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Point 1: One whole Person, two distinct natures
Point 1: One whole Person, two distinct natures
1. Although Jesus was one full person, He had 2 distinct natures, one of which could not have sinned while the other might have.
As deity, God the Son cannot be tempted (James 1:13-14).
James 1:13–14 (NASB)
Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.
As humanity, the Son of man was said to be tempted in all points and intimately realized our infirmities (Heb. 4:15).
For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.
Scripture teaches that the God-nature of Christ could not have sinned, but the human-nature of Christ could. These 2 facts seem indisputable yet inexplicable, using the same perspective (logic) found in trying to answer the hypostatic union question; however, that leads to another unavoidable question, that of relationship within the incarnate person of Christ between those 2 natures.
Could the God-nature “allow” the man-nature to sin and could the man nature force the God nature to participate in sin?
Point 2: Engaging in sin seems to flow from temptation that resides within the person
Point 2: Engaging in sin seems to flow from temptation that resides within the person
2. James 1:14-15 indicates that engaging in sin flows from temptation that resides within the person.
James 1:14–15(NASB)
But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. 15 Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it has run its course, brings forth death.
Humanity that is born in sin engages in that sin from the temptation and sin nature that resides within them Ps. 51:5-6
Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
And in sin my mother conceived me.
Behold, Thou dost desire truth in the innermost being,
And in the hidden part Thou wilt make me know wisdom.
He said therefore again to them, “I go away, and you shall seek Me, and shall die in your sin; where I am going, you cannot come.”
“I said therefore to you, that you shall die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you shall die in your sins.”
Satan’s temptation of Christ demonstrates that His temptation came from without Matt. 4:1-11
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry.And the tempter came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’”Then the devil *took Him into the holy city; and he had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple,and *said to Him, “If You are the Son of God throw Yourself down; for it is written,
‘He will give His angels charge concerning You’;
and ‘On their hands they will bear You up,
Lest You strike Your foot against a stone.’”
Jesus said to him, “On the other hand, it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’”Again, the devil *took Him to a very high mountain, and *showed Him all the kingdoms of the world, and their glory;and he said to Him, “All these things will I give You, if You fall down and worship me.”Then Jesus *said to him, “Begone, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.’”Then the devil *left Him; and behold, angels came and began to minister to Him.
The reason that Christ’s temptation came from without is because...
Point 3: Christ was born without sin that was within, unlike all other humanity.
Point 3: Christ was born without sin that was within, unlike all other humanity.
3. Jesus Christ’s humanity was born without that internal sin by the scripturally established fact that He was fully without sin in order to become our sin. Rom. 8:3 makes a distinction between Christ’s humanity and all other humans by stating that Christ came in the “likeness” of sinful flesh, emphasizing the distinction between “likeness” and simply “coming in” sinful flesh.
For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh,
Other passages speak of the complete absence of sin in Christ (2 Cor. 5:21; Hebrews 7:26, 9:14; 1 Pet. 1:19, 2:22; 1 John 3:5).
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens;
how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.
who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth;
And you know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin.
But this could also be said of Adam, created without the sinful flesh and in complete absence of sin.
Point 4: Christ was born with the Spirit of God, not just the spirit of life as Adam.
Point 4: Christ was born with the Spirit of God, not just the spirit of life as Adam.
4. When considering the hypostatic union, there is a distinction between Adam’s humanity and Christ’s.
And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy offspring shall be called the Son of God.
The human spirit of life was breathed into Adam in order for both the physical and spiritual part of Adam to become one person but God’s Spirit was breathed into Christ (Luke 1:35) so that the physical and spiritual part of Christ could become one person, uniquely so in the hypostatic union.
What is beautiful is that, through Christ, man who has the human spirit of life in him that is susceptible to and enslaved by sin, receives by grace through faith, the spirit of God.
However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.
So, the man Jesus received His life from the Spirit of God as God the Son. On the other hand, finite man has life in the spirit of life breathed in him. The spirit of life (in both Christ and man) faces and feels temptation to sin. Christ’s spirit of God from within Him would not let Him surrender to that temptation, since there was no sin within Him as holy God. Man’s spirit of life from within cannot help but surrender to temptation, since he is born with sin already in Him.
What is beautiful is that God did not leave us there, but through His perfect Son’s sacrifice, provides His Spirit for man.
Christ had the Spirit of God within Him and had the human spirit of life added to Him.
Man has the spirit of life within him and has (through Christ) the Spirit of God added to Him.
It is important to note, at no time was the Man, Christ Jesus, ever less than who He was eternally, that is fully and completely God.
Point 5: The fullness of God dwells in Christ eternally
For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fulness to dwell in Him,
They will perish, but Thou remainest;
And they all will become old as a garment,
And as a mantle Thou wilt roll them up;
As a garment they will also be changed.
But Thou art the same,
And Thy years will not come to an end.”
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, yes and forever.
5. Last, as the fullness of God dwelt in Christ (Col. 1:19), God’s attribute of immutability would then be true of Christ as well and Scripture confirms that (Heb. 1:11-12; 13:8).
Since Christ is immutable just like God and sin would require a change in Him, it would therefore be impossible for God the Son incarnate as the Son of man to sin, for He cannot change. Praise God, the Bible also confirms, He did not sin (1 Pet. 2:22).
who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth;
So my conclusion would sound something like this. As having full humanity added to Him, the man Jesus could not help but be tempted to sin, albeit a temptation that came from without like that of Adam. However, God the Son as holy God, could never allow Jesus the man to sin, for He was God. So, Scripture says, "...yet without sin." The man part of Him could not "force" the God part of Him to sin, nor could the God part of Him "allow" the human part of Him to sin.
In Summary:
“Jesus was sinless (Luke 1:35; 1 John 3:5; 1 Pet. 1:22), but more than that He could not have sinned (Impeccable, James 1:13). Jesus’ conception was by the creative work of the Holy Spirit as the power of the Most High “overshadowed” Mary in the kenosis. The incarnate Christ was eternally Holy God and as such was not only sinless, but eternally what He had always been (Heb. 13:9). There was no way He could stop being holy. Unlike Adam who was sinless and then sinned, Christ is a different Adam, because He is at the same time, God (John 1:13; 1 Cor. 15:20-49; Heb. 7:26). As one born of God, Christ’s deity nature maintained all the full attributes of God in the person of Incarnate Christ (Col. 1:19; 1 John 3:9).” 1
“Some struggle with how Christ’s temptation could have been real if He could not have sinned. Even though His deity could not have sinned it could not stop his humanity from facing sin with all the opportunities and emotions as a human that relate to temptation (Matt. 4:1-11; Mark 1:12-13; Luke 4:1-13; Heb. 4:15). The incarnate Christ had deity that could not allow His humanity to sin and humanity that could not make His deity sin. The temptation He faced as the incarnate Christ enabled Him to intimately relate to and aid humanity that faces sin (Heb. 2:17-18).” 2
Lex DeLong, M.A., Chapter 4: Christology, Baptist Bible Seminary of Clarks Summit University, Clarks Summit, Feb. 2020, edited, 4.
Ibid.