Could Jesus sin?

Very appropriate to this discussion:

The Divine and Human Nature of Christ - Herman Bavinck

 

It was impossible for Jesus to sin. The Scripture teaches that it is impossible for God to lie. Is Jesus God? Yes. Can God sin? No. Can Jesus sin? No. What most people want to do is make Jesus "one of us". Jesus Christ had full humanity, however, that doesn't neccessitate Him also having the ability to sin. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that to be a man, one must be able to sin. That is an assumption that is put forth by those who say that Christ could have sinned.

Think about it like this: if someone had a BB gun and a row boat and attacked a battleship, the attack is real. The possibility of failure on the part of the battleship though is impossible. That is just a picture of Satan vs. Christ.

Also, in reference to Hebrews 4:15, the passage says that Christ can fully sympathize with us. Question: can you sympathize with someone who was raped without having been raped yourself? Can you sympathize with the wife of a deadbeat, alchoholic without sharing that common ground? Of course you can. If you are a pastor, you better be able to.

 

I disagree. You may feel a certain amount of sympathy for someone who was raped or the wife of a deadbeat, but you can't really empathize until you've "walked in their shoes". Only when you've been through the valley can you really have a insight into that which another is experiencing.

If there was absolutely no possibility of Jesus sinning, then all of those verses quoted earlier regarding His temptation are meaningless.

 

Glorybound, with all due respect, you oversimplify the arguments against your own belief. Hebrews 4:15 isn't the verse that everything hangs on. Is Jesus God? Can God sin? Now that is simple.

 

Yes, that is simple.

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.

In light of the "fact" that Jesus could not sin, this verse is not worth the ink (pixels) used to make up the words. For true temptation has involve the opportunity to yield.

For example, if I was starving in a jail cell, and the jailer placed a 5 course meal in the cell across the hallway, I wouldn't be tempted to eat the meal. Because I would not have the ability to do carry out the act. I would want it, but it is impossible for me to get it. Move the food into MY cell, and then the temptation becomes real - that food is going down!

Saying Jesus could not possibly sin places Him in the first scenario - and that's a very weak comparision with what we endure as humans. As far as I'm concerned, His experience is far different than mine. No, He still hasn't been tempted then.

 

Creating situations doesn't prove or disprove a point. At best, it is only an illustration. I could just as easily mention that someone could put a bowl of worms in front of me. It might be a temptation to some, to me though, it isn't. I have no desire to partake. So it is with Christ. Sin was placed in front of Him, and He had no desire to partake (see James 1). Also, Jesus wasn't tempted in every sin imaginable. He was tempted in all points though. The lust of the eyes, flesh, and pride of life are the root of all sin. Jesus was tempted in these three areas. Therefore, He was tempted in all points as we are.

I have noticed that those who say that Jesus could have sinned do not use other verses. They just misinterpret Hebrews 4:15.

 

MT 26:39 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will."

MT 26:42 He went away a second time and prayed, "My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done."

In each of Jesus' petitions to the Father, He very clearly (to me anyway!) implies that He has a choice of whether to "drink the cup" or not! Otherwise, why be so specific as to clarify His action to be "whatever the Father wills", as opposed to His own will?

The MAN Jesus is dreading the cross, as well as his temporary separation from the Father. He is in agony here, and I feel that His knowing that He COULD choose not to be obedient is a reality that adds to the agony.

Again, the MAN wants to avoid the coming cross, yet the GOD is giving Him the strength to continue as the Father leads. If there were no choice, why the imploring for the Father's will to be done as opposed to His MAN desires?

PreachtheWord:

I submit that if Jesus did not have the ability to sin, then he did not have FULL humanity.

This looks like one of those topics where we'll just have to agree to disagree; OK?

The main point is that He died for us who are willing to accept Him! I think we can all agree on that!!

 

I believe with an eye of faith that he carried everything out to a jot and a tittle and did not sin... If he is not who he said he is!
Brethren we are in a lot of trouble!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
... Brother Glen

 

Brethren,

Jesus COULD sin. Since Jesus was God, he had all the power to resist those temptations. He still felt the tempation, or else it would not be temptation. Temptation is not a sin, but giving in to temptation is.

I heard Elder Lasserre Bradley, Jr. say on the radio that Christians will say that they are not going to sin anymore or think any evil thoughts and try to be as perfect as possible. Elder Bradley was right. I hope all Christians have reached that point in their life where they have just sold themselves out to God. But you see, we do not have that power to just completely 100% rid ourselves of our sinful nature. That is why we need the blood of Jesus atoning for our sins. Oh, but one day! When we shall hear the trumpet and be raised, we shall put on immortality! Amen!

-Christopher

 

<<Since Jesus was God, he had all the power to resist those temptations.>>

I'm not sure that is exactly why He did not sin.
I believe it had more to do with, the who, He is/was rather than the power He had available to Him.
Jesus temptation was allowed by the Father for a witness to the world and the tempter.
Jesus Christ is God come in the flesh.
Jesus Christ the person was tempted in all points as we are to prove that He was/is not able to sin thereby proving that He is indeed God come in the flesh.
His inability to sin is also recorded as a witness for us because He understands our infirmity, our flesh.
He also fully understands the wiles of the tempter and the lure of the world which is always before our eyes.
Though He came in the flesh (sarx), He was unable to sin.
We can rest in that fact, were it necessary for Him to come a million times to die for us the result would be the same: victory and resurrection.
This makes Him "perfectly" human.
In our sinful condition we are not what constitutes "perfect" humanity.
In the resurrection we shall be perfect in our humanity as Christ is now.
To say that Christ is not "fully" human unless He had the ability to sin is (imo) focusing on the imperfection of humanity rather than what perfect humanity should be.

HankD

[ March 01, 2002, 11:38 AM: Message edited by: HankD ]