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Study 05

The Humanity of Christ

Christ assumed our fallen, corporate humanity, yet lived it sinlessly by total dependence on the Father.

Hands-free narration of this study — good for the car.

Synopsis

Sequeira contends that the gospel stands or falls on the nature Christ assumed. If Christ took the unfallen nature of Adam before the fall, He did not take the humanity that needed redeeming and cannot be our corporate head in any real sense. Sequeira argues from Romans 8:3, Hebrews 2:14-17, and Galatians 4:4-5 that the Son was sent 'in the likeness of sinful flesh' — genuinely joined to the fallen race, subject to its weaknesses, temptations, and liabilities. Yet he draws an emphatic line: Christ took our sinful nature but never sinned, and never had a sinful character. The sinlessness of Jesus was not the automatic result of an advantaged nature but the moment-by-moment victory of a life lived in absolute dependence on His Father through the Spirit. This is why His obedience is truly humanity's obedience, and why His victory can be ours. The chapter also handles the objection that this view makes Christ a sinner, distinguishing between nature and performance, and between liability and guilt.

Key points

  • Christ assumed the fallen nature of the race He came to save.
  • He never sinned; sinlessness was maintained by dependence, not by exemption.
  • Nature is not the same as guilt; temptation is not the same as sin.
  • Only a Saviour joined to fallen humanity can be its corporate head and example.

Key passages

  • Romans 8:3
  • Hebrews 2:14-18
  • Hebrews 4:15
  • Galatians 4:4-5
  • John 5:19, 30

Study questions12 total

  1. 1.

    What exactly does Sequeira mean when he says Christ took our 'fallen' human nature? What does he explicitly not mean?

    Comprehension
  2. 2.

    Analyse Romans 8:3. What weight does the phrase 'likeness of sinful flesh' carry, and what does 'condemned sin in the flesh' mean?

    Scripture
  3. 3.

    How does Hebrews 2:14-18 tie the nature of Christ to His ability to help the tempted?

    Scripture
  4. 4.

    Contrast the pre-fall (Adamic) nature view with the post-fall view. What does each imply about Christ as our example and our substitute?

    Contrast
  5. 5.

    Distinguish between having a sinful nature and having a sinful character. Why is this distinction essential to Sequeira's argument?

    Doctrinal Clarity
  6. 6.

    Hebrews 4:15 says He was tempted in all points 'yet without sin.' How does Sequeira explain the source of Christ's sinlessness?

    Scripture
  7. 7.

    If Christ overcame by dependence rather than by divine advantage, what does that establish about the possibility of victory for us?

    Doctrinal Clarity
  8. 8.

    How would you answer the charge that this teaching makes Christ a sinner in need of a Saviour?

    Doctrinal Clarity
  9. 9.

    What does John 5:19 and 5:30 reveal about the mechanics of Christ's daily life? How is this a model?

    Scripture
  10. 10.

    Where in your own life have you excused defeat by saying 'Jesus had advantages I don't have'? How does this chapter answer that?

    Application
  11. 11.

    How does this understanding of Christ's humanity affect the way we comfort someone caught in a besetting sin?

    Application
  12. 12.

    Summarise the pastoral value of a Saviour who met temptation on our ground and won.

    Application