The Impeccability of Christ

What do you believe about Jesus' impeccability?

  • Jesus could not have sinned even if He wanted to.

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Jesus could have sinned but He chose not to sin.

    Votes: 4 44.4%

  • Jesus could not and did not want to sin.

    Votes: 4 44.4%

  • Other (please explain)

    Votes: 1 11.1%
  • Total voters
    9
C

Citadel of Truth

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Nearly every poll I have seen on such forums have a post that says something to the effect, "Your poll is flawed because..." or, "You should have given this option..." So, can we please skip this formality and just get to the topic? I have a very sincere question regarding the impeccability of Christ. I lean toward option #3 but lately have read a passage that got me thinking it very well may option #2.

I have no desire to debate the issue, necessarily; but, would like to hear the views of others and see if that helps me in my search for the truth on this issue.
 
Can God actually sin?
Can God make a rock so heavy even he can't pick it up?
Could Jesus have actually been tempted in the widerness if he could not sin?
Did Adam have a belly button?

questions questions questions
 
I take my position b/c of who Christ is as our example, and b/c I believe in the somewhat maligned kenosis. How could He be our example in holy response to temptation if it wasn't actually a valid temptation? And further, I don't believe He did what He did in His earthly career in His own power (b/c he emptied Himself), but rather yielded to the power of the Holy Spirit (again, to be our example.)
 
I am decidedly on #3. Here's why.

Jesus could not sin because he did not have a sin nature. Therefore, he also did not want to sin.
 
why don't you go to the Bible and find out the answer? doh!
 
I voted other.

Jesus is fully human. He could sin as much as Adam could sin.
Jesus is fully God. It is impossible for God to sin.

Until I can wrap my head around how one can be both fully man and fully God, I'll just have to acknowledge that this truth is still a mystery to us.
 
cave_dweller said:
why don't you go to the Bible and find out the answer? doh!
Click to expand...
Therein lies the problem, friend. The Bible is not clear on this issue; that's why good men disagree. I am simply trying to seek enough information to decide which good men to agree with. I have an idea but it very well may be nothing more than my human reasoning. That is why I asked for the opinions of other so that I might better weigh the issue.
 
FSSL said:
I am decidedly on #3. Here's why.

Jesus could not sin because he did not have a sin nature. Therefore, he also did not want to sin.
Click to expand...

That was (is) my position on the issue. I've always held that since Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever, that if He could have sinned then, He could sin today since He said that He doesn't change. The very thought that Jesus could sin today is blasphemous, in my opinion.

However, as I've said, good men that I respect hold a different view. I am simply trying to seek enough information to come to an intelliegent conclusion. To say that I believe something only because someone else believes it isn't a very strong defense, in my opinion.
 
Tom Brennan said:
I take my position b/c of who Christ is as our example, and b/c I believe in the somewhat maligned kenosis. How could He be our example in holy response to temptation if it wasn't actually a valid temptation? And further, I don't believe He did what He did in His earthly career in His own power (b/c he emptied Himself), but rather yielded to the power of the Holy Spirit (again, to be our example.)
Click to expand...

Sin was not an inherently human trait until after the fall. Jesus did not need the ability to sin to be fully human in every regard. Shooting a tank with a bb gun is after all a genuine test of the tank, but there is absolutely zero chance that a bb gun will stop a tank.
 
rsc2a said:
I voted other.

Jesus is fully human. He could sin as much as Adam could sin.
Jesus is fully God. It is impossible for God to sin.

Until I can wrap my head around how one can be both fully man and fully God, I'll just have to acknowledge that this truth is still a mystery to us.
Click to expand...

The ability to sin is not an exclusively human trait, e.g. the Satan. Adam was a man who did not have intrinsic holiness. Jesus was a man with intrinsic holiness because he was also God. Because of this difference, the man Adam had the ability to sin, and the man Jesus did not. There is absolutely no contradiction in Christ's perfect holiness and his humanity.
 
