Series 2 - Lesson 3 - Annotation 19
What is Christ? Explain fully how Christ is man's salvation. (See Col. 1:27.)
19. "Christ" is the "anointed" one, a name translated from the Greek with this meaning. The Hebrew word is Messiah, the expected king, deliverer, and savior. John identified Christ with the Logos, The Word. Simon Peter identified the Christ as the "Son of the living God" (Matt. 16:16). Paul wrote of "Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God" (I Cor. 1:24). In modern usage the name is often used synonymously with Jesus.
The Unity teachings identify "Christ" as spiritual man, the man created in the image and after the likeness of God. "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness" (Gen. 1:26). "Christ" is the primal man Idea, the pattern, the archetype, the ideal, the I AM. As the spiritual essence of all mankind, the indwelling "Christ" becomes to each individual king, deliverer, and savior.
When God is defined as Divine Mind, "Christ" can be understood as the Idea, the Logos, the Word, or Divine Mind as it expresses in each man. When God is defined as Father, "Christ" is the offspring, or the Son of God.
To man in his relationship to God, "Christ" is the divinity of his nature, the power, the life and the wisdom indwelling. In Christian thought, the man Jesus most fully identified Himself with the "Christ." The two terms, as a result, have come to be often used interchangeably as referring to Jesus.
"Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Col. 1:27). "Christ" represents all the principles or powers of God as individuated in each human being, the image or spiritual pattern and the resources or means for developing it into manifestation, for producing only good. This is man's salvation, and it comes to man as a gift from God. This is God's will or plan for man by which man is to evolve, grow, and unfold into the very likeness of God. It is available to man at all times when man is ready to accept it as his way of life.
The "Christ," in the truest sense, is the only true model that man can take. "Christ" is implanted within the heart of mankind as the pattern of the design to be worked out, as the source of ideals and the promoter of aspirations. It is man's work to attain a consciousness of, accept, and make use of all the spiritual powers and qualities that are in the "Christ," so that he may live to the honor of man and to the glory of God. Points covering this question are also found in other Annotations of this Lesson.
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Preceding Entry: How should the Scriptures be "divided" in interpreting the use of the term man?
Following Entry: To whom do we refer when we say: "Son of God"; "Son of man"; "son of man"?
