Philippians 2:5-11 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

The fact that Christ came in flesh – becoming a man, being humiliated, suffering, and taking on the form of a servant so that you could enjoy him far greater than ever before – should bring the believer to enjoy this truth of the gospel, to glorify His work.

Christ came to earth taking on the believers’ flesh, nature, and the humiliation that came with it; suffering in it and becoming a servant, to then lay down His life for what He took on. How great that is! Christ, fully divine – the Lord of all creation – came and not only took on this human flesh, but lowered Himself like us. This is what we call the doctrine of the Kenosis. This doctrine is the fact that the eternal existence of Christ came here to earth. In doing so, it is a fact that, He being the Lord of all, Christ in full deity came and lowered Himself into a human body – being like that of humanity and placing His divinity aside. He did not lose any of His divinity, but placed it aside (in the sense that He took on humanity). It is of most importance when dealing with this truth of the gospel, to know that Christ’s self- emptying and the permitting of His human state did not take away or lose any bit of His deity in any way, shape, or form. Christ was fully human and divine!

86This emptiness was self-imposed, as Christ wanted to take on this human form for the believer. Christ knew what this meant for the sake of the gospel, as it would be that which would take on the sins of the world. By doing so, Christ knew that this humanity that He would take on would have to bear those sins upon the cross. To this He became a slave. His becoming the likeness of men, for men, is amazing! How great it is that the Lord in divinity, came down to become like that which He loved so dearly; and even more so for the believer to boast in that they serve a Christ who came and emptied Himself so that He could provide a way of victory over sin – being their sin bearer.

Christ, allowing Himself to do so, must be boasted in. Christ’s full deity came to partake where the believer sins every day, every hour. And how great it is to say that He never sinned! Christ fully left the heavens, and He never sinned one time in His humanity – and He did this for the believer. However, He did not do this so that the believer can get a free ticket to heaven and use Him. He did this so that the believer can enjoy Him, in making God center of their lives, and Christ magnified among all things. In America’s culture today it is often looked upon that Christ was human; and that is not tested. But when boasting in Christ – since He came here to earth in both humanity and divinity – the believer must stand for this truth; and finding delight in that Christ did not lose anything when He came for them, makes it glorious. But most important of all for the believer who boasts in this, is to live it out. The believer can boast in the exact resemblance of what the believer should be like. The believer, learning how to be humble, lifts Christ’s life here on earth above all things. As well as becoming a servant to those around them and helping others in areas of need, they may resemble what Christ did for His people. That is, giving their life; for if the cause of Christ calls them into suffering in remote places of the earth, they make Christ be known and boasted in, for the believers’ delight in life. Christ living out these truths accomplished two things: it showed how He gave the gospel to the believer, and also how to live the gospel.

Matthew 1:23 Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).

Luke 1:27 To a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary.

Christ was born of a virgin mother. This is unique in that He was the only human conceived in this manner; and it is different from all other beings. Christ being planted in the womb by the Spirit shows the believer the spectacular birth that proved the deity of Christ among all creation, being the Savior of humanity.

The virgin birth, to some, may not seem crucial to belief. However, it is a truth of the gospel that makes Jesus the Christ. It is of great importance to maintain a high view and belief in the virgin conception of Jesus Christ, because without such a doctrine you simply lose Jesus Christ. In losing Jesus as the Christ you merely have another human leader that claimed to be “the way.” This virgin birth shows and reveals that Jesus was the Christ and the “One” that would come to save the world. It is sad that some do not believe or see this truth of the gospel as important. If you take away the virgin birth of Christ, you are left with nothing but a bastard for a son – no Lord, no Savior; just some guy, and a mockery of the scripture beforehand which prophesied of his virgin birth (such as Isaiah 7:14 – “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”). The doctrine that Christ was literally born from the womb of a virgin mother is important to the gospel. Without this concept, the gospel becomes like every other religion that there is, and followers of Jesus of Nazareth become followers of a mere man that walked around the world.

For the gospel, it gives the supernatural and unthinkable: could it even happen that a human individual came into this earth born of a virgin? For Christ is a supernatural Christ. He always existed, He did miracles, He performed healings, changed lives – and further, it is essential for the believer to see the importance that He came from a virgin womb. It is critically important, because without knowing this, it belittles how and why Christ came. His coming to earth was miraculous in that it was like no other. For the believer, they serve and live for a miraculous Christ, who is by no means bound to laws or anything that the human mind may think of. For the believer not to boast in this supernatural event is to make Christ a liar or a type of fake that claims Himself, “to be the only begotten Son of God.” The believer can delight in knowing that the Savior was like no man, but became like that of man to bear their sins. This Son of God that came to save the sins of the world had chosen a way that would leave all of humanity dumbfounded by its nature.

