Was Christ capable of Sin?

[F345T]

I never cease to be amazed by the popular ongoing debates among Christianity.

Some topics/concepts seem so obvious, but I realize the Truth of Scripture is not obvious to all as many do not have Spiritual Discernment. The notion that Christ was incapable of sin floors me. When we understand the true magnitude of the Gospels, and what Christ (God) accomplished in the flesh, it becomes impossible to consider that Jesus may have been incapable of sin.

The entire point of the accomplishments of Christ, and His overcoming sinful flesh and defeating death, all rests upon the foundation of His vulnerability and weakness living as a mortal man in a flesh body. Hebrews tells us that He lowered and humbled Himself in order to take on a flesh body and to become obedient. None of that is possible, nor makes any sense at all, if Christ was incapable of sinning.

It is the devil's style to come down from upon high and perform miracles and gain a following all while being incapable of failure. That is the polar opposite of what God Almighty would do. God humbled Himself to a degree that we cannot imagine, entered into sinful, fallible, vulnerable flesh and overcame every single temptation and desire common to man, and even some that would only apply to God, and annihilated the curse of original sin, blazing a permanent path for all men to follow who would ever come to love and desire God. To claim that Jesus was incapable of failure is to rob Him of all that He accomplished, all that He sacrificed and all the love that He poured out for fallen man.

It is literally offensive to those who understand the profound nature of God's humility to even consider that He did not put Himself into a position where He could fall short. The very glory of God Almighty in the flesh rests upon the accomplishment and sacrifice of His willingness to subject Himself to such misery and abuse all for the sake of His beloved people. If He were not able to fail, then He didn't give up anything at all and He was never in any danger of any kind.

If Jesus' glorified body is now incapable of sin, then what was its condition prior to His death and sacrifice on the Cross? We can see through the Scriptures that we will be transformed into sinless glorified bodies only after we have accomplished our life of endurance and following Christ's ways. Thirty three years is not a very long life in man's experience, but to live that long completely without the slightest sin, even accidentally, is an absolute miracle and a wonder that only Christ could accomplish in the flesh - it is also one of many proofs of Jesus being God.

We steal God's glory when we claim that He wasn't capable of failure. That is a prideful show that only the devil would put on to bask in his great power and might. Everything that Jesus did was a testament to purity, honesty, selflessness, righteousness and perseverance. All of those qualities are stripped of Christ when we say that He had no ability to have sinned at any given moment of temptation.

The devil would not have tried so hard to tempt Christ in the wilderness, nor would he have specially tailored the temptations to Christ's desires, if Christ was incapable of sinning. Unlike us, Christ was tempted to turn a stone into bread at a moment of extreme hunger and fatigue. None of that would have taken place if Christ wasn't truly and sincerely in the thick of the battle to fight off the temptation to sin.

Christ showed us exactly how we are to live and fight against sin in our lives and we are to look to our Champion in order to remember His great accomplishments and find the strength to do so ourselves. There is no rational possibility that He could have been immune to sin in the flesh. If that had been the case, there would have been no purpose whatsoever to incarnate and He would never have realized any of His glorious accomplishments for all mankind.

 

[hawkman]

Christ was capable of sin , but there was no chance he would sin . This was known before his birth .

 

[Hopeful 2]

I never cease to be amazed by the popular ongoing debates among Christianity.

Some topics/concepts seem so obvious, but I realize the Truth of Scripture is not obvious to all as many do not have Spiritual Discernment. The notion that Christ was incapable of sin floors me. When we understand the true magnitude of the Gospels, and what Christ (God) accomplished in the flesh, it becomes impossible to consider that Jesus may have been incapable of sin.

The entire point of the accomplishments of Christ, and His overcoming sinful flesh and defeating death, all rests upon the foundation of His vulnerability and weakness living as a mortal man in a flesh body. Hebrews tells us that He lowered and humbled Himself in order to take on a flesh body and to become obedient. None of that is possible, nor makes any sense at all, if Christ was incapable of sinning.

It is the devil's style to come down from upon high and perform miracles and gain a following all while being incapable of failure. That is the polar opposite of what God Almighty would do. God humbled Himself to a degree that we cannot imagine, entered into sinful, fallible, vulnerable flesh and overcame every single temptation and desire common to man, and even some that would only apply to God, and annihilated the curse of original sin, blazing a permanent path for all men to follow who would ever come to love and desire God. To claim that Jesus was incapable of failure is to rob Him of all that He accomplished, all that He sacrificed and all the love that He poured out for fallen man.

It is literally offensive to those who understand the profound nature of God's humility to even consider that He did not put Himself into a position where He could fall short. The very glory of God Almighty in the flesh rests upon the accomplishment and sacrifice of His willingness to subject Himself to such misery and abuse all for the sake of His beloved people. If He were not able to fail, then He didn't give up anything at all and He was never in any danger of any kind.

If Jesus' glorified body is now incapable of sin, then what was its condition prior to His death and sacrifice on the Cross? We can see through the Scriptures that we will be transformed into sinless glorified bodies only after we have accomplished our life of endurance and following Christ's ways. Thirty three years is not a very long life in man's experience, but to live that long completely without the slightest sin, even accidentally, is an absolute miracle and a wonder that only Christ could accomplish in the flesh - it is also one of many proofs of Jesus being God.

We steal God's glory when we claim that He wasn't capable of failure. That is a prideful show that only the devil would put on to bask in his great power and might. Everything that Jesus did was a testament to purity, honesty, selflessness, righteousness and perseverance. All of those qualities are stripped of Christ when we say that He had no ability to have sinned at any given moment of temptation.

The devil would not have tried so hard to tempt Christ in the wilderness, nor would he have specially tailored the temptations to Christ's desires, if Christ was incapable of sinning. Unlike us, Christ was tempted to turn a stone into bread at a moment of extreme hunger and fatigue. None of that would have taken place if Christ wasn't truly and sincerely in the thick of the battle to fight off the temptation to sin.