If Jesus did not have the ability to choose to sin then how is he our perfect substitute? If that were the case why would he even need to come to earth and live a sinless life?  If that is the case then it is no big deal that he did not sin while on earth because "he could not". 

No I think he chose not to sin or to yeild to temptation.  That makes him a more perfect substitute.
 
2 cor 5:21  For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

I dont see how He could even have the thought of sinning
 
Well then I guess the temptation in the widerness was useless.  He could not have sinned or even thought about it.  I wonder if he even knew what the devil was trying to do.

And how does that help me to overcome temptation?
 
Just me said:
If Jesus did not have the ability to choose to sin then how is he our perfect substitute?
Click to expand...

Because a sacrificial animal had to be flawless.  If Jesus had inherited Adam's guilt, then he would not have been an acceptable sacrifice.

As Recovering IFB pointed out, the Scripture says Jesus "knew no sin." Certainly he knew what sin was, and he had the equipment to commit it. But he had no experiential, personal knowledge of sin, unlike the remainder of the human race, who is on intimate terms with it.
 
Just me said:
If Jesus did not have the ability to choose to sin then how is he our perfect substitute? If that were the case why would he even need to come to earth and live a sinless life?  If that is the case then it is no big deal that he did not sin while on earth because "he could not". 

No I think he chose not to sin or to yeild to temptation.  That makes him a more perfect substitute.
Click to expand...

No offense, but there is absolutely nothing logical about your argument. Jesus didn't come to prove he was stronger willed than us --  a sort of super human or moral giant; he came to show us that he was holy God in the flesh. The fact that he did not sin only verifies his own claims about himself.
 
Ransom said:
Just me said:
If Jesus did not have the ability to choose to sin then how is he our perfect substitute?
Click to expand...

Because a sacrificial animal had to be flawless.  If Jesus had inherited Adam's guilt, then he would not have been an acceptable sacrifice.

As Recovering IFB pointed out, the Scripture says Jesus "knew no sin." Certainly he knew what sin was, and he had the equipment to commit it. But he had no experiential, personal knowledge of sin, unlike the remainder of the human race, who is on intimate terms with it.
Click to expand...

That is exactly my point.  He could have sinned but chose not to do it.  In chosing not to he therefore had not experienced it or had a personal knowledge of it as we sinful humans do.

But it remains that He could have chosen to and He chose not to so He is therefore our perfect sinless sacrifice.
 
freelance_christian said:
rsc2a said:
I voted other.

Jesus is fully human. He could sin as much as Adam could sin.
Jesus is fully God. It is impossible for God to sin.

Until I can wrap my head around how one can be both fully man and fully God, I'll just have to acknowledge that this truth is still a mystery to us.
Click to expand...

The ability to sin is not an exclusively human trait, e.g. the Satan. Adam was a man who did not have intrinsic holiness. Jesus was a man with intrinsic holiness because he was also God. Because of this difference, the man Adam had the ability to sin, and the man Jesus did not. There is absolutely no contradiction in Christ's perfect holiness and his humanity.
Click to expand...

If the man Jesus didn't have the ability to sin, then the man Jesus wasn't fully human.
 
Recovering IFB said:
2 cor 5:21  For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

I dont see how He could even have the thought of sinning
Click to expand...

I understand the phrase "who knew no sin" as that Jesus had not sinned, as opposed to Him not being able to think about sin or actually sinning.

Great subject.  I've never really thought about this before...but I'm leaning toward the thought that Jesus could have chosen to sin while He walked on earth in His human body, but He never chose to/never did.  My evidence?  Satan's temptations in the desert...whyever would Satan have bothered to waste his time if he knew Jesus was incapable of sinning in His human form?  Surely Satan would have known this.  He knew Jesus from his (Satan's) very creation.

I suppose someone could point out that Satan also knows that he will lose in the end, but that doesn't prevent him from trying to pluck us from our Father's hand.  I'll say it again...great subject.
 
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