The believer finds his delight in the truth of the virgin birth by its beauty; especially in the marvel that they – the believer – can even serve such a Christ. The believer can boast that Christ fulfills His Word, which had once been prophesied and had now been completed in His virgin birth. The believer can affirm their Savior because of the wonderful accounts and records of this type of birth actually happening! They can boast that Christ’s birth was like that of His resurrection in that because of his supernatural birth, He was also supernaturally raised from the dead. O how great for the believer to know they serve a Lord whose blood would have never been supernatural if it was not for this supernatural birth; nor would His incarnation even been able to occur without this act of the virgin birth. Christ will one day return for His believers, and what great honor it will be when His believers see Him face to face, knowing that they believed that this supernatural event of the virgin birth was a factor in making Christ look glorious to the nations, and was necessary for His supernatural second coming for His people. The believer can praise God for sending Christ in such a way that would astonish those who are saved and unsaved alike; to see the wonder and awe that lies in Christ’s person, and who He is today. For the believer may then praise Christ for making His incarnation greater than all humanity, so that He could accomplish redemption in such a way that it would – and will – leave the believer with nothing more to say or do, but boast in this Christ whom is greater than all things, and above all things, for all time.

John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

1 John 4:2-3 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.

The incarnation should be boasted in, as it was the very Son of the Trinity, Jesus Christ, that took on flesh so that He could bring the believer back to God. How great it is to worship a Christ that lowered Himself in the form of humanity to save God’s creation and restore His believers back to His Father!

The incarnation of Christ is His taking on human flesh through the birth of a virgin mother named Mary, to come and save His sheep from their sins. This means that full deity came and dwelt inside a human nature. Herman Bavinck says, “The Father could not be sent, for he is the first in order and is self- existent; the Spirit proceeds from the Son, secedes him, and is sent by him. But the Son was the one suited for the incarnation.” The Word becoming flesh means that the divine Christ took on human form. The incarnation of Jesus Christ, being of a virgin birth, was not a necessity in the sense that it had to happen, but in the sense that it was a sign of the uniqueness of the person, character, and nature of Jesus Christ. Christ never had human form until this miraculous birth; from it He will maintain this human form forever – from His resurrection until eternity.

Herman Bavick, Reformed Dogmatics Ed. John Bolt, Trans. John Vriend (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2006), p276. 80For the believer, this truth of the gospel reveals many things that they can boast in, and that can be reassuring to the souls of many. Not only had God once revealed Himself in the ways of the Old Testament, but greatly also in the literal incarnation of Christ, that a believer may know that God wanted to reveal Himself to mankind. How great it is that He came in form like that of man so that He could reveal Himself to them. Not only does this beauty of Christ coming in human flesh give us the reality of Christ, but it also helps us in our pattern of living to live like Him – namely honoring and giving glory to the Father! This could be one of the most applicable truths of the character of Christ. How great for the believer to see Christ’s life, and resemble it, in making known that the name of God is a blessing and only a part of the abundant positives that the incarnation of Christ gives the believer. The believer must praise Christ that He came in this incarnation; for without the incarnation there would have been no Savior for man. How much greater it is to say that Christ came and had to take on this form of humanity so that He now can fulfill the Davidic covenant sitting on His throne. It can be boasted that the believer’s Lord sits on His throne, ruling in the human flesh of man, progressing His kingdom as He may. For this incarnation not only came and is ruling, but will return in the same state of man, to come and glorify those who are His people. But how much more gratifying to the heart of mankind is it to see that their Savior suffered like them in every aspect and in every shape and form – to feel the pains and hardship and temptations like that of man. Man can find joy in the fact that Christ can feel their pain and relate to their suffering. Christ felt the needs of every hurt, every pain, and every broken heart that would ever need His healing; Christ felt it entirely and suffered for them. It is grand that in the end of time mankind will be judged by this Jesus Christ, who took on human form and suffered in human flesh so that He can judge the living and the dead. For those of you who are believers, boast in your glorious judge; boast in the One that lowered Himself; boast in the victory you have because of Jesus Christ taking on your nature and having victory. The victory of Christ in the flesh is the believer’s victory to lift Christ high in what He deserves. Christ came back in flesh form so that He could redeem the creation that had fallen at Adam. The believer lifts truths like this to make Christ more beautiful to the nations of people among the earth. Boasting in a creator that came in creation form (human flesh) to redeem creation is like no other god, no other religion, and no other story that can be told. Therefore, lift Christ high – boast and find all enjoyment in that One that gives you delight, gives you victory from sin, gives you hope in that victory of sin, and keeps you free from sin because of His plan of saving your soul from hell. Archibald Alexander Hodge said this on Christ’s incarnation:

How can it be shown that the doctrine of the incarnation is a fundamental doctrine of the gospel?

1st This doctrine, and all the elements thereof, is set forth in the Scriptures with pre-eminent clearness and prominence.

2nd Its truth is essentially involved in every doctrine of the entire system of faith; in every mediatorial act of Christ, as prophet, priest and king; in the whole history of his estate of humiliation, and in every aspect of his estate of exaltation; and above all, in the significance and value of that vicarious sacrifice which is the heart of the gospel.

John 1:1-4 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men.

John 20:27-28 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”

For believers to grasp in their heart that they serve a Christ that is supreme in power – and is altogether holy, divine, and sacred – will call believers to boast, as they hold Jesus Christ high above all other things enjoyed in the gospel.

Jesus Christ’s deity is like nothing that any man can ever imagine. It is too great for the man’s mind because it is in Christ’s nature alone that it exists. For only He can claim supremely, with all good and powerful might, that He is greater than all things. There is none like Him, and there are none that compare to, or even can claim to be in the same category as Him. Daniel Hyde gives a great insight to this deity when explaining the above text, John 1:1-4:

John then speaks again, with clarity, of the deity of the Word, our Lord, in John 1:4 when he says, “In him was life.” What an amazing statement! The One whom we know as Jesus was and is, in John’s words, the author and source of all life. Since the giving of life to all creation is the prerogative of God alone, there could be no clearer way of John to say that our Lord is God than saying He is also the source of spiritual life.

It is simple to see in passages like this that Jesus Christ, being divine, provided the means by which the believer can have spiritual life. What more can the believer do than boast in the fact that Christ, in His deity, provided a way that He would become flesh – not losing any deity – and provide such measures of eternity! If one does not see or believe in the deity of Christ, they lose Christ; He is just another man, another figure who lived, and is nothing to be boasted in or even worshipped. James Boice said, “Christ’s own claims occur throughout the Gospels, both directly and indirectly. Practically everything Jesus said was an indirect claim to divinity.” For the believer, they must believe in Jesus Christ’s deity or Jesus Christ becomes mere Jesus – just a man, and not The Man.

The believer can boast that their Savior was both fully man and fully Lord. How great it is that Christ said in Mark 1:15, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” Jesus Christ, the believer’s Lord, claimed constantly that He was Lord. We see this in Thomas’ declaration after seeing and feeling the scars of Christ in John 20:28: “My Lord and my God!” This is what the believer as well should see in their Lord: that He is your Lord, your God. John Piper states:

Christ does not exist in order to make much of us. We exist in order to enjoy making much of him… Christ is not glorious so that we get wealthy, or healthy. Christ is glorious so that rich or poor, sick or sound, we might be satisfied in him.

There is none more supreme – none greater and more holy – than Jesus Christ. The believer can boast in a Christ that existed with God; for in this truth, how great it is for the soul of man to rest in knowing that their Lord was always with God, and now sits at the right hand of God. The believer can boast in their Lord that He was with God. Christ’s claim in John 14:9 (“He who has seen me has seen the Father”) shows that Christ is Lord and is above all things. The believer must see the importance of placing Christ in their lives in the great magnitude that He truly is – above all things. Boasting that Christ was fully divine – and is still today fully divine – lifts Him to the place that He is, and makes Christ more beautiful to the soul of man. John’s great assertion in his gospel – “And the Word was God” – should be a declaration made by the many that boast in the gospel, asserting that Christ was 100% fully divine. James Boice says it well when he states:

Everything that can be said about the Father can be said of the Son as well. Is the Father sovereign? So is Jesus. Is the Father omniscient? So is Jesus. Is he omnipresent? So is Jesus. In fact, in Jesus may be found all wisdom, glory, power, love, holiness, justice, goodness and truth of God.

