarnation is Gods search for us.

4. Jesus did not really become flesh; he just looked like a man.5. During his time on earth, Jesus was half man and half God.6. Jesus is more loving and understanding than God.7. Only God can bring us to God.8. Jesus is like God in that they have a Father-Son resemblance.9. The presence of Christ lives in the lives of those who know him.10. All ministry is Gods ministry.11. As leaders our most important responsibility is to serve those who are following us.12. Jesus Christ offers us a long, slow look at the face of God.13. Only Christs death is important for our salvation.14. To be perfectly human is to be like Jesus Christ.

15. The purpose of the Christian life is to meet as many human needs as possible.


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VI. God Reveals Himself as Father.

A. God Reveals Himself as Father.

It is through Jesus Christ the Son that we are introduced to God the Father. When he wasteaching his disciples to pray, Christ taught them to pray Our Father. (Matthew 6:9) NumerousChristian leaders throughout history have spoken of the importance of seeing God as Father.

It would be more godly and true to signify God from the Son and call Him Father, than toname God from his works alone and call him Unoriginate. Athanasius

Your Heavenly Father was there when you first walked as a child. He was there throughhurts and disappointments. He is present now at this moment. You were briefly loaned tohuman parents who, for a few years, were supposed to have showered you with love likehis love. But you are and always will be a child of God, made in his image. Your loving

Father awaits you even now with outstretched arms. What would keep you from him?John Dawson

The Father whom Jesus addresses in the garden is the one that he has known all his lifeand found to be bountiful in his provision, reliable in his promises and utterly faithful in hislove. He can obey the will that sends him to the cross, with hope and expectation becauseit is the will of Abba whose love has been so proved that it can now be trusted so full y bybeing obeyed so completely. This is not legal obedience driven by commandment, buttrusting response to known love. Tom Smail

To approach God as Father through the Son is a more devout and accurate way than toapproach him through his works by tracing them back to him as their uncreated Source.Thomas F. Torrance

Officially, Christianity is one of the world's great religions. We rank right up there with Buddhism,Judaism, and Islam. But, I, I believe that we do a great disservice to Christ and his teaching bylumping them under the heading of "Religion." In most cases, a religion is man's attempt to reachGod. Whether it be by good deeds or by reaching a "higher state of consciousness," religionbegins with humanity's search for the Universal Cause. It can be likened to a ladder erected by theworld and placed on God's windowsill. By climbing the proper steps, it is believed that man canreach God.

Christianity, on the other hand, teaches that man could never reach God. His feeble attempts,regardless of how noble or sacrificial, would never be enough to gain man access to God. Ratherthan beginning with our search, Christianity teaches that God was the initiator of the relationship.As Christians, we believe that it was God who first reached down to us. Further, through theincarnation, God not only reached down to us, but he became human in order to redeem humanity.

This is a far cry from simple religion. This is a teaching revelation that has far greater implicationsfor lives than the reactionary keeping of a sacred moral code. In Christianity, humanity is


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confronted with a God who desires to interact with us on a personal basis. He wants a relationshipwith those who claim his name. God is not concerned with the unconscious performance of gooddeeds. As God revealed himself to humanity in the incarnation, Jesus demonstrated that God isnot interested in mere religion. God wants us to experience something far better and far morerewarding. Jesus is interested in relationships.

When Christ taught others about God, he could have used a myriad of titles for God. He couldhave referred to him as "your Creator" or "the Almighty." He could have elected to just refer to Godas "God." But Jesus wanted to communicate something more about Jehovah. In order to do that,Jesus chose to use the term "Father" (Matthew 6:9). In doing this, he wanted to convey somethingof the nature of the relationship that God desired to have with his people.

Jesus offered humanity a personal relationship with the Creator of the Universe. Not only were wesaved from sin, but now we had the opportunity to be a part of the family of God. Salvation wasnot just a legislative act whereby we were pardoned, but was instead an act of adoption. We werenot made spiritual stepchildren, but were placed in a relationship whereby we have become joint-

heirs with Jesus Christ.

B. Human Fathers and the Heavenly FatherUnfortunately, using the term Father is considered by some to be sexist. This occurs whenpeople choose to view God anthropologically. God is not a big man. He is not male in gender inthe same way that some of his creatures are. God the Father transcends our human definitions offathers and presents himself as the ideal of what

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