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Was Christ Tempted to Sin ?

S

savedbygrace57

Guest
Matt 4:1

Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

There is no question that the Man Jesus, while He tabernacled among men, that He was tempted to sin, Yes He was in all points, tempted as those was He came to save Heb 4:15

For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

That means He was tempted with the lust of the flesh, of the eyes, and of the pride of life as men 1 Jn 2:15-16

15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

The difference however in Jesus temptation by the devil, and that of eve in the garden is this, that eve had something in her that was enticeable but Jesus did not Jn 14:30

Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.

Jesus temptation by the devil could only be external, for as contrary to eve, the temptation was internal and enticed within her lust, unlawful lust, whereas Christ was not enticed by His Temptation from the devil, so His Temptation served only to prove and vindicate His sinlessness as a Man, and that though tested, He could not be enticed to disobey God's Commands, and of course we know the outcome of Eve's Temptation pictured here James 1:13-15

13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:

14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

That word enticed is the greek word deleazo and means:

to bait, catch by a bait

2) metaph. to beguile by blandishments, allure, entice, deceive

The devils temptations had nothing in Christ to bait Him, to allure Him from His sinless Path of Obedience.

The Lord Jesus did not have any lusts in Him laying latent that allured Him to sin, the devils evil suggestions just bounced right off Him with no effect at all, for the devils temptation of Him had zero chance of causing Him to sin, but through the experience He gained a experimental knowledge of the force of the devils temptations that His sinful brothers in the flesh go through, it was all part of His Learned Obedience to the Will of God Heb 5:8

8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;

The word suffered here means:

to be affected or have been affected, to feel, have a sensible experience, to undergo

a) in a good sense, to be well off, in good case

b) in a bad sense, to suffer sadly, be in a bad plight

1) of a sick person

It served to merely given Him sensible experience of Our Temptations Heb 4:14-15

14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.

15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

Yes, He experienced it all save sin, which we know begins in the Heart !

Even though the Lord Jesus became a Man, nevertheless He never at anytime was an finite man, but an infinite man, all other men to begin with Adam were but finite temporal beings made from dust, but Christ's manhood was of heavenly Origin, nor did it begin in Mary, for in her it merely took on a different form, in the likeness of sinful flesh, You see, Christ even while on earth can never be said to be Earthy as Adam and his Natural descendants were 1 Cor 15:47-49

47 The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord from heaven.

48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.

49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
 
I don't know where you're going with this, SOG, because you've made an excellent case for Jesus being tempted like we are, then you head off in the opposite direction, for some strange reason.
The difference however in Jesus temptation by the devil, and that of eve in the garden is this, that eve had something in her that was enticeable but Jesus did not Jn 14:30

If He couldn't be tempted by sin, because there wasn't anything in Him that was enticeable, then He wasn't tempted like we are. Full stop.

If He couldn't be tempted, then He was no kind of an example to us, and certainly not a leader in the war against sin - because in Him there was simply no war at all.

Then all the accounts of temptation that we have (in Mt and Lk 4) are deceptions. He wasn't, couldn't be tempted - so it was all a joke really.

That's where you end up, when you fight against what is a very plain and extremely essential doctrine about the nature of Christ.
 
I don't know where you're going with this, SOG, because you've made an excellent case for Jesus being tempted like we are, then you head off in the opposite direction, for some strange reason.


If He couldn't be tempted by sin, because there wasn't anything in Him that was enticeable, then He wasn't tempted like we are. Full stop.

If He couldn't be tempted, then He was no kind of an example to us, and certainly not a leader in the war against sin - because in Him there was simply no war at all.

Then all the accounts of temptation that we have (in Mt and Lk 4) are deceptions. He wasn't, couldn't be tempted - so it was all a joke really.

That's where you end up, when you fight against what is a very plain and extremely essential doctrine about the nature of Christ.

It seems that you are quite intent on placing evil within the heart of Jesus.

No Jesus was not 'tempted' as we are.

Why?

Because He had no sin.

If one desires to place evil temptation thoughts 'in God's Son' it is a very short hop to discount every Word of Him as possibly tainted by same.

Being tempted as we are had a very large caveat of NO SIN.

1 Cor. 13:
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;

s
 
S,

Being tempted is not a sin...

We cannot control the thoughts that randomly cross our minds, but we do have a choice what we do with them. If we so choose, temptation can be fed and when its fed, brings about sin. I believe. James writes about this.
 
S,

Being tempted is not a sin...

When Satan tempted Jesus that was undoubtedly a sin of Satan.

We cannot control the thoughts that randomly cross our minds,

Jesus had no random thoughts of sin. Sorry.

As it pertains to everyone else that is not the case.

but we do have a choice what we do with them. If we so choose, temptation can be fed and when its fed, brings about sin. I believe. James writes about this.

As it pertains to everone else, temptation thoughts are sin thoughts as 'evil' originates within, in the heart, as scriptures clearly teach.

Jesus did not have that issue.

Many try to make Jesus 'tempted within' as we are and that was not the case.

Though God in flesh was tempted in an external fashion, that was not 'in Him.'

The Spirit of God is Impenetrable to sin in any fashions inclusive of sin 'thoughts.'

And of course the majority of believers will excuse every last one of their own 'sin' thoughts in the Name of God as if they were non-existent.

That is an entirely different subject.


s
 
It seems that you are quite intent on placing evil within the heart of Jesus.

No Jesus was not 'tempted' as we are.

Heb 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

Sure He was, what do you think the Showdown in the Desert was all about?

Luk 4:1 And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,
Luk 4:2 Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.

Christ was tempted, yet He never gave in, He never sinned, He never took the shortcut.

Luk 4:3 And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread.
Luk 4:4 And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.

Christ became hungry after missing the first meal, He was famished after the third day, the desire to eat was almost unbearable after 40 days of fasting.

Luk 4:5 And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
Luk 4:6 And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.
Luk 4:7 If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.
Luk 4:8 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

You do not have to die, you do not have to wait 2000 years, you can rule over the nations right now, just rule under me. You think this wasn't a temptation?

Luk 4:9 And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence:
Luk 4:10 For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee:
Luk 4:11 And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
Luk 4:12 And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
Luk 4:13 And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.

Look, if you are really the Son of God, jump off, the angels will catch you, that is if you really are the Son of God. The Devil found no vanity in Christ, but the temptation was there to show the Devil that He really was the Son of God.

Yes, He really was tempted, the difference is Christ never once slipped, never once gave in, never once sinned.

Notice how He combatted the Devil? He quoted scripture.
 
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Heb 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

Sure He was, what do you think the Showdown in the Desert was all about?

The axiom was provided.

1 John 3:5
And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.

Tempted within and tempted without are very different matters.

No man on earth who has ever lived except God Himself in flesh can make or stake that claim.

s
 
Matthew 4:1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

James 1:12-15 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

Sounds to me like James is saying that when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin:

Tell me, is being hungry and wanting food a sin?
 
The axiom was provided.

1 John 3:5
And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.

Tempted within and tempted without are very different matters.

No man on earth who has ever lived except God Himself in flesh can make or stake that claim.

s

No one is arguing that Christ sinned, only that He was tempted and resisted. Resisting sin and resisting the Devil is not sin...

It is important to understand what sin is...

1Jn 3:4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.

If you do not violate the law, you have not sinned.
 
Matthew 4:1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

James 1:12-15 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

Sounds to me like James is saying that when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin:

Tell me, is being hungry and wanting food a sin?

The working of sin is a progression that originates in internal temptation which are SIN thoughts. This 'evil' progresses to sin word(s) and eventually to sin deeds. That is the progression of slaveship to sin.

God Himself in flesh had exactly ZERO of any of that transpire IN HIM.

No other person who has ever lived can make that same claim, as much as believers try to do so. And again, as it pertains to 'any' of us, we can not make that claim and be 'in Truth.'

S
 
No one is arguing that Christ sinned, only that He was tempted and resisted. Resisting sin and resisting the Devil is not sin...

It is important to understand what sin is...

1Jn 3:4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.

If you do not violate the law, you have not sinned.

Scriptures are abundantly clear that 'evil' originates within. Many believers excuse their every evil thought, quite falsely thinking that they are not sin or evil thoughts. That is assuredly NOT the case.

As it pertains to Jesus, He had NO SIN in Thought, Word or Deed, period.

Tainting the Perfect Lamb of God in any way is an exercise in futility.

s
 
The working of sin is a progression that originates in internal temptation which are SIN thoughts. This 'evil' progresses to sin word(s) and eventually to sin deeds. That is the progression of slaveship to sin.

God Himself in flesh had exactly ZERO of any of that transpire IN HIM.


S

I'll be darned... Moses had it all wrong didn't he?

Exodus 32:12 Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people.

Oh wait...

Exodus 32:14 And the LORD repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people.

And then we can really open a can of worms huh?

Isaiah 45:7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.

Thinking of something is not the same as entertaining that something... is not the same as doing something. Did God sin? I think not while not doing something can be as doing something...
 
The working of sin is a progression that originates in internal temptation which are SIN thoughts. This 'evil' progresses to sin word(s) and eventually to sin deeds. That is the progression of slaveship to sin.

God Himself in flesh had exactly ZERO of any of that transpire IN HIM.

No other person who has ever lived can make that same claim, as much as believers try to do so. And again, as it pertains to 'any' of us, we can not make that claim and be 'in Truth.'

S

In other words you do not believe Heb 4:15 or Luke 4:2. Direct statements that contradict what you say. Sorry, I gotta go with the Bible on this one.
 
I'll be darned... Moses had it all wrong didn't he?

Exodus 32:12 Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people.

Oh wait...

Exodus 32:14 And the LORD repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people.

And then we can really open a can of works huh?

Isaiah 45:7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.

God can create 'any' thing and not become, Himself, that which was created. There is a PERMANENT difference between The Creator and the created.

Those who claim God is evil via His quite factual creation of evil powers and entities

are involved with pantheism
.

s
 
In other words you do not believe Heb 4:15 or Luke 4:2. Direct statements that contradict what you say. Sorry, I gotta go with the Bible on this one.

In Him is no sin.

Spin it however you please from there. The fact will not change.

s
 
When Satan tempted Jesus that was undoubtedly a sin of Satan.

Jesus had no random thoughts of sin. Sorry.

As it pertains to everyone else that is not the case.

S

You're in dead trouble here.

How can He be 'tempted in all points like as we are' if He could not sin?

I don't know about you, but the only things that tempt me are things which would make me sin. Otherwise they aren't temptations at all.

So I repeat the question.

How is it that the scriptures plainly say that He was tempted in all points LIKE AS WE ARE, if He could not sin?

As it pertains to everone else, temptation thoughts are sin thoughts as 'evil' originates within, in the heart, as scriptures clearly teach.

You are quite correct to say this.
Jesus did not have that issue.

You are totally mistaken about this.

Many try to make Jesus 'tempted within' as we are and that was not the case.

Though God in flesh was tempted in an external fashion, that was not 'in Him.'

The Spirit of God is Impenetrable to sin in any fashions inclusive of sin 'thoughts.'

And herein lies the problem.

Just as long as you insist that Jesus was God, just so long are you forced to say that He could not be enticed.

Which, as I've said, makes the whole of the gospels incomprehensible on this subject.

All those temptations in the wilderness are merely deceptive phantasmgoria.

He could not have been 'tempted' by the Pharisees et al.

The disciples could not have 'been with Him in His temptations' if He wasn't tempted at all. (Lk 22)

He really wanted to go to the cross in Gethsemane, so He didn't say anything like 'Not my will, but thine be done'.

He didn't learn obedience by the things which He suffered. because the sinless life was a cake walk.

So we could go on, but I'm sure you get the idea pretty clearly.

So what do you make of the passages, quoted and referred to above?
 
s,

Just stick with the scriptures huh?

Scriptures state very clearly that one can be tempted without falling into sin. Scripture also states that Jesus went into the wilderness to be tempted and the Hebrew writer affirms this.

That Jesus was tempted does not mean that Jesus fell into temptation and thereby fell into sin.

If I think on a matter deemed sinful, is it the same as lusting over it?
 
S

You're in dead trouble here.

How can He be 'tempted in all points like as we are' if He could not sin?

It's already been stated quite abundantly, clearly.

The caveat to the difference between His temptation and ours is that HIS was without sin, period.

Like, but not to that extent. They are not equal matters of temptation.

James 1:13
Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:

But of course since you do not consider Jesus to be The Spirit of God Himself in flesh, you will insist that His temptation is like yours in every way, when in fact it was not.

I don't know about you, but the only things that tempt me are things which would make me sin. Otherwise they aren't temptations at all.

They comparisons from any of us to God Himself in flesh will never compute.
So I repeat the question.

How is it that the scriptures plainly say that He was tempted in all points LIKE AS WE ARE, if He could not sin?

God is greater than the sum of all things created.

There is no comparison to be had, us to Him.

You are quite correct to say this.
You are totally mistaken about this.

As stated from the start, your insistence is to make God in Christ have internal sin thoughts.

That did not transpire, period.
And herein lies the problem.

No, it's only you vainly trying to anthropomorphize The Creator.

Just as long as you insist that Jesus was God, just so long are you forced to say that He could not be enticed.

God in Christ being 'fully human' is not the question. Fully human did NOT involve 'internal sin thoughts' in the case of Him.

Fully human in the regard of God in Christ fully 'excludes' any form of sin in Thought, Word or Deed, period.

Which, as I've said, makes the whole of the gospels incomprehensible on this subject.

And that is just a disconnected leap to uphold your own thoughts in these matters.
All those temptations in the wilderness are merely deceptive phantasmgoria.

The temptations of Christ were NOT internal, period.

Satan had 'nothing' In Him.

He could not have been 'tempted' by the Pharisees et al.

They had nothing 'in Him' either.

The disciples could not have 'been with Him in His temptations' if He wasn't tempted at all. (Lk 22)

You can not equate these matters. The caveat of being without sin remains. There is no comparison to be had.

He really wanted to go to the cross in Gethsemane, so He didn't say anything like 'Not my will, but thine be done'.

If it was within Gods Own Will for that to transpire, then it would have transpired, but it wasn't.

God WILLED to sacrifice Himself.

He didn't learn obedience by the things which He suffered. because the sinless life was a cake walk.

The appearance of God within His Own Creation is a fact. We can not equate anything in His Regards to ourselves.
So we could go on, but I'm sure you get the idea pretty clearly.

So what do you make of the passages, quoted and referred to above?

The intentions you have is merely to make the Creator the created.

The Incarnation is a unique matter indeed.

God did not suffer His Holy One to see corruption
.

Psalm 16:10

s
 
s,

Just stick with the scriptures huh?

Scriptures state very clearly that one can be tempted without falling into sin. Scripture also states that Jesus went into the wilderness to be tempted and the Hebrew writer affirms this.

This is not a discussion about 'created' men like us SB, but about God in Christ.

s
 
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