Christ showed us exactly how we are to live and fight against sin in our lives and we are to look to our Champion in order to remember His great accomplishments and find the strength to do so ourselves. There is no rational possibility that He could have been immune to sin in the flesh. If that had been the case, there would have been no purpose whatsoever to incarnate and He would never have realized any of His glorious accomplishments for all mankind.

Jesus Christ was capable of sinning, but He, like all those reborn of God's seed, are equipt perfectly to resist every temptation.

 

[F345T]

Christ was capable of sin , but there was no chance he would sin . This was known before his birth .

Agreed.

He had a plan and He saw it through.

He showed us how to live properly in the flesh. And after His Spirit accomplished perfect sinlessness, it now can better serve us while living inside of us and inspiring, empowering and enabling us to obey just as He did in the flesh.

Hallelujah.

 

[F345T]

It's very clear in the Gospels that Christ's mission, and the outcome, relied heavily on the fact that He was vulnerable to sin in the flesh yet overcame it.

 

[Josef]

Hey All,
Here is an interesting article on the Impeccablity of Jesus. It lays out the against side of the discussion very well. Since Jesus has a dual nature (100% God and 100% man) and God is incapable of sin, Jesus, as God in human flesh, could not sin. As a man (human nature) Jesus is described as the last Adam.

1 Corinthians 15:45-47 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.
The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.

What is a quickening spirit? Figure that out. I did and that is why I agree with Mr. Stewart. Enjoy the article.

Keep walking everybody.
May God bless,
Taz


Don Stewart :: Was It Impossible for Jesus to Sin? (Impeccability)

While all Christians agree that Jesus did not sin, there is the view that He was incapable of sinning while here upon the earth. This is known, as His "impeccability." The word comes from the Latin and means, "no sin."

The Case For Impeccability

Those who argue that Christ could not sin do so for the following reasons.

1. The Dual Nature Of Jesus - God Cannot Be Tempted To Sin

While Jesus had a human nature, He also had a divine nature. Since He was the eternal God who became human it was impossible for the divine nature to sin. The human nature could not act apart from the divine nature. Therefore He could not sin. James wrote.

Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God;" for God cannot be tempted by evil, and he himself does not tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust (James 1:13,14).

Since God cannot be tempted to sin, Jesus could not sin.

2. Christ Has An Unchanging Nature

The Bible says that Christ is unchangeable.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8).

Since Jesus Christ is God, and God cannot sin in any way, then Jesus could not have sinned in any way. The nature of God does not change. If Jesus could have sinned while on the earth, then it would be possible for him to sin in heaven.

3. Christ Is All-Powerful (Omnipotent)

One of the attributes of God is that he is all-powerful or omnipotent. Jesus did not give up this attribute when he became human. Jesus said about his authority.

And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth" (Matthew 28:18).

Because he is all-powerful he has no weakness. This would include a weakness to sin.

4. Jesus Is All-Knowing

In addition, Jesus is all knowing.

And needed no one to testify about anyone; for he himself knew what was in everyone (John 2:25)

Since Jesus is all knowing, he could not have been deceived into committing a sin. This includes hypothetical situations for Jesus knew all things that have happened and could possibly happen. For example, he knew what would have happened to certain cities in the past, such as Tyre and Sidon, had they repented.

Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the deeds of power done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes (Matthew 11:21).

5. The Nature Of The Temptations

Another point is the nature of the temptations. The nature of Christ's temptation came from without, not from within. For sin to occur there must be an inward response to the outward temptation. Since Jesus did not possess a sin nature, there was no possibility of him to respond to the temptation.

6. The Purpose Of The Temptations

Finally there is the purpose of the temptations of Christ. The reason he was tempted was not to see whether or not he could sin, the purpose was to show that he could not sin. It was to demonstrate that he could not succumb in any way to the temptations that were put in his path.

Were They Genuine Temptations?

If Jesus could not have sinned then were the temptations genuine? Why test someone who could not fail?

The following are some of the common objections against this position.

If it was not possible for Christ to sin, then He must not have had the power of choice.
If Christ could not sin, then why was He tempted? Wouldn't the temptation be a farce? In what sense can a sinless being be tempted?
If Christ could not sin, then how could He identify with humanity. How could He sympathize with our temptations?
The answer to this lies in the nature of the temptations of Jesus.

Three Unique Temptations
There were only three individuals in Scripture who experienced unique temptations-Adam, Eve, and Jesus. Adam and Eve, unfortunately, gave in to the temptation and brought sin into the world. Jesus, on the other hand, resisted the temptation. They are the only three people who came into this world without a sin nature.

These Tests Were Unique To Jesus

Yet Jesus was unique from Adam and Eve. He was no ordinary man. No ordinary human being would ever be tempted in the ways He which Jesus was tempted. None of us could be tempted to turn stones into bread, or prove that we are the Messiah by jumping from a high place. Neither would any human being be offered all the kingdoms of the world if they simply bowed down to Satan. These particular tests were designed for Jesus only.

They Covered Areas Common To All Humans

Although the specific tests in which Jesus was subjected were unique to Him they do represent temptations that are common to humankind. The Apostle John said that sin could be placed in the following categories

For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world (1 John 2:16).

The temptations that Jesus experienced fall into these categories.

Was Jesus Tested In All Things?
The writer to the Hebrews says that Jesus was tested in all things.

For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15).

This means that Jesus experienced tests that are representative of every category of tests that human's experience not that He experienced each individual temptation.

Summary

Those who believe that Jesus could not have sinned do so based upon His nature as God. Since God cannot be tempted to sin, and Jesus was God, then Jesus could not have sinned. This is known as the impeccability of Christ.

 

[GodsGrace]

It's very clear in the Gospels that Christ's mission, and the outcome, relied heavily on the fact that He was vulnerable to sin in the flesh yet overcame it.

Hi F
I agree with the above but find a flaw in the OP.
Let me ask you this...
Why does man sin?

