Did Jesus inherit sinful flesh nature?

[Hobie]

This is one of the questions I had online at one of the forums, and what I posted.

Jesus took Adams human nature after the fall so He was born with all the damage done to mans nature during that time. But Jesus did not inherit sinful tendencies from Adam, that is, Jesus did not have a tendency to sin. Christ inherited our physical weaknesses, for example, Christ had to sleep when he got tired. He had to eat when he got hungry and drink when he got thirsty. He inherited our physical limitations but not our sinful inclinations.

Physically, Christ was like us, feeling pain, frail, weak, prone to get sick if we dont take care of our bodies, and under the consequences of aging. But morally, Christ could be tested by temptation as scripture shows us but did not have our ungodly desires or sinful inclinations. Jesus' mental human nature (tendency toward sin) was that of the unfallen Adam and his physical human nature (physical body) was that after the fall of Adam." and at the same time why it makes it hard to understand. What makes Jesus equal (having no advantage over other human beings), is that he had all the damage done by sin (Adam’s human nature after the fall), but he had what Peter calls 'the Mind of Christ' which was what Adam was given to begin with and Paul speaks of, that man can have and become dead to sin. Thus Christ has no advantage in overcoming sin as through the power of the Holy Spirit we also can have the 'Mind of Christ'.

 

[Hobie]

This is a hard thing to grasp and it has been the cause of much debate among Christians and from my take breaks down between what people see in themselves as they struggle with sin, and what they assume had to be in Christ. They say well Christ had to be like me, so He had to have sin and yet the Bible says He knew no sin and was our example.

2 Corinthians 5:21
For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

1 Peter 2:21-23
21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:
23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:

And yet He was tempted just as we are, He was not impeccable as some claim in the manner of being not capable of sinning or could not be tempted.

Hebrews 4:15
For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

Christ had inherited all the weakness of man that had come since the fall of man and was predisposed to sin just as we are, and yet did not sin or allow sin to dwell in Him or know sin.

1 John 3:5
And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.

1 Peter 1:19
18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

So its hard for many to accept that Christ came fully man with all his weaknesses and the temptations and was able to overcome and be perfect before the Father as we must do. And yet we see the following...

Romans 8:3
For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:

This is not an easy thing to understand.......

 

[Hobie]

But lets take a look as we can see several things from what is given in Romans 8:3 and more text.

Romans 8:3
For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:

This tells us that Christ was sent with man's nature after the race had being encumbered with four thousand years of damage of sin from the Garden of Eden. We also see this in John 1:

John 1:14
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

Christ took man's nature after the race had suffered the damages from their original state of purity and perfection at the Garden. So Christ came "in the likeness of sinful flesh" or with the weaknesses of fallen man upon him, where He withstood the temptations of Satan upon all points that could used against us.

Hebrews 4:15
For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

God made man perfect and upright at the Garden, but after man sinned there could be no sacrifice acceptable to God for man, except a unblemished one, and that was Christ. There is the issue that has made it hard to understand, how could Christ be unblemished and yet fully man with all the decay done by sin.

 

[David]

But lets take a look as we can see several things from what is given in Romans 8:3 and more text.

Romans 8:3
For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:

This tells us that Christ was sent with man's nature after the race had being encumbered with four thousand years of damage of sin from the Garden of Eden. We also see this in John 1:

John 1:14
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

Christ took man's nature after the race had suffered the damages from their original state of purity and perfection at the Garden. So Christ came "in the likeness of sinful flesh" or with the weaknesses of fallen man upon him, where He withstood the temptations of Satan upon all points that could used against us.

Hebrews 4:15
For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

God made man perfect and upright at the Garden, but after man sinned there could be no sacrifice acceptable to God for man, except a unblemished one, and that was Christ. There is the issue that has made it hard to understand, how could Christ be unblemished and yet fully man with all the decay done by sin.

I appreciate your wrestling with what Scripture has to say about the nature of Christ. The real question is: Did Jesus come into the world with the corruption of sin in His heart or did He come in true humanity yet without sin?

The Word is clear. “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). He took on true humanity – hunger, thirst, weariness, pain, even death. He was “in the likeness of sinful flesh” (Romans 8: 3) which means He took on the same weak, mortal body that sin left in its wake. Yet Paul is equally clear: “He knew no sin” (2 Corinthians 5:21). “In him there is no sin” (1 John 3:5). “He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth” (1 Peter 2:22). Physically He bore all the frailty of fallen humanity. Morally He was spotless.

You say Christ was “predisposed to sin just as we are.” But that overreaches what Scripture says. Hebrews 4: 15 gives the balance: He was “tempted in every respect as we are, yet without sin.” Temptation tests obedience, but a predisposition to sin means inward corruption – which Scripture denies of Him. If Christ had indwelling sin, He could not be the “lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:19). His blood would be tainted, His sacrifice unacceptable.

