The Laborers' Podcast- Christology part 2

Christology and the Sinless Life of Jesus

Hello everyone, you have made your way to the labors podcast. We're so thankful that you have decided to join us. Hopefully you will choose to stay with us and watch the entire podcast tonight. We are going to be talking about Christology and this is our second episode Christology part to the study and the teachings of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

We'll see you in just a second. Welcome again to the labors podcast. Thank you for watching. We really appreciate it. Thank you for your support and your prayers. I'm Blessed to be again with big John pastor John Claude the happy Calvinist and Tyler from bread of the word podcast so thankful for these brothers these co-labors of mine that join me and laboring in the word and Really love to share God's truth and and thankful that they have a heart to do that in love and we're.

Well, we just love being with you and sharing God's Word and sharing his truth, how are you guys doing tonight?

Good good.

Don't know about that but Whatever whatever helps you whatever. But we've got the comments open. So we're we're looking forward to hearing from you if you have any questions or comments or critiques. We'd love to try to answer your questions if we can.

We have a good panel here. So ask your questions at least let us know that you're watching. Say hello if we can pray for you. We'd love to be able to do that too, so let's jump right into our part two of Christology the the doctrine of Jesus the study of Jesus Christ.

We.

Wouldn't encourage you to go back to listen to part one. I think it was really really good and I'm sure tonight will be good. Obviously because it's about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. That's what makes it great and also him.

Big John. Let's start with you tonight with question one. Why did Jesus have to live a sinless life in order for the gospel? To to be complete.

The sacrifice has to be blameless. It has to be perfect. There can't be any spot or wrinkle whatsoever. So If if our Savior has seen he's no he's no different than anybody else and what therefore is first of all his death wouldn't be Wouldn't be one where the innocent was slain and and Ultimately would bring into question the holiness of God.

It would bring into question All aspects of the prophecy about how he was to be spotless and and blameless. As a myriad of things I'm sure I'm leaving. I'm probably walking straight over some Some low-hanging fruit that I'm missing.

The thing go ahead. Yeah. Well anybody can jump in. Yeah, we can help each other out.

I.

Would say for for one thing building off of what John was saying about the sacrifice that the sacrifice has to be a little blameless. I'm reminded of Mother for a psalm blessed is the man who walketh not in counsel the ungodly nor standeth in the seat of the scornful.

Nor sitth. And I might be twisting that a little sit. It's in the way centers something of that nature. But his delight is in the law of the Lord and on his law does he meditate day and night. And Most of us when we get to Leviticus We don't delight in Leviticus day and night.

The sheer fact that This is in here when we are as human as we are means. It's probably not about us. Amen, and I would postulate that someone is about Christ that he is the only one that Possibly lives up to the standard of someone that he delighted in the whole law All day every day any day and that his living a sinless life Which has never been done before is a proof.

It is a testament to the fact that he is God.

Amen. Yeah.

Yeah, I think that's right. On Evidence just like just like his miracles his signs and wonders being evidence of who he is. Yeah, I think that's exactly right.

And.

You know it for me. I think I Don't think there's a whole God doesn't leave a whole lot of gray area. I mean sometimes we think of grace and and we confuse that with.

Being.

Gray area where we can. We can live in gray area, but but really. When you look through scripture, I don't see a whole lot of gray area and I think. Gray areas of living and grace are two different things and we miss the mix those concepts up but I Mean we read a scripture that you sin.

Cannot be in God's presence. So, I mean, there's a total and complete separation. That the sin cannot be in God's presence. He is not sinful himself. And we'll get to another text tonight that kind of speaks to that.

And.

This the sacrifice sacrifices had to be without blemish, you know, kind of as John was alluding to earlier. I mean, there's there's that defined line and then. To me that kind of speaks of Jesus humanity that you know, he had to fulfill that.

That being Unblemished being being perfect being sinless, you know as a man to be an acceptable sacrifice. But then also, you know as Tyler was talking about Jesus as God It would prove himself not to be God, you know if there was any sin present in his life heart mind or anything so.

So to me, I mean not there there's that line in scripture and It just it's consistent. Jesus living a sinless life is consistent with scripture.

That's.

Kind of my thoughts. Any anybody else have anything to add.