 

[Runningman]

I never cease to be amazed by the popular ongoing debates among Christianity.

Some topics/concepts seem so obvious, but I realize the Truth of Scripture is not obvious to all as many do not have Spiritual Discernment. The notion that Christ was incapable of sin floors me. When we understand the true magnitude of the Gospels, and what Christ (God) accomplished in the flesh, it becomes impossible to consider that Jesus may have been incapable of sin.

The entire point of the accomplishments of Christ, and His overcoming sinful flesh and defeating death, all rests upon the foundation of His vulnerability and weakness living as a mortal man in a flesh body. Hebrews tells us that He lowered and humbled Himself in order to take on a flesh body and to become obedient. None of that is possible, nor makes any sense at all, if Christ was incapable of sinning.

It is the devil's style to come down from upon high and perform miracles and gain a following all while being incapable of failure. That is the polar opposite of what God Almighty would do. God humbled Himself to a degree that we cannot imagine, entered into sinful, fallible, vulnerable flesh and overcame every single temptation and desire common to man, and even some that would only apply to God, and annihilated the curse of original sin, blazing a permanent path for all men to follow who would ever come to love and desire God. To claim that Jesus was incapable of failure is to rob Him of all that He accomplished, all that He sacrificed and all the love that He poured out for fallen man.

It is literally offensive to those who understand the profound nature of God's humility to even consider that He did not put Himself into a position where He could fall short. The very glory of God Almighty in the flesh rests upon the accomplishment and sacrifice of His willingness to subject Himself to such misery and abuse all for the sake of His beloved people. If He were not able to fail, then He didn't give up anything at all and He was never in any danger of any kind.

If Jesus' glorified body is now incapable of sin, then what was its condition prior to His death and sacrifice on the Cross? We can see through the Scriptures that we will be transformed into sinless glorified bodies only after we have accomplished our life of endurance and following Christ's ways. Thirty three years is not a very long life in man's experience, but to live that long completely without the slightest sin, even accidentally, is an absolute miracle and a wonder that only Christ could accomplish in the flesh - it is also one of many proofs of Jesus being God.

We steal God's glory when we claim that He wasn't capable of failure. That is a prideful show that only the devil would put on to bask in his great power and might. Everything that Jesus did was a testament to purity, honesty, selflessness, righteousness and perseverance. All of those qualities are stripped of Christ when we say that He had no ability to have sinned at any given moment of temptation.

The devil would not have tried so hard to tempt Christ in the wilderness, nor would he have specially tailored the temptations to Christ's desires, if Christ was incapable of sinning. Unlike us, Christ was tempted to turn a stone into bread at a moment of extreme hunger and fatigue. None of that would have taken place if Christ wasn't truly and sincerely in the thick of the battle to fight off the temptation to sin.

Christ showed us exactly how we are to live and fight against sin in our lives and we are to look to our Champion in order to remember His great accomplishments and find the strength to do so ourselves. There is no rational possibility that He could have been immune to sin in the flesh. If that had been the case, there would have been no purpose whatsoever to incarnate and He would never have realized any of His glorious accomplishments for all mankind.

Provided that Jesus was susceptible to the temptation to sin, it follows that temptation is a desire to sin. While being tempted to sin is not itself a sin, it is an indicator of lacking something only God has: the ability to not be tempted to sin. Jesus chose not to sin.

Jesus tempted in every way:

Hebrews 4
15For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who was tempted in every way that we are, yet was without sin.

God cannot be tempted:

James 1
13When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone. 14But each one is tempted when by his own evil desires he is lured away and enticed. 15Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

 

[WIP]

Hi F
I agree with the above but find a flaw in the OP.
Let me ask you this...
Why does man sin?

Because man is self-serving.

4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;
5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;
6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;
7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NKJV

We do all these things regularly and that drives us into sin.

 

[Tenchi]

I never cease to be amazed by the popular ongoing debates among Christianity.

Some topics/concepts seem so obvious, but I realize the Truth of Scripture is not obvious to all as many do not have Spiritual Discernment. The notion that Christ was incapable of sin floors me. When we understand the true magnitude of the Gospels, and what Christ (God) accomplished in the flesh, it becomes impossible to consider that Jesus may have been incapable of sin.

??? Jesus was the God-Man (not the Man-God) taking on human nature in addition to his divine nature. Is it possible that Christ's human nature could have overpowered his perfect, sinless divine nature? This would be to make his humanness equal to his deity, but part of what makes the divine nature superior to human nature is that it is greater by an infinite degree in power, wisdom and purity than human nature. How, then, could Christ's human nature ever have overtaken his divine nature? It simply hadn't the power to do so.

This doesn't mean that in his humanness, Christ was not fully tempted, only that such temptation could not ever overcome his divine nature. We see the terrible pressure of his humanness against his divinity in the instance of his betrayal in Gethsemane. But we also see that even in the face of such deep resistance by his human nature, Christ followed the will of His Father, never wavering, his divine nature stable and inexorable amidst the tumultuous waves of his humanness tossing wildly against the prospect of soon-coming torture and death.

The entire point of the accomplishments of Christ, and His overcoming sinful flesh and defeating death, all rests upon the foundation of His vulnerability and weakness living as a mortal man in a flesh body. Hebrews tells us that He lowered and humbled Himself in order to take on a flesh body and to become obedient. None of that is possible, nor makes any sense at all, if Christ was incapable of sinning.

??? The once-for-all Atonement of Christ was not dependent upon his humanness but upon his perfection and divine infiniteness. He could serve as the representative sacrifice for us all because he was fully human, but he could not atone for our sin as such. Only because Christ was not (just) human - which is to say, finite and sin-corrupted - was he able to be the "Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world." Part of how God ensured that this was so was through the virgin birth of Christ, Mary being impregnated by the Holy Spirit, not by Joseph.

It is the devil's style to come down from upon high and perform miracles and gain a following all while being incapable of failure. That is the polar opposite of what God Almighty would do.

