The Two Natures of Christ

The Belgic Confession of Faith


Article 19: The Two Natures of Christ


We believe that by being thus conceived the person of the Son has been inseparably united and joined together with human nature, in such a way that there are not two Sons of God, nor two persons, but two natures united in a single person, with each nature retaining its own distinct properties.


Thus his divine nature has always remained uncreated, without beginning of days or end of life,44 filling heaven and earth.


Christ’s human nature has not lost its properties but continues to have those of a creature—it has a beginning of days; it is of a finite nature and retains all that belongs to a real body. And even though he, by his resurrection, gave it immortality, that nonetheless did not change the reality of his human nature; for our salvation and resurrection depend also on the reality of his body.


But these two natures are so united together in one person that they are not even separated by his death.


So then, what he committed to his Father when he died was a real human spirit which left his body. But meanwhile his divine nature remained united with his human nature even when he was lying in the grave; and his deity never ceased to be in him, just as it was in him when he was a little child, though for a while it did not show itself.


These are the reasons why we confess him to be true God and truly human—true God in order to conquer death by his power, and truly human that he might die for us in the weakness of his flesh.


44. Heb. 7:3

... and he shall give you another Comforter

Daily Light Devotions - June 23 - Morning


... and he shall give you another Comforter.

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever,  even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. 1

Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. 2

The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,  For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, "Abba! Father!"  Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 3

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. 4

and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. 5

By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.  6
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1. John 14:16,17;
2. John 16:7;
3. Rom 8:16,15,26;
4. Rom 15:13;
5. Rom 5:5;
6. 1 John 4:13

They lose their love miserably, who will not bestow it upon this lovely One

"O, pity for evermore that there should be such an one as Christ Jesus, so boundless, so bottomless, and so incomparable in infinite excellency, and sweetness, and so few to take him! O, ye poor dry and dead souls, why will ye come hither with your toom (empty) vessels and your empty souls to this huge, and fair, and deep, and sweet well of life, and fill all your toom vessels? O, that Christ should be so large in sweetness and worth, and we so narrow, pinched, so ebb, and so void of all happiness, and yet men will not take him! They lose their love miserably, who will not bestow it upon this lovely One." -- Rutherford, Samuel, and Ellen S. Lister. The Loveliness of Christ: Extracts from the Letters of Samuel Rutherford. Edinburgh: Banner of Truth Trust, 2007, 5.

(1 Cor 16:22)

Behold how he loved

Daily Light Devotions - June 22 - Evening


Behold how he loved.

So the Jews said, "See how he loved him!"  1

and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. 2

Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.  3

Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. 4

In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.  5

Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.  6

Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.  7

We love because he first loved us. 8

For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died;  and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. 9

If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love.  10
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1. John 11:36;
2. 2 Cor 5:15;
3. John 15:13;
4. Heb 7:25;
5. John 14:2,3;
6. John 17:24;
7. John 13:1;
8. 1 John 4:19;
9. 2 Cor 5:14,15;
10. John 15:10

The Incarnation

The Belgic Confession of Faith

Article 18: The Incarnation

So then we confess that God fulfilled the promise made to the early fathers and mothers by the mouth of the holy prophets when sending the only and eternal Son of God into the world at the time appointed.

The Son took the “form of a slave” and was made “in human form,”33 truly assuming a real human nature, with all its weaknesses, except for sin; being conceived in the womb of the blessed virgin Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit, without male participation.

And Christ not only assumed human nature as far as the body is concerned but also a real human soul, in order to be a real human being. For since the soul had been lost as well as the body Christ had to assume them both to save them both together.

