Romans 7-8 Christology

 Christology; the human nuture of Christ

[By M. L]

The question of what human nature Jesus had is of the utmost important. Did Jesus possess the nature of Adam? Did He possess the nature of Adam after the fall? Perhaps a bit of both?

This question will often influence our view on the nature of sin, original sin and perfection. 
Is our nature sinful enough to be condemned? Can we attain to a perfection that equals the example of Christ? Is sin an action or can an inclination or lust also be a sin?

I will try my best to provide the view I adhere to. One must descide for himself.

The virgin and the Spirit

We are only given a very brief glimpse into the historical context of the incarnation: Matthew 1:18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. On one hand, we have Mary, and on the other hand, the Spirit. 

Both of these components are crucial. Both must be considered. More on this later. We know that Paul refers to the incarnation as a mystery in 1 Timothy 3:16. Therefore, we must also view it as such; a mystery.

In the likeness of the sinful flesh

The phrase 'in a likeness of' is crucial here. 

It doesn't state that He came in sinful flesh but in 'a likeness of sinful flesh.' 

Ellen White never omits this crucial part when discussing sinful flesh in connection with Christ. When referring to other individuals, she simply mentions 'in sinful flesh,' but when it comes to Christ, this part is always retained. She mentions it in relation to Jesus 54 times, and not once does she remove this. This, in itself, should carry considerable weight. 

The Greek word in Romans 8:3, according to Strong's definitions is:

ὁμοίωμα homoíōma, hom-oy'-o-mah; from G3666; a form; abstractly, resemblance:—made like to, likeness, shape, similitude.

The Thayer's Greek Lexicon is even clearer:

ὁμοίωμα, ὁμοιώματος, τό (ὁμοιόω), the Sept. for תְּמוּנָה, דְּמוּת, צֶלֶם, תַּבְנִית; properly, that which has been made after the likeness of something, hence,
a. a figure, image, likeness, representation: Psalm 105:20 (Ps. 106:20); 1 Macc. 3:48; of the image or shape of things seen in a vision, Revelation 9:7 (cf. Winer's Grammar, 604 (562)) (Ezekiel 1:5, 26, 28, etc. Plato, in Parmen., p. 132 d., calls finite things ὁμοιώματα, likenesses as it were, in which τά παραδειγματα, i. e. αἱ ἰδέαι or τά εἴδη, are expressed).
b. likeness i. e. resemblance (inasmuch as that appears in an image or figure), frequent such as amounts almost to equality or identity: τίνος, Romans 6:5; Romans 8:3 (on which see σάρξ, 3 at the end (cf. Weiss, Biblical Theol. etc. §§ 69 e. note, 78 c. note)); Philippians 2:7 (see μορφή); εἰκόνος, a likeness expressed by an image, i. e. an image, like, Romans 1:23; ἐπί τῷ ὁμοιώματι τῆς παραβάσεως Ἀδάμ, in the same manner in which Adam transgressed a command of God (see ἐπί, B. 2 a. η.), Romans 5:14. Cf. the different views of this word set forth by Holsten, Zum Evangel. des Paulus u. Petrus, p. 437ff and (especially for examples) in the Jahrbüch. f. protest. Theol. for 1815, p. 451ff, and by Zeller, Zeitschr. f. wissensch. Theol. for 1870, p. 301ff., Dickson, St. Paul's Us of the Terms 'Flesh' and 'Spirit' (Glasgow, 1883), p. 322 sqq. (Synonym: cf. εἰκών, at the end; Schmidt, chapter 191.)

