It Was Impossible for Jesus to Sin

[Tree of Life]

I was reading through Berkhof this evening and came upon this:

"We ascribe to Christ not only natural, but also moral, integrity or moral perfection, that is sinlessness. This means not merely that Christ could avoid sinning, and did actually avoid it, but also that it was impossible for Him to sin because of the essential bond between the human and the divine natures."

I probably did not adequately grasp this before. Because Jesus is God, it was impossible for Him to sin. He did not struggle to be righteous like you and I do. It was the very nature of Christ to be righteous.

 

[Ken Rank]

I was reading through Berkhof this evening and came upon this:

"We ascribe to Christ not only natural, but also moral, integrity or moral perfection, that is sinlessness. This means not merely that Christ could avoid sinning, and did actually avoid it, but also that it was impossible for Him to sin because of the essential bond between the human and the divine natures."

I probably did not adequately grasp this before. Because Jesus is God, it was impossible for Him to sin. He did not struggle to be righteous like you and I do. It was the very nature of Christ to be righteous.

I would certainly disagree with that. The first Adam was tempted and it says the 2nd Adam was also tempted. He "humbled himself in fashion as a man" wrote Paul, and the author of Hebrews (also Paul?) said, "he was made lower than the angels for the suffering of death." Death came into this world by a man and it could only be erased by a man... that is what Paul is saying in Romans 5:12-21. He was God in the flesh, I believe that... but he became a man like us in order to save us. And that means he "could have" sinned. He didn't... he wouldn't, but he could have.

 

[Presbyterian Continuist]

Jesus was tempted in all points as we are, and He chose not to sin. He was a free agent and able to choose one way or another, and His victory (and ours) was that He chose to do His Father's will. His greatest struggle was in the Garden of Gethsemone where He pleaded with His Father to let "this cup pass from me", but knowing that it was impossible without disobeying His Father, He said, "Nevertheless, Your will be done." Jesus chose it. In the same way, when tempted by the devil in the wilderness, He could have chosen the devil's way, but He chose His Father's will. That 40 days was His greatest test, and He chose to resist the devil. The devil wouldn't have bothered if he knew that Jesus could not choose anything other than the Father's will.

 

[Apologetic_Warrior]

It is impossible for God to sin. For God the Son to have the potential to sin, would require a division of His fully divine nature and His fully human nature. God can never be divided against Himself, His council stands forever.

 

[ewq1938]

It was possible for Christ to sin or else there was no accomplishment in living a sin free life. God can set his own limitations or remove them. In this case God the Son came to be born a man and came to face sin and overcome it by being able to sin but having the will power and righteousness not to. An amazing feat!



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.

He was tempted with us just like we are but we fail and sin and he did not. This proves he could have sinned. He simply didn't. Being born a male human means he could have sinned. In the same fallen flesh as us but he did not sin, not because he couldn't but because he wouldn't.

 

[exitstageright]

I was reading through Berkhof this evening and came upon this:

"We ascribe to Christ not only natural, but also moral, integrity or moral perfection, that is sinlessness. This means not merely that Christ could avoid sinning, and did actually avoid it, but also that it was impossible for Him to sin because of the essential bond between the human and the divine natures."

I probably did not adequately grasp this before. Because Jesus is God, it was impossible for Him to sin. He did not struggle to be righteous like you and I do. It was the very nature of Christ to be righteous.

To put it simply in an analogy,Jesus hated sin. Just as some people hate broccoli. If someone hates broccoli,one can make all kinds of attempts to temp someone to eat broccoli. But,that person will never eat the broccoli.

 

[WilliamBo]

I think it was possible for Jesus to sin, he was a man. He had Earthly parents, flesh, a childhood, etc. However, he had two righteous parents and was alive in heaven before his life on Earth so he knew the truth about Sin and righteousness and humility. It says His Delight was in the fear of the Lord.. I don't think He called himself God per se because He said "why do you call me good? Only God is good."

 

[exitstageright]

I think it was possible for Jesus to sin, he was a man. He had Earthly parents, flesh, a childhood, etc. However, he had two righteous parents and was alive in heaven before his life on Earth so he knew the truth about Sin and righteousness and humility. It says His Delight was in the fear of the Lord.. I don't think He called himself God per se because He said "why do you call me good? Only God is good."

Yes,Jesus was a man.Now,this is just my theory.The bible states that Jesus was not a very physically attractive man. Maybe,this was part of God's plan. Therefore, Jesus would not have had plenty of women "throwing themselves at him".

 

[Apologetic_Warrior]

Possibilities assume an unknown middle knowledge which conflicts with the omniscience of God. If it were possible for Jesus to sin, it was possible for God to fail, for the prophecies originating from Him in the Old Testament to fail. Praise God it is impossible for Him to fail!

