Austin Bible Church
Unique Divine Nature
Jesus Christ is undiminished deity. He is co-equal and co-eternal with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. His essence is perfect in every way as a member of the Trinity. He retained all the attributes of perfect God when He took on the form of humanity. In Romans 1:4, “declared” means marked out.
"who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord," (Romans 1:4, NASB)
Unique Human Nature
Jesus Christ is true humanity. He is genuine and real. He grew in the spiritual life just as we do, but He was always filled with the Holy Spirit so He reached spiritual maturity very quickly. He was born without an old sin nature and committed no personal sins throughout His life even while dying spiritually for our sins on the Cross.
No Old Sin Nature
Jesus Christ did not have an old sin nature because of the virgin birth and, therefore, no imputation of Adam’s original sin at His birth. He was unique in this fact which separated Him from the rest of the human race.
Hypostatic Union
Jesus Christ has two natures - undiminished deity and true humanity in one person forever. Jesus Christ is equal to and superior to the human race. His uniqueness is set forth in Isaiah 9:6. “Child will be born” refers to His humanity and “a son will be given” refers to His deity. He has two natures that are inseparably united, yet no with mixture or loss of separate identities. He is both God and man in one person forever. He is no less God because of His humanity. He is no less man because of His deity. Our Lord is different from God in that He is also man. Our Lord is different from man in that He is God.
"For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6, NASB)
Impeccability of Christ
His deity was not temptable and not able to sin. However, His humanity was able to sin and was temptable. Both Adam and Jesus Christ were temptable, but only Jesus Christ remained sinless. The temptation of our Lord was bonafide, but did not come from the old sin nature because He was born without one due to the virgin birth. He was tempted, but never succumbed. Heb. 4:15.
“For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15, NASB)
Unique Temptations
Both Adam and Jesus Christ were tempted by Satan using all of his genius and wiles to cause them to act independently of God the Father’s plan. Jesus Christ was successful in resisting, but Adam was not. Jesus Christ faced unique temptations. No one in the human race has faced these temptations in the same manner or intensity that He did.
Unique Crucifixion
His crucifixion was unique among crucifixions because the purpose was different: bearing the sins of the world in His humanity’s substitutionary spiritual death.
Unique Physical Death
When His work was completed and accepted by God the Father, our Lord was the only human being ever to be allowed by God the Father to voluntarily end His own life. When He dismissed His human spirit, He died physically. Luke 23:46.
"And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, "Father, INTO YOUR HANDS I COMMIT MY SPIRIT." Having said this, He breathed His last." (Luke 23:46, NASB)
Unique Resurrection
His resurrection was unique. He was the first person to come back from the dead with an incorruptible body that will never die again. In 1 Corinthians 15:23, He was the “first fruits.”
"But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ's at His coming," (1 Corinthians 15:23, NASB)
Unique Ability to Cleanse
Jesus Christ, the unique person, can cleanse. God the Father can forgive but not cleanse. God the Holy Spirit can enable the believer to produce divine good in the believer, but the Holy Spirit cannot cleanse.
Unique Ascension
The ascension of Jesus Christ is a central doctrine in the Angelic Conflict. Without it, there would be no positional truth. Heb. 1:3.
“And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,” (Hebrews 1:3, NASB)
Unique Session
Our Lord is now seated in session at the right hand of God the Father in heaven. Heb. 1:3.
“And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,” (Hebrews 1:3, NASB)
Unique Advocacy
Jesus Christ is the believer’s defense attorney at all times. He defends the believer against Satan’s attacks whether or not that believer has confessed their sins. The basis for this is unlimited atonement. 1 John 2:1.
“My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;” (1 John 2:1, NASB)