About Jesus sinless life. Yeah, I would I would add that's the you know The the idea that's taught in the scripture of the active obedience of Christ so Christ actively obeyed the law of God. Hey Matt breeding this perfect and sinless life ensures the righteousness we require along with the canceling of our sin that man that sounds good.

That's the truth, yeah, so active obedience, right, right. That's what Matt was talking about there, too. So that's the active obedience of Christ. Christ perfectly fulfilled God's law because Mankind is unable to feel God's law and that's the first part.

And I'm assuming since I'm beside big John was I gonna get the next question? Absolutely, because this will be a perfect segue. So we had the active obedience of Christ why he lived a sinless life and now I want to talk about the The passive obedience of Christ so Christ actively obeyed and fulfilled God's law and Christ as the Son of God passively Took upon himself the wrath of God.

So why did Jesus have to die on the cross and rise from the dead? He had to die on the cross because the Lord The Father established it from the beginning. According to Leviticus that without the shedding of blood there is No Propitiation no forgiveness of sin.

So according to the scriptures Christ had to die and rise again. That's where we're at in Luke on Sundays, right? So he's told that he's told the disciples this three times already in Luke up to Luke 18 That the Son of Man will will will suffer will be crucified will be Will die will be put in the grave and on the third day.

He will rise again.

And.

So Acts chapter 2 verse 22 the Apostle Peter's first sermon he says men of Israel hear these words. Jesus of Nazareth a man attested by God to you by miracles wonders and signs which God did through him in your midst as you yourselves also know him being delivered by the determinate counsel and the foreknowledge of God.

That you have taken. Nobody likes to have fingers pointed at him. But that's exactly what Peter did and that's still what happens every time we read this. You have taken by lawless hands you have crucified and you have put him to death.

There's crucifixion Whom God raised up and he said this he added this having loosed the pains of death. Because it was not possible that he should be holding of it. So why did Christ or how could Christ die and rise again?

Well, because he was number one fully God and fully man. He perfectly fulfilled God's law thereby becoming.

The.

Propitiation for sins the better sacrifice. Than the blood of bulls and of goats, which was only temporary because blood sins were remembered again the next year but now by the Eternal sacrifice of the only begotten Son of God.

He took on himself the wrath of God passively on the cross and here's the thing because he is Fully God and fully man only he could have took the wrath of God. No other nobody else no matter how good a person they had been.

Let's say for example that they quote unquote Didn't sin. It wouldn't matter because they're not still not fully God and fully man and they couldn't have bore The wrath of God on that cross for our sin.

And so he died he was put in the grave and he rose again on the third day. Hallelujah, so that's his passive obedience.

Let me ask you this question called because I think this is a common question. How could. You were speaking of Jesus taking on the wrath of God taking on the the sin of the world so so how could. How could his sacrifice account and and cover so many.

How could. How could it be spread and and be a count for something? I'd like to speak to this if I can.

So it To oversimplify the space of worth is infinitely more valuable. Paul would say that the the builder of a home is far more valuable than a home itself. And likewise and like manner God is infinitely more valuable than creation not just because he created it But because he's God and he he existed completely complete prior to creation.

He needs nothing. So the The fact that God is infinitely more valuable than anything that exists Because he is infinite both serves to Make our sin against him exceedingly sinful and at the same time because of his because of his sacrifice it makes his sacrifice Exceeding whatever sin could be.

I think that I might have I might have butchered an English language on that. You smell what I'm stepping in that.

X X to use theological terminology. It was exceedingly propitious. Yeah.

We're standing or sin abounded. Grace did much more bound but but because of his infinite worth. That's why he's able to forgive. Forgive all or have the capacity for forgiveness for everyone the way I put it with my Sunday school classes if you had a balanced beam.

This is a terrible example. But if you have a balanced beam and if it was equally balanced, whatever load on either side would would hold it level. Well all of creation in One leg with nothing on the other side would would fall down as soon as you put Christ on the other side.

It vehemently pushes all of creation up. His value is far more Valuable than all that therefore his death is far more valuable than anything and his resurrection equally more so.

Amen, man on this subject. I have one more practical question. Something that I've thought through for many years. And maybe you guys have never heard of this anybody dealing with this question in their mind.