 

[ICONO'CLAST]

It was not possible for Jesus to sin

 

[mukk_in]

Being conceived of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:18), it was impossible for Christ to sin as He didn't have the sin nature in Him. Although, we're told that He was tempted like us in every possible way (Hebrews 4:15), the actual temptations of Christ (Matthew 4:1-11) were on a much higher level. He was tempted to test the Lord, gain worldly power etc., as opposed to what we'd call sins like adultery, lust, etc. Peace in Christ .

 

[Strong in Him]

It was potentially possible for Christ to have sinned.
Otherwise, the book of Hebrews would be incorrect when it says that he was tempted in every way just as we are.
There's no point in tempting someone who cannot sin. If it was impossible for Jesus to have sinned, then he didn't experience temptation - temptation to give in, save himself, put himself and his own comfort first - and therefore does not know what we go through when we experience it. If he did not face the temptations that we face, then how could he walk alongside us, knowing what we are going through?

 

[Strong in Him]

To put it simply in an analogy,Jesus hated sin. Just as some people hate broccoli. If someone hates broccoli,one can make all kinds of attempts to temp someone to eat broccoli. But,that person will never eat the broccoli.

A person needs to have eaten broccoli before they know if they hate it.

I don't hate alcohol, because I haven't tried it, or at least, not all of it.
I just disliked the tiny bit that I did try and have no interest at all in drinking, in the possibility of getting drunk or becoming addicted.

 

[com7fy8]

Jesus didn't sin because He couldn't. It was His nature to choose not to. And as God changes our nature > Hebrews 12:4-11, we ourselves discover how it becomes easier not to sin, not to choose to, not to wish to But Jesus was always already so; because >

"God cannot be tempted by evil" (in James 1:13).

So, He did share in flesh and blood, being human by having a physical body. But spiritually He was God so that Satan and physical things could not have power over Him to make Him choose to sin. So, this is good to know, how being in a physical body is no excuse to sin > we need how God corrects our character > Hebrews 12:4-11.

And our Apostle Paul says, "I will not be brought under the power of any," in 1 Corinthians 6:12. So, Paul was getting into this as much as he matured in Jesus (Galatians 2:20, 2 Corinthians 12:7-15). As we grow in Jesus, we discover how God's love has almighty power to make it more and more easy to say no to sinning, ourselves, even though we are "in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation" (Philippians 2:13-16).

So, with Jesus we grow in this, ourselves, to discover how loving keeps us free from sinning.

 

[bcbsr]

I was reading through Berkhof this evening and came upon this:

"We ascribe to Christ not only natural, but also moral, integrity or moral perfection, that is sinlessness. This means not merely that Christ could avoid sinning, and did actually avoid it, but also that it was impossible for Him to sin because of the essential bond between the human and the divine natures."

I probably did not adequately grasp this before. Because Jesus is God, it was impossible for Him to sin. He did not struggle to be righteous like you and I do. It was the very nature of Christ to be righteous.

And yet he experience what we experience with regards to temptation, which is the basis of his empathy.

Heb 4:15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are— yet was without sin.

Heb 2:18 Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

Heb 2:17 For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.

 

[RDKirk]

It was potentially possible for Christ to have sinned.
Otherwise, the book of Hebrews would be incorrect when it says that he was tempted in every way just as we are.
There's no point in tempting someone who cannot sin. If it was impossible for Jesus to have sinned, then he didn't experience temptation - temptation to give in, save himself, put himself and his own comfort first - and therefore does not know what we go through when we experience it. If he did not face the temptations that we face, then how could he walk alongside us, knowing what we are going through?

No, that's not the scriptural view of what "temptation" means.

As shown in scripture, temptation is an external impulse--something or someone external to one's person is the tempter who exerts a temptation. Jesus was tempted by Satan, not by His own impulses. His own impulses were not a temptation to Him.

 

[RDKirk]

A person needs to have eaten broccoli before they know if they hate it.

You're saying that Jesus did sin?

 

[RDKirk]

Sin is any action against the will of God.

God can't sin because He can't act against His own will. All of His actions are in accordance with His own will.

Jesus is God. He was always God.

 

[Loren T.]

It is impossible for God to sin. For God the Son to have the potential to sin, would require a division of His fully divine nature and His fully human nature. God can never be divided against Himself, His council stands forever.

Then, you could not say that Jesus was tempted like us. It's impossible to be truly tempted if it is truly impossible to fall into that temptation.

 

[FireDragon76]

Sin is any action against the will of God.

God can't sin because He can't act against His own will. All of His actions are in accordance with His own will.

Jesus is God. He was always God.

Indeed. I don't know any historic Protestant or Catholic that would say otherwise. If people don't like the implications, it's perhaps because grace is not a significant part of their theology. Grace is not just lip-service, it's the work of God. God became incarnate to destroy the power of sin. How could the potential to sin even remain in Christ?