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started in the hills of Bethlehem will be reechoed by the voice of a
great multitude, as the voice of many waters, saying, “Alleluia: for the
Lord God omnipotent reigneth” (
Revelation 19:6
).
By His obedience to all the commandments of God, Christ wrought
out a redemption for men. This was not done by going out of Himself
to another, but by taking humanity into Himself. Thus Christ gave
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to humanity an existence out of Himself. To bring humanity into
Christ, to bring the fallen race into oneness with divinity, is the work
of redemption. Christ took human nature that men might be one with
Him as He is one with the Father, that God may love man as He loves
His only-begotten Son, that men may be partakers of the divine nature,
and be complete in Him.
The Holy Spirit, which proceeds from the only-begotten Son of
God, binds the human agent, body, soul, and spirit, to the perfect,
divine-human nature of Christ. This union is represented by the union
of the vine and the branches. Finite man is united to the manhood of
Christ. Through faith human nature is assimilated with Christ’s nature.
We are made one with God in Christ.
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