Representation and Substitutionary Atonement

[methinkshe]

I was discussing with my 17 yr old son Jesus' sinlessness. He posited that it was easier for Jesus to live a sinless life than it is for us because he did not inherit Adam's fallen nature since he was conceived by the Holy Ghost and wasn't "conceived in iniquity."

I was at pains to point out that it is necessary that Jesus be fully man (His divinity laid aside) if He is to fulfill the requirements of substitutionary atonement. If He came to this earth as some kind of superman, then he could not fully represent man (stand in man's place).

However, I could see his point!

The only way I have been able to understand this is as follows.

Adam represented the whole human race and when he fell, thereafter ALL mankind became fallen.

Jesus was the second Adam. Like Adam before he sinned, Jesus had no inherited sinful nature, but He had exactly the same choices as Adam - to be obedient to His Father or not.

Therefore, Jesus represents perfect man, as man was created in Adam, and not fallen man. Thus He is as fully able to represent mankind as was Adam. He was no different from Adam when he was created, in terms of not having an inherited sin nature, although in this respect He does differ from all those who followed Adam.

I'm not sure whether I have explained this too well, and certainly my son didn't seem too convinced!

I also told my son that Jesus was in every way tempted the same as we are. He suggested that it was easier for Jesus to resist temptation than it is for us because He did not have a fallen nature. I pointed out that Adam didn't have a fallen nature but he was unable to resist temptation. We also discussed spiritual regeneration through faith in Jesus atoning sacrifice, and if (and I believe it does) that puts us back into the same position as Adam before he fell, then we should also be able to resist temptation just as Jesus did. He countered that we still have the flesh to contend with even though we should count it as dead. In short, I don't think I managed to convince him that Jesus didn't have an easier time of it resisting temptation than we have.

I'd be grateful for any additional insights and/or a more coherent explanation than I was able to offer.

[Guest]

[methinkshe]

Thank you, Fresno Joe. I appreciate your prayers, dear servant of Jesus.

I hope the Holy Spirit will move someone with a gift for exegesis to help my understanding so that I can answer my son's questions in spirit and in truth.

Your sister in Christ Jesus

Ruth

[LadyRaven]

Thank you, Fresno Joe. I appreciate your prayers, dear servant of Jesus.

I hope the Holy Spirit will move someone with a gift for exegesis to help my understanding so that I can answer my son's questions in spirit and in truth.

Your sister in Christ Jesus

Ruth

The way you interpreted it was the way I have always been taught. He had the exact same nature and choices as Adam to undo the curse.

[methinkshe]

Thank you, Fresno Joe. I appreciate your prayers, dear servant of Jesus.

I hope the Holy Spirit will move someone with a gift for exegesis to help my understanding so that I can answer my son's questions in spirit and in truth.

Your sister in Christ Jesus

Ruth

The way you interpreted it was the way I have always been taught. He had the exact same nature and choices as Adam to undo the curse.

Thank you, LadyRaven.

How do I answer my son when he says that it was easier for Jesus to resist temptation than it is for us (or, more pertinently, him!)? Or is the only answer to refer him to Adam as representative of the human race and who also had no inherited sinful nature but still fell into temptation and sinned? Does his assertion that it was easier for Jesus to resist temptation than it is for any of us (with the exception of Adam) have any basis, in other words?

I am not comfortable with his assertion but I can't quite articulate why and thus am struggling to answer his question/assertion.

[LadyRaven]

Thank you, Fresno Joe. I appreciate your prayers, dear servant of Jesus.

I hope the Holy Spirit will move someone with a gift for exegesis to help my understanding so that I can answer my son's questions in spirit and in truth.

Your sister in Christ Jesus

Ruth

The way you interpreted it was the way I have always been taught. He had the exact same nature and choices as Adam to undo the curse.

Thank you, LadyRaven.

How do I answer my son when he says that it was easier for Jesus to resist temptation than it is for us (or, more pertinently, him!)? Or is the only answer to refer him to Adam as representative of the human race and who also had no inherited sinful nature but still fell into temptation and sinned? Does his assertion that it was easier for Jesus to resist temptation than it is for any of us (with the exception of Adam) have any basis, in other words?

I am not comfortable with his assertion but I can't quite articulate why and thus am struggling to answer his question/assertion.

I'll have to think about this some more and get back to you. My son is 19 so I'll run my answer by him first.

[Jack Anderson]

What a blessing your son must be to engage in a discussion like this, especially at his age.

Not an easy to understand to be sure, but IMO, some if not all the answer is given by Paul in Romans 6:1-10.

Jack