Psychogenic Aspects of Nursing

Abstract

Closed Eyes – Closed Emotions

We call her a “drama queen” – a gynecological client, who after two hours in PACU refuses to arouse. Unwilling to open her eyes, she appears as a “ragdoll”; client is oblivious to the world around her. Her recalcitrance to our authority is interpreted as passive-aggression or manipulation. Her “cat’s got your tongue” histrionics effectively halts the required fast paced turnover essential to the PACU. Is this behavior a reaction to anesthesia, a bid for more sleep time, a poor coping capacity, or is “closed eyes” phenomenon a clinical syndrome?

This author interprets the behavior of these clients as demonstrating a syndrome. A Syndrome Greek sundrom , concurrence of symptoms, from sundromos, running together”.1 By syndrome, we mean “a group of signs and symptoms that occur together and characterize a particular abnormality”.2

Concurrence of Symptoms

In “closed eyes” the concurrent symptoms running together are exaggerated body limpness, muteness, and the refusal to open the eyes postoperatively. Client appears helpless, recalcitrant to verbal commands. Anxieties and fears are expressed bodily rather than verbally resulting in the conversion of psychological conflict into extravagant physical symptoms. Demands by an authority figure results in deeper emotional regression.

Culture Bound Syndrome

“Closed eyes” is a culture-bound syndrome3 occurring in the Hispanic population where fertility largely defines womanhood. Culture -bound syndromes are expressed in diverse ways and tend to be local. Expressive experiences to high stress are inextricably linked to culture and articulated through culturally specific idioms. These culture-specific syndromes do not always have a correlation with existing allopathic nosologies. As our population becomes more ethnically diverse it is important that we recognize culturally-specific idioms so as to have culturally-relevant treatments.

Culture-specific Idioms of Anxiety 4

• Ataque de Nervios
o Caribbean, Latin America, Latin Mediterranean
 Uncontrollable shouting
 Crying
 Trembling
 Heat in Chest rising to head
 Verbal and Physical aggression
• Bilis and Colera (Hot and Cold)
o Latin America
 Physical and mental illness resulting from extreme emotion especially anger.
• Mal de Ojo (Evil Eye)
o Spain, Latin America, and Muslim Worlds
 Misfortune
 Social Disruption
• Nervios (Stress)
o Latin America
 Headache, irritability, stomach disturbances, sleep disturbances, nervousness, easy tearfulness, inability to concentrate, tingling sensations, and dizziness
• Rootwork (hexing, witchcraft, voodoo)
o Southern United States and Caribbean
 Illness

It’s interesting that among the many expressions (idioms) of response to anxiety, the construct of “closed eyes” as a salient feature of emotional distress is not listed.

Closed Eyes is a post gynecological phenomenon where surgery affects fertility. These include laparoscopic tubal sterilizations, hysterectomies, or surgery for polycystic ovaries. My limited investigations reveal the client often has a history of depression and anxiety. Communication with colleagues reveal a significant number of these clients to have a history of verbal and physical abuse. Variants of Closed Eyes in our Southwestern Culture are thrusting the head from side to side, somatic complaints including pseudo seizures, numbness and chest pain.

Closed Eyes Scenario

Typically Post Anesthesia Care Units are structured for swift efficient turnovers due to limited bays. Imagine a scenario in which a young post surgical LTS client admits to outpatient PACU after an uneventful laparoscopic tubal sterilization. After two hours the client is no more arousable than when first admitted. It soon becomes apparent that this client is not a slow wake-up but rather a no wake-up. Therefore, the RN is forced to face and adjust to the unnerving truth of an unwanted psychogenic facet of nursing care, “closed eyes”.

The well-oiled machinations of patient flow are effectively reduced to a time-slowed stream of unfolding and frustrating intrigues. The RN is forced to contend with the client’s excessive emotions for which the nurse may not be prepared. Operating within a contracted and now compromised time frame, the nurse must contend with an emotionally handicapped client, a nervous family, an abrupt surgeon, and possibly a medical-surