Was Christ capable of Sin?

[BeyondET]

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.

If God cannot be tempted by evil, how can a special temptation be for Jesus only who is God as your post mentions.

 

[Josef]

Hey All,
Not just special, the temptations Satan used were unique to Jesus. We cannot do the tempts with which Jesus was challenged.
I cannot turn stones to bread.
I cannot survive a jump like Matthew described.
I am a simple person. What am I going to do with the kingdoms of the world?

Thus the temptations were unique to Jesus.

Keep walking everybody.
May God bless,
Taz

 

[hawkman]

Here is an interesting article on the Impeccablity of Jesus.

Interesting . Josef did you see #3 was false teaching ? Post # 39 in case you missed it , which should leave you pondering the possibility of other false teachings in the Don Stewart writing .

Josef , do you know if Don Stewart really wrote what you posted ?

 

[Fastfredy0]

The human nature could not act apart from the divine nature. Therefore He could not sin.

Agreed. Jesus could not sin because His divine nature is sovereign; it controls ALL THINGS including the human nature of Christ.

Jesus' human nature did not exist till 2000 years ago. If Jesus' human nature could act independently of His divine nature then it would be impossible to the divine nature to be ALL KNOWING of those future events because even God cannot know what something will do in the future before said entity existed.

(Because the most fundamental maxim of all reason, and all science, and all philosophy is the maxim, "ex nihilo nihil fit" out of nothing, nothing comes.)

 

[Josef]

Hey All,
I revisited the OP and made comments under each section. I know we are late into the thread. But it took me awhile to think about it and organize my thoughts.

"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."
Quote from F345T

No it is not.
The Bible expressly declares that Jesus was sinless. The writer of Hebrews tells us that He was "holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners" (Heb. 7:26, NASB). One cannot be separate yet still be the same. The apostle Paul boldly asserts that He "knew no sin" (2 Cor. 5:21) It is His God nature that makes Him separate.

"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." Quote from F345T

How is it not possible for God to keep God's Word? The dual nature of Jesus (100% God and 100% man) would not allow sin. We cannot separate the two natures.

"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." Quote from F345T

Satan uses guile and deceit to accomplish his evil, not miracles. Satan is a created being. Satan is also not incapable of failure. Every believer is proof that Satan can and does fail.
To claim that Jesus was incapable of failure is to acknowledge His God nature. God is not robbed of anything by what you or I might say.

"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." Quote from F345T

It is impossible for God to sin. Therefore Jesus could not"fall short." Do you believe Jesus didn't give up anything to become a human so He could die for us.? Think of what he had to endure during the crucifixion. All the time, at any time, Jesus could have called twelve legions of angels to rescue Him. To have that kind of power, and not use it: Jesus gave up plenty.

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. Quote from F345T

You are errently comparing your life to Christ's life. Jesus does not need transformation as you or I do. The only transformation after the resurrection of Jesus was in His humanity. Actually, I take that back. There was a transformation on the cross. When Jesus took upon Himself the sins of the world, He was forsaken by the father. We cannot leave that out.
The gospel writers recorded the observable changes in His humanity. After the resurrection could mask His identity, or just appear in their midst.
But as God, Jesus was/is without sin. The transformation you are referring to, for us, happeds after the last trump; after the dead are raised incorruptible.
You cannot help yourself. Every once in a while you speak what you really know.

" . . . only Christ could accomplish in the flesh . . . "

Why was it, " . . . an absolute miracle and a wonder that only Christ could accomplish in the flesh . . . "?
Because Jesus had/has a dual nature that was/is fully integrated.

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. Quote from F345T
How does one steel from One who is infinite? Whatever is God's, He has. Whatever you have comes from God. He allows us to have. You cannot steel from God.

Jesus is still God. He humbled Himself when He limited His glory by becoming flesh and blood. Saying Jesus had/has no ability to sin acknowledges His Godliness. A person has to ignore His Godliness to say He could sin.

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. Quote from F345T

Of course Satan would have tried hard. he knows what is going to happen to him. Enticing Jesus to sin would mean victory for Satan. Jesus was weekend by His fast. Typical Satan, he attacks our weak points. Satan was attacking Jesus' humanity. Satan knew Jesus' God nature would not sin. he also assumed a non-integration of natures.

