In this short blog, we take up the “sinless integrity” of the Mediator. Both the 1689 and the Creed of Chalcedon plainly affirm this. The 1689 confession (8:3) says: “The Son of God … did … take upon him man’s nature, with all the essential properties and common infirmities thereof, yet without sin …” Chalcedon says that Christ is made like us “like us in all things except sin— …” No heresies denied this in the early church, but it has been blasphemously questioned by Liberals and others in the modern church era. It is substantiated by 12 clear texts in the Word of God, which speak of the glory of the sinless integrity of our Savior.

• Isaiah 53:9 “His grave was assigned with wicked men, Yet He was with a rich man in His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was there any deceit in His mouth.”
• Luke 1:35 “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God.” Holy is applied to Christ 1 other place in Luke (4:34)—”the Holy one of God.”
• John 8:46 “Which one of you convicts Me of sin? If I speak truth, why do you not believe Me?”
  • Sin is lawlessness (1 John 3:4), but not even his enemies convict him of sin.
  • Remember that this is said to the Jews His avowed enemies.
  • They could find nothing of which to accuse Him—nothing which would carry their own consciences.

• John 14:30 “… the ruler of the world is coming, and he has nothing in Me …”
  • Different English translations bring out the meaning here.
    • NIV He has no hold on me,
    • RSV He has no power over me;
    • ESV He has no claim on me…

• Romans 8:3 “For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh …”
  • Paul’s assertion here about God’s own Son is carefully phrased. Consider what it does not and does assert.
  • What it does not say!
    • Not in the flesh: True, but possibly misleading!
    • Not in sinful flesh—False!
    • Not in the likeness of flesh—False!
  • What it does say!
    • But in the likeness of sinful flesh—True & sufficient!
    • His flesh was like sinful flesh except for the sin.

• 2 Corinthians 5:21 “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
  • To be sin?  Not a sinner, but sin!
  • “God the Father made His innocent Son the object of His wrath and judgment.”
  • Prior to this, Christ knew no sin.
  • He had no experience at all of sin or of the frown of God in a sinner’s conscience.

• Hebrews 4:15 “… a high priest … who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin”
  • There was temptation! But there was no sin!

• Hebrews 7:26 “… a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens.”
  • Separated = “not only that Christ is separated from sinful people but that he is also different from them.”
  • He is in a different category and “does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself” (Heb 9:27).

• Hebrews 9:14 “how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works”
• 1 Peter 1:19 “but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.”
• 1 Peter 2:22 “WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS ANY DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH.”
  • This is a citation of our first text, Isa 53:9.
• 1 John 3:5 “He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin.”
  • The eschatological character of this verse demands that we think of perfect sinlessness.
  • The preceding verse defines sin.
    • 1 John 3:4 Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness.
  • In Christ, there is no lawlessness at all. There is no lawlessness of heart, of tongue, and of life.

What conclusions follow from this biblical truth? Though Christ’s humanity was sinless, it was subject to the effects of the curse. Though Christ’s humanity was sinless, it was subject to temptation’s onslaught. Christ was absolutely sinless according to the perfect standard of God’s holy law! Sinlessness was a necessary prerequisite of Christ’s substitutionary sacrifice before God. Sinlessness was an essential component of Christ’s imputed righteousness before God.

Sam Waldron

Dr. Sam Waldron is the Academic Dean of CBTS and professor of Systematic Theology. He is also one of the pastors of Grace Reformed Baptist Church in Owensboro, KY. Dr. Waldron received a B.A. from Cornerstone University, an M.Div. from Trinity Ministerial Academy, a Th.M. from Grand Rapids Theological Seminary, and a Ph.D. from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. From 1977 to 2001 he was a pastor of the Reformed Baptist Church of Grand Rapids, MI. Dr. Waldron is the author of numerous books including A Modern Exposition of the 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith, The End Times Made Simple, Baptist Roots in America, To Be Continued?, and MacArthur’s Millennial Manifesto: A Friendly Response.