“GOD IN THE FLESH”

2 “By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God,”

1 John 4:2

Jesus Christ is the most unique being there is. But what does make Him extraordinary?

John continues his discourse on testing the spirits, specifically, determining true and false converts. In verse 2, John offers the actual tests by which people are to be affirmed.

The test centers on whether or not a person believes that Christ came in the flesh. Every spirit (pneuma) that affirms that Jesus Christ did come in the flesh is of God. It appears that the false teachers of John’s time may have believed Jesus’ role as the Savior but denied His being God in the flesh. This distorted view of Christ makes them false professors of faith. Their belief is not rooted in the biblical Jesus.

In our time, people have different views about Jesus. Some religious groups acknowledge Him as a prophet (thus human) but not God. On the other hand, others believe that He is God but not man (thus, He was not crucified). Both camps have a skewed understanding of the Person of Jesus Christ.

However, the Bible is clear that Jesus is both God (hence, the title Son of God) and man (the title Son of Man). He is fully divine and fully man. He is unique in the sense of having two natures distinct from one another. Anyone who affirms these truths, according to John, is of God.

Perhaps one of the most unmistakable verses that declares Jesus’ dual nature is found in the Book of Colossians.

9 “For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily,”

Colossians 2:9

Jesus is God in the flesh. That’s the simplest way I can put it.

My friend, who is Jesus Christ to you?

Pursue the Savior today!