But speaking of the sinless life of Jesus and then referring to it yourself. When you're speaking to someone sharing the gospel or in prayer. Is is it the same thing to say that that Jesus was perfect and Jesus was sinless?

Have you ever heard anybody debate on on which which word to use there? Are they the same or are they different? Jesus lived a perfect life. Jesus lived a sinless life. Are they the same? Are they different?

Is one preferred over the other?

What do you think about that? Pastor John? I.

Think I think it goes back to some of what Claude said. I've really never heard it debated a lot, but I think it's semantics. I think we we think of the sinful life. I Have read stuff on it. I think we think of a sinful life is breaking a moral code or breaking the law of God the moral law of God.

Versus obedience Jesus said I do nothing except what I hear and see from the father. So he was perfectly obedient in every aspect of the father. So he was perfectly obedient in Every single moment of his life to everything he heard and saw from the father when he's healing or when he's preaching or anything.

So he's perfectly obedient in every aspect of life. Which in his perfect obedience means he never broke any of the moral code the moral law any of those kind of things and so therefore it is Sinless, and I think it's semantics to help us reason through humanly how we think because He that knows to do good and does it not to him it is sin.

So so so Jesus not for one second knew to do good and didn't do it. If he knew to do good, he did it, you know what I mean? And so So but we sometimes I don't think he quite he that knows do good and does it not to him it is sin.

I think sometimes we don't Equate that as sin, you know, hey Sean. How are you buddy? Thanks for joining in tonight. So I think that's I think that's one way of distinguishing it, you know of the Ten Commandments Thou shalt not lie thou shalt not steal.

Well, of course Jesus never did that. So sometimes I think people equate that to sinlessness versus Perfection means not only never breaking a law or a moral law but also always and as As Claude was saying earlier completely perfectly obedient in every way to the will of the Father and that even includes motives thoughts like Gossiping thoughts or any of those kind of thing, you know, he was perfectly obedient to every aspect.

So I think that's one of the ways that I've heard it distinguished. I'm not sure if that's what you're going after but oh, oh, yeah.

Yeah, absolutely.

And Rob I would add to the scriptures for that for that distinction for that definition because I Never really heard people, you know. Make that distinction but our our confessions. This is another thing why our confessions are good.

Because it points us of course to the scriptures but concerning the person in the work of Christ in in Hebrews chapter 7 if you read from verse 24 it says. But because he continues forever is in. And what what the writers doing is talking about the difference between.

The natural priesthood in Christ being the great high priest. He says because he continues forever and has an unchangeable priesthood. Therefore he is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through him.

Since he always lives to make intercession for them for such a high priest was fitting for us. Who is holy? Harmless and undefiled. Separate from sinners. And has become higher than the heavens. Who needs not daily as.

Those high priest offers up sacrifices first for his own sins and then for the people's sins for this He did once for all when he offered up himself. So that was three characteristics. Biblically, that's a good thing for for folks to go to when like if they ask that question that you ask It or for us to answer somebody asked that question.

Well, what does the scripture say? The scripture says he was holy. Harmless and undefiled from sinners.

Unlocked sinners. Amen. And even like in first Peter chapter 2 verse 22 It always I think where some of that debate comes in is just like what Claude's saying There's always definitive another verse is first Peter chapter 2 verse 22.

He committed no sin. Neither was their deceit in his mouth, right? So it always gives like these double qualifiers like to just to give that Not only was he sinless, but he was perfect. So there was no sin in him.

Neither was their deceit in his mouth so so obviously even Peter himself in writing is saying he never broke the moral code and He went even beyond the moral code that he was absolutely perfect. There wasn't even deceit in his mouth, you know.

So so Peter's saying there's potential for there to maybe be Maybe deceitful things in someone's mouth, but it not be considered in our mind Even sinful even though there's like this deceitful talk. We may not think it as a as a moral sin, but that's seeing those never sin and perfect and even like what called sinners those three qualifiers are in Hebrews, but writers always take it on out to those extra steps, so.