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. Quote from F345T

If we have to fight against sin, it means we are susseptable to sin. We have a sin nature. Jesus did not. Jesus was born into humanity through Mary. He retained His God nature through the Holy Spirit. That is what makes Jesus unique in all of humanity. Again, Satan does not attack Jesus' God nature. His humanity was weak from starvation. Satan attacks Jesus where He was vulnerable. It was still a valid temptation because Jesus was on the verge of starving to death. (We know this because after it was over angels came and ministered to Him.) How easy would it have been, for God the man, to turn stones into bread to keep His humanity from starvation. Before the resurrection, with the possible exception of a teachable moment, like walking on the water, Jesus never used His God nature to make His human life easier than yours or my lives. He could have. He is God. So He did not. The temptations were not done to prove that Jesus could have sinned. The temptations were allowed to prove Jesus was God; and thus worthy to be a pure and Holy sacrifice. Amen!

Keep walking everybody.
May God bless,
Taz

 

[Josef]

Interesting . Josef did you see #3 was false teaching ? Post # 39 in case you missed it , which should leave you pondering the possibility of other false teachings in the Don Stewart writing .

Josef , do you know if Don Stewart really wrote what you posted ?

Hey All,
Can you explain what error you see hawkman?

Matthew 28:19 just tells us that Jesus has all power after His resurrection. Whatever power that was limited by His humanity, is now restored. As a human we know He had to eat, sleep, pray, and other humanly functions. Now He does not.

Hebrews 2:9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.

So in Matthew 28:19 Jesus is comparing His was/is condition.

The writer of Hebrews further describes the after condition of Jesus.

Hebrews 1:1-4 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.

That is the definition of all-powerful according to the writer of Hebrews. He is writing about Jesus. True, it is written after the resurrection. If you want to say it's not apples to apples I get that. But some of the passage speaks of Jesus before the resurrection.

Here is what Jesus said concerning Himself.

Revelation 22:12-16 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.

Nowhere in Scripture does it say Jesus was just human except for the Pharisees and Sadducees. We know they were wrong.

I don't know if Don Stewart wrote the article. I would say if it is forged, or pledurized, whoever did it went the extra mile and threw in a photograph. I just stopped and searched him on Google. This is a quick review.

"Donald Lee Stewart (born October 25, 1939) is an American Pentecostal minister and purported faith healer. He is a televangelist who hosts Power and Mercy on Black Entertainment Television,[5] The Word Network,[6] and other television channels. He is the successor to the late A. A. Allen's organization." From Don Stewart's website

Yeah I am not liking who he is associated with. Nor do I believe in faith healing on command. We don't order God around. So I do have some issues with him. I probably won't use him again. The word faith people will try to throw their doctrine in there. That's how they make the big bucks. (I didn't see any red flags when I read it.)


Keep walking everybody.
May God bless,
Taz

 

[hawkman]

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.

Jesus was not all powerful and omnipotent when He walked this earth before His resurrection . Tired and hungry bare that out .

Whatever power that was limited by His humanity, is now restored.

Josef , yes you are right ! Don is wrong .

Matthew 28:19 just tells us that Jesus has all power after His resurrection. Whatever power that was limited by His humanity, is now restored.

That is the part Don Stewart missed ! Because Don said as above in the first quote , "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."

 

[GodsGrace]

Agreed. Jesus could not sin because His divine nature is sovereign; it controls ALL THINGS including the human nature of Christ.

Jesus' human nature did not exist till 2000 years ago. If Jesus' human nature could act independently of His divine nature then it would be impossible to the divine nature to be ALL KNOWING of those future events because even God cannot know what something will do in the future before said entity existed.

(Because the most fundamental maxim of all reason, and all science, and all philosophy is the maxim, "ex nihilo nihil fit" out of nothing, nothing comes.)

Have you become a believer of open theism?
God knows everything that will happen.

 

[Fastfredy0]

Have you become a believer of open theism?

No ... I don't know where you get to that conclusion.

God knows everything that will happen.

Agreed ... because He determines all things. He can't know what NOTHING will do as that is impossible. At one time there was NOTHING but God so He himself and what He would do was the only source of knowledge and since He know all things He must determine all things in order to know all things in eternity past; when we were nothing. Simple logic

 

[hawkman]

Have you become a believer of open theism?

What do you think of open theism ? What I read so far maybe that is close to what I think . Maybe we need another thread for this . Glad you asked Fastfredy0 this question .

God knows everything that will happen.

But when does he know it and how does mankind's choices made effect the future ? I am only asking easy questions today .

 

[GodsGrace]

No ... I don't know where you get to that conclusion.

Agreed ... because He determines all things. He can't know what NOTHING will do as that is impossible. At one time there was NOTHING but God so He himself and what He would do was the only source of knowledge and since He know all things He must determine all things in order to know all things in eternity past; when we were nothing. Simple logic

Your second paragraph gave that impression.
Didn't think you really had.

As to simple logic, who can truly know about God ?

God is mighty powerful.
When there was nothing and He was setting up the game He could have predetermined every move. But what fun would that be?

Better to give the humans free will and watch what happens.

God is truly sovereign. He knows all - even the future.

But we'll agree to disagree.

 

[GodsGrace]

What do you think of open theism ? What I read so far maybe that is close to what I think . Maybe we need another thread for this . Glad you asked Fastfredy0 this question .

But when does he know it and how does mankind's choices made effect the future ? I am only asking easy questions today .

That would REALLY derail.
Start up a thread. But it's late here.
Tag me in.
I don't believe in open theism.

 

[Fastfredy0]

As to simple logic, who can truly know about God ?

Apples and oranges ... knowing 1+1=2 (simple logic) is not the same knowing God. I know God knows 1+1=2 (simple logic). I know that God cannot glean information from nothing (simple logic) which is what we were in eternity past (also simple logic). For God to know everything eternally be anything existed requires that He determine everything (simple logic).

God is mighty powerful.
When there was nothing and He was setting up the game He could have predetermined every move. But what fun would that be?

God is not like man. I know of no scripture telling us God has fun. He controls everything for His glory and pleasure (many verses). If He didn't control everything then His pleasure would not be completely satisfied. (simple logic)

Better to give the humans free will and watch what happens.

God determines what is 'better' as He determines all things as proven by simple logic. If you wish to insert your human preferences into what you believe God is, I can't stop you.

 

[GodsGrace]

Apples and oranges ... knowing 1+1=2 (simple logic) is not the same knowing God. I know God knows 1+1=2 (simple logic). I know that God cannot glean information from nothing (simple logic) which is what we were in eternity past (also simple logic). For God to know everything eternally be anything existed requires that He determine everything (simple logic).


God is not like man. I know of no scripture telling us God has fun. He controls everything for His glory and pleasure (many verses). If He didn't control everything then His pleasure would not be completely satisfied. (simple logic)


God determines what is 'better' as He determines all things as proven by simple logic. If you wish to insert your human preferences into what you believe God is, I can't stop you.

I was being sarcastic.
'Night

 

[Runningman]

If God cannot be tempted by evil, how can a special temptation be for Jesus only who is God as your post mentions.

Good question. Care to speculate?

 

[Fastfredy0]

I was being sarcastic.
'Night

Oh ... g'night

 

[Hopeful 2]

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.

If "we" do these things regularly, "we" are without love.

 

[Hopeful 2]

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.”

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.

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.

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.

I really liked the part where he said..."Like Jesus, we will be unable to sin,"

 

[Randy]

Jesus had absolute knowledge of the truth. He could not be deceived into sinning. He knew who He was, why He was sent and the Father as an eyewitness of His majesty. He came down from the Fathers presence. If people have to be tempted, tricked and lead astray then the tempter does not have control of their will. By His will he chose the right and rejected the wrong.
Jesus had the Father living in Him and I see no reason that like those born again that He by that Spirit would overcome the weakness of the flesh that the Son of Man did experience.
This is written of those born again and John wrote this in 1 John
No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. 10 This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.
Well, we know Jesus was God's child.
Jesus did experience the weakness of the flesh in every way as the Son of Man. He learned to rely on God His Father as a one in the flesh.
He also overcame the world as a servant even though the world came into existence through Him.

During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.

He had His own free Will. So only in that context, to me, it was possible. But as one who had absolute knowledge of the truth and was an eyewitness of the Father I would state, to me, not possible for Him to be deceived into sinning.

And He had everything He needed to live a Godly lifestyle among mankind. (The one living in Him) Just as we do, Christ in us. The one in us is greater than the one in the world.

 

[reddogs]

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.

This idea that Christ could not sin 'impeccability', comes from the church of Rome as they needed it to apply it to the virgin mary to support their unscriptural claim that she was 'impeccable' and thus immaculate and she gave this to Jesus so is the one who made Him sinless.