CHRIST-LIKENESS

THE CHRIST-LIKENESS OF GOD

 

At this point another feature is being added to the discussion of the attributes of God. In some sense this is the most important feature in the entire discussion, or perhaps it might be wise to refer to it as the crowning feature of the discussion. This is an effort to express what God did when He sought to teach men what God is like. This was accomplished perfectly, completely, and finally in the incarnation of Christ. God is like Christ. You have only to look at Christ to know what God is like.

To avoid any misunderstanding, it needs to be stated here that Christ is God. The Scriptures are replete with affirmations of His deity. The prophecy of His coming birth stated that His name shall be called Immanuel, meaning God with us (Isa. 7:14; Matt. 1:23). In further delineation of His name, Isaiah calls him "The mighty God" (Isa. 9:6). John the Baptist was to prepare the way of the Lord and make straight in the desert a highway for our God (Isa. 40:3; Matt. 3:3). John insisted that "the Word was God" (John 1:1). Christ did not hesitate to make claim that He was God (John 8:58).

But in this study it is not the purpose to set forth the doctrine of Christ, though it will be necessary to draw heavily upon the doctrine of the incarnation of Christ. The real purpose is to bring into focus all that has been set forth up to this point on the doctrine of God. This can be crystalized in Christ, inasmuch as God is like Christ. What has hitherto been a discussion in the realm of the ab­stract will now take shape in the concrete likeness of Christ.