But this is exactly what God did (2 Corinthians 5:21). Are you taking a Gnostic view of God and suggesting He's actually the devil? I sure hope not!

God humbled Himself to a degree that we cannot imagine, entered into sinful, fallible, vulnerable flesh and overcame every single temptation and desire common to man,

Precisely because He was also God incarnate and not only a man. Christ knew the full extent of human impulse and temptation, yes, but being God, he could not have yielded to it. Again, it is not the extent of his experience of human temptation that qualified him to be Savior of us all but his divine perfection and infiniteness.

To claim that Jesus was incapable of failure is to rob Him of all that He accomplished, all that He sacrificed and all the love that He poured out for fallen man.

You haven't shown yet how this is so; you've merely asserted it. Scripture offers a very different view of Christ's sacrifice. Read Hebrews 9 -10:22.

It is literally offensive to those who understand the profound nature of God's humility to even consider that He did not put Himself into a position where He could fall short. The very glory of God Almighty in the flesh rests upon the accomplishment and sacrifice of His willingness to subject Himself to such misery and abuse all for the sake of His beloved people. If He were not able to fail, then He didn't give up anything at all and He was never in any danger of any kind.

It was not Christ's purpose to "put himself in danger," but to offer himself as a perfect sacrifice for our sins. What is offensive is to imagine that the perfect Lamb of God was - I don't know - just...lucky that he didn't sin? Yikes.

If Jesus' glorified body is now incapable of sin, then what was its condition prior to His death and sacrifice on the Cross?

At his resurrection, Jesus' physical body became "incorruptible," but this is only to say "not susceptible to decay and death." Anyway, Jesus' body wasn't some sort of Gnostic evil, yearning at every moment for the corruption of sin, and so, it's glorification wasn't some kind of liberation from its intrinsically evil nature. It isn't the physical body itself that is evil but our "old man" - the person we are apart from God, pursuing our own will and way rather than His. It is this self-directed, God-defying person that is the Source of all sin, ultimately, not the physical body we each of us possess.

We steal God's glory when we claim that He wasn't capable of failure.

??? You haven't actually explained how this is so. You've railed against the idea that Christ could not sin, but this isn't in itself proof against the doctrine. It is in fact, a testament to God's divine superiority, to His power and perfection, to recognize that the divine nature precluded Christ, the God-Man, from committing sin. One must diminish the divine nature and enlarge human nature in order to think Jesus could really have sinned. But this is just human hubris cloaked in strange, vaguely Gnostic doctrine that does the very thing it decries: Stealing God's glory.

Everything that Jesus did was a testament to purity, honesty, selflessness, righteousness and perseverance. All of those qualities are stripped of Christ when we say that He had no ability to have sinned at any given moment of temptation.

Again, you assert this as though it is self-evident that your conclusion derives from your premise. It isn't. How, exactly, is Christ "stripped" in the manner you describe by taking the Bible's view of Christ's sinless perfection? How is the fact of Christ's deity and its necessary, by-definition, supremacy over his humanness, "stripping" him of his good qualities? How is his perfection in these things actually a denigration of him?

The devil would not have tried so hard to tempt Christ in the wilderness, nor would he have specially tailored the temptations to Christ's desires, if Christ was incapable of sinning. Unlike us, Christ was tempted to turn a stone into bread at a moment of extreme hunger and fatigue. None of that would have taken place if Christ wasn't truly and sincerely in the thick of the battle to fight off the temptation to sin.

Is this what the Bible says? Does the account of his temptation in the wilderness indicate he was "in the thick of the battle to fight off temptation"? He was, doubtless, powerfully hungry, but, being the GOD-Man, he simply responded with Scripture to the devil's temptation. Nothing about the Gospel account of Christ's temptation in the wilderness indicates he was wracked with the impulse to surrender to the devil, wrestling mightily within himself to do what was right. Not at all.

Matthew 4:1-4
1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
2 And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry.
3 And the tempter came and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread."
4 But He answered and said, "It is written, 'MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.'"
Where's the awful struggle with his human nature here? Jesus appears to immediately respond to the devil with Scripture, with divine Truth, giving no hint he could just as likely have yielded to the devil as not.

Christ showed us exactly how we are to live and fight against sin in our lives and we are to look to our Champion in order to remember His great accomplishments and find the strength to do so ourselves.

Oh, ugh. Please, not moralistic self-effort. This is NOT God's way to the victorious Christian life. Read:

Philippians 1:6
Philippians 2:13
Philippians 4:13
Romans 8:13
1 Thessalonians 5:23-24
Romans 6
Galatians 5:16
Galatians 5:25

 

[GodsGrace]

??? Jesus was the God-Man (not the Man-God) taking on human nature in addition to his divine nature. Is it possible that Christ's human nature could have overpowered his perfect, sinless divine nature? This would be to make his humanness equal to his deity, but part of what makes the divine nature superior to human nature is that it is greater by an infinite degree in power, wisdom and purity than human nature. How, then, could Christ's human nature ever have overtaken his divine nature? It simply hadn't the power to do so.

This doesn't mean that in his humanness, Christ was not fully tempted, only that such temptation could not ever overcome his divine nature. We see the terrible pressure of his humanness against his divinity in the instance of his betrayal in Gethsemane. But we also see that even in the face of such deep resistance by his human nature, Christ followed the will of His Father, never wavering, his divine nature stable and inexorable amidst the tumultuous waves of his humanness tossing wildly against the prospect of soon-coming torture and death.



??? The once-for-all Atonement of Christ was not dependent upon his humanness but upon his perfection and divine infiniteness. He could serve as the representative sacrifice for us all because he was fully human, but he could not atone for our sin as such. Only because Christ was not (just) human - which is to say, finite and sin-corrupted - was he able to be the "Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world." Part of how God ensured that this was so was through the virgin birth of Christ, Mary being impregnated by the Holy Spirit, not by Joseph.