Ellen White herself is also clear in what way 'likeness' is to be interpreted here. She says:

"Here was ground with which Nicodemus was familiar. The symbol of the uplifted serpent made plain to him the Saviour's mission. When the people of Israel were dying from the sting of the fiery serpents, God directed Moses to make a serpent of brass, and place it on high in the midst of the congregation. Then the word was sounded throughout the encampment that all who would look upon the serpent should live. The people well knew that in itself the serpent had no power to help them. It was a symbol of Christ. As the image made in the likeness of the destroying serpents was lifted up for their healing, so One made “in the likeness of sinful flesh” was to be their Redeemer. Romans 8:3. Many of the Israelites regarded the sacrificial service as having in itself virtue to set them free from sin. God desired to teach them that it had no more value than that serpent of brass. It was to lead their minds to the Saviour. Whether for the healing of their wounds or the pardon of their sins, they could do nothing for themselves but show their faith in the Gift of God. They were to look and live." DA 174.4

Just like the serpent of brass was made in the likeness of the destroying serpents, so Jesus came in the likeness of sinful flesh. 

No one would argue that the serpent of brass was an actual serpent, let alone a destroying serpent.

We must also look at the context of Romans 8. What does 'sinful flesh' mean in it's context?

The chapter before, going back four verses in this book, shows what Paul was talking about. There, in Romans 7, he spoke about the 'body of death' (Romans 7:24) from which he wanted to be delivered. He also talks about a 'law of sin' (Romans 7:23) that was in conflict with his mind. Why? He was 'sold under sin' (Romans 7:14) (that is, in his old nature). Do we dare to apply this to Jesus? Romans 7 is a description of the war between the flesh and the Spirit. In another blog of mine I argue that Romans 7 is talking about the victory one can have over sin even though the flesh is still warring against the mind. The sacrificial system also sheds light on the body of Jesus. Hebrews 10:10 tells us that the offering was His body. And we know that this offering had to be 'without blemish' (Leviticus 22:21) and not include anything 'blind, lame, disfigured, or with festering sores, running sores, or a rash' (Leviticus 22:22). This may then be applied to His body. 

Hebrews 4:15 is also interesting in this context. He was tempted in every way, just as we are, yet without sin. Not without sins, but without sin. This is the exception Paul makes for Jesus. 

There is also a significant difference between being born of the flesh and being like Jesus in the flesh. Someone with sinful flesh like us must be born again and receive the Holy Spirit for victory. These are born of the flesh. Jesus, of course, did not need to be born again. He was born in the flesh as Galatians tells us. For John tells us:

[John 1:12-13 KJV] "12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, [even] to them that believe on his name: 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."

[John 3:5-7 KJV] "5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and [of] the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again."

By nature we are to be born again. For flesh cannot enter into the kingdom of God. Our flesh is corrupt. The flesh or nature of Christ was not. 

Deeds and lusts

A commonly held idea is that inclinations, desires, or thoughts in themselves do not make someone guilty or disqualify them from the law. We just read that Jesus' body had to be without blemish. Now, we must make an important distinction: active sin and passive sin. Both would make us guilty, as we will see shortly, but one of the two is to be eliminated when we believe. 

James says:

[James 4:17 KJV] "17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth [it] not, to him it is sin."

At the same time, we also know that for the 'sin of ignorance,' an offering had to be brought. Thus, such unintentional sin still requires atonement, but it is not imputed to us. 

In the New Testament writings, it is very clear that Christians will not partake in active sins, and those who do will face death (if they do not return), while those who do not will live and face no condemnation. We will see that this type of sinning, in its execution, is not like the desires and does produce problems despite the forgiveness available through the blood of Jesus.

Paul says:

[Romans 6:16-18 KJV] "16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? 17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. 18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness."

It is being a 'slave' to sin or being 'subject to' sin that the Christian no longer has.

James says:

[James 1:13-15 KJV] "13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: 14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death."

The lust that we have in ourselves, bears an active sin and conceives death. This is the same language that is used in Romans 6 and 8 in regards to walking in the Spirit and not partaking in these active sins.

Romans 8:

[Romans 8:1 KJV] "1 [There is] therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."

[Romans 8:6-7 KJV] "6 For to be carnally minded [is] death; but to be spiritually minded [is] life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind [is] enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be."

These active sins are sins that the Christian does not commit and are therefore not imputed to him. It does not concern desires or sins of ignorance. 

