What is Docetism?

Did God really appear in human form or was it just an illusion?

In response to those who question the humanity of the Christ, the writer of 1 John states in chapter 4:

4:1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.
2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God,
3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. (ESV)

The above was written as a direct response to arguments that sought to distort the nature of Jesus. In my opinion, the teachings of the Docetist is a response to a cultural view of divinity. Gods don't suffer. Yet the bible declares that Jesus was 100% God and 100% man at the same time.

Philippians 2:3-8 declares Christ's humanity and divinity:

3 Don't be selfish; don't try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.

4 Don't look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.

6 Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to.

7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form,

8 he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal's death on a cross. (New Living Translation)

Ignatius, the bishop of Antioch is credited with this poem:

Very Flesh, yet Spirit too;
Uncreated, and yet born;
God-and-Man in One agreed,
Very-Life-in-Death indeed,
Fruit of God and Mary's seed
At once impassible and torn
By pain and suffering here below:
Jesus Christ, whom as our Lord we know.

The prophet Isaiah wrote of The Christ as the suffering servant:

53:1 Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? 2 For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. 3 He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed.

Accepted

Have you ever walked into a room and felt uncomfortable; perhaps felt distant from the people in the room?

Is there a sense of distance with the brethren in your church or is there sense of distance with a specific individual?

Are you uncomfortable or nervous about approaching your boss or persons in authority?

If you answered yes to any of the above questions then your behaviour is being motivated by something other than acceptance.

If acceptance were a place, we would find at its perimeter rejection, condemnation, and their offsprings separation and isolation.

Rejection comes in many forms - racism, sexism and discrimination (denying someone equal treatment). Fear of Rejection is a driving force that can prevent you from being an authentic human being. Condemnation is poison to any relationship.

John 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

Rejection and condemnation breeds separation and isolation.

Acceptance says, “You are okay now even though you haven’t reached your goal”

Acceptance is not about overlooking acts of disobedience or condoning brethren who have given themselves over to a pattern of sin that leads to death.

1 Corinthians 5:11 But now I write to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of [Christian] brother if he is known to be guilty of immorality or greed, or is an idolater [whose soul is devoted to any object that usurps the place of God], or is a person with a foul tongue [railing, abusing, reviling, slandering], or is a drunkard or a swindler or a robber. [No] you must not so much as eat with such a person.

Acceptance will cause you to function in your gift effectively:
1Samuel 18:5 And David went out whithersoever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely: and Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul's servants.

The world craves for acceptance. People will pretend to be important in order to gain acceptance. Christiand crave acceptance. Paul wrote the Corinthian church that he was labouring in order to be accepted of Jesus.

2Corinthians 5:9 Wherefore we labor, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.

Paul wasn't putting the cart befre the horse.

Our works don't bring God's acceptance. If we have eaten of the spiritual meat and drunk of the spiritual drink we are accepted. Our acceptance by God in the beloved frees us to do acceptable things.

I am motivated by my acceptance in Christ.

Here are some tips to help you walk in acceptance.

1. Stop striving with people and Stop complaining about other people’s short coming; understand that you have a finite view of things; acknowledge right now that you don’t know what is best for yourself and much less others


2. Commit to bringing every part of yourself into your house of worship. Bring your complaints about other people’s shortcomings to the God of all flesh: and invite his transforming power to soak your being so that you might give acceptance to those around you. Perhaps you have lost faith. Maybe you are filled with rage, or disdain. It could be that there is an undercurrent of the desire for revenge. Don’t leave it at the door but come to God with it and seek His peace for it.


3. If there is a place where you don’t fit in then start accepting people


4. Behave yourself wisely as David did:
   1Samuel 18:5 And David went out whithersoever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely: and Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul's servants.

Amen!