But this is exactly what God did (2 Corinthians 5:21). Are you taking a Gnostic view of God and suggesting He's actually the devil? I sure hope not!



Precisely because He was also God incarnate and not only a man. Christ knew the full extent of human impulse and temptation, yes, but being God, he could not have yielded to it. Again, it is not the extent of his experience of human temptation that qualified him to be Savior of us all but his divine perfection and infiniteness.



You haven't shown yet how this is so; you've merely asserted it. Scripture offers a very different view of Christ's sacrifice. Read Hebrews 9 -10:22.



It was not Christ's purpose to "put himself in danger," but to offer himself as a perfect sacrifice for our sins. What is offensive is to imagine that the perfect Lamb of God was - I don't know - just...lucky that he didn't sin? Yikes.



At his resurrection, Jesus' physical body became "incorruptible," but this is only to say "not susceptible to decay and death." Anyway, Jesus' body wasn't some sort of Gnostic evil, yearning at every moment for the corruption of sin, and so, it's glorification wasn't some kind of liberation from its intrinsically evil nature. It isn't the physical body itself that is evil but our "old man" - the person we are apart from God, pursuing our own will and way rather than His. It is this self-directed, God-defying person that is the Source of all sin, ultimately, not the physical body we each of us possess.


??? You haven't actually explained how this is so. You've railed against the idea that Christ could not sin, but this isn't in itself proof against the doctrine. It is in fact, a testament to God's divine superiority, to His power and perfection, to recognize that the divine nature precluded Christ, the God-Man, from committing sin. One must diminish the divine nature and enlarge human nature in order to think Jesus could really have sinned. But this is just human hubris cloaked in strange, vaguely Gnostic doctrine that does the very thing it decries: Stealing God's glory.



Again, you assert this as though it is self-evident that your conclusion derives from your premise. It isn't. How, exactly, is Christ "stripped" in the manner you describe by taking the Bible's view of Christ's sinless perfection? How is the fact of Christ's deity and its necessary, by-definition, supremacy over his humanness, "stripping" him of his good qualities? How is his perfection in these things actually a denigration of him?



Is this what the Bible says? Does the account of his temptation in the wilderness indicate he was "in the thick of the battle to fight off temptation"? He was, doubtless, powerfully hungry, but, being the GOD-Man, he simply responded with Scripture to the devil's temptation. Nothing about the Gospel account of Christ's temptation in the wilderness indicates he was wracked with the impulse to surrender to the devil, wrestling mightily within himself to do what was right. Not at all.

Matthew 4:1-4
1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
2 And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry.
3 And the tempter came and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread."
4 But He answered and said, "It is written, 'MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.'"
Where's the awful struggle with his human nature here? Jesus appears to immediately respond to the devil with Scripture, with divine Truth, giving no hint he could just as likely have yielded to the devil as not.



Oh, ugh. Please, not moralistic self-effort. This is NOT God's way to the victorious Christian life. Read:

Philippians 1:6
Philippians 2:13
Philippians 4:13
Romans 8:13
1 Thessalonians 5:23-24
Romans 6
Galatians 5:16
Galatians 5:25

Great post.
I just would like to remind you that one of the atonement theories is the Moral Influence Theory.
Guess you don't care for it.
No problem.
There are plenty others!

 

[Iconoclast]

Don Stewart :: Was It Impossible for Jesus to Sin? (Impeccability)​

While all Christians agree that Jesus did not sin, there is the view that He was incapable of sinning while here upon the earth. This is known, as His "impeccability." The word comes from the Latin and means, "no sin."
The Case For Impeccability
Those who argue that Christ could not sin do so for the following reasons.
1. The Dual Nature Of Jesus - God Cannot Be Tempted To Sin
While Jesus had a human nature, He also had a divine nature. Since He was the eternal God who became human it was impossible for the divine nature to sin. The human nature could not act apart from the divine nature. Therefore He could not sin. James wrote.

Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God;" for God cannot be tempted by evil, and he himself does not tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust (James 1:13,14).

Since God cannot be tempted to sin, Jesus could not sin.
2. Christ Has An Unchanging Nature
The Bible says that Christ is unchangeable.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8).

Since Jesus Christ is God, and God cannot sin in any way, then Jesus could not have sinned in any way. The nature of God does not change. If Jesus could have sinned while on the earth, then it would be possible for him to sin in heaven.
3. Christ Is All-Powerful (Omnipotent)
One of the attributes of God is that he is all-powerful or omnipotent. Jesus did not give up this attribute when he became human. Jesus said about his authority.

And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth" (Matthew 28:18).

Because he is all-powerful he has no weakness. This would include a weakness to sin.
4. Jesus Is All-Knowing
In addition, Jesus is all knowing.

And needed no one to testify about anyone; for he himself knew what was in everyone (John 2:25)

Since Jesus is all knowing, he could not have been deceived into committing a sin. This includes hypothetical situations for Jesus knew all things that have happened and could possibly happen. For example, he knew what would have happened to certain cities in the past, such as Tyre and Sidon, had they repented.

Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the deeds of power done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes (Matthew 11:21).

5. The Nature Of The Temptations
Another point is the nature of the temptations. The nature of Christ's temptation came from without, not from within. For sin to occur there must be an inward response to the outward temptation. Since Jesus did not possess a sin nature, there was no possibility of him to respond to the temptation.
6. The Purpose Of The Temptations
Finally there is the purpose of the temptations of Christ. The reason he was tempted was not to see whether or not he could sin, the purpose was to show that he could not sin. It was to demonstrate that he could not succumb in any way to the temptations that were put in his path.
Were They Genuine Temptations?
If Jesus could not have sinned then were the temptations genuine? Why test someone who could not fail?
The following are some of the common objections against this position.

1. If it was not possible for Christ to sin, then He must not have had the power of choice.
2. If Christ could not sin, then why was He tempted? Wouldn't the temptation be a farce? In what sense can a sinless being be tempted?
3. If Christ could not sin, then how could He identify with humanity. How could He sympathize with our temptations?

