The Faith I Live By

His Eternal Pre-existence, February 9

The Eternal Son

And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. John 17:5. FLB 46.1

Christ was one with the Father before the foundation of the world was laid. This is the light shining in a dark place, making it resplendent with divine, original glory.^{34SDA Bible Commentary 5:1126.} FLB 46.2

Christ is the pre-existent, self-existent Son of God.... In speaking of His pre-existence, Christ carries the mind back through dateless ages. He assures us that there never was a time when He was not in close fellowship with the eternal God.... FLB 46.3

His divine life could not be reckoned by human computation. The existence of Christ before His incarnation is not measured by figures.^{35Evangelism, 615, 616.} FLB 46.4

Christ was God essentially, and in the highest sense. He was with God from all eternity, God over all, blessed forevermore. The Lord Jesus Christ, the divine Son of God, existed from eternity, a distinct person, yet one with the Father. He was the surpassing glory of heaven. He was the commander of the heavenly intelligences, and the adoring homage of the angels was received by Him as His right.^{36SDA Bible Commentary 5:1126.} FLB 46.5

He was equal with God, infinite and omnipotent.^{37Evangelism, 615.} FLB 46.6

But He humbled Himself, and took mortality upon Him. As a member of the human family, He was mortal; but as a God, He was the fountain of life to the world. He could, in His divine person, ever have withstood the advances of death, and refused to come under its dominion; but He voluntarily laid down His life, that in so doing He might give life and bring immortality to light. He bore the sins of the world, and endured the penalty, which rolled like a mountain upon His divine soul. He yielded up His life a sacrifice, that man should not eternally die. He died, not through being compelled to die, but by His own free will.^{38SDA Bible Commentary 5:1127.} FLB 46.7

And this wonderful mystery, the incarnation of Christ and the atonement that He made, must be declared to every son and daughter of Adam.^{39SDA Bible Commentary 6:1082.} FLB 46.8