Yet, we know that sins of ignorance still impose a debt, which is paid by Christ. Christ also died for those sins. But what about those desires? Again, we must distinguish between different types of desires. Let's first look at desires that clearly label someone as a sinner and, as we will see, are associated with the sinful flesh Paul mentions in Romans 7. From Romans 14-26, Paul speaks, as we know, about the experience of a Christian. He specifically addresses how the Christian overcomes sin. In Romans 6, he already discussed serving righteousness through obedience. However, there is one thing, one beam in the eye, that persists. Even though the 'law of sin' lives in him, he also says: Romans 7:26 So then, with the mind, I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh, the law of sin'. He laments about his body waging war and making him a captive of the law of sin. These are clearly those desires. In the flesh, there dwells 'nothing good' (Romans 7:18), and he finds no ability to bring about what is good. 'Evil' (Romans 7:21) is close to him. Can we say that in Jesus' sacrifice, there was 'nothing good' and that the ability to bring about 'what is good' was not found? Was evil close to Him in this context? But if we go back a bit earlier in Romans 7, it becomes even more clear whether these desires would make him guilty. In verses 1 to 6, he compares our relationship to Christ to a marriage, a perfect context to discuss desire! And what does he say just before he begins discussing the inner struggle?

[Romans 7:7-13 KJV] "7 What shall we say then? [Is] the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. 8 But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin [was] dead. 9 For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. 10 And the commandment, which [was ordained] to life, I found [to be] unto death. 11 For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew [me]. 12 Wherefore the law [is] holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. 13 Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful."

Specifically, he references the tenth commandment, 'You shall not covet.' Although the tenth commandment primarily concerns not coveting a neighbor's possessions, it touches on a core aspect that we must not overlook, and one that Paul certainly did not miss. It is this commandment, more than any other, that reveals our true sinful nature. Paul speaks of 'all kinds of covetousness' aroused by sin itself, which abuses the law. In this, Satan can bring an accusation that we deserve death. The law, inherently good, is misused by sin. This commandment about desire or covetousness leads to death. If these desires were not a transgression of the law for which Jesus had to die in our place, then sin would be merely an action, and the standard of righteousness would be much lower. Our job as Christians is to exalt the law to it's real standard. 

Applying these desires to Jesus would either mean that He was a sinner or that these desires do not matter much. 

But oh, how differently Paul thought about it. And in this process of sanctification and victory over sin, even in our best obedience, we still cry out: [Romans 7:24 KJV] "24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" and we see ourselves as sinners that are in need of the undeserved grace of God. 

The closer we come to the perfect righteousness of Christ and the more we obey Him through this, the more we realize that 'sin is exceedingly sinful.' The more we discard our own righteousness, even in the Spirit, as something insufficient. 

Take it from Ellen White:

The religious services, the prayers, the praise, the penitent confession of sin, ascend from true believers as incense to the heavenly sanctuary, but passing through the corrupt channels of humanity, they are so defiled that unless purified by blood, they can never be of value with God. They ascend not in spotless purity, and unless the intercessor who is at God’s right hand presents and purifies all by His righteousness, it is not acceptable to God. All incense from earthly tabernacles must be moist with the cleansing drops of the blood of Christ. He holds before the Father the censor of His own merits, in which there is no taint of earthly corruption. He gathers into this censor the prayers, the praise, and the confessions of His people, and with these He puts His own spotless righteousness. Then, perfumed with the merits of Christ’s propitiation, the incense comes up before God wholly and entirely acceptable. Then gracious answers are returned. 15LtMs, Ms 50, 1900, par. 17
O, that all may see that everything in obedience, in penitence, in praise and thanksgiving, must be placed upon the glowing fire of the righteousness of Christ. The fragrance of this righteousness ascends like a cloud around the mercy seat. 15LtMs, Ms 50, 1900, par. 18

Elsewhere she clearly speaks of the fact we will never be without sin and that people have always confessed the sinfulness of their nature:

None of the apostles and prophets ever claimed to be without sin. Men who have lived the nearest to God, men who would sacrifice life itself rather than knowingly commit a wrong act, men whom God has honored with divine light and power, have confessed the sinfulness of their nature. They have put no confidence in the flesh, have claimed no righteousness of their own, but have trusted wholly in the righteousness of Christ. AA 561.1

Jesus, who elevated the law so profoundly and came to make the law 'great' and 'glorious' (Isaiah 42:21), also addressed these matters. The Pharisees had reduced sin to outward actions, but Jesus applied the Ten Commandments on a level where He said, 'Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.' 

He then says:

[Matthew 5:28 KJV] "28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart."

The tenth commandment, perhaps the smallest commandment in terms of how much attention it receives in my opinion, is the commandment that humbles us and elevates Jesus above the common human experience. 

Righteous desires and longings 

But we must not forget to consider the other side of the coin. Because if we emphasize one side too much, there is a danger that we forget that Jesus truly came in the flesh and became human. Although He came 'without sin,' He came in the fallen weakened flesh 'of the seed of Abraham' (Hebrews 2:16). He did not take on the nature of Adam but that of the seed of Abraham and was thus tempted in all things, yet 'without sin.' This body was weakened in moral strength, physical strength, and clarity over a period of 4000 years. We know that the first humans were much more powerful, stronger, and taller. They were more mentally acute. But Jesus did not come in this way. Except for sin, He became like us in all things so that He could be a merciful high priest. He had a more challenging experience than Adam. Adam failed, and Satan claimed that God's law was impossible to keep for this reason, but Jesus proved this wrong as the second Adam. 

[Hebrews 2:18 KJV] "18 For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted."

Now we come to innocent desires. There are inherently innocent desires, the fulfillment of which, in an unlawful manner, would be considered a sin. The most straightforward examples we can think of are the desire for food when someone is hungry (as when Jesus was in the wilderness), fatigue, or a sense of righteous anger or zeal. His patience was also severely tested, and He could have fallen into sin at any moment due to this. Where is the line between these lawful desires and unlawful desires? This can sometimes be challenging to define. But it is the same with sins that manifest clearly in actions. The question of what is and isn't sin is one that we can ask about many things. The same applies to desires. The boundary is not entirely clear to us because we don't always have a clear understanding of what sin is. However, the one thing we can be absolutely sure of is that He had lawful desires or cravings, but not unlawful ones. These desires and cravings, along with the fact that He was the second Adam in the flesh of the seed of Abraham, clearly show that He could have sinned. If He could not have sinned, there would have been no real struggle or temptation, and He could not have been a High Priest who can come to our aid. This is where the antichrist goes astray. Generally, the Catholic Church will believe in something called impeccability. 

A current popular Catholic says this about it:

'According to Aquinas, sin is "a word, deed, or desire contrary to the eternal law." Sin occurs when we disobey divine commands rooted in God's perfectly good, perfectly eternal, and perfectly unchanging nature. God, by definition, cannot sin because He is perfect goodness itself. It would be a logical contradiction for God to violate His perfectly good and perfectly rational nature. So, if it is impossible for God to sin, then it was impossible for Jesus to sin because Jesus is God.'

It sounds seemingly logical, but by focusing so much on the divinity of Christ, the humanity of Christ is forgotten. He truly was the second Adam in the flesh, and because of this, He could have sinned.