The believer, knowing this deity, can boast in Christ, not only finding their satisfaction in knowing they serve a divine Savior, but by exalting the gospel greater than ever before. How great to boast in lifting Christ to what He deserves; leaving the believer in awe and wonder until the day they see fully their divine Christ.

John 1:51 And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

John 3:13-15 No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

Christ referred to Himself as the “Son of Man” so that He could relate with man. For the believer this is to be seen, as Christ showed Himself fully as the Man who would redeem mankind.

Jesus Christ referred to Himself with this title, “Son of Man,” very often. The way that Christ used it is of importance to understanding why He did so, and how it relates to mankind – particularly believers. A title such as “Son of Man” would have never been used by anyone at His time; so in using it, Christ showed His pre-eminence above all mankind in being The Man. It is important to make mention that the only instance of an individual making this claim in the New Testament besides Christ Himself, is in Acts 7:56 where Stephen says, “‘Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.’” One often wonders here at Jesus Christ Himself when He stated in Luke 12:8, “And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God.” Stephen would have known these words of Christ to the Sanhedrin. It is a wonderful picture that he would have went home to, seeing Jesus Christ standing at the right hand of God in the heavens.

For the believer it is significant to see how Christ made this claim, and in what senses it related to the believers of His day, and for the believer today. First, this claim was always and only used to refer to Himself. When Christ uses the term “Son of Man,” it is often used to mean “I” so that He could relate with the culture of the time. An example of this is found in Luke 9:35, where Christ says to His disciples, “And Jesus said to him, ‘Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.’”

Another way that Christ used this term was in emphasizing the importance of His full humanity, in that He would have to suffer and be put to death. The term “Son of Man,” used by the former Prophets speaking to the suffering aspect of the Messiah, was commonly used, but may not have been fully understood by the disciples at this time. Here Jesus Christ reveals exactly what it means: that the Son of Man would suffer – when in Mark 8:31 He states, “And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again.” Such a claim would have brought much enlightenment to the disciples in what was about to happen in fulfillment of the Scriptures.

Lastly, the way in which Christ referred to Himself by the term “Son of Man” was a claim to authority that He had upon creation, showing His superiority over all things, and being the absolute truth. The Son of Man had full domain over all things, unlike common mankind. This term, then, was to show that Christ is The Man, over all things.

How great to see how important it is for Christ to reveal Himself to mankind, so that He could save mankind. The fact that Jesus Christ claimed Himself as one like mankind shows us the relationship that He had with His disciples, and has with His fellow brethren. The believer can boast in the fact that this title shows that He came to fulfill the scriptures in that the Son of Man was to suffer for them. To boast in the One who not only made a way to relate with the believer and suffer for the believer, but also to relate Himself like that of man, gives more of a reality to the suffering that He truly took on for His people. As believers, we must boast in the truth that Christ lowered Himself to be called “Son of Man.” But moreover, boast in The Man who is to be lifted high among all men for His suffering; and given dominion over all things, and is to be praised and thanked.

John 10:36-38 Do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.

Romans 1:4-7 And was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ, To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ should be boasted in as He is the Son of God – a divine member of the Trinity. No one has, or ever can use this term except Christ, because of the fact that He alone is the living Son of God. And this must be boasted in so that His supremacy is made even more glorious.

The Son’s relation to the Father is presented with the term “Son of God” to declare that the perfect revelation of the Father is now forever given to mankind. Jesus Christ is titled the Son of God in the sense that He is one of the members of the Trinity. This claim was made on the occasion of His baptism in Mark 1:11, “And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased,’” and by the angel Gabriel announcing in Luke 1:35, “‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy– the Son of God.’” This title showed that Jesus Christ was the actual Son of the Trinity and the actual Son of God. Jesus used this to teach His disciples the fact that talking to the Son of God was the same as talking to the Father.

The believer must see that how they view and know Jesus Christ as the actual Son of God is of great importance. It is helpful to see Paul’s theology of this doctrine and its centrality to his preaching and teaching to the churches. From the moment of Paul’s salvation, Paul knew that it was the Son of God who called him. We see constantly that this Son of God was central to his salvation. In Galatians 1:15-16 Paul says, “But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone.” This understanding was not only central to his salvation, but also to his preaching as seen in Acts 9:20, “And immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, ‘He is the Son of God’” and in 2 Corinthians 1:19, “For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we proclaimed among you, Silvanus and Timothy and I, was not Yes and No, but in him it is always Yes.” Paul saw the importance of keeping Christ as the Son of God the absolute truth in salvation and in teaching through the Word.

