I want to tell you a story about a man. I don’t know where he lives today because he is being hunted and is in hiding. He has committed no crime. However, to the men who are searching for him, he has committed the crime of belonging to the wrong religion, and they are searching for him with the purpose of taking his life. His story illustrates in a very practical way the importance of the subject we will study here.
A believer in the Islamic religion, his belief was so powerful and fervent that he named one of his sons after Osama Bin Laden. He’d grown up in the Middle East in a radical Islamic family, but he had a scholarly aptitude and this led him to become a lawyer. He also became a Mosque leader and teacher known as a Mullah. Eventually he was a government educator responsible for the training of all Mullahs in his region, and serving as a professor at an Islamic university.
He led many pilgrimages to Mecca, wrote many scholarly articles and books—including a work on Islam that is still studied in some Saudi Arabian schools today—training young men and encouraging them to join the self-proclaimed Islamic state, ISIS. This is what he said, “Because of my job I couldn’t reveal that. I was doing it under the table. In my private sessions and meetings, I always would embrace and encourage people to join ISIS.”
As part of his educational background, he had studied comparative religions and this included studying Christianity. He read the Old Testament and then he read the New Testament, and soon his mind began to trouble him. He said, “I started seeing there were better things there than what we had. I found that there were clear mistakes in the Koran.” For example, he was bothered by the fact that the Koran said that a Samaritan led the worship of the golden calf, rather than Aaron. The problem was Samaria didn’t exist at that time in Earth’s history so there were no Samaritans.
He noticed that in the Koran, the story of Haman is set in Egypt rather than Persia and he could see that some things just didn’t fit. In addition, he found that there were linguistic hurdles required to explain the Arabic in the Koran. The more inconsistencies he found, the more troubled he became. His faith, his trust in the religion he had served fervently his whole life was shaken. He said later, “Even during my many pilgrimages to Mecca, I was troubled with doubt. Why are we going around the Kaaba?” he asked himself about the tradition of circling the stone in the center of Mecca’s great mosque. “I tried to justify that it was Allah’s command for us to worship him, not to worship the Kaaba, but I was not satisfied. I felt like I was actually an idol worshiper anyway.”
Two things brought his career as a teacher in the Islamic university to an abrupt end.
- He was asked to give two lectures. The first lecture was about how Islam honored women in front of an audience of about 100 women. But he said, I knew that wasn’t true. Islamic religion dishonors woman, demeans women.” So, rather than give the lecture, he said, “I apologize, I cannot give this lecture.” That was just the beginning of his trouble.
- The second lecture was to be about the early military advances of Islam. Many Islamic people refer to this as the “Error of Openings.” He knew all about the history, but he could no longer present it in a positive light. He said, “I realized that the early wars were actually criminal,” involving criminal events that resulted in the death of thousands of people. And as he criticized these early conquests, several students sprang up and ran to tell the dean. The dean came immediately and told him to step aside. He said, no, you just sit here and listen.
He finished his lecture, explaining that these early Islamic wars were not providential leadings of God, but the work of the devil, and he criticized them as criminal intent and actions. He was immediately fired.
By this time, he was so agitated in mind over what was happening to his religion, he decided he would study comparative religions full time and figure out the answer for himself.
Not Christianity
He was a strict Muslim who believed all Christians were infidels because they worshiped three gods and he only worshiped one god, Allah. So, he wouldn’t be studying Christianity. Instead, he would study monotheistic religions like Asceticism and Judaism. His actions shocked his two wives and his first wife said to him, “Are you crazy? What are you doing to us?” He said, “I can no longer accept the teachings of Islam as the truth.” She immediately requested and obtained a divorce. His second wife said, “I am patient, I’ll stay and see what happens.”
She needed patience because he had only begun a long search for the truth. His whole life was now shattered because everything he had devoted his life to he didn’t believe was true anymore. He felt that his life had been wasted believing and teaching a religion that wasn’t true.
He was determined to find the truth, and after much study, he made the decision to become a Jew. He had studied the Old Testament and felt it made sense. He traveled to Israel and studied with a Jewish rabbi and began the process of converting to Judaism. However, when he returned home, he continued to study and compare other religions.
During this time, something very interesting happened. He stumbled across a film about the crucifixion of Jesus. As he watched the crucifixion, he became emotional. He said, “As a human being, I always felt so sorry for the way this Person was treated. I felt sorry for the Christians.”
He turned the television off and cried out to God, “Father, why has it taken me all these years to find You? Why were You hiding from me? Why did You let me do all these things? Why are millions of people being lost because they don’t know You? God, reveal Yourself to me even if it means my death.
