A "permanent" jointing of the 2 natures as both God and Man is not any part of the foundation stone of the gospel. You may believe it to be so, but that does not make it so.
Hi Jim,
Not to get between you two, but some things you are not considering.
Myself I see the
permanent union of Jesus’ divine and human natures is absolutely part of the foundation of the gospel.
I will try to explain.
First, I say, if the union were not permanent , the gospel would collapse.
Why? The gospel
is not just that God visited us.... but the fact that
God became man forever in order to save man forever.
Heb 2:14 Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood,
He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,
What this actually means is Jesus did not “put on” humanity temporarily like clothing. He
partook of it. He joined Himself to it. And notice... He still has that humanity
after the resurrection.
Luke 24:39 “See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.”
That
is not temporary humanity. That is
glorified humanity.
So what does this mean????? It means
He is still a Man in heaven right now. Which is devastating to the idea that the union was temporary.
1 Tim 2:5 tells us....For there is
one God, and one mediator also between God and men,
the man Christ Jesus,
Paul wrote this
decades after the resurrection and ascension. Jesus is
still “the Man Christ Jesus.” Therefore
if
His humanity had ended, He could not be our mediator.
The absolute fact of the matter is
Our salvation depends on Him staying human. Why? Because what He did in a human body must remain valid forever.
Heb 7:25 Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him,
since He always lives to make intercession for them. ................This is the
same Jesus who was crucified.
Rev 5:6And I saw between the throne (with the four living creatures) and the elders a Lamb standing, as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth.
You see Jim, A lamb is a bodily being. And Jesus still bears the marks of His sacrifice.
Now if Jesus stopped being human, the resurrection promise dies, and what an absolutely horrifying thought that is as Our resurrection is based on
His resurrection.
1 Cor 15:20 tells us But now Christ has been raised from the dead,
the first fruits of those who are asleep.
I am sure you understand firstfruits as meaning same kind, and same nature? So if Jesus shed His humanity, then our future bodies would have
no model.
The early church called the idea of Jesus being only temporarily human, heresy because it destroys the gospel.
If God only “used” a man, or wore a body for a while, then there was .....
1. No real incarnation
2. No real atonement
3. No real mediator
4. No real resurrection hope
So the statement: “A permanent joining of the two natures is not part of the foundation of the gospel" has to be
false.
And the truth is:
Jesus is forever God and forever Man = one Person.
That permanent union
is the foundation of salvation, mediation, resurrection, and glory.