The believer must see that the Son of God claims to be what the title says – the very Son of God. In Christ’s oneness, and in His equality, He can claim to be the Son with authority. The believer can boast in knowing that what Christ claimed about Himself was true: that He Himself is the way, the truth, and the life. The believer can boast that they serve a Christ who is in tune with, and always knowing, the Father perfectly. This is important to the believer because often times they feel distant from the Father. But knowing that this Son of God constantly and perfectly intercedes, helps to bring light to knowledge of – and communion with – the Father. The believer must boast that Jesus Christ is the living Son of God because only when the believer sees and knows the truth that lies in Him for salvation, can they be fully satisfied in Him. This is done in boasting in Jesus Christ and who He is – and not the believer’s self. Of even further importance in this very title is that it sent Jesus Christ to the cross, paying for the believer’s sin. This title is what Christ was accused of being wrong about; but because of it – He was indeed the Son of God – He provided a way for man to come to God.

John 10:25-30 Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name bear witness about me, but you do not believe because you are not part of my flock. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”

The oneness that Christ has with the Father demonstrates to the believer what type of relationship they too can have with the Father, as they boast in the truth that the Son is one with the Father.

Jesus Christ bears witness to God in His person, will, and work. This means for the believer that what Christ accomplished on earth and is doing today in the heavens is the same will which God agrees with and has providentially willed throughout eternity. This is exactly what Christ said in John 14:10-11, “Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.” Christ claims to have done the work and will of His Father perfectly, and that nothing He had done was done without full acceptance and in full agreement with the Father. Passages, such as Hebrews 1:3, “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power” and Colossians 1:15, “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation,” are filled with the truth that Jesus Christ is not only the radiance and imprint of His Father, but the same image that His Father is – the fullness of deity.

Although Christ came in human form, He was still one with God’s will, plan and work in redeeming those He came to save. Christ, before all times and while on earth, was in tune always with His Father, knowing what He willed and planned for His destiny upon the cross. Even in fully human form Christ was yet fully divine and was one with God. This is best described in Hebrews, where it reads, “He is the radiance of the glory of God.” Jesus Christ is the exact radiance of what God the Father is like. How is this teaching of any importance for the believer? The believer serves a Christ that is one with the Father. Jesus Christ – the God-man – paid death upon a cross for sinners. This is something to boast in – that the believer can serve Jesus Christ, who is one with the Father, and that there is no other religion that can claim this. Jesus Christ’s literal death upon that cross was God dying in the flesh for His creation so that it may be lifted high and exalted for the glory of God. This is accomplished when the believer sees that this oneness Christ had with God is something that they too can enjoy when serving Christ. In Christ, whom the believer boasts in and finds their pleasure in, is the truth that they become one with Christ, one with God – and there it lies. The believer here needs to see this oneness that Christ has – and had here on earth – and find bliss in that Christ has always been one, and will always be one, with His father God, for eternity. The believer doesn’t boast in a Father and Son who may disagree at times or argue like mere humans. This oneness that Christ has is not like anything the believer can ever imagine, even when compared to the likes of marriage or of an earthly father, mother or child. For this is one thing that the believer can only dream about having until the day of consummation; and can boast that they serve a Christ who is accordingly one with His Father, God, in all things and at all times.

John 8:58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”

It is great for the believer to know that they serve a Christ who has no beginning and will have no end. Boasting in this Christ gives the believer certainty and surety that their Savior is supreme over all things.

Christ was before all things. This is hard for the finite mind to understand because it only knows life with a beginning and an end. For Christ, however, this is not the case. Jesus Christ holds primacy over all things and is Creator of all things because He was before all things (Colossians 1:17: “And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together”). Before light was separated from darkness, Jesus Christ existed as Yahweh–the eternal existing God. One way of seeing this is through the prophet Micah when he said, “O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.” Before all creation, Christ was; and everything before creation was self-existent: the Father, the Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.

It is a crucial aspect of believing of the gospel to see that the gospel itself existed before creation. Christ in His pre-existence must be lifted high because there are none like Him, and none that can say they were there before creation. Knowing and believing that we serve a Christ who always existed, exalts Christ above all things. The believer must make this a crucial truth in their own life so that they may stand against false religions that claim that Jesus was either born, or that He was created. Such lies will only lead the believer to make less of the supremacy of Jesus Christ over all things, and lessens the gospel sweetness to their own soul.