The answer to this lies in the nature of the temptations of Jesus.
Three Unique Temptations
There were only three individuals in Scripture who experienced unique temptations-Adam, Eve, and Jesus. Adam and Eve, unfortunately, gave in to the temptation and brought sin into the world. Jesus, on the other hand, resisted the temptation. They are the only three people who came into this world without a sin nature.
These Tests Were Unique To Jesus
Yet Jesus was unique from Adam and Eve. He was no ordinary man. No ordinary human being would ever be tempted in the ways He which Jesus was tempted. None of us could be tempted to turn stones into bread, or prove that we are the Messiah by jumping from a high place. Neither would any human being be offered all the kingdoms of the world if they simply bowed down to Satan. These particular tests were designed for Jesus only.
They Covered Areas Common To All Humans
Although the specific tests in which Jesus was subjected were unique to Him they do represent temptations that are common to humankind. The Apostle John said that sin could be placed in the following categories

For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world (1 John 2:16).

The temptations that Jesus experienced fall into these categories.
Was Jesus Tested In All Things?
The writer to the Hebrews says that Jesus was tested in all things.

For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15).

This means that Jesus experienced tests that are representative of every category of tests that human's experience not that He experienced each individual temptation.
Summary
Those who believe that Jesus could not have sinned do so based upon His nature as God. Since God cannot be tempted to sin, and Jesus was God, then Jesus could not have sinned. This is known as the impeccability of Christ.

 

[Iconoclast]

Was It Possible for Jesus to Sin?​

APRIL 10, 2021 | D. BLAIR SMITH


https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/unchanging-god-regret-saul-king/
One of the most comforting verses in the New Testament is Hebrews 4:15: “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.”
It’s comforting because it doesn’t simply identify Jesus as our high priest, but links his priesthood to sympathy—a sympathy born of his experience of human temptation. When facing trials, we look for help from someone who has walked a similar path to ours—someone who can provide perspective and hope from their experience. In matters of faith, this sympathy can be the life-or-death difference between persevering and throwing in the towel.

Jesus, as our sympathetic high priest, helps us persevere in the Christian life (Heb. 4:14). Because he shares our humanity completely—even now as our resurrected and ascended high priest—he can relate to the weakness of our condition from the inside.
Part of that weakness is our ability to be tempted by sin. Within and without, we daily know the temptations of this fallen world, including how it feels to give in, whereas Hebrews teaches that Jesus was tempted but he never gave in. He never sinned. On this Hebrews 4:15 is clear and on this all Christians agree.
But could he have? Could Jesus have sinned?
This question has to do with what theologians call the peccability (able to sin) or impeccability (unable to sin) of Christ. The concern, which is good, is whether Jesus has fully identified with us in his humanity; again, the question is not whether he sinned. But given that he didn’t sin in reality, could he have in theory?

Three Reasons Jesus Couldn’t Sin​

The question needs to be answered in the negative for three reasons, which I will refer to as his person, his Paraclete, and his purpose.

1. His Person​

Whenever we look at Jesus in the Gospels, we need to remember that this is the eternal Son of God who assumed a human nature. Yes, he has two natures, but those natures are united without division or confusion within one person. The human nature of the incarnate Son has never existed separate from his person.
The second person of the Trinity assumed our human nature. That nature doesn’t act, because natures don’t act; persons do. The second person of the Trinity is the one who acts. If he were to sin in the capacity of his human nature, it would mean a member of the Trinity would sin, which is impossible for the holy One of God.

2. His Paraclete​

This word Paraclete is, of course, a reference to the Holy Spirit. The Son’s assumption of human nature was a result of the Spirit overshadowing the virgin Mary (Luke 1:35). The Father gave the Spirit to Christ “without measure” (John 3:34). He was anointed by the Spirit in his baptism (Matt. 3:16). He experienced unmitigated fellowship with the Spirit throughout his human life on earth (Acts 10:38).
In keeping with his name, the Holy Spirit always led the incarnate Son through holy paths of righteousness—even when those paths ventured into the way of temptation.

3. His Purpose​

According to Ephesians 1:3–5, our salvation flows from an eternal plan in which the Father, “according to the purpose of his will,” eternally unites us to the Son so that he becomes head and mediator of a redeemed people. Jesus agrees with this purpose in John 17:4: “I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.”

In keeping with his name, the Holy Spirit always led the incarnate Son through holy paths of righteousness.

Central to that work was not only his active obedience as a second Adam (Rom. 5:12–21; 1 Cor. 15:20–22, 45–49), but also his offering of himself “through the eternal Spirit . . . without blemish to God” (Heb. 9:14). If Jesus Christ could have sinned, his purpose born in God’s eternal plan would be called into question.
But wouldn’t the sum of these three reasons mean the temptations Jesus faced weren’t real—at least in the same way they are for you and me?

Real Temptations, for Us​

Christ underwent temptations as our mediator (Rom. 8:2–4). He did this in our place, as our representative. And as he was tempted, the Spirit was active.
Consider the wilderness temptations. After Jesus’s anointing by the Spirit at his baptism, the Spirit leads him out to the wilderness to be tempted. While Jesus didn’t have a fallen nature, so no fallen desires tempted him from within, temptation came with force from without.

While no fallen desires tempted Jesus from within, temptation came with force from without.

Matthew 4:11 states that angels ministered to him after the Devil’s assaults. Certainly this was needed because the wilderness temptations were real. Jesus’s temptations were not mere “shadowboxing.” They were felt—felt for us.
Leon Morris noted that sinlessness heightens, not lowers, the force of temptation:
The man who yields to a particular temptation has not felt its full power. He has given in while the temptation has yet something in reserve. Only the man who does not yield to temptation, who, as regards that particular temptation, is sinless, knows the full extent of that temptation.
We feel temptations every day. Like Adam, we too often rely on ourselves and follow temptation into sin. Thank God for a new Adam who, throughout the course of his long obedience, entrusted himself always to the Father in the power of the Spirit and never once gave in. Just as Adam’s failure is naturally ours, Jesus’s victory over temptation is supernaturally ours if, by grace, we entrust ourselves to him in faith.