“Suddenly, a response came into my mind. I don’t know what happened, but I felt the presence of God; a strange, comforting power I could feel but I could not see. My mind became filled with ideas that I never thought of before. It was like Someone was talking to me, but they were talking directly to my mind. Questions would come into my mind and immediately the answers would come.”
Suddenly, a new question came to his mind: Is it really strange for God to decide to appear in human flesh? If God is as great as we say, was it impossible for Him to come to this world in human flesh, to live in this world as a man? that God could come to this world as a man. For the first time in his life, he was open to an idea that he had never thought of before and had always been taught was heresy. He began to accept the idea was possible.
“I decided that I needed to find someone who could explain the Christian religion to me.” So, he searched and found a Christian pastor. When he entered the church, the receptionist was a woman. He had been for so many years such a strict Muslim, he was unable to even look her in the face. When he was introduced to the pastor, he said he wanted to learn about the Christian religion and they began studying the Bible together. Soon he became a Christian.
While taking discipleship training from this pastor, he began inviting Muslims into his home, telling them about the new religion he had found. With his extensive knowledge of Islamic religions and now, his understanding of Christianity as well, he knew well how to reach the Islamic mind, and he became an effective evangelist to the Muslim people. As a result of these discussions in his home, many Muslims accepted Christianity along with his wife, and presently, over 20 of his extended family have become Christians.
Trouble Can Always Find You
He and his wife lived across the street from a Mosque. The police found out that someone had put out a contract on his life and warned him to immediately flee. Because of the people who are looking to kill him, he and his family are living in hiding to this day.
While in hiding, he has written a book exposing the fallacies of Islam while supporting the Christian faith. He and his wife are working to witness to others, explaining what God had done in their lives and what He could do for anyone who asked. He pointed out all that Jesus could give them in contrast to their former religion. They are requesting that Christian believers all over the world to please pray for them and their children while they continue to live in secret.
As I read this man’s story, I saw very clearly what it was that led him to forsake being a Muslim or a Jew, converting, instead, to Christianity. What was it? When he understood that the God of heaven came to this world as a man. The apostle Paul said, concerning Jesus, “In Him exists all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.” He was God in the flesh. His name is called Immanuel meaning “God with us.” The incarnation of the second person of the Godhead, Jesus Christ, is an essential foundational part of the Christian religion.
The Reasons For The Incarnation
- Our God is not an arbitrary God. Everything that God does has a purpose. What were the reasons for the incarnation?
The incarnation was the solution to a universal crisis. Our God is a God of absolute righteousness.
“Clouds and darkness surround Him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.” Psalm 97:2. The foundation of God’s throne are righteousness and justice.
“Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; mercy and truth go before Your face. Blessed are the people who know the joyful sound!” Psalm 89:14, 15. Have you heard that joyful sound?
When a leader in God’s government rebels and persuades millions of other leaders in God’s government to rebel and practice unrighteousness, He must react against this rebellion if He is to maintain His righteousness and the righteousness of His government.
As a moral being, God must respond to the sinfulness, injustice, and unrighteousness of those who rebel against His government. This stability is not because God is superior in force and through force He would compel His subjects to obey His will. That is the devil’s way. The stability of God’s government is based on the mutual love and trust between God and the creatures He has made.
The law defines the only safe way to live, it does not force the will into obedience. The people in other worlds throughout the universe understand God’s government and His law, but millions of people in this world are still under the delusion that you can live contrary to God’s law and not die. That’s the first lie that the devil told to mankind and it is still being told and believed by every new generation of people on this earth. All of God’s creatures who believe and obey His law will live in freedom.
“And the commandment, which was to bring life … .” Romans 7:10, first part
The purpose of the commandment is to bring life. The inhabitants of the unfallen worlds have always kept the law and have a clear knowledge of God’s character, which is His law, and they live forever.
- The incarnation of Christ was to reveal to both the unfallen worlds and to this world the character of God the Father. This was necessary because when Lucifer rebelled against God and His government (Revelation 12), he lied about God. He said that God was selfish and sought self-exaltation. His claims made it appear that God was breaking His own law, going against His own character. Sadly, unfallen angels were deceived, believed these lies, and fell into sin, and ultimately, joined Lucifer in rebellion against their Creator. Lucifer attributed to God his own sinful characteristics and continues to tell these horrific lies today, and millions will die eternally because they believe the devil.
“No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.” John 1:18
Jesus came as a man to live the law so that Satan’s charges against God could be proved to be the lies they were and to show mankind how to be like Christ.
“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
“ ‘If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.’
“Philip said to Him, ‘Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.’
“Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, “Show us the Father”? Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works.’ ” John 14:6–10
Jesus talked about this in the gospel of Matthew.
