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NASB | Hebrews 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. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Hebrews 4:15 For we do not have a High Priest who is unable to sympathize and understand our weaknesses and temptations, but One who has been tempted [knowing exactly how it feels to be human] in every respect as we are, yet without [committing any] sin. |
Bible Question:
This is a serious question. The whole question is "Did Jesus experience temptation as humans experience it?" I really do not understand or even see how He could have come close to experencing temptation to the degree and depth in which we experence it. Jesus did not have a natural inclination to sin as we do. Jesus did not even have the ability to sin. We do. Jesus hates sin and can not tolorate it. We do not always hate sin and are usually attracted to it. Jesus never fell to temptation over and over again there by making the temptation more inticing and resistance to it weaker. I am a born again Christian who has repented of my sins and am trusting in the shed blood of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, for the redemption of my sins. I am a babe in Christ earnestly seeking answers to questions I have concerning His word and His character. Any help in understanding this would be gratefully accepted. I want to walk as closely with Jesus as I can. My intentions are not to offend anyone or to be irreverent. I just want to know Jesus and know about Jesus. Praise be to God, Brazos |
Bible Answer: Could Jesus have sinned? 'If He was not capable of sinning, how could He truly be able to "sympathize with our weaknesses (Heb 4:15)? If He could not sin, what was the point of the temptation?" 'No, Jesus could not have sinned. If He could have sinned He would still be able to sin today because He retains the same essence He did while living on earth. He is the God-Man -- and will forever remain so, having full deity and full humanity so included in one person as to be indivisible. To believe that Jesus could sin is to believe that God could sin. Colossians 1:19 For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell. Colossians 2:9 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. 'Although Jesus is fully human He was not born with the same sinful nature that we are born with. He certainly was tempted in the same way we are, in that temptations were put before Him by Satan, yet He remained sinless because God is incapable of sinning. It is against His very nature (Matthew 4:1; Hebrews 2:18, 4:15; James 1:13). Sin is by definition a trespass of the Law. God created the Law and the Law is by nature what God would or would not do. Therefore, sin is anything that God would not do by his very nature. 'To be tempted is not in and of itself sinful. A person could tempt you with something you have no desire to do, such as to smoke crack or participate in a homosexual act. You probably have no desire whatsoever to take part in these actions, but you were still tempted because someone placed the possibility before you. There are at least two definitions for tempted: '1) Tempted - To have a sinful proposition suggested to you by someone or something outside yourself or by your own sin nature. '2) Tempted - To consider actually participating in a sinful act and the possible pleasures and consequences of such act to such a degree that the act is already taking place in your mind. 'The first definition does not describe a sinful act/thought, the second does. When you dwell upon a sinful act and consider how you might be able to bring it to pass you have crossed the line of sin. Jesus was tempted in the fashion of definition 1, except that He was never tempted by a sin nature because it did not exist within Him. Satan proposed certain sinful acts to Jesus but He had no inner desire to participate in the sin. Hence He was tempted like we are but remained sinless. 'Jesus knows what it is like to be tempted but He does not know what it is like to sin. This does not prevent Him from assisting us. We are tempted with sins that are common to man (1 Corinthians 10:13). These sins generally can be boiled down to three different types: the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life (1 John 2:16). Examine the temptation and sin of Eve as well as the temptation of Jesus and you will find that the temptations for each came from these three categories. Jesus was tempted in every way and in every area that we are, but remained perfectly holy. Although our corrupt natures will have the inner desire to participate in some sins we have the ability to "just say no" to sin because we are no longer slaves to sin but rather slaves of God (Romans 6 especially verses 2 and 16-22).' ____________________ www.gotquestions.org/could-Jesus-have-sinned.html |