Last week we looked at the question: Could Jesus have sinned? (give in to temptations). The long winded discussions that actually wrestle with this question of "was Jesus able to sin?" is called, "peccability" (or impeccability), from the Latin meaning "sin."

The conclusion was: could Jesus be tempted? yes. Could Jesus sin? no. In this blog I wanted to look at the ramification of what this truth means for us.

What are the practical ramifications that flow from this understanding of Jesus relationship to sin and temptation?

• Because Jesus faced real temptations and successfully endured those temptations as a real man not yet glorified He was and is “the author of eternal salvation.” We are told that Jesus had to be “made perfect,” and in order to be “made perfect,” Jesus had to “learn obedience by the things which he suffered” (Heb. 5:8-9). Jesus became like Adam (except that where Adam failed, Jesus triumphed). (Rom. 5:19).
• Because Jesus faced real temptations and successfully resisted those temptations as a real man not yet glorified He can be our example and pattern for resisting the temptations we face. Sometimes it is difficult for us to view Christ as an example. We think of Him in His majestic divinity. Consequently, we view Him as a kind of superman—impervious to the kind of temptations we face. But the Scripture does not place Christ in a totally different category than us. Instead, the writer to the Hebrews encourages believers to look to Jesus, "the founder and perfecter of our faith " (Heb. 12:3). True, Jesus was not plagued with the remnants of a sinful nature as we are. Nevertheless, we should not view our Savior as some kind of super-human being whose experience was totally foreign to ours.
• Because Jesus faced real temptations and successfully resisted those temptations as a real man not yet glorified He can fully sympathize with us in our struggle against sin (Heb. 2:18; 4:15).

J.C. Ryle said: “The sympathy of Jesus is a truth which ought to be peculiarly dear to all believers. They will find in it a mine of strong consolation. They should never forget, that they have a mighty Friend in heaven, who feels for them in all their temptations, and can enter into all their spiritual anxieties. Are they ever tempted by Satan to distrust God 's care and goodness ? So was Jesus. Are they ever tempted to presume upon God 's mercy, and run into danger without warrant? So also was Jesus. Are they ever tempted to commit some one great private sin for the sake of some great seeming advantage ? So also was Jesus. He is just the Savior that a tempted people require. Let them flee to Him for help, and spread before Him all their troubles. They will find His ear ever ready to hear, and His heart ever ready to feel.”

Most good Bible teachers believe that the Bible teaches that Christ, as God, could not even potentially sin. His human nature was always in submission to his divine nature. Therefore the possibility of sin must be ruled out; but that does not mean that he only overcame temptation by relying on that nature. We believe he overcame sin IN HIS HUMANITY as well.

Leon Morris states, "The main point is that, though Jesus did not sin, we must not infer that life was easy for him. His sinlessness was, at least in part, an earned sinlessness as he gained victory after victory in the constant battle with temptation that life in this world entails."

We have a Great God who understands all we go through.