Regional Synod of Canada - Reformed Church in America

Pioneer Christian Monthly

Date - June/92

Contributor - Wim Meijer

Title - I Believe In Communion With The Church Of All Ages And Places

Topic - Miracles

There once was a time when very many people denied the possibility of miracles. Only that which could be explained by the laws of nature could be true. Today we see a rising interest in supernatural things. Occultism and New Age beliefs and practices find many adherents. Many things, for which there is no natural explanation, are now readily believed by multitudes. This means that today less people will have problems with the miracles in the Bible than for instance a hundred years ago.

The Virgin Birth

One such miracle is the virgin birth, or, in the words of the Apostles' Creed: "He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary." The biblical foundation for this doctrine is very strong. In Matth. 1:20 we hear the angel of the Lord saying to Joseph: "that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost." And in Luke 1:35 Gabriel explains to Mary: "the Holy Ghost shall come upon you, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow you." Matthew also quotes the prophecy in Isaiah 7:14 - "Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." In confessing the virgin birth we say that Jesus Christ was like us, and yet, He was also different from us. He is both true God and truly human. And in this way He is perfectly fit to be our Saviour.

God takes the initiative

The virgin birth shows us that as far as our salvation is concerned God is the first one. Always. He was the first one in Paradise when He announced salvation before Adam and Eve asked for it. He took the initiative when He caused Mary to conceive a child in her womb. He still takes the initiative when He calls sinners out of darkness into His marvellous light. Those who believe in Jesus Christ do so, because they are born again, "not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God" (John 1: 13). Or, as John says in I John 4:19 - "We love Him, because He first loved us." God took the initiative way back, before the creation of the world, when He made up the plan of salvation. In the virgin birth He shows that it is still His plan, and that "salvation belongs unto the Lord" (Psalm 3:8).

Immanuel

If God and man want to come together there are three ways to achieve this:

1) We climb up to God. For instance, through meditation techniques. The New Age idea that you are God, but that you must come to realize this, also belongs to this category.

2) God and man meet halfway. This idea is found in the Roman Catholic doctrines. God's grace and man's free will work together toward salvation. These two ways have been tried by many, but they fail to provide true salvation.

3) God comes down to us. That is what the virgin birth is teaching us. The Son of God becomes Immanuel, God with us! God takes upon himself the plight of men. God did not send an angel. He did not employ some highly qualified human being. He himself came down. God not only took the initiative, but He took also responsibility for the actual accomplishment of our salvation. It is nowhere safer than in His hands.

Perfect salvation

The Heidelberg Catechism in Q.36 draws a parallel between Jesus' conception and my conception. "In sin did my mother conceive me", said David in Psalm 51. Sin is part and parcel of our human nature. Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit. He was born without sin. And this makes Him the perfect Saviour who not only deals with my actual sins, but what is more important, with the root of evil, my sinful nature. By faith in Him, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, we receive a complete salvation.

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