Could Jesus Have Sinned If He Had Chosen To? (Part 1)

The answer to the question posed in the post title has been debated since Jesus ascended back into heaven more than two-thousand years ago. Was Jesus capable of sinning, but didn't? Could Jesus be tempted? Was Jesus so powerful (since He was God in the flesh), that He simply resisted the temptation to sin?

The answer to this question is very clear, but it takes an open mind and an open spirit to see it clearly. The answer to the question clearly seen also further sets Jesus apart as the only One who was qualified to bear the sins of all humanity. No other person could have ever been qualified to complete the task. No other cult or religion can claim this. Jesus, only Jesus!

So what is the answer? The answer is no. Jesus could not have sinned for one very powerful reason. He had NO sin nature. It is the fact that Jesus had no sin nature within Himself that sets Him apart from any and every so-called savior, leader, priest, profit, etc. Jesus was the only human being ever to be born of a virgin and born of God. You and I were born of the seed of fallen man. But Jesus was literally born of God who is incapable of sinning!

Here's how it happened. The angel Gabriel appeared to the virgin Mary and told her three things:

1. You are going to get pregnant.
2. You will have a son.
3. You will call His name Jesus (Jehovah who saves).

He continues to tell Mary some very spectacular things about the Son she will bear. And at one point Mary asks Gabriel a very legitimate question. "How can this be, since I am a virgin?" (Luke 1:34) Gabe answers, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God." (Luke 1:35) I hope you caught that. For that reason (because the Holy Spirit will come upon you Mary, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you), the Holy Child will be called The Son of God! When Jesus was born, He was literally born of God, not fallen man.

If you could've held Jesus as an infant, you would've been holding the Son of God. If you would have seen Jesus playing outside in the yard as a child, you would've seen the Son of God playing in the yard. If you would've seen Jesus walking through Nazareth as a young man, yes, you would have literally seen God's only Son. Again, He was literally born of God because He was conceived not of the fallen seed of man, but by the Spirit of God. Therefore it was impossible for Jesus to have been born with a sin nature like yours and mine. Jesus is called the only begotten Son of God for a very legitimate reason; He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, not man; and born of God, not man.

Because of God's plan to send His Son the way He did, Jesus was the spotless, unblemished Lamb of God who has taken away the sins of the world. Our part is of course, to believe, surrender to Him, and become the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus!

Let me share something else with you that substantiates the sinless nature of God and hence, proves that Jesus could not sin. James presents it like this, "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. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death." (James 1:13-15) (Underline added.)

Jesus cannot be tempted because He has no lust within Himself. It would be possible for Jesus to sin ONLY if He was born with a sin nature like yours and mine. But He wasn't. He was born of God. If Jesus could have sinned had He chose to, then our righteousness in Him would be fallible. But He couldn't sin, and didn't, because it wasn't in Him! He is truly incredible! There is none like Him. "And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)

The reason it is difficult for some folks to believe Jesus could not sin is because that perception is made through the fallen nature, not by faith. In other words, it's hard for me to imagine myself or any other human without a sin nature, because I was born in sin. But by faith I can believe and embrace the truth that a sinless Savior, born of the Spirit, bore my sins on the cross, making me God's righteousness.

Then there is the passage in Hebrews. "Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 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. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:14-16) (Underline added.) How do we deal with that? I will cover this passage in my next post.

I'll close for now simply saying that Jesus was sinless for a reason. But He was also unique. There was no one else like Him. As the only begotten Son of God, the original Greek says that He was the unique, the only One of His kind. Not sure about you, but that's my Savior, Jesus!