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The Golden Chain - Robert J. Wieland

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9. "He [Christ] did humble Himself when He<br />

saw He was in fashion as a man, that He might<br />

understand the force of all temptations<br />

wherewith man is beset" (5BC 1128, 1129). Does<br />

this suggest that He was born with a different<br />

nature than ours, but later in His incarnation,<br />

He "humbled Himself"?<br />

Not necessarily. Christ was born as a human<br />

baby and "grew" in knowledge and understanding.<br />

"He learned obedience by the things which He<br />

suffered" (Hebrews 5:8; see also Luke 2:52). As a<br />

baby He could not "understands^ force of all<br />

temptations wherewith man is beset"—no baby<br />

can. He had to grow into this maturity. <strong>The</strong> point is<br />

that at any moment in this growth process, the Son<br />

of God could have refused to suffer further, and He<br />

could have excused Himself from further<br />

participation with us in temptation. But He<br />

"humbled Himself to suffer "the force of all<br />

temptations" to the end.<br />

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