Did Jesus Christ Have The Ability To Sin ?

[mizpeh]

Originally Posted by Steve Epley

Jesus had human nature but NOT fallen human nature. No sin nature.

How did he escape having a fallen human nature?

Can he truly understand our weaknesses and be our high priest before God if he isn't like unto us in all things?

[Steve Epley]

Originally Posted by mizpeh

How did he escape having a fallen human nature?

Can he truly understand our weaknesses and be our high priest before God if he isn't like unto us in all things?

He had NO sinful nature it was NOT fallen nature. His nature was like Adam's before the fall with the exception His blood came from God so while he was yet man he was also God.

[Mosby48]

If Jesus was tempted in all manner as we are, then the folks who say he was married are correct since that is the source of the worst temptations we, as men, face. Just Kidding!!!!! Actually the foreordained resistance to sin by the Man Jesus Christ was to show us that temptation can be faced and overcome by us lowly humans.

[deacon blues]

Originally Posted by RunningOnFaith

I believe the Lord Jesus Christ was impeccable (Incabale of Sinning). He felt the weight of temptation, but by virtue of the fact that God cannot sin and Jesus was God incarnate he could not act out on the temptations. Someone might respond that Jesus could have sinned by virtue of his humanity, but even though it is important that the two natures that of Christ be distinguished, the two natures cannever be seperated or divided, so if Jesus sinned in his humanity, the divine part of him would have sinned as well.

The problem with this post is found in the two highlighted comments.

James 1:13 says that God cannot be tempted with evil. You deduce that since Jesus was God it would be impossible for Him to sin. However you have to come to terms with Scriptures that contradict this.

Matt. 4 records the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness. His humanity was legitimate. If not, His sacrifice is not legitimate. Phil. 2 makes sense out of the apparent dichotomy. "Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing...."

The fact is that Jesus, although God, laid aside His Divine prerogatives and lived the life of the Son of God. God can't be tempted, but the Son of God can, just like the rest of us sons of God can. If not, He isn't truly the Son of God.

He was made a little lower than the angels, and we know angels can sin, check out Lucifer in Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28. God cannot be tempted. Jesus, the Son of God can. God can't sin. Jesus, the Son of God could have, but thank God was only tempted in all points without sin!

That very fact makes His death on the cross a substitutionary sacrifice. He became sin for us so that we might be set free!

You cannot divide the two natures---but God can. What God has joined together let no man separate---but God can separate. Jesus was a Spirit-filled and Spirit-led Son of God. So are we. When Jesus died, He gave up the Spirit---the Spirit dividing itself from the flesh. The "what if" Christ had sinned is a non-sequitor. He was fully and totally yielded to the will of the Spirit and allowed Himself to be led as a man by the Spirit. If we would totally yield to God as He did, we would live a sin-free life!

[QUOTE=Scott Hutchinson;158721]For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched ,with the feeling of our infirmities ,but was in all points tempted as we are ,yet without sin.HEBREWS.4:15

We know that Jesus Christ was the only begotten of the Father full of grace and truth ,as well as being God manifest in the flesh.

We know that He was borned of a virgin ,and did not have a fallen Adamic nature ,yet He was tempted in all points like as we are yet He didn't sin.

But did Jesus Christ in His humanity have the ability or potential to sin ,had He chosen to ?

What say ye did Jesus Christ have the ability to commit sin ?[/QUOTE

Isnt this the divine flesh theory? Im not real familiar with it and dont believe it is anything Id ever believe for myself.

[josh]

Logging in as a vote for "NO!"

I have explained my position on nfcf, but if I have time I'll try to do so again.

[RunningOnFaith]

Originally Posted by deacon blues

The problem with this post is found in the two highlighted comments.

James 1:13 says that God cannot be tempted with evil. You deduce that since Jesus was God it would be impossible for Him to sin. However you have to come to terms with Scriptures that contradict this.

Matt. 4 records the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness. His humanity was legitimate. If not, His sacrifice is not legitimate. Phil. 2 makes sense out of the apparent dichotomy. "Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing...."

The fact is that Jesus, although God, laid aside His Divine prerogatives and lived the life of the Son of God. God can't be tempted, but the Son of God can, just like the rest of us sons of God can. If not, He isn't truly the Son of God.

He was made a little lower than the angels, and we know angels can sin, check out Lucifer in Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28. God cannot be tempted. Jesus, the Son of God can. God can't sin. Jesus, the Son of God could have, but thank God was only tempted in all points without sin!

That very fact makes His death on the cross a substitutionary sacrifice. He became sin for us so that we might be set free!

You cannot divide the two natures---but God can. What God has joined together let no man separate---but God can separate. Jesus was a Spirit-filled and Spirit-led Son of God. So are we. When Jesus died, He gave up the Spirit---the Spirit dividing itself from the flesh. The "what if" Christ had sinned is a non-sequitor. He was fully and totally yielded to the will of the Spirit and allowed Himself to be led as a man by the Spirit. If we would totally yield to God as He did, we would live a sin-free life!

Your last paragraph sounds like a mixture of Nestorianism and the Kenosis theory. The passage in Philipians mentions nothing about Jesus laying aside divine attributes, its a passage that speaks beautifully of his condecending to our level. Concerning weather or not a Christ who could not sin would be sufficient to redeem humanity, I would say that a Christ seperated from diety could not redeem the human family. The death of a man who isn't God would't be sufficient to atone for the sins of the world.

[RunningOnFaith]

Originally Posted by Steve Epley

He had NO sinful nature it was NOT fallen nature. His nature was like Adam's before the fall with the exception His blood came from God so while he was yet man he was also God.

Right on.

[mfblume]

Originally Posted by mizpeh

Yes, He could have sinned. He was tempted and is able to help us with our temptations. He was/is human after all.

Bro Blume, I like your the explanations in your post. Another question I would ask is did Jesus have sinful flesh?

No, I do not believe he had sinful flesh. Otherwise, someone would have had to die for Him! He was sinless. Like us and tempted like us in all points, but without sin.

There are two extremes of error, I think. One is that Jesus could not sin -- potential wise -- becuase He was God, and another error that he was just a man and not God at all. If He was just a man and not God, He had sin like we do, and could not die for our sins, since that means He'd have need of someone dying for Him! But since He is God manifested in flesh, it is the FLESH that had the capability to sin. Otherwise, it was not true flesh.

Adam, remember, was created without sin, BUT HAD THE POTENTIAL TO SIN. Same with Jesus, the LAST Adam. But Christ succeeded whiule Adam failed.

As per the thought that His divine nature was inseparable from His human nature, I DISAGREE. They are distinct natures. And His human nature COULD SIN.

My thoughts, anyway.

[mfblume]

Jesus did not inherit sin. Inheritance of sin is a spiritual issue. Since sin is handed down through Adam's race due to Adam's sin, the HEADSHIP is the avenue of sin's route to us today. We all had HUMAN fathers. And FATHERS are the head, spiritually speaking. Because God was the Son's Father, then Jesus did not inherit sin.