Jesus – Only a Man – Fully God – Or Both
OK all you Davidson disciples
let’s examine the issue of the divinity of Christ versus the humanity of Jesus.
Recently Doyle has been ranting against anyone who refuses to agree with his
teaching that Jesus, while walking in the earth, was only a man. Traditional
Christian doctrine has always held that Jesus was fully God and fully man but
Davidson claims this teaching is error.
It would behoove all of you to
examine this topic from scripture rather than depend on Davidson for your
understanding because there is much more to this issue than Doyle is telling
you. A proper understanding of the nature of Christ is essential to
understanding and manifesting the true power of the gospel in your life.
The question is not did Jesus come into the earth as a man. The question
is this; was Jesus only a man or was He more than that. While it
is true that Christ humbled himself to take on the form of a man, it is a
serious error to imply that he somehow lost or relinquished his divine nature in
the process. I am aware of the many scriptures that refer to Jesus as a man but
we must also consider the many scriptures that reference his Divinity even
during his earthly walk.
Luke 1:68
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his
people,
Were you saved by a man or was your salvation accomplished by God himself? This
scripture says plainly that it was God Himself that came to earth and redeemed
His people. To imply that Jesus was only a man suggests that God did not redeem
His people by His own power but rather that He made a way of salvation through
sinful flesh.
This idea is very appealing to the flesh as it brings Jesus down to the level of
man and elevates man to the level of God. This goes to the very heart of the
gospel. Did God save you or did you somehow save yourself by your own actions?
Phl 2:5-8
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross
Paul tells the Philippians that Christ thought it not dishonest to be equal with God, yet in obedience to His father’s plan he took on the form of a servant. The word form here is the Greek word morphe which means ‘external appearance’. The word likeness is the Greek word homoiōma which means ‘a representation or an image’.
Is a form or an image of a
thing the same as the true substance of that thing? An image or picture of a
house is not the same thing as a real house is it?. The fact that Jesus took
on the appearance of a man should never be used to diminish His
true substance which is, was, and ever shall be divine.
John 1:1 & 14
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was
God……… And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we
beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of
grace and truth.
When the Word was made flesh He did not cease to be God. What He did was he took on the form of a man. He put on a flesh suit as it were, so that he could experience all that we experience.
Heb 4:15
For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our
infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
Jesus had to take on the
form of a man in order to be touched with the feelings of our weaknesses
and to be tempted in all ways as we are, yet He was without sin.
Is it possible for a man to live without sin?
Rom 3:23
For all have
sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Rom 5:12
Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so
death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
How was it then possible that
Jesus was in the form of a man yet without sin? It was possible for Him to walk
in this life without sin because he was not only a man but was actually God in
the flesh.
1Cor 15:45 & 47
And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam
was made a quickening spirit…
The
first man (Adam) is of the earth, earthy: the
second man (Jesus) is the Lord from heaven.
Jesus was, is, and ever will be God. That is why he was without sin. He did not
have the sin nature that afflicts all men through Adam. He manifested the nature
of His father and thus was without sin.
Jesus himself never denied his own divinity
John 10:30
I and my Father are one
Doyle Davidson may not
understand this passage but the people to whom Jesus was speaking understood it
perfectly
John 10:31
Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him
Why did they seek to stone him?
John 10:33
The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for
blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.
And in another place we see this exchange
John 8:56-59
Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad. Then
said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen
Abraham? Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham
was, I am. Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself,
and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.
Again Jesus claimed that He was
God by using the very name of God – I AM, and the Jews sought to stone
Him for it.
How about one more.
John 14:8-9
Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus
saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known
me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest
thou then, Shew us the Father?
How is it possible that Jesus was a man and yet was God? Paul says it is a great mystery meaning a secret or hidden thing. Deuteronomy 29:29 tells us the secret things belong to the Lord. I don’t fully comprehend how God can be a man and at the same time still be God but the Lord does not ask me to understand it intellectually. He only asks that I believe it by faith.