Real Humanity, for Us​

A common objection to Christ’s impeccability is that if Jesus could not sin, this would make his humanity less. After all, Adam (the first human) could sin, and (as we know all too well) so can we. But is this ability essential to our humanity? If the ability to sin is taken away, does that make us less human?
Every picture of a full human life in Scripture is one absent of sin. What’s more, the Christian’s eternal hope is to live sinlessly in the new heavens and new earth. No more will sin enter—even potentially—into our experience, for sanctification will be complete and our human nature glorified (Rom. 8:30). Old Adam’s stain will be erased forever, and we will know what it is to walk with God as fully human and fully alive.

Every picture of a full human life in Scripture is one absent of sin.

Like Jesus, we will be unable to sin, but this doesn’t make that experience any less human. If anything, we will be more human as we experience the heights of our created purpose as covenant friends of God.
Jesus lived this life first. And thanks be to God, he did it in the face of temptations. Thus, he is for us a sympathetic high priest, providing from himself the strength we need to “hold fast to our confession” until our entrance into the fullness of eternal life.
We also thank God that while the Son’s first step was to become like us, it was in order to make us like him. He is the ultimate pattern. With our humanity Jesus resisted every temptation that we might, like him, say no to sin.

 

[hawkman]

Don Stewart :: Was It Impossible for Jesus to Sin? (Impeccability)​

While all Christians agree that Jesus did not sin, there is the view that He was incapable of sinning while here upon the earth. This is known, as His "impeccability." The word comes from the Latin and means, "no sin."
The Case For Impeccability
Those who argue that Christ could not sin do so for the following reasons.
1. The Dual Nature Of Jesus - God Cannot Be Tempted To Sin
While Jesus had a human nature, He also had a divine nature. Since He was the eternal God who became human it was impossible for the divine nature to sin. The human nature could not act apart from the divine nature. Therefore He could not sin. James wrote.

Since God cannot be tempted to sin, Jesus could not sin.
2. Christ Has An Unchanging Nature
The Bible says that Christ is unchangeable.

Since Jesus Christ is God, and God cannot sin in any way, then Jesus could not have sinned in any way. The nature of God does not change. If Jesus could have sinned while on the earth, then it would be possible for him to sin in heaven.
3. Christ Is All-Powerful (Omnipotent)
One of the attributes of God is that he is all-powerful or omnipotent. Jesus did not give up this attribute when he became human. Jesus said about his authority.

Because he is all-powerful he has no weakness. This would include a weakness to sin.
4. Jesus Is All-Knowing
In addition, Jesus is all knowing.

Since Jesus is all knowing, he could not have been deceived into committing a sin. This includes hypothetical situations for Jesus knew all things that have happened and could possibly happen. For example, he knew what would have happened to certain cities in the past, such as Tyre and Sidon, had they repented.

5. The Nature Of The Temptations
Another point is the nature of the temptations. The nature of Christ's temptation came from without, not from within. For sin to occur there must be an inward response to the outward temptation. Since Jesus did not possess a sin nature, there was no possibility of him to respond to the temptation.
6. The Purpose Of The Temptations
Finally there is the purpose of the temptations of Christ. The reason he was tempted was not to see whether or not he could sin, the purpose was to show that he could not sin. It was to demonstrate that he could not succumb in any way to the temptations that were put in his path.
Were They Genuine Temptations?
If Jesus could not have sinned then were the temptations genuine? Why test someone who could not fail?
The following are some of the common objections against this position.

1. If it was not possible for Christ to sin, then He must not have had the power of choice.
2. If Christ could not sin, then why was He tempted? Wouldn't the temptation be a farce? In what sense can a sinless being be tempted?
3. If Christ could not sin, then how could He identify with humanity. How could He sympathize with our temptations?

The answer to this lies in the nature of the temptations of Jesus.
Three Unique Temptations
There were only three individuals in Scripture who experienced unique temptations-Adam, Eve, and Jesus. Adam and Eve, unfortunately, gave in to the temptation and brought sin into the world. Jesus, on the other hand, resisted the temptation. They are the only three people who came into this world without a sin nature.
These Tests Were Unique To Jesus
Yet Jesus was unique from Adam and Eve. He was no ordinary man. No ordinary human being would ever be tempted in the ways He which Jesus was tempted. None of us could be tempted to turn stones into bread, or prove that we are the Messiah by jumping from a high place. Neither would any human being be offered all the kingdoms of the world if they simply bowed down to Satan. These particular tests were designed for Jesus only.
They Covered Areas Common To All Humans
Although the specific tests in which Jesus was subjected were unique to Him they do represent temptations that are common to humankind. The Apostle John said that sin could be placed in the following categories

The temptations that Jesus experienced fall into these categories.
Was Jesus Tested In All Things?
The writer to the Hebrews says that Jesus was tested in all things.

This means that Jesus experienced tests that are representative of every category of tests that human's experience not that He experienced each individual temptation.
Summary
Those who believe that Jesus could not have sinned do so based upon His nature as God. Since God cannot be tempted to sin, and Jesus was God, then Jesus could not have sinned. This is known as the impeccability of Christ.

Mr. Stewart I have problems with this part right here . I will quote the verse you used ? Or am I ? Or did you
Iconoclast , add the verse Matthew 28:18 to what Mr. Stewart said ? Screen shot is the only way to prove it is there , sigh .


The flaw here is this is the RISEN CHRIST speaking and of course He has ALL POWER when He is speaking in this verse !
Iconoclast you would end up with a all-powerful and omnipotent God nailed to a cross , do you see a problem ?

