6 foundational beliefs of the incarnation that Orthodox churches affirm

1. Jesus, Lord and Christ, is the unique Son of God, the second person of the Trinity. He is truly and eternally God, of one substance with the Father.

2. Like the Father and the Spirit, Jesus the Son is infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in His being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, truth, love, and grace.

3. Jesus is truly God and truly man, yet one person, the Christ, the only mediator between God and man. Jesus is complete and perfect in His deity and His humanity, yet He is one person, for the two natures are joined inseperably and without confusion.

4. In the fullness of time, Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the virgin Mary, apart from the will or action of any man.

5. In the incarnation Jesus became a man and took a human nature, including a true human body, soul, mind, will, and emotions. In His humanity, Jesus had all the weakenesses of humanity, but not the sinful nature.

6. The birth of Jesus is no end in itself, but is part of the fulfillment of God’s plan of redemption. Jesus exercised the offices of prophet, priest, and king in His role as mediator, and especially took on human flesh that He might suffer in that flesh, offering Himself as a substitutionary sacrifice, to atone for the sins of His people.

The Incarnation in the Gospels (Reformed Expository Commentary Series)