I don't I don't know about you guys. But I mean when we exalt Christ and you Having this conversation exalt Christ, I mean this is this is worship and This lifts my heart to hear you guys exalt Christ, you know, I'm here being lifted in my spirit you know higher and higher hearing you guys lift Christ up and Exalt him and talk about his character and just one more question that you know that comes to me before we move on practically.

When we hear about these characteristics of Jesus and who he is and how you guys have described him so accurately from Scripture.

How.

Where's the application in my life, you know, what does that mean for me? You know in my everyday life in my thought life and my actions in my in my view of Christ. How's the apical to me? To know that.

Well.

If we Look at the book of Romans Romans is a fantastic book. With you we could spend a lifetime Pulling from the deep well that is Romans. But if we do just a brief flyover Romans 6 is about grace and how grace has conquered sin that literally says the dominion of sin has been broken.

Amen that grace reigns. We get to Romans 7 and it's wait a minute. We're still gonna wrestle with sin. We still have this problem that the law is spiritual, but I'm not the flesh. Yeah, now we get to Romans 8.

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Because the law of the Spirit of life has done what? Has set you free from the law of sin and death. For God has done What the law weakened by the flesh could not do by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin.

Amen, I'm sin in the flesh doing what we couldn't do. In order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not according to the flesh according to spirit.

It was.

He was preaching.

Dominicans 19 says be holy as I am. Holy. Hey, man, we can't get there. We can't apply that apart from Christ in Romans 8 is that one anchor. That is what holds us together in this is in Christ my two favorite words in the Bible in Christ.

And so the law of the Spirit of so the law of the what is required of the the flesh by the law is fulfilled in us when we walk in the Spirit when we walk in Christ and. So what Christ did on the cross in part in addition to purchasing our redemption is he brought?

Union with himself. That we are united with Christ Through his death through his life and through his resurrection. That we are in step with the Spirit as it says in Galatians. That we have a new operating system.

Now. We have a different way of looking at things now. We have the means to do things we didn't before. Because now it's not the Tyler show now. It's not what is Tyler able to do. It is what Christ is already doing through Tyler.

Man.

And what Paul's writing this the church is getting ready to go through some intense Persecution. If you keep reading Romans 8, yeah we get into suffering we get into some pretty heavy stuff and it's still very encouraging very uplifting because This is the high note Of the gospel is that God wins?

Amen that there that neither death nor life nor angels nor demons nor things present nor things to come Will separate us from the love of God.

Amen, amen.

I would uh, I Deal on that to say this as well in Hebrews 12 There's two two portions of Scripture If we're talking about how we we use Christ's holiness as a standard from day to day life. Therefore since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us Let us lay also lay aside ever encumbrance and the sin which does so easily entangle us.

Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us fixing our eyes on Jesus the author and the perfecter of our faith. For who for the joy set before him endured the cross Despising the shame and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

For consider him who has endured such hostility by sinners against himself. So that you will not grow weary and lose heart. You take Portions of Hebrews 12 like that and then go in 2nd Corinthians 5 and I'm not going to read for a second time.

But but the way that I've always looked at it is it's the scripture. Please do That if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down I have a building from God a house not made with hands eternal in the heavens for indeed in this house We groan longing to be clothed with dwelling from heaven and so much as we're having to put it on Will not be found naked.

For indeed while we are in this tent We groan being burdened because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed so that the mortal will be swallowed up by life and That now he who prepared us for this very purpose is God who gave us the Spirit as a pledge therefore Being always of good courage and knowing that while we are at home.

And the body we were absent from the Lord for we walk by faith and not by sight. We have good courage. I say prefer Rather to be absent from the body is to be home with the Lord. Therefore We also have this ambition whether at home or absent to be pleasing to him.

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ so that each one may be Recompensed for the deeds of the body according to what he's done whether good or bad. Therefore knowing the fear of the Lord we persuade men.

But we are made manifest to God and I hope That that we are made manifest also in your consciences. It every line of this weighs out for me the temporal against the infinite. Yeah, so that's how you that's how you Go from day to day is that?

While the co-workers may frustrate you Pastor John or or myself or you become I don't know downtrodden from whatever reason or whenever Depressing things come up come our way. We weigh it out knowing that knowing that all this thing is working for us an eternal weight of glory.