3. Christ Is All-Powerful (Omnipotent)
One of the attributes of God is that he is all-powerful or omnipotent. Jesus did not give up this attribute when he became human. Jesus said about his authority.

 

[GodsGrace]

Don Stewart :: Was It Impossible for Jesus to Sin? (Impeccability)​

While all Christians agree that Jesus did not sin, there is the view that He was incapable of sinning while here upon the earth. This is known, as His "impeccability." The word comes from the Latin and means, "no sin."
The Case For Impeccability
Those who argue that Christ could not sin do so for the following reasons.
1. The Dual Nature Of Jesus - God Cannot Be Tempted To Sin
While Jesus had a human nature, He also had a divine nature. Since He was the eternal God who became human it was impossible for the divine nature to sin. The human nature could not act apart from the divine nature. Therefore He could not sin. James wrote.

Since God cannot be tempted to sin, Jesus could not sin.
2. Christ Has An Unchanging Nature
The Bible says that Christ is unchangeable.

Since Jesus Christ is God, and God cannot sin in any way, then Jesus could not have sinned in any way. The nature of God does not change. If Jesus could have sinned while on the earth, then it would be possible for him to sin in heaven.
3. Christ Is All-Powerful (Omnipotent)
One of the attributes of God is that he is all-powerful or omnipotent. Jesus did not give up this attribute when he became human. Jesus said about his authority.

Because he is all-powerful he has no weakness. This would include a weakness to sin.
4. Jesus Is All-Knowing
In addition, Jesus is all knowing.

Since Jesus is all knowing, he could not have been deceived into committing a sin. This includes hypothetical situations for Jesus knew all things that have happened and could possibly happen. For example, he knew what would have happened to certain cities in the past, such as Tyre and Sidon, had they repented.

5. The Nature Of The Temptations
Another point is the nature of the temptations. The nature of Christ's temptation came from without, not from within. For sin to occur there must be an inward response to the outward temptation. Since Jesus did not possess a sin nature, there was no possibility of him to respond to the temptation.
6. The Purpose Of The Temptations
Finally there is the purpose of the temptations of Christ. The reason he was tempted was not to see whether or not he could sin, the purpose was to show that he could not sin. It was to demonstrate that he could not succumb in any way to the temptations that were put in his path.
Were They Genuine Temptations?
If Jesus could not have sinned then were the temptations genuine? Why test someone who could not fail?
The following are some of the common objections against this position.

1. If it was not possible for Christ to sin, then He must not have had the power of choice.
2. If Christ could not sin, then why was He tempted? Wouldn't the temptation be a farce? In what sense can a sinless being be tempted?
3. If Christ could not sin, then how could He identify with humanity. How could He sympathize with our temptations?

The answer to this lies in the nature of the temptations of Jesus.
Three Unique Temptations
There were only three individuals in Scripture who experienced unique temptations-Adam, Eve, and Jesus. Adam and Eve, unfortunately, gave in to the temptation and brought sin into the world. Jesus, on the other hand, resisted the temptation. They are the only three people who came into this world without a sin nature.
These Tests Were Unique To Jesus
Yet Jesus was unique from Adam and Eve. He was no ordinary man. No ordinary human being would ever be tempted in the ways He which Jesus was tempted. None of us could be tempted to turn stones into bread, or prove that we are the Messiah by jumping from a high place. Neither would any human being be offered all the kingdoms of the world if they simply bowed down to Satan. These particular tests were designed for Jesus only.
They Covered Areas Common To All Humans
Although the specific tests in which Jesus was subjected were unique to Him they do represent temptations that are common to humankind. The Apostle John said that sin could be placed in the following categories

The temptations that Jesus experienced fall into these categories.
Was Jesus Tested In All Things?
The writer to the Hebrews says that Jesus was tested in all things.

This means that Jesus experienced tests that are representative of every category of tests that human's experience not that He experienced each individual temptation.
Summary
Those who believe that Jesus could not have sinned do so based upon His nature as God. Since God cannot be tempted to sin, and Jesus was God, then Jesus could not have sinned. This is known as the impeccability of Christ.

Good post.
Two comments...

Impeccability, means the ability to not sin.
Only Jesus had this ability.

And the most important reason for me is no
5.

If Jesus was capable of sinning it would have meant he had the sin nature. This is impossible since He was God .

 

[Iconoclast]

Mr. Stewart I have problems with this part right here . I will quote the verse you used ? Or am I ? Or did you
Iconoclast , add the verse Matthew 28:18 to what Mr. Stewart said ? Screen shot is the only way to prove it is there , sigh .

View attachment 15934
The flaw here is this is the RISEN CHRIST speaking and of course He has ALL POWER when He is speaking in this verse !
Iconoclast you would end up with a all-powerful and omnipotent God nailed to a cross , do you see a problem ?

I posted it as I found it. God did not die. Jesus Human body was put to death, but raised as psalm 16 indicates

 

[Iconoclast]

Good post.
Two comments...

Impeccability, means the ability to not sin.
Only Jesus had this ability.

And the most important reason for me is no
5.

If Jesus was capable of sinning it would have meant he had the sin nature. This is impossible since He was God .

Agreed. One of the main reasons for the virgin birth was so that Jesus did not "have sinless flesh" as he did not inherit Adams corruption. romans 8:3b God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: He did not have sinful flesh, He had a real body of flesh, but without sin

As the last Adam, He had nothing in His Holy person that would ever be attracted to sin.
He was tempted as we are, but yet without sin. When we are glorified on the last day, we will no longer be able to sin.

 

[hawkman]

Good post.
Two comments...

Impeccability, means the ability to not sin.
Only Jesus had this ability.

And the most important reason for me is no
5.

If Jesus was capable of sinning it would have meant he had the sin nature. This is impossible since He was God .

What sin nature ? But that is for another time .

 

[GodsGrace]

What sin nature ? But that is for another time .

Start a thread.
You're not the first....

 

[hawkman]

inherit Adams corruption

So it was genetic corruption ? Yes or No .