As fully human and being born of Woman, wouldn't Jesus have a sin nature, one that He would overcome (as human) by choosing not to sin, and becoming a sacrifice for our sins?
It seems that if He had no sin nature, He couldn't have sinned if He wanted to, and if He had no sin nature, that would mean He was not fully human.
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Asked September 30 2016
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Carolyn Hostetter
Supporter
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Samuel McQuigg
Supporter
You have to go back to Genesis. Adam and Eve did not have a sin nature when God created them, but through free will they had the choice whether or not to sin. The sin nature is passed through the man, all children born after the fall were in Adam's likeness not God's. Contrast Genesis 1:26-27 with Genesis 5:3. Also, Cain and Able were born with a sin nature but were still able to choose whether to do what was right or not. When Jesus was born, Mary was overshadowed by the Holy Spirit, meaning that He was born without a sin nature. He left all His godly attributes to live as a human (Philippians 2:5-8) and was tempted in every way we are (Hebrews 4:15). This means Jesus, while living on earth as a man, had the same free will to choose. If not, then He could not be our example as we could never attain His level. Through the Holy Spirit living in us after we become Christians we are empowered to be able to live the way Jesus did, in a close walk with our Father in heaven, but it's still our choice.
Tim Maas
Supporter
As I view the subject, Jesus was fully human by virtue of having been conceived of a woman's ovum, with her genetic material. (That is, He was not merely "implanted" by God as a pre-fertilized embryo in Mary's womb.) However, it was the fact that Mary was a virgin, and that Jesus was conceived (that is, that Mary's ovum was fertilized) in a way that no one else has been (through the overshadowing of Mary by God Himself, rather than through sexual relations with a man) that allowed Jesus from the moment of His conception to be free of the sin nature that had been passed from Adam to every subsequent human, and permitted Him to be fully God as well as fully human. (As I understand it, Roman Catholics would also say that this was possible because Mary herself (in addition to being a virgin) had been conceived by God's grace and foreknowledge (even though by normal sexual relations between humans) without a sin nature, but this is a subject on which Protestants may have a differing opinion.) Also, although Christians generally agree that Jesus committed no sin, it is a matter of some debate among Christians as to whether Jesus was "impeccable" or "peccable" -- that is, whether (as truly God) He was incapable of sinning, or (as truly man) He was theoretically capable of sinning, but in fact did not. (Some people are of the opinion that, if He had not been capable of sinning, He would not then have been tempted "in every respect" as other humans are, and would not be able to fully "sympathize with our weaknesses" (Hebrews 4:15).) (This issue has been previously discussed in response to other questions on this site that can be found through a search.)
Michael Tinsley
Supporter
Jesus was the only Person who ever lived being fully human and fully God, the hypostatic union. As Samuel said above, we inherit our sin nature from Adam. (Remember Eve was created from Adam's rib, another miracle of God.) Samuel also said Jesus was conceived of a virgin having been 'overshadowed' by God Himself. Jesus was the only Person who could hear God directly and, being fully human too, He said in John 5:19, '“Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.' We must live the same way, imitating Jesus and walking confidently through life with His Holy Spirit guiding us. When we keep our eyes on Jesus, allowing Him to live His life through us, we aren't sinning and are able to avoid temptation to sin, 1 Corinthians 10:13, 'No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.' Jesus was in constant union and contact with our Father and only did what He was told to do and say. There was no circumstance in which He would consider sinning. Jesus was a unique combination of humanity and divinity and the only One who could have died for our sins, redeeming us for eternal life with Him. Our old person/nature died with Him on the Cross and He has given us a new nature and person, equipped with His ability to resist temptation to sin. Stop and meditate on that for a while. The perfect Man has saved everyone who will believe, while we were still sinners, from death to life eternal in Him! That is the most glorious thing that has ever happened to us. Praise God that we were born after Jesus's death and resurrection so that we have the full benefit of His amazing Grace!
JD Abshire
Supporter
"And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory." (1Timothy 3:16) Eternal God was made known to humanity by His incarnation. The invisible was made visible; the intangible became tangible containing all the divine precepts and attributes. (See 1 John 1:1-2) Speaking of Christ Paul stated, "Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist." (Colossians 1:15-17). In light of scripture we first need to understand that Christ didn't become the Son of God by being born a baby in Bethlehem, he always was, is and will be the Son of God. The title "Son" speaks of his position in the godhead as heir, not origin. Isaiah 7:14 tells us Christ’s birth was a “sign” to the people and he shall be called Immanuel (God with us). Not only was his miraculous birth a sign but the absence of male participation protected his uniqueness, his holiness. “For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;” (Hebrews 7:26) The word "flesh" has several different meanings, context dependent. It can refer to the body's covering, meat in the sense of food, in a generational or relational sense, man's sensuous nature, etc. It also denotes the basic human nature devoid of divine influence with the innate propensity toward sin against God. Is your hand, tongue or any other body part sinful? Does your foot autonomously “kick the dog”? Of course not! Sure, our bodies commit sinful acts but our bodies are controlled by the seat of emotion, our core, the sinful nature. "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings." (Jeremiah 17:9-10) I.e. we are not sinners because we sin but we sin because we are sinners by nature. In Romans 12:1 the apostle Paul wrote: "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." So the body is controlled by the will and as a born again believer we are either controlled by the will of our flesh or by the Holy Spirit. Speaking of the Father Christ stated: “And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.” (John 8:29) Christ’s flesh, his body was controlled by His divine prerogative. As divine, He had no desire to sin and could not sin because of his divine nature. Just before the betrayal he spoke to the disciples stating: "Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me." (John 14:30) I believe he was telling them that the devil had no control over him. His thoughts, his actions, speech and purpose was of a divine nature. “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. Do not err, my beloved brethren.” (James 1:13-16)
Anthony Clinton
Supporter
1 Pet 1:18-23...The fact of Christ being without sin is indicated very powerfully in these verses. Corruptible seed gives the ovum human life and the inheritance of sin from Adam. On the other hand, the entrance of the living Word of God almighty, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, purifies everything it enters. Christ was without sin because When The Divine Word entered flesh it was totally purified and a perfect vessel for The Son of God. Note 1 Pet 1:22.. ” Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit”. John 15:3 ” Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.”.... No one can purify their souls without the Word of God entering and that’s precisely why the Scriptures declare: Joh 1:12..."But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God" They purified their souls by welcoming into their lives the Word of God. It was the entry of the Word of God into Mary that made the ovum totally pure and sinless. All corruption disappears when the Word of God enters and that’s why the soul is purified, by the entry of the Word of God and by the power of the Holy Spirit. How seriously important is it to continue to let the word of God dwell in us that we might continue to be purified by it. 1 Jn 2:24.... Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father. The condition here for continuing in the relationship we have with the Father and the Son is to let this Purifying word remain in us.
Chip Crawford
Supporter
If Jesus couldn't sin, he couldn't have been tempted in the wilderness. Instead of using scripture to answer the temptation, he would have a scripture about not being able to be tempted. But he did not. He overcame the temptation, with the same need to do so as any other human born on this earth. He also provided an example to us, to say "It is written" when the devil comes to us with lies.
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