The False Gospel of Doyle Davidson
Although he doesn’t state this directly, Davidson’s assertion that Jesus was only a man leaves the hearer with the idea that we can accomplish in the flesh what Jesus did. Therefore, if you are not walking in the victory and power that Jesus displayed it is because you are not trying hard enough, you don’t have enough faith, or because you are not believing the gospel. This turns the grace of God into a doctrine of works and results in condemnation for those who listen to him.
The people of Water of Life are forever striving to believe the gospel. They are beat up and worn out because they are trying to do in the flesh what can only be accomplished by the work of the Spirit. They are actually manifesting the fruit that Doyle has planted in them. He is forever telling them that they do not believe and that they are a bunch of wicked unbelievers, hence that is what they have become.
Luke
11:52
Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye
entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered.
This is the fruit of Doyle
Davidson’s partial gospel. Doyle is forever defining the gospel as the death,
burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ but that is as far as he goes.
He refuses to allow his listeners to enter in.
It is not enough to simply know the definition of the gospel. Satan himself
knows the definition of the gospel. He even believes that Jesus died, was buried
and rose again. Sure he does, he saw it, he knows it is a fact but will that
belief get him delivered from his rebellion. No it won’t because in order to
experience the power of the gospel one must not only believe it, one must also
humble himself and enter into the gospel by faith
Gal 2:20
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth
in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the
Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
We enter into the gospel when
we understand that it is not of our own works or ability but solely by the power
of God working in us. Christ does not delegate power or authority to us. It is
His power and authority working in us and through us as we die to self by faith.
Rom 6:3-4
Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized
into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death:
that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even
so we also should walk in newness of life.
The only way the life of Christ
will ever be manifest in you is by dying to self and by faith believing that it
is no longer you that live but Christ that lives in you!
Col 2:12
Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the
faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.
We must enter into the gospel
by faith. Romans 10:17 says faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word (rhema)
of God. When you spend hour after hour listening to Doyle tell you that you are
a wicked unbeliever are you hearing the word of the Lord? Are those words he
speaks bringing faith to your heart. By listening to Doyle tell you that you
don’t believe the gospel, are you taking heed to what you hear?
Luke 8:18
Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be
given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he
seemeth to have.
Do the words you are listening to edify and build you up or do they tear you down and bring condemnation to your heart? Jesus is saying that what you hear will be manifested in your life. Is it possible that your unbelief is due to what you are listening to?
Do you want more of the power
of God in your life? If you do, there is only one way to get it.
John 3:30
He must increase, but I must decrease.
More of Him means less of you,
less of your ability and more of His.
Davidson has convinced almost all of you that you do not believe the gospel.
Stop striving to “believe” with your fleshly mind. Even the faith to believe is
a gift from God. Ask the Lord to help you believe.
Mar 9:24
And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord,
I believe; help thou mine unbelief.
Did Jesus castigate this man
and call him a wicked unbeliever? No – Jesus simply answered the man’s prayer.
He healed his son. This is a picture of God’s grace in action. Grace is God
ability to do for you what you cannot do for yourself.
Stop trusting in your own ability to believe. Die to self. Admit that you are
unable in yourself to walk in the power of God. Ask the Lord to help your
unbelief. Trust in His grace, His ability rather than your own.
God’s grace is greater than your unbelief. He is greater even than your wicked
heart.
1John 3:20
For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth
all things.
Yes, in the flesh you are wicked and in your flesh dwells no good thing but God’s grace is greater than your flesh. If you are Christ’s then you are no longer to walk in the flesh but in the spirit. You are to crucify your flesh and all its wicked and worthless thoughts and allow Christ to live in you and through you. We do this by faith, by simply trusting in what the Lord has told us in His word. That faith comes when we purpose to hear the word of the Lord and esteem that word above the words of men.
Rom
8:1
There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus,
who walk not after the flesh, but after the
Spirit.
Stop listening to condemnation
disguised as correction. Don’t allow any man to prevent you from entering into
the gospel by faith. Crucify your flesh. Put to death your doubts and your
unbelief and expect the Lord to accomplish His plans and purposes through you by
his grace.
Col 3:16
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and
admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing
with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
Steve Lumbley 2007
www.apostasywatch.com
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