Vicarious Humanity
The idea for teaching on this topic came to me whilst singing Immanuel recently (see below)
Background
“The vicarious humanity of the Son of God”, should be a concept foremost in the faith of all thinking Christians. Whilst the phrase is associated with the 20th century teaching of the Torrance’s (Thomas, James, David), the idea is ancient. The concept is most clearly expressed in “the unassumed/non-taken is the unhealed” (Gregory Nazianzus 4th century), i.e. only those aspects of human nature taken up by Jesus in his Incarnation (John 1:14) could be saved/redeemed. In arguments with early heretical groups (Gnostics, Arians, Docetists, Monophysites, Monothelites, etc) orthodox Christians affirmed Jesus had a real body, soul, spirit, mind, body, will and so on. The saving total humanity of Jesus was dramatically affirmed by John Calvin, ‘We see that our salvation and all its parts are comprehended in Christ (Acts 4:12). We should therefore take care not to derive the least portion of it from anywhere else. If we seek salvation, we are taught by the very name of Jesus that it is ‘of him’ (1 Cor1:30). If we seek any other gifts of the Spirit, they will be found in his anointing. If we seek strength, it lies in his dominion; if purity, in his conception; if gentleness, it appears in his birth…If we seek redemption, it lies in his passion; if acquittal, in his condemnation; if remission of the curse, in his cross (Gal 3:13); if satisfaction, in his sacrifice; if purification, in his blood; if reconciliation, in his descent into hell; if mortification of the flesh, in his tomb; if newness of life, in his resurrection…In short, since rich store of every kind of good abounds in him, let us drink our fill from this fountain, and from no other.’ Calvin’s, “since rich store of every kind of good abounds in him, let us drink our fill from this fountain, and from no other.”, embarrasses contemporary Western Christians who rush to natural agencies before resorting to Christ for healing and wholeness (e.g. James 5:13-16).
Union With Christ
“Union with Christ” is a companion idea to the vicarious humanity, being described as “the most important doctrine you’ve never heard of” (https://www.gospelrelevance.com/2022/09/20/union-with-christ/.) It comes up wherever the New Testament speaks of believers “in Christ” (Rom 6:4; 1 Cor 1:4; Gal 2:20; Eph 1:4, 11; 2:5-6; Col 1:27; 3:4 etc. cf. equivalents in Jn 15:4-5, 14:20, 17:21,23,26; 1 Jn 2:24, 3:6; 5:20). In the mystery of God’s all-inclusive grace all that Jesus became as a human being is exchanged for all we were once as sinners; so that we become “new creations” (2 Cor 5:17). This transformation is called “the wonderful/great/divine/sweet exchange” (https://christiantoday.com.au/news/the-wonderful exchange.html#:~:text=Salvation%20in%20Christ%20is%20a,called%20to%20return%20the%20same.). Biblical examples spring to mind: “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed… For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God….For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.” (Isa 53:5; 2 Cor 5:21; 8:9). All the negatives of our sinful lives were exchanged in our union with Christ for all the blessedness of his holy life. “And because of him (God) you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption” (1 Cor 1:30) As the “pioneer and perfecter of faith” (Heb 12:2), Jesus is the origin and completer of our human trust in God.
Contemporary Insights
The lyrics of Immanuel (https://www.stuarttownend.co.uk/song/immanuel/) point to the all-inclusive humanity of Jesus. Squalor, shame, anguish, sorrows, betrayal, punishment become praise, honour and glory “in Christ”. The song’s, “He walked my road and He felt my pain”, is not figurative but factual, for the Incarnation, which as a transformation in God is more than a “miracle” (https://www.gci.org/articles/the-incarnation-the-greatest-miracle/). Since Jesus as God-and-human “sustains all things” (Heb 1:3 cf. Col 1:17), our thoughts and decisions are indwelt/interpenetrated by Jesus’ living Spirit (1 Cor 15:45). So Paul testifies: “God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose” (Phil 2:13 following 2:5-11). Though often unaware of it, my feeling and willing exists within Christ’s perfect emotions and decisions (2 Cor 10:1). My “heart”, in all its thinking, feeling and willing (Prov 4:23), exists in the heart of God “in Christ”. (John 1:18) Implications of the vicarious humanity of Christ and our union with him are momentous.
Creative Life
As AI threatens to turn the world into all-conforming “mystery Babylon” (Rev 17:5; 1 John 5:19), our gracious union with Christ will progressively release a tsunami of creative prophetic artistry through the Church. I.e., through radically new forms of painting, pottery, poetry, photography, architecture, design, music, dance, drama etc. Since “the one who is joined to the Lord (Jesus), is one spirit.” (1 Cor 6:17) our innermost being (spirit) is accessible to “the Father of spirits” (Heb 12:9) and so to the Spirit who has glorified Jesus in raising him from death, spirit, soul and body etc. with limitless creative power. The result will be a prophesied splurge of rainbow glory “through the Church” (Eph 3:10) confounding the evil rulers in the heavenly places.
Fallen Human Nature?
Lest the devil sow doubts in your heart that you are unworthy of the vicarious humanity/union with Christ, I need to note that it is orthodox to teach that Jesus took on a fallen, temptable yet sinless nature (Heb 4:15). The “flesh” (John 1:14) he took on was not neutral but fragile, weakened human nature stripped of original glory (Rom 3:23). Yet, “God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh (fallen old humanity)” (Rom 8:3 cf. 2 Cor 5:21). Though bearing our nature, Jesus was always guarded from sin by the indwelling power of the Spirit. This means that we too need never to sin either.
Conclusion
The ancient testimony, “For the glory of God is a man fully alive” (Irenaeus) is complemented by his “Christ became what we are to make us what he himself is.” This glorious witness is a far more powerful understanding of the “vicarious humanity of the Son of God” as our Saviour than the (complex) Catholic teaching on merit for reward, or the Protestant emphases on forensic/judicial salvation achieved at the cross. It is the whole life of Christ, from virginal conception onwards into eternity in glory which is the assurance of our eternal salvation. Let me close with an competent quote:
‘When men have Christ they not only have everything one needs, they have everything one can possibly have’ (Haupt).