Therefore we confess, (against the heresy of the Anabaptists who denied that Christ assumed human flesh from his mother) that Christ shared the very flesh and blood of children,34 being the “fruit of the loins” of David “according to the flesh,”35 “descended from David according to the flesh”;36 the “fruit of the womb” of the virgin Mary,37 “born of a woman”;38 the “seed of David”;39 the “root of Jesse”;40 “descended from Judah,”41 having descended from the Jews according to the flesh; descended from Abraham, having assumed descent from Abraham and Sara, and made “like his brothers and sisters,” yet without sin.42

In this way Christ is truly our Immanuel—that is: “God with us.”43

33. Phil. 2:7
34. Heb. 2:14
35. Acts 2:30
36. Rom. 1:3
37. Luke 1:42
38. Gal. 4:4
39. 2 Tim. 2:8
40. Rom. 15:12
41. Heb. 7:14
42. Heb. 2:17; 4:15
43. Matt. 1:23

For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God

Daily Light Devotions - June 22 - Morning

For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.1 

For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.  1

By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?  2

For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God.  I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.  3

and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.  4

And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.  5

that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.  6

Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.  7

Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.  8

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.' 9
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1. Col 3:3;
2. Rom 6:2;
3. Gal 2:20;
4. 2 Cor 5:15,17;
5. 1 John 5:20;
6. John 17:21;
7. 1 Cor 12:27;
8. John 14:19;
9. Rev 2:17

Grace withereth without adversity

"Grace withereth without adversity. The devil is but God's master fencer, to teach us to handle our weapons. " -- Rutherford, Samuel, and Ellen S. Lister. The Loveliness of Christ: Extracts from the Letters of Samuel Rutherford. Edinburgh: Banner of Truth Trust, 2007, 5.

I sought him, but I could not find him

Daily Light Devotions - June 21 - Evening


I sought him, but I could not find him ...

I opened to my beloved, but my beloved had turned and gone. My soul failed me when he spoke. I sought him, but found him not; I called him, but he gave no answer. 1

O Lord, what can I say, when Israel has turned their backs before their enemies! The LORD said to Joshua, "Get up! Why have you fallen on your face? Israel has sinned; they have transgressed my covenant that I commanded them; they have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen and lied and put them among their own belongings.  2

Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear. 3

If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. 4

Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.  5
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1. Song of Solomon 5:6;
2. Josh 7:8,10,11;
3. Isa 59:1,2;
4. Psa 66:18;
5. 1 John 3:21,22

The Recovery of Fallen Humanity

The Belgic Confession of Faith


Article 17: The Recovery of Fallen Humanity

We believe that our good God, by marvelous divine wisdom and goodness, seeing that humans had plunged themselves in this manner into both physical and spiritual death and made themselves completely miserable, set out to find them, though humans, trembling all over, were fleeing from the divine presence.

And God comforted them, promising to give them the Son, “born of a woman,” (Gal. 4:4) to crush the head of the serpent, (Gen. 3:15) and to make them blessed.

Christ suffered for us, leaving us an example

Daily Light Devotions - June 21 - Morning


Christ suffered for us, leaving us an example...

For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.  1

For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all.  2

how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.  3

Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.  4

I, Paul, myself entreat you, by the meekness and gentleness of Christ--I who am humble when face to face with you, but bold toward you when I am away!--  5

Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.  6

And Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." And they cast lots to divide his garments.  7

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. 8

whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. 9

looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. 10
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1. 1 Pet 2:21;
2. Mark 10:45,44;
3. Acts 10:38;
4. Gal 6:2;
5. 2 Cor 10:1;
6. Phil 2:3;
7. Luke 23:34;
8. Eph 4:32;
9. 1 John 2:6;
10. Heb 12:2

The temptation to live temptationless in the present world

"I find it most true, that the greatest temptation out of hell, is to live without temptations; if my waters should stand, they would rot. Faith is the better of the free air, and of the sharp winter storm in its face. " -- Rutherford, Samuel, and Ellen S. Lister. The Loveliness of Christ: Extracts from the Letters of Samuel Rutherford. Edinburgh: Banner of Truth Trust, 2007, 4.

You search out my path and my lying down

Daily Light Devotions - June 20 - Evening


You search out my path and my lying down.

You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. 1

Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, "Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it."  And he was afraid and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven." 2

For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him. You have done foolishly in this, for from now on you will have wars."  3

In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety. 4

Because you have made the LORD your dwelling place-- the Most High, who is my refuge-- no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. 5

If you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. 6

It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep. 7
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1. Psalm 139:3;
2. Gen 28:16,17;
3. 2 Chron 16:9;
4. Psalm 4:8;
5. Psalm 91:9-11;
6. Prov 3:24;
7. Psalm 127:2