“At that time Jesus answered and said, ‘I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight. All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.’ ” Matthew 11:25–27
Nobody knows the Father if he doesn’t know the Son. If a person has a wrong conception of the nature of Christ, he will have a wrong conception of the Father. Not only that, he will have a wrong conception of sin.
If you want to have the eternal destiny that Jesus made possible for you, you must go through Bethlehem.
“The story of Bethlehem is an exhaustless theme. In it is hidden ‘the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God.’ Romans 11:33. We marvel at the Saviour’s sacrifice in exchanging the throne of heaven for the manger, and the companionship of adoring angels for the beasts of the stall. Human pride and self-sufficiency stand rebuked in His presence. Yet this was but the beginning of His wonderful condescension. It would have been an almost infinite humiliation for the Son of God to take man’s nature, even when Adam stood in his innocence in Eden. But Jesus accepted humanity when the race had been weakened by four thousand years of sin.” The Desire of Ages, 48, 49
The Key Word
“But Jesus accepted humanity when the race had been weakened by four thousand years of sin. Like every child of Adam, He accepted the results of the working of the great law of heredity.” Ibid., 49
Weakened. That is the key word here. A human being has a physical nature, none exactly the same as another, but none of us has a physical nature like Adam had when he was created. Adam was clothed with a garment of light that covered him all the time, until he sinned. But when Jesus came to our world, He did not come with a physical nature covered with a garment of light. He had to wear clothes like you and me. That’s why the apostle Paul says in Romans 8, that He came in the likeness of sinful flesh, and that His physical nature was weakened as a result of 4,000 years of sin.
A human being has not only a physical nature but a mental nature as well. Our mental nature is different from each other; we inherit different powers of the mind. Some can read something just once and are then able to quote it verbatim. Others can work out difficult math problems and algebraic equations in their head. Poets look at a flower and describe it in lyrical prose. Artists can look at a scene in nature and paint it on canvas, perfectly reflecting its colors, nuances, and details. Or a sculptor can look at a block of wood or stone and see in it a beautiful woman or heroic man.
But when Jesus came to this world, He came with the mental power of people of that generation after 4,000 years of corruption.
Except in Sin
Human beings have not only a physical nature and a mental nature but they also have a moral or spiritual nature. Christ inherited from Adam a physical and mental nature weakened by 4,000 years of sin, but His moral or spiritual power was not like that of Adam’s progeny. He accepted the results of the working of the law of heredity, but it is very important to understand the truth on this point.
“He [Christ] for our sakes laid aside His royal robe, stepped down from the throne in heaven, and condescended to clothe His divinity with humanity, and became like one of us except in sin.” The Youth’s Instructor, October 20, 1886
Did you catch it? He became like us except in what? Except in sin.
“His spiritual nature was free from every taint of sin.” The Signs of the Times, December 9, 1897. That cannot be said of any other human being, including Enoch and Elijah, who were translated.
“Jesus was sinless and had no dread of the consequences of sin. With this exception His condition was like yours.” Manuscript Releases, Vol. 4, 235
“Never in any way, leave the slightest impression upon human minds that a taint of, or inclination to corruption rested upon Christ.” Ibid., Vol. 13, 19
That’s not true of us. We are in constant danger from inward corruption as well as outward temptation.
A Common Cause
By Christ’s birth in Bethlehem, God Himself came to defend and advocate for us against Satan and his confederacy. By Christ coming to this world as a man, God moved to win the universe back to Himself and by the incarnation, God has changed the course of the world forever, binding the entire universe to Himself. Since Jesus was tempted in all points like as we are yet without sin, the incarnation of Christ guarantees an eternal triumphant conclusion to the great controversy between Christ and Satan. In order for God the Father to remain as sovereign Lord of His universe, all sin must be conquered.
How do you respond to the incarnation of Christ? The incarnation of Christ is a call by the God of heaven to forsake all self-seeking and self-exaltation, selfishness and service of self. Remember the time when a Person who sat on the throne in heaven arose, laid aside His robe, took off His crown, laid aside His scepter, and came to this world in human flesh, exchanging the adoration of unfallen angels for the company of the beasts in a stall; who lived the life of a poor man so that, as the apostle Paul says, through His poverty we might be made rich (2 Corinthians 8:9). The incarnation of Christ reveals what is in the heart of every man, woman, and child. What’s in your heart? The incarnation of Christ is an invitation. Will you accept His invitation?
Then Jesus said to His disciples, If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” Matthew 16:24
Pastor John J. Grosboll is the Director of Steps to Life and pastors the Prairie Meadows Church in Wichita, Kansas. He may be reached by email at historic@stepstolife.org or by telephone at 316-788-5559.