Here’s the sharp contrast: Christ shared our weaknesses so He could sympathize with us. But He did not share our sinful inclinations, or He could not save us. His humanity was real, but His holiness was perfect. He stood where Adam fell, obeyed where Israel rebelled, and overcame where we are powerless.

So the conclusion is simple: “God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh” (Romans 8:3). He took on flesh subject to weakness and death, and in that very flesh He crushed sin without ever bowing to it. That is why He alone can say, “It is finished” (John 19:30).

The gospel rests here: Christ is fully man, fully God, tempted as we are, yet without sin. He carried our frailty, but never our corruption. That’s the Savior we need.

 

[Hobie]

I appreciate your wrestling with what Scripture has to say about the nature of Christ. The real question is: Did Jesus come into the world with the corruption of sin in His heart or did He come in true humanity yet without sin?

The Word is clear. “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). He took on true humanity – hunger, thirst, weariness, pain, even death. He was “in the likeness of sinful flesh” (Romans 8: 3) which means He took on the same weak, mortal body that sin left in its wake. Yet Paul is equally clear: “He knew no sin” (2 Corinthians 5:21). “In him there is no sin” (1 John 3:5). “He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth” (1 Peter 2:22). Physically He bore all the frailty of fallen humanity. Morally He was spotless.

You say Christ was “predisposed to sin just as we are.” But that overreaches what Scripture says. Hebrews 4: 15 gives the balance: He was “tempted in every respect as we are, yet without sin.” Temptation tests obedience, but a predisposition to sin means inward corruption – which Scripture denies of Him. If Christ had indwelling sin, He could not be the “lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:19). His blood would be tainted, His sacrifice unacceptable.

Here’s the sharp contrast: Christ shared our weaknesses so He could sympathize with us. But He did not share our sinful inclinations, or He could not save us. His humanity was real, but His holiness was perfect. He stood where Adam fell, obeyed where Israel rebelled, and overcame where we are powerless.

So the conclusion is simple: “God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh” (Romans 8:3). He took on flesh subject to weakness and death, and in that very flesh He crushed sin without ever bowing to it. That is why He alone can say, “It is finished” (John 19:30).

The gospel rests here: Christ is fully man, fully God, tempted as we are, yet without sin. He carried our frailty, but never our corruption. That’s the Savior we need.

Excellent question, my brother, He was not predisposed to sin, but had all the nature of man at that time, as the seed of man was what came from Mary. But there is where we must look carefully at what makes Him 'fully God', as well as 'fully man' and understand the nature of Christ. We look and we find Christ was born it says when Mary was found with child, "of the Holy Ghost'. So does anyone really think He would be given a mind full of sin and predisposed to iniquity, of course not. It was one that Adam was given, not full of lust or evil desires, one before the fall but still like Adam able to be tempted and sin.

Matthew 4:1
Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

Thus it was a true test that He faced, of the temptation brought by the devil in the wilderness, otherwise it was just a farce, a charade played out with no real test. This change, the transformation, the new heart created that David spoke of, the born again experience we must go through that Christ spoke of. The born again experience that takes us down the path on the road to sanctification by the power of the Holy Spirit.

When we turn to Christ fully we are justified by faith, but we then have to be sanctified by the power of the Holy Spirit, and this is a free gift available to every man, thus Christ has no advantage, we stand at the same place with this 'mind of Christ' given us. We then come before God, transformed with a new heart, perfect, and able to stand just before His judgement rather than 'filthy rags' we have of self.

 

[David]

Excellent question, my brother, He was not predisposed to sin, but had all the nature of man at that time, as the seed of man was what came from Mary. But there is where we must look carefully at what makes Him 'fully God', as well as 'fully man' and understand the nature of Christ. We look and we find Christ was born it says when Mary was found with child, "of the Holy Ghost'. So does anyone really think He would be given a mind full of sin and predisposed to iniquity, of course not. It was one that Adam was given, not full of lust or evil desires, one before the fall but still like Adam able to be tempted and sin.

Matthew 4:1
Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

Thus it was a true test that He faced, of the temptation brought by the devil in the wilderness, otherwise it was just a farce, a charade played out with no real test. This change, the transformation, the new heart created that David spoke of, the born again experience we must go through that Christ spoke of. The born again experience that takes us down the path on the road to sanctification by the power of the Holy Spirit.

When we turn to Christ fully we are justified by faith, but we then have to be sanctified by the power of the Holy Spirit, and this is a free gift available to every man, thus Christ has no advantage, we stand at the same place with this 'mind of Christ' given us. We then come before God, transformed with a new heart, perfect, and able to stand just before His judgement rather than 'filthy rags' we have of self.

I'm glad that we agree that Christ was not predisposed to sin. Where I think we need to tread more carefully is in how Scripture characterizes His humanity. In Romans 8: 3 we read that God sent His Son "in the likeness of sinful flesh." That doesn't mean that He had sin in Him, but it does mean that He took on the same weak, mortal flesh that we possess as a result of the fall (weak, in that it is subject to hunger, pain, and death). If His humanity was simply Adam's pre-fall nature, He would not have experienced the effects of sin in the way that He clearly did (Hebrews 2:14–18).

The Word manages this distinction beautifully: "He was tempted in every respect as we are, yet without sin" (Hebrews 4:15). He was truly tempted, but unlike us He had no inward corruption. That's why He could be the spotless Lamb of God (1 Peter 1:19). If Christ had sin in His heart, His sacrifice would not have been acceptable.

So yes, He was fully man and fully God, truly tempted, but never tainted. He bore our frailty, not our corruption. That's what makes His victory, and His salvation, complete.

 

[Hobie]

I'm glad that we agree that Christ was not predisposed to sin. Where I think we need to tread more carefully is in how Scripture characterizes His humanity. In Romans 8: 3 we read that God sent His Son "in the likeness of sinful flesh." That doesn't mean that He had sin in Him, but it does mean that He took on the same weak, mortal flesh that we possess as a result of the fall (weak, in that it is subject to hunger, pain, and death). If His humanity was simply Adam's pre-fall nature, He would not have experienced the effects of sin in the way that He clearly did (Hebrews 2:14–18).

The Word manages this distinction beautifully: "He was tempted in every respect as we are, yet without sin" (Hebrews 4:15). He was truly tempted, but unlike us He had no inward corruption. That's why He could be the spotless Lamb of God (1 Peter 1:19). If Christ had sin in His heart, His sacrifice would not have been acceptable.

So yes, He was fully man and fully God, truly tempted, but never tainted. He bore our frailty, not our corruption. That's what makes His victory, and His salvation, complete.

I am amazed that you have such truth unveiled and understanding. I just wrote these things a short time ago and am still struggling with others trying to explain it. Here is more that I wrote in the discussion with my friend Amo...

Our minds are flesh and part of our bodies. Our Lord was made like unto His brethren in all things. Being sinless however, He could not have ever developed a habit of sin, and therefore any propensity due to such. Inherited propensities might be a different story, even if He had them, He never considered or acted upon them. Nevertheless, temptation comes from without as well as within, and our Lord certainly battled temptation from without. In a manner, and of an intensity no doubt, far above and beyond that of which we are able to endure. Praise God that -

1Co 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

This topic is much like that of the Father , Son, and Holy ghost, in that it is a mystery not fully explained in scripture. The deeper you dig into it, and more intricately you try to define it, the more complex and unresolved it may become. We will probably not come to complete agreement upon the subject. Nor do I feel we need to, or that either of our salvation depends upon it.

1Ti 3:16 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.

God bless.
Click to expand...

But our thinking rises above the flesh, it contains the essence of who we are, it is where the Holy Spirit transforms, or as David asks, creates a new heart. It is where we are born again, not in the flesh, but our minds, and sanctified and made perfect before God.

Its not fully explained, yet we are given the pieces to understand how our characters are changed, our thoughts cleansed and the fruits of the Spirit flow out from it. Its all there, we just have to grasp and comprehend how it all comes together. Lets go over what scripture gives us, which I think you know well, but lets look to see if what it supports that Christ had a mind that was as what Adam was given and how the robe of Christ righteousness/mind of Christ comes into play.

We read
1 Peter 2:24
21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:
23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:
24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

Here we are given an example of one who did 'no sin' that we should follow and commit ourselves to God, 'that we being dead to sin' like Christ 'should live unto righteousness' and it adds 'by whose stripes ye were healed'.

So what I read is that it says we should reach the standard of no sin and be dead to sin and live to the level of righteousness that Christ, who heals or (cleanses) us from sin. We see this clearly in this verse.

1 John 3:5
And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.

This confirms not only that He cleanses us but was manifested for this, and we saw how He was manifested in Matthew and we see also in Luke.

Matthew 1:18-20
18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.
19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily.
20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

Luke 1:35
And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

The Holy Ghost would not have conceived a child with a mind of sin and corruption of iniquity, and we see that it says a 'holy thing'. And Gods Word is clear that this child who was Christ is not made with a mind after the fall, it is 'without blemish and without spot'.

1 Peter 1:18-19
18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
.........

I am amazed to meet someone who understands this insight on the Nature of Christ.