How does the believer do this? Through knowing and understanding the truth of scripture that Christ was before all things – and as a result, is superior to all things. This Jesus Christ is different from all things and all beings; He was before all and will exist longer than all things. This very truth of the gospel must be boasted in a way that makes Christ appear as He truly is: pre-eminent in all things. Christ, in being before all things that exist, should be beautiful to the believer’s soul. Christ is a Savior like none other. It is a delight to know that the believer can find their stronghold in the Lord – for Christ is forever, and forever will be. It may be easy for the believer to get caught up in or to buy into the cultures of their day, the scientific theories of existence, or maybe the false religions of their time. By doing this, the believer will lose heart and not make this truth of Christ known. Nor will it glorify Christ to the fullest. The believer must boast in the fact that Christ was, is, and always will be.

John 8:31-32 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

The believer can boast in the fact that the character of Christ is truth; not simply that He speaks truth and does truth – but that He Himself is the truth. This should be boasted in, as He has given him freedom from the bondage of the sin that was upon his head.

Christ’s character is truth. There is no other being that can say this of himself besides Jesus Christ–who proclaimed that He is “the way, the truth and the life.” Jesus Christ is not only truth in and of Himself, but also is the truth for us–the truth that lost men need. Understanding this truth leads the believer to the reality of knowing Christ. Many men that live today have no idea of what truth is, nor do they have any realization of the one ultimate and absolute truth that exists to save mankind from sin. Knowing this truth calls the believer to delight in Christ – allowing them to partake in the truth that exists in Him. The very being of Christ’s character can, and will, set mankind free from sin. The truth that lies in His person and His work gives the lost the truth that they need to have victory over the lies that sin has fed them. This path of truth that Christ lays down for His elect gives the believer the way to truth. Oh, how great it is to know that Christ not only gives the way but is the way! This truth that is meant to be, is the truth that Christ has provided and is, is what one comes to and through so that they know their father. For there is no other means, method, or mode by which one can find and enjoy the absolute truth, without knowing the truth of Christ.

The believer must first see that they had no way to the Father; they had no way of knowing the truth, and no truth in themselves that would lead them to the path of finding God. Jesus Christ, by offering Himself up as the one-time sacrifice, has given hope to the lost in that they can come to know God the Father. For no reason other than glorifying Himself, Christ purchased the souls of those who believe, so that they may boast in Him. For the believer that knows this truth, this should be glee to their soul. The one who is bought and knows this truth that leads them to the throne of grace should never stop dwelling upon Christ and what He has done for His people. The believer must see that he was only able to walk in untruth, darkness, and condemnation without the truth that Christ provided for His people. And that is a glorious thought! The deepest detail of Christ’s truth is that of the accomplished work on His cross. It is the cross of Christ that allows mankind to know His Father’s truth. The beauty in Christ’s suffering, pain, torment, and death upon the cross, is what gives the believer joy, delight, and a life marked by communion with the Father. Jesus’ truth is the root of our faith, and is what believers need to cling to – understanding that they know the one truth that has forever been the same, and always will be. This truth of Christ is what God promised to His believers: that He would offer His Son, so that His people can know Him.

It is of primary importance for the believer to live in light of this truth and to carry out the mission of spreading the truth which has given them eternal life. This truth does not just change the believer’s life so that they can know God and keep it to themselves; but rather it calls the believer to proclaim the truth, and to live the truth not only with other believers, but in spreading this majestic truth to those who do not know it. The believer can boast in the gospel by finding the enjoyment of spreading this truth to all who do know it, and for those who do not. The fact that individuals do not know the truth of Christ calls the believer to tell all nations that Christ’s truth is the one and only way to finding enjoyment in life.

Part of boasting in this blessed gospel is living out gospel truth. This living of the truth allows others to see that the truth lives inside you. For this is just yet another reason why the truth has set the believer free – so that they can find joy in proclaiming the gospel to others, and that in return they can rejoice in seeing others know the wonderful truth of Christ. How much more should the believer find happiness in that they know the truth of Christ, which allows them to enjoy life like no other? Today many find happiness in television, music, the opposite sex, friends, family or work. The greatness of Christ’s truth is that the believer can always rely on the never-changing fact that Christ died for sinners to bring them to God. Knowing that this truth is the only way to God is what needs to be lifted high above all other pleasures that the believer may enjoy – for there is nothing greater than the absolute truth of our Christ.