Could the Lord jesus ACTUALLYhad been Able To Sin?

I do see symantically a lot of the same points on this just said a different way. He was tempted and didn'r give into the temptation.

 

I think I see what your saying---so you completely affirm that he was legitimately tempted (ie had to actually resist the devil in the wilderness), but that he never entertained the temptation to sin like we do (ie he had the thought, possibly b/c Satan put it there, but immediately did the Father’s will & put it out of his head whereas we might actually take the time to think about it—even if we don’t do it, b/c of our Sin nature). If this is what your saying, then we are actually saying the same thing, but in different ways. My understanding of Heb 2 & 4, is that while he might not have been tempted to fornicate, murder, steal---his temptations were nonetheless real, & he by his own will (which He had submitted wholly to the Father) had to actually resist—thus he can relate in being legitimately tempted. Would you agree?

 

That’s exactly what I’m saying---In the wilderness for example, Satan’s very suggestion made it a legitimate temptation, but by his own will (which was submitted to the Father & empowered by the Spirit) he resisted. He never actually entertained the thought (as we with a sin nature might do), but immediately put it away—thus resisting what was a very real temptation (even if he never had the intention to actually do it).

 

Since you have been here for a while, you know I'm going to have to ask:

Why couldn't Eve have resisted the serpant's temptation in like manner? She didn't have a sin nature either.

 

Well some of what you have said the answer is yes I agree, some is no and some I don't know.
Yes I feel that the Lord was tempted even more then we can understand, but no I don't think He even thought of any offer or way to fill the temptation by a sinful manner for even a millisecond. That part I do not believe. I do not believe he ever entertained a single sinful thought. He had the natural desires of a man, but he never looked on a woman to lust. He never experienced that part as that part comes from a sinful heart. I think women with lustful looks were all around Him, which would be a temptation, a real temptation, but He never felt the lust for them. Much like a man and His daughter. She may be very tempting to the neighbor boy or man, but for dad he only see her beauty even if running half dressed through the house. They both see the same person, but because of the different hearts one experiences something altogether different.
So no I don't think He ever had to put anything out of His mind as it was never there to begin with.
You mentioned by His own will having to resist. Well I don't believe it is like us. We have the lust already in us and when the temptation comes we sin. So in the case of the Lord there was never any lust in Him. While he felt the needs of the natural biological desires he never lusted. To say he had to battle those lusts is to say he had to think about it and just not give in even is in His mind. I don't believe that is the case. I believe he never had the desire or though of lust.
I never have the desire to or battle to not smoke dope, but it is all around me. I have no battle for that. I do other sins and have to battle not to think about them or not to look or not to open my mouth or punch someone out, but I am not the Lord. He never had a battle with feeling desires for sin of any kind.

 

That’s a good question—but in short- I think it comes down to her focus not being on God-but on herself. Jesus never focused on himself but always on the Father’s will.

 

I gotta ask another:

Considering Eve, can there be a true temptation without the desire to follow through?

 

I believe for several reasons:
1. she had second hand information about what God had commanded and the serpent twisted the words around.
2. Adam should have been with her as her guide and strength. It was his job to protect her and keep her from being deceived.
3. She didn't have the Holy spirit residing in her, although she was spiritually alive.
4. She was seeking after the beauty of the garden and this fruit whatever it may have been appealed to her eye, her desire gave into the beauty and wonder of it and the serpent added to that desire.

 

While I believe 2 and possibly 4 as contributing factors, I'm not so sure about #3.

God came down and walked the garden with them in the evenings. Do you suppose He just walked around without saying anything? I'm not so certain that Eve was acting on secondhand information unless the serpent visited her the very day she was created. Even then, one would expect God to have given her some instruction before He presented Eve to Adam.

 

Certainly! The minute that satan lied to her the temptation had been given. There was no desire on her part before his lie. She made the mistake of looking at the tree to see. She made a conscience move because of unbelief to see if his words were true. Her willful choice and lack of faith brought about her actions. There was no initial desire on her part. if there had been then she did not need satan tempting her.His temptation was the suggestion. Her fall was listening because of being decieved.

 

Yes---a temptation can be real even if a person does not have intent to follow through. The Greek word for temptation actually has 2 meanings (translated ether temptation or test). The term is Peirazo- & when translated temptation normally means an enticement to get a person to go/act contrary to God’s Will, with the motive of having the person to fail. Satan in the wilderness legitimately did this to Christ, even if Christ never intended to follow through with Satan’s suggestion, the act of temptation was real b/c Satan was trying to entice Christ to go against the Father’s will. As far as Eve is concerned, she obviously had the desire to follow through b/c she did.

 

1 Timothy 2: 13 For Adam was first formed, then Eve.

14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.

We are told here that she was deceived. Satan in the form of the serpent twisted the words she had been told. Adam knew better He knew exactly what God's command was and he willing ate of the fruit from that tree. Would it not be said that she disobeyed the very words of God and sinned instead of being deceived if in fact she had first hand information? While she had a conscince in her she didn't have the Holy spirit in her. Scripture is clear in Old Testament times the Holy spirit came upon whom He willed and did not indwell the believer.

 

I'm having problems with this and I'm not sure how to state them.

You seem to be saying that Eve had a choice between believing what God said (eat and die) or believing what Satan said (eat and know good from evil) and you equate this choice to believe with whether or not she exhibited faith in what God had said. Am I correct so far?

But what does a perfect individual with no sin nature need with faith?