The Sinless Life of Jesus
Last time we saw that the Virgin Birth is important because:
- The Bible clearly teaches it
- It is entirely consistent with what the Bible teaches about Jesus
- We could never have been saved without it
- It is a wonderful illustration of how we ourselves can become children of God
This time:
· The fact of his sinless Life
- The importance of his sinless life
- To save us from the PENALTY of sin
- To save us from the POWER of sin
The fact of His Sinless Life
2 Corinthians 5:21
God made him who had no sin to be sin (or ‘a sin offering’) for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
1 Peter 2:21-24
21 To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.
22 “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.”
23 When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.
24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.
Hebrews 4:14-16
14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.
15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet was without sin.
16 Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Hebrews 7:25-27
25 Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.
26 Such a high priest meets our need – one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens.
27 Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself.
NOTE
To say that Jesus DID NOT sin is not to say that Jesus COULD NOT have sinned (as the doctrine of IMPECCABIITY teaches), but that although he could have, he DID NOT.
Non posse peccare is not the same as posse non peccare!
Not to be able to sin versus To be able not to sin
If Jesus was unable to sin, how could he have been tempted in every way JUST AS WE ARE? (Heb. 4:15)
The importance of his sinless life
The purpose of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ was that he might save sinners:
1 Timothy 1:15
Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners – of whom I am the worst.
There are two main reasons why his sinless life was of vital importance:
- To save us from the PENALTY of sin
- To save us from the POWER of sin
To save us from the PENALTY of sin
To do so he must be able to offer a perfect sacrifice for sin
He was to be the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world
John 1:29
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
And the lamb must be without defect
Exodus 12:5
The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect, and you may take them from the sheep or the goats
Leviticus 9:3
Then say to the Israelites: ‘Take a male goat for a sin offering, a calf and a lamb–both a year old and without defect–for a burnt offering,
Leviticus 14:10
“On the eighth day he must bring two male lambs and one ewe lamb a year old, each without defect, along with three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering, and one log of oil.
To bring the unrighteous to God, he himself must be righteous
1 Peter 3:18
For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God
It is by his righteousness and obedience that we are made righteous
Romans 5:18-19
18 Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men.
19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.
If Jesus had not lived a sinless life he could not have saved us from our sin.
To save us from the POWER of sin
Because he never yielded to temptation and was always victorious over sin, Jesus is able to help us when we are tempted.
1 Peter 2:24
24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.
Hebrews 2:17-18
17 For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.
18 Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
The sinless one bore our sins in his body on the cross in order that we might be free from sin’s penalty and free from sin’s power
How does he help us?
By his example during his temptation in the desert (Matthew 4, Luke 4)
Note his use of scripture to overcome temptation
By providing a way out
1 Corinthians 10:13
No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it