“Jesus ate with sinners!”

The drug-addicted mother threw the statement in the face of her substance-recovering daughter as a taunt and manipulative tool.  The daughter had recently come to Christ and was seeking to find freedom from a drug-shrouded childhood.  She was raised in the drug culture by a mother who was equally given to its grip.

“But, but, I am not Jesus.”  The daughter answered.

The daughter had turned down an invitation by her mother to come to a party that the daughter knew would be an overwhelming source of temptation.  People do this to us.  They try to turn what little they know of theology against us.  It is a manipulative tool, and believers—even new believers—must be willing to trust their Holy Spirit-led instincts in these situations even when they cannot quite articulate a response.

“Jesus couldn’t sin, but I can, and I don’t want to sin.”  The daughter reasoned.

This is not a made-up conversation.  It actually occurred. When the daughter later told us about it, I was taken aback.  I have never really thought about that situation from that perspective.  It was a truth built on fairly deep theological principles.  The impeccability of Jesus Christ meant that He could do things that the rest of us could not do.  He had no spiritual weaknesses.

Read the rest of this article here, or just listen to the podcast.

Get full access to the Proclaim & Defend Podcast at proclaimdefend.substack.com/subscribe