I love when this happens: I’m talking to my students in the Square 1 or Square 2 sessions over the weekend and someone says something that just blows my mind.
It happened last weekend and I can’t wait to share it with all of you here.
So, we were talking about the Incarnation of Christ introduced a human into the Trinity, but when my friend Craig phrased it this way a cascade of scriptures started popping into my mind in rapid-fire succession. Suddenly I realized something so amazing: There has ALWAYS been a human in the Trinity.
How did I get there? Well, to start with we know that “Christ was crucified before the foundation of the world” [Rev. 13:8] and we also know that you and I [humanity] were also “chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world” [Eph. 1:4]. Now, this is where it starts to get interesting.
A few weeks ago I had an amazing interview with Father Kenneth Tanner for my Ground Zero: Academy webinar. In that conversation, Kenneth pointed out that the early Christians thought about the Incarnation this way: Christ was not fully incarnated into the human experience until he experienced death. So, it was at his death on the cross that Jesus became fully human and the incarnation of Christ was complete.
This mystery of the Incarnation is also why the Apostle Paul equates what happened to Jesus with what happens to everyone. Why? Because the union of God and Humanity in the body of Christ at the Incarnation [and throughout his human experience lived out here on earth] created a parallel reality where whatever happened to Jesus happens to us. For example:
Because Christ died we all died. [2 Cor. 5:14]
Because Christ is risen we have all been raised to new life with Christ. [Col. 3:1]
Because Christ is now seated at the right hand of the Father, we are all now seated at the right hand of the Father. [Eph. 2:6]
In other words, whatever is true of Christ is also true of us [and all humanity].
So, stay with me here because this is where it all comes together. If all humanity was one with Christ at his Incarnation, and if his Incarnation wasn’t complete until Christ died…then when Christ died is when we were all made one with Christ and with God. And when did this all take place? Well, according to the verses we’ve already looked at above, Christ was crucified BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD and we were all chosen in Christ BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD.
Therefore, all humanity was one with God and welcomed into the Trinity relationship of God before the world began.
This means there has ALWAYS been a humanity dancing in the Trinitarian oneness of God long before the Universe existed.
We have always been one with God. We have always been welcomed into this love reality of God’s presence and favor and adoration.
How cool is that?
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Did God require a virgin child sacrifice to love or forgive us? Did God sacrifice Himself to Himself to appease Himself and save us from Himself? If you’d like a better perspective on the cross, I welcome you to read my new book “Jesus Unforsaken: Substituting Divine Wrath With Unrelenting Love” which is now available on Amazon in Kindle and Paperback HERE>
If you’d like a more in-depth exploration of the Incarnation, Crucifixion, Resurrection and the Atonement, you might also enjoy my new 3-week online course which follows the book and goes even deeper into these topics. This class starts Monday, April 5 and you can join us for only $19.99. REGISTER HERE>
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Keith Giles and his wife, Wendy, work with Peace Catalyst International to help build relationships between Christians and Muslims in El Paso, TX. Keith was formerly a licensed and ordained minister who walked away from organized church over a decade ago to start a home fellowship that gave away 100% of the offering to the poor in the community. Today he is the author of the best-selling “Jesus Un” series of books, including “Jesus Unexpected: Ending The End Times To Become The Second Coming” which is available now on Amazon.
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