The doctrine of impeccability

1. Christ did not have an old sin nature by birth, nor did he commit any act of sin during the incarnation — Hebrews 4:15; 1 Peter 1:19; 1 John 3:5. By being born of a virgin Jesus Christ by-passed having an old sin nature.

2. Jesus Christ, however, was tempted in every area of humanity — Hebrews 4:15. The unique temptation — Matthew 4:2-11.

3. As with Adam in innocence or sinlessness and Jesus Christ in hypostatic union all temptation to Christ came from without. He didn’t have an old sin nature. So the temptation is bona fide without a sin nature. Adam and the woman were both minus the sin nature before they fell, and they still sinned. It doesn’t take an old sin nature to sin, all it takes is free will. Sin comes from volition.

4. All temptations to Christ came through His human nature. The human nature of Christ is temptable but the divine nature of Christ is not temptable — James 1:13.

5. Christ resisted the greatest of all temptations at Gethsemane when He faced the cross — Luke 22:42; Matthew 26:39; Mark 14:35,36. When Jesus faced the possibility of the cross He had no old sin nature, no imputation of Adam’s sin, no personal sin, and the idea of personal sin was totally repugnant to Him both in His humanity and in His deity; and therefore He uttered the words in great anguish of soul, “Father, if it be thy will, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not my will, but thine, be done.” And by His own volition He went to the cross, and because He did you and I have eternal life.”

6. Christ also resisted the kenosis temptation in Matthew 4:1-11. He resisted the temptation to use His own divine attributes in independence of God the Father.

7. The categorising of the doctrine involves two factors: the humanity of Christ and the deity of Christ. The deity of Christ is not temptable, not peccable; the humanity of Christ is temptable and peccable.

8. In the hypostatic union Christ is temptable but impeccable.

9. It is possible for the humanity of Christ during the incarnation to suffer all of the physical limitations, all of the adversities and pressures, of any member of the human race apart from sin. None of these sufferings present complications which in any way affect His immutable holiness.

10. The doctrine of impeccability as stated theologically: Christ was able not to sin and not able to sin. Christ is God, God is never the source of evil, temptation or sin. Evil stems from angelic and human volition but never divine sovereignty.