TRUE GOD, BEGOTTEN OF THE FATHER FROM ETERNITY. Christ is true God,
[Rom. 9:5+] just as the Father is God. [John 5:23+, John 20:28+, John
8:58+, Mat. 16:16] He is the Son of God, not as a good or great man who
has been received or adopted as God's son, but He is in His very nature
the Son of God, _begotten by His Father_ [John 3:16+] _from all
eternity_. [John 1:1, John 17:5] He is "God of God, Light of Light, Very
God of Very God, Begotten, not made, being of one substance with the
Father." [John 10:30+] The Scriptures show this by ascribing to Him
divine names, attributes, power, honor, and works. At His baptism and at
His transfiguration the Father spoke from heaven, and said, "This is my
beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." [Matt. 3:17, Matt. 17:5] His
divine nature is proved by His teaching, His miracles, His holy life,
and especially by His resurrection from the dead.

ALSO TRUE MAN, BORN OF THE VIRGIN MARY. Christ was in all respects a
human being such as we are, except that He was without sin. [I Pet.
2:22+] He was "conceived by the Holy Ghost," and thus had God alone for
His Father. [Luke 1:35] But He was "born of the Virgin Mary," [Luke 2:7]
with a human body [Heb. 2:14] and soul. [Matt. 26:38] He grew, increased
in wisdom and stature, [Luke 2:52] and reached the age of manhood. He
suffered our human wants, [Matt. 4:2, John 4:6-7] such as hunger,
thirst, weariness, and pain. He was moved by human emotions, [Luke
10:21, Matt. 26:38, Matt. 21:12] such as joy, sorrow, and indignation.
He wept, [John 11:35] prayed, [Matt. 26:39] suffered, and died. [I Pet.
2:23-24] He could not have done these things if He had not been true
man.

Christ is therefore both God and man in one Person. [Rom. 1:3-4, John
1:14+] Consequently He is the _God-Man._ It was necessary that the