Could Jesus Have Sinned?

Question: (This is a follow-up question from a reader of Glenn’s query on the sinlessness of Christ. In my response I indicated that not only did Christ not sin, He could not sin.)

Matt asks, “How does Hebrews 4:15 fit in what you say? In whose ‘like as [we are]’ is the temptation? Would this not suggest that Jesus had two natures? One nature is God. The other nature is human. Jesus felt the temptation on his human side and could have sinned if He wanted to do so. He did not want to do so. How could He be touched with our infirmities if Jesus could not sin?”

Answer: You ask a good question, Matt, and I hope I can clarify things for you. The issue is what’s known in theology as the impeccability of Christ. Could Jesus have sinned if He wanted to? Or was it impossible for Him to sin? There are conservative scholars on both sides of the debate, but I believe the greater weight of argument falls on the latter position. Let me make several points.

Christ was indeed “in all points tempted as we are” (Heb. 4:15). Not that He experienced every single temptation we do. (For example, I doubt He was tempted to smoke cigarettes as they had not been invented yet.) But He experienced every category of temptation common to humanity. The same Greek word is used in Acts 10:12. “All kinds of four-footed animals” does not mean every species on earth, but representatives of the various kinds.

As God the Son, Christ cannot be tempted to sin (Jas. 1:13). But as Man He willingly exposed Himself to the temptations common to humanity. Christ was truly tempted (in your words, He “felt the temptation”), but He did not sin. This truth is emphasized many times (e.g. II Cor. 5:21; Heb. 7:26; I Pet. 2:22; I Jn. 3:5). In being tempted He is like us, and can sympathize with us when we are tempted. He did not have to be able to sin to do that. One theologian uses this illustration to support the point: We cannot say because a powerful army cannot be conquered that it cannot therefore be attacked.

Yes, Christ has had, since His incarnation, two natures. He is both fully God and fully Man. But we must not divide those in a schizophrenic fashion as though He had some kind of split personality. The two natures are fully integrated. “In Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily” (Col. 2:9). He is one Being, not two. And He cannot do something as Man that would be impossible for Him to do as God. For example, the Bible says God “cannot lie” (Tit. 1:2). It is an act which is contrary to His nature.

As perfect Man Christ possessed no sin nature, and in His perfection He fully submitted Himself to the will of God the Father (Jn. 5:19; 8:29). As God the Son–and therefore also as the God-Man–it was impossible for Him to sin. In fact, one of the purposes of His temptation may well have been to demonstrate without doubt that He could not sin!