Ellen White says it thus:

Be careful, exceedingly careful, as to how you dwell upon the human nature of Christ. Do not set him before the people as a man with the propensities of sin. He is the second Adam. The first Adam was created a pure, sinless being, without a taint of sin upon him; he was in the image of God. He could fall, and he did fall through transgressing. Because of sin, his posterity was born with inherent propensities of disobedience. But Jesus Christ was the only begotten Son of God. He took upon Himself human nature, and was tempted in all points as human nature is tempted. He could have sinned; He could have fallen, but not for one moment was there in Him an evil propensity. He was assailed with temptations in the wilderness, as Adam was assailed with temptations in Eden. 10LtMs, Lt 8, 1895, par. 14

The divine nature, combined with the human, made Him capable of yielding to Satan’s temptations. Here the test to Christ was far greater than that of Adam and Eve, for Christ took our nature, fallen !but not corrupted!, and would not be corrupted unless He received the words of Satan in the place of the words of God. To suppose He was not capable of yielding to temptation places Him where He cannot be a perfect example for man, and the force and the power of this part of Christ’s humiliation, which is the most eventful, is no instruction or help to human beings. 6LtMs, Ms 57, 1890, par. 11

He was sinless like Adam, but besides this just as weak as we are.

Sinless yet sympathic?

But how could Jesus be tempted in every way if He did not have the same sinful flesh as we do? This question misses the point. He was not tempted in exactly every way as a woman or an elderly person has been, as He has never been in these two groups. Yet, He can sympathize with them, and in a certain sense, He was tempted in every way like them.

Although He was divine, He was not allowed to use His divine nature and walk in it, just as we are not supposed to walk in the flesh, because, like us, He must trust in the Father (Hebrews 2:13). 

The question of whether sinfulness would actually make Him more sympathetic can be answered by comparing sin to leprosy in the Old Testament. Leprosy dulls the senses, and sin does the same on a spiritual level. The less sin a person has, the more sympathy he can have. 

But in connection with the magnitude of Christ's temptations, I dare to say that they were greater than ours despite His sinlessness. It was the inclination to use His divine nature that made His temptations even greater than we could ever experience. The Eternal God, who has always been self-existing and self-sufficient, was not allowed to use that self-sufficiency as a human. He had to trust, like us, in the Father. Only then could He stand as the perfect Substitute and High Priest, for otherwise, He would not be human enough. How much more sympathetic could He be?

This huge temptation is of the same kind as ours. 

Our victory over sin based on another

But what about our victory over sin? Is this comprimised if we say that He is sinless and we are not? 
No.

We've already clearly seen that our active obedience will be very much in accordance with Gods law. Were does this power come from? 

From another.

When we trust in Christ His obedience and His righteousness is imputed to us. God then looks upon us as if we have never sinned and as if we do not have that sinful flesh. He doesn't look upon us as we are according to Adam, but according to Jesus Christ. 

His death is counted for our death and His life for our life. 

But if we really believe this then it will be seen in our life. By faith we count ourselves not for what we are in ourselves, but for what we are in Christ. Even though our flesh is still very active, we count it as dead and we see ourselves as alive in Christ. 

We are unified with Christ and so we walk as if we have always obeyed and as if we will always obey since this is what we are in our Representative Jesus Christ.

One can then legally rightfully say; 'His obedience, is my obedience. His victory is my victory. His perfection is my perfection. His death is my death. His life is my life.' And by living according to that we will be a shadow or image of what Christ is. 

Will we ever equal that example? No.

Christ is our pattern, the perfect and holy example that has been given us to follow. We can never equal the pattern; but we may imitate and resemble it according to our ability. When we fall, all helpless, suffering in consequence of our realization of the sinfulness of sin; when we humble ourselves before God, afflicting our souls by true repentance and contrition; when we offer our fervent prayers to God in the name of Christ, we shall as surely be received by the Father, as we sincerely make a complete surrender of our all to God. We should realize in our inmost soul that all our efforts in and of ourselves will be utterly worthless; for it is only in the name and strength of the Conqueror that we shall be overcomers. RH February 5, 1895, par. 7

As long as we are in this body we can never be without this sinful flesh. The law of sin will be very present. But by what we are in Christ who came in the likeness of sinful flesh we can, through the  Spirit imitate it according to our ability. 
But this is only, and only, for what we are in Christ.

For more about victory over sin, I refer to my previous blog: 

https://armchair4advent.blogspot.com/2023/08/romans-7-and-victory-over-sin.html