How was Jesus human, yet not born sinful?

Here's a question I received on Facebook: If Jesus was human , why did he not have the human nature of sin?

First, holding to Scripture as the Word of God, there is no "if" about Jesus taking on a human nature.  1 Timothy 2:5 says he was a man.  Romans 9:5 says he has an ancestry, just as any human does (except the first Adam of course).   Scripture also shows that Jesus was born as an infant, grew, was hungry, slept, was tired, drank, ate, had emotions, was thirsty, bled, and died, all of which are human characteristics.  

Scripture also affirms his divinity.  John Chapter calls Jesus God and Collegians 2:9 says that the fullness of the deity dwells in Jesus.  Jesus also identifies himself with God saying, "I and the Father are one" and "Before Abraham was I am."  He receives worship from others, forgives sin, and invites people to worship him.  

Scripture clearly shows that Jesus was both fully human and fully God.  He has two natures, yet is one person.  However, the person asking the question recognizes that Scripture teaches that every human is born with inherited sin, in other words born sinful.  Some Christians disagree with this teaching but Romans Chapter 5 clearly teaches that all inherit sin through Adam's disobedience.  David also teaches that he was sinful from the moment of conception! (Psalm 51)  Other Scriptures teach that no one is righteous, not even one, and that all fall short of the glory of God.  

So wouldn't Jesus in the incarnation taking on a full human nature also inherit original sin, or a sinful nature?

The answer to Jesus being fully human, yet being conceived without sin, lies in the virgin birth!  The virgin birth shows that Christ was truly human.  Jesus' unique conception differentiates him from the rest of us.  He did not have a human father.  He wasn't the first human to not have a human father though, neither did Adam nor Eve.  In fact, they didn't have a human mother either.  They were created directly by God, and they were created without sin!  1 Corinthians 15:47 says, "The first man was of the dust of the earth; the second man is of heaven."  Simply put, Jesus is fully human, but  in a similar way to Adam, Christ, is a new creation without an earthly father - He is the second Adam and was conceived and born without sin!

Also, some Christians note that Adam and Eve were created without a sinful nature, and that since Christ was conceived in a miraculous way through the work of the Holy Spirit, Christ did not inherit Adam's guilt.  The virgin conception breaks the passing of guilt and sin.   

Feel free to send other questions you might have about God, the Bible, or other religions to andy@ocapologist.com or to my Facebook profile.