The following "Question" was asked by a member of the congregation at Grace Community Church in Panorama City, California, and "Answered" by their pastor, John MacArthur Jr. It was transcribed from the tape, GC 70-5, titled "Bible Questions and Answers."  A copy of the tape can be obtained by writing, Word of Grace, P.O. Box 4000, Panorama City, CA 91412 or by dialing toll free 1-800-55-GRACE.  Copyright John MacArthur Jr., All Rights Reserved.

Question

I been reading on the impeccability of Christ: Christ not being able to sin.  I believe that Christ could not sin when He came into this world, but somebody has come to me and they said, "Well, if He didn't sin then I cannot be acquainted with a God who could not sin because He doesn't really know my sins?"

Answer

Well, that really doesn't make much sense because the fact is He didn't sin; so if you are going to make His ability to understand you the fact that he had to understand your sin, then whether He could or couldn't have sinned couldn't be an issue because he didn't sin--so what's the point?  The point is a mute point.

The thing that you are driving at, and I know that people bring this up, is that they say, "Do you believe that Christ could sin?"  Of course He couldn't sin; He was impeccable He could not sin.  "He was in all points tempted like as we are," Hebrews says, but He did not sin.  He did not sin because He could not sin.  But that's a ridiculous question any way because the fact is He didn't sin, so what is the argument about whether He could of or couldn't--He didn't.  So who could ever say He could have any way?  You can't sort Him out; what has humanness done that He didn't do?  What does your humanness do that you don't do?  Nothing, if your humanness did it--you did it. 

No, here's the point, the question that people always struggle with is, "If He couldn't sin then how could temptation be legitimate?"  That's really the issue and the answer to that is very simple: have you ever been tempted and not sinned?  Have you ever been tempted and not given into it?  Yes.  Have I ever been tempted and not sinned and not sinned?  Of course.  Yes, and I have been tempted and sinned, but there have been many times when I was tempted and did not sin.  Now was that temptation illegitimate because I didn't sin?  Of course not, sometimes that temptation was very strong. 

In fact, if I can push the point a bit, it just so happens that for Christ who never sinned, He must have known temptation to its limits, because at some point in the temptation when we give in the temptation is over because it has accomplished its purpose, but in One who never gave in temptation would literally run itself to its extreme limit every time.  I mean, when have you sweat great drops of blood?  When have you ever been so tempted as to tears and to strong crying and sweating great drops of blood in the agony of stressful temptation?  Hebrews says, "We have not yet suffered unto blood."  I am not sure the parallel is there, but the point is the same.  We give in long before that. 

So to say that because Christ couldn't sin He couldn't experience temptation is just opposite the truth.  The fact that He didn't sin meant that He endured temptation at extreme levels, especially when you realize the fact that if there was one creature in all the universe that Satan would want to have sinned--it would have been Him.  I mean, he may fuss with us for a little while and if we don't give in (if that temptation is an external thing) leave.  In Christ's case there could be no internal temptation so it was always external, but Satan would stay (believe me) and besiege that fort unendingly.  So I think the fact that Christ did not sin is not only a statement that he could not sin, but it is a statement that He endured temptation to its absolute limit.