I think it's Romans 8 18 in that brother Tyler that says for I reckon that the sufferings of this world are not worthy to Be compared to the glory that shall be revealed in us these things these things whenever we we think about How we deal with one thing to the next we think that we weigh them out with eternity.

In any case that's I think that's how you look at practical application of it practical application.

It's amazing. I can I can feel and and I can understand when especially if people who are not geared toward Theology studying doctrines that they may say studying doctrine studying theology is Boring and especially if you're not like I say geared toward that I can understand that but studying doctrine and theology in relationship to Christianity the Bible and the triune God.

That study is supernatural and and that's where we're at now.

So.

You know, unless you're geared toward it towards it any other doctrine theology. Yes, it can be born. However, there's a supernatural aspect of Doctrine and theology when it comes to Christianity and that's where we are now.

And when we begin to exalt Christ like we're doing now I mean, it's amazing the extremes of emotion that that Christ sends you to because there's there's this extreme sense of all. There's this extreme sense of exhilaration when when we're exalting Christ there's this extreme sense of refreshing and There's this extreme sense of rest.

I mean all all those and there's any more that we experience When we're exalting Christ and where he takes us when we Abiding in him like we're doing now.

It's so let me give us some summation words Kenna. Cuz that's like that's that's really broad stuff. Let's let's like bring it in just a few summation words. Yeah. Yeah, where does this apply to me? Number one imputed.

Righteousness. Hey, man.

Okay.

Go flesh that out redeemed and reconciled and regenerated and Everything that comes from that. So so what we could not do for ourselves He did. That's right. They're not live a sinless life. He did and so that is so important that Jesus is sinless.

Because apart from that imputed righteousness in other words us being justified By Christ's righteousness and where we were unrighteous he who knew no sin became sin. So he took our sin and became our sin.

And then yes I love 1st Corinthians chapter 1 verse 30 where Paul said this and Whitfield preached a great sermon on this by the way. It says. And because of him you are in Christ. Who became to us Wisdom from God he became to us.

That's right. We do not have. He became to us God's wisdom.

God's.

Righteousness and God's sanctification and God's redemption to us. So so what we could not do for ourselves. That's what he imputed unto us. Righteousness wisdom sanctification. So all those beautiful things you guys talked about I feel like summed up in that one little phrase.

Imputed righteousness. Jesus had to be perfect. So that he could become imperfect in taking on our sin and Trading that for us just as a law. He became the scapegoat or became the lamb for the that was slain for the sake of sin.

So he laid on the altar and sin was transferred on to him. Not that he sinned, but it was transferred to him. In reverse what was transferred to us?

Righteousness.

And what did we do to earn that. Nothing. What. That's right. Nothing. So. So that's why it's absolutely crucial with a doctrine in Christology of Sinless perfect life. If we don't have that there is no hope for salvation at all.

We close the book we close the podcast and throw our Bibles out the window. And and we just hope for hell and that's all we have to hope for. But because he was absolutely sinless and In the promises of the Bible that that is imputed into a sinner.

Yeah, because he was the perpetuation of sin the satisfying savor. Now the ultimate application, what do I do? I worship like my hair's on fire. Hey, man. For those that don't have hair our beards on fire, whatever I mean, it's like.

Hey, man.

Listen, John, we need a little more Pentecostalism in the church to sit around All snobby and that's right served all the time. My goodness brothers when you get that Of how good God's been to us Then that's what you're saying in Roberts this saying to man.

It's it's it's gorgeous, you know. So so anyways just Imputed righteousness is way. I took everything that that that you guys weren't packing there. It's gorgeous.

Well, and I don't know how everybody else is I'll just speak for myself. But one of the things that you were talking about that I think is sometimes can be looked over when we're elevating all the things that you just said Taking it back to the beginning of what you were saying when you were talking about he was doing what we couldn't do.

Even that revelation and Beginning to understand that we couldn't do and needed him comes from him.

And they meant.

So it's everything everything comes from here all about Jesus. That's right.

That's exactly right that we are helpless and he is our help. That's a man. I tell you what. Let me use a country term here. That'll make an Episcopalian run right out of the choir. Oh.

I.

Got a question. Yes, sir. I may have. I may have. I was doing some typing. I may have missed it. We talked about. Why did Jesus have to die on the cross and rise from the dead. Did I miss the part about rise from the dead.

Did we answer that question? We didn't go into that. But well, but I did read from Acts, right? So it talks about that God raised him from the dead because that's the thing. Had not he risen from the dead and only propitiated for our sins it wouldn't have been efficacious because They the blood the blood of bulls and goats were shed those animals were killed for sin but there was no overcoming of The penalty of sin which Christ did when he rose so positionally concerning sin we We were like Jonathan said imputed righteousness.

Therefore we were justified at the moment of Christ's death from our sin. Right, but we still howler said it in Romans we still struggle with sin, but we are delivered from the power or the Power of sin and One day hallelujah, or I'm sorry the penalty of sin is what we what?

Christ delivered us from and one day. We will be completely delivered from the power of sin when we are at home with the Lord and When we get a glorified body.

And that that last enemy is gonna be death and he's defeating them all. Yeah. Amen. Amen. Jonathan I think you're next on the list but I think I Definitely would love to hear from from everybody on this one because I want to give our brother Matt credit.

The Temptation and Impeccability of Christ

We.

This came from him when we were putting together this.

This.

Podcast guide or question list and It's a question that came that I've thought of Way back when and it's a really difficult one. And so I'd love to hear from everybody but but pastor John what we'll start with you and I'm going to throw a curveball here because I'm gonna add two more verses that I think relate to this question and So we can try to you can go from whichever angle you want to.

So here's the initial question that come from Matt in his Jesus human nature. Did he have the ability to sin? Now here the other Two verses that are kind of related to this question. James 1 13 Let no one say when he is tempted I'm being tempted by God for God cannot be tempted by evil and he himself does not tempt anyone.

And then. Hebrews 4 15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weakness, but one who has been Tempted in all things as we are. Yet without sin, how do we reconcile those two verses?

Did he have the ability to sin? What say you.

I'm really glad I got this question. I was reading ahead and trying to you know, find the order and. And so I want to be real transparent right off the bat. I have waffled back and forth on this and then I have arrived at a conclusion.

For me personal conviction, so let me let me share some of my waffling if that's okay. Oh, yeah, because there is a logical explanation for being capable of sin. Which we would call peck ability in the theological terms.

So there is a peck ability. And so in other words Jesus is often compared to Adam. There's the first Adam in the second Adam. So did the first Adam. Was the first Adam peckable or impeccable. Yes. Was capable of sin, how do we know he's capable of sin.

Because he's in right he said and so so we know that he was capable of sin and. And I get the argument when people say even in Hebrews chapter 4 verse 15 He was tempted in every way that were tempted.

In other words, he felt the weight authentically felt the weight the emotion the seriousness the the the anxiety the even the lure of of This temptation yet without sin and so that in our mouth and in our bodies.

We feel the drawing of that of okay. If he's tempted to sin, then therefore there must have been a capability of sinning. So I feel like though. It's a flawed question. Because here's where I come back with the second part and this is where I have landed.

I personally now I for a while argued that I believed it made Christ more glorious that he was capable of sinning yet did not that makes him more on our level and. And to me that made him seem higher but again.

It's a flawed question because you can't ask the question in his human nature. Was he capable of sinning. Because if you ask it that way that means you're dividing.

That he didn't have the God nature. Good point, which would be what the Nestorian heresy and a couple of others.

Exactly and so where I have now arrived is is I am in the camp of impeccability and within the camp of impeccability that's with the caveat though that you don't reduce the authenticity of What Christ experienced in being tempted to sin and that's what the book of Hebrews chapter 4 is talking about.

And if nobody recognizes tonight, we're quoting a lot from the book of Hebrews. The book of Hebrews is a tremendous Christology book. It's hard. It's lofty in thought. It's written to Hebrews written to Jewish culture.

So it's sometimes hard for us to understand but the book of Hebrews really is to me personally the Christology book that what we're talking about, so so now I'm in that camp of impeccability as long as you don't diminish The reality that he was tempted as we are tempted in every way he was hungry.

He was thirsty. He wept. The emotion was real the luring of that was real but because he was not of Only the nature of man, which the first Adam only had.