Nuggets from Countdown to the Second Coming—A God of Infinite Majesty (Part 2)

Only God could pay the infinite penalty His justice demands for sin. But that would not be just, because “God is not a man...” (Numbers:23:19God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?
See All...). The incarnation is therefore essential—but impossible if God were a singular being. “The Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world” (1 John:4:14And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.
See All...). It was Jesus who died on the cross, not the Father nor the Holy Spirit.

Neither could a mere man, being finite, pay that infinite penalty. All through the Old Testament, Yahweh declares that He is the only Savior (Isaiah:43:3For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee.
See All..., 11; 45:15, 21; 49:26; Hosea:13:4Yet I am the LORD thy God from the land of Egypt, and thou shalt know no god but me: for there is no saviour beside me.
See All..., etc.). Thus Jesus had to be Yahweh but also a man. When God the Son became a man, He did not and could not cease to be God. Jesus was both God and man.

How could God become a man? Again, that is only possible through the Trinity. The Father didn’t become man, nor did the Holy Spirit. Even though we cannot understand this, we know it must be so. The penalty for our sins is infinite because God and His justice are infinite. Consequently, those who reject Christ’s payment on their behalf will be separated from God forever.