I am bringing you a series of heart -to -heart
talks on the Great Christian Pledge, or as is
better known, the Apostles' Creed. And I do pray
with all of my heart that these heart -to -heart
talks will prove a real blessing to you and will
make God the Father. will make Jesus Christ,
the Father's only begotten Son, more real to
you than he has ever been before. As I continue
in this my second in this series of Heart to
Heart Talks, I want to, first of all, again,
give you the Apostles' Creed as literally millions.
Repeat it. every Lord's Day morning. I believe
in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and
earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our
Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born
of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, dead, and buried. He descended
into hell. The third day he arose again from
the dead. He ascended into heaven and sitteth
on the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence he shall come to judge the quick
and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost, the
Holy Catholic Church. the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of
the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. And
in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. It has
been correctly said. that the New Testament is
held together not through literary excellence,
nor in its historic precision, but the one consistent
character of Jesus portrayed by the writers.
As he held men by his fascinating duty while
in the flesh, so he holds Men today, those who
know the Savior intimately, those who know this
glorious presence, his power, his person, share
the attitude of the writers of the creed in taking
him out of the man class and putting him in the
God class. I remember something. that as he came
and walked among men on this earth, came in flesh,
he was as much God as though he were not man,
and as much man as though he were not God. The
preexistence of Christ prior to his incarnation
is a fact accepted by all who worship him as
Lord and Master. Now, the testimony of Scripture
is very explicit on this subject. John said,
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
with God, and the Word was God. The same was
in the beginning with God. Our Lord was with
God even before the foundation of the world.
The language used here indicates conscious, personal
existence, distinct from God, but inseparably
associated with him. Let me give it again. God
in substance, essence, and all the essential
qualities of deity. No man hath seen God at any
time. The only begotten Son, which is in the
bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. That's
the word. That's the scripture. I give it again.
No man hath seen God at any time. The only begotten
Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he
hath declared him. As a member of the eternal
Trinity, our Lord shared the exertions of creation.
He was there. He was present. the time of the
creation we find that all three persons of the
trinity were present at the time of the creation
the father the son the holy spirit thus paul's
letter to the colossians describes him as the
image of the invisible god the firstborn of every
creature now the term firstborn means the first
begotten implying Priority. Superlative dignity.
The writer of the Hebrews says, The worlds were
made by the Son of God. Literally translated,
worlds means ages, including all things and persons
belonging to them. The universe, including all
space and periods of time. Things material and
things spiritual. This is the exalted being who...
stooped low, fashioned for himself a human body,
and then, beloved, dwelt among us, dwelt among
men. He was not an ordinary man. The Old Testament
records speak of his preexistence. Read it. There
in the second psalm, in the seventh verse, the
psalmist calls him the Son of God. 16th chapter
of Genesis. It's there. Begin with that seventh
verse. The word describes him as the angel of
the Lord. And again there are references over
and over referring to him as Jehovah. In Daniel,
the book tells us that the story of the three
boys thrown into the fiery furnace and a fourth
appearing with them, designated as the Son of
God. This event took place about the year 600
B .C. and over and over there are Old Testament
quotations which refer to preexistent manifestations
of the Christ reproduced in the New Testament.
An established person. His preexistence established
as a fact. He was with God, active with God the
Father at the time of the creation of the world.
Continue. Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost,
born of the Virgin Mary? Look at the glorious
prophecy in Isaiah. The Lord himself shall give
you a sign. Behold, a virgin shall conceive and
bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
Now go a little further, that glorious, that
marvelous annunciation. And the angel said unto
her, Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found favor
with God. And behold, thou shalt conceive in
thy womb and bring forth a son, and shalt call
his name Jesus. The Holy Ghost shall come upon
thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow
thee. Therefore also that holy thing which shall
be born of thee shall be called the Son of...
And then look at that marvelous fulfillment in
the second chapter of Luke. For unto you is born
this day in the city of David a Savior, which
is Christ the Lord. Consider something just a
moment. Prior to this discipleship, Luke was
a physician. He practiced medicine according
to the regulations of Roman law. He would have
been the very last man of his day to be conceived
by false claims. Know that. And it was Luke who
was speaking. It was Luke the physician. It was
Luke the doctor who said, For unto you is born
this day in the city of David a Savior, which
is Christ the Lord. He practiced medicine. Believe
me, he would have been the very last man to be
deceived by false claims. The record of events
in Judea contained in his gospel reads like a
birth certificate, substantiating the claims
made for the virgin birth. Matthew's report is
equally clear and satisfying. Both writers, both
Luke... and Matthew knew Mary personally and
were therefore within reach of original sources
of information. No, they were not fooled. They
were not deceived. On a certain occasion, the
birth of Christ was a subject of discussion between
himself and a group of religious leaders. The
conversation is recorded in the 8th chapter of
John. Our Lord's claim to supernatural birth
is stated in the words, I proceeded forth and
came from God. Jesus made a very definite statement.
He said with his own lips, I came from God. and
his words provoked ridicule and anger on a part
of those to whom he spoke. They hurled a terrible
insult at his mother. They said, We are not born
of fornication. They sought to imply that he
was thus born. Oh, how Christ must have resented
the slur. That they should have had your... to
blacken the name of the fairest among women.
It's not difficult to imagine his fingers twitching,
his cheeks flushing, and words taking the form
of barbed arrows. And his answer was quick. His
answer was sharp. As he turned to them and said,
Ye are of your father, the devil. Consider something
that's very marvelous and very precious. Immediately
after the annunciation, Mary sought out her closest
kin. The word says that she arose and went into
the hill country with haste into a city of Judah.
The hill country was a mountainous track running
along the middle of Judea from north to south.
and the city was probably Hebron. She entered
the house of Zacharias and saluted Elizabeth.
Her behavior reflected a purity of soul which
the enemies of Christ have never, never been
able to deface. And she greeted Elizabeth with
this glorious shout. My soul doth magnify the
Lord. Had Mary been guilty of the charges named
above, she would not have sought the association
of close friends and relatives. She would have
been sorrowful. She would have been crestfallen.
She would have desired seclusion. But instead,
her general deportment and ecstasy of spirit
is therefore psychological in support of the
virgin birth. It's impossible to level our Lord
down to human proportions. In the argument with
the religionist who falsely accused his mother,
he uttered this challenge. Which of you convinces
me of sin? He's the only person ever to live.
on this earth entirely immune to sin. His bitterest
enemies never proved that he committed a single
sin in the days of his flesh. Only God could
live a sinless life in a sin -filled world. The
miraculous life of Christ is an unanswerable
argument for his miraculous birth. The announcement
in the 22nd Psalm is this. A seed shall serve
him. Referred to the preparation of a human body
in which the infinite would be housed for 33
years. A seed shall serve him. This seed conceived
by the Holy Ghost. contained all the potentialities
of deity which became manifest in the most sublime
life ever known on this earth. Beloved, here's
something. The eternal sun incarnate was and
is very God. complete and perfect in essence,
in qualities, attributes, love, will, and purpose.
He assumed the limitations like those of man,
physical and spiritual, in order to consummate
the plan of human redemption. He demonstrated
power over sin, over disease, over death, and
the elements of nature. as much man as though
he were not God, as much God as though he were
not man. He is this hour. He was very God. He
fulfilled Old Testament prophecies proclaiming
this deity. He referred to his pre -existence
by saying, Before the world was, I am. Wonderful
is my Savior. Wondrous the peace in my soul since
I at the fountain of cleansing was redeemed.
and fully made whole. Wondrous the joy he bestoweth
since I from my guilt am free, but the wonder
of wonders forever is the love of my Savior for
me. Wonderful is his power who holdeth the earth
in his hands. Angels in heaven adore him and
bow at his holy commands. Wonderful is his glory,
great is his majesty, but, beloved, the wonder
of wonders forever is the love of my Savior for
me. Do you know him like? that it's the most
wonderful thing in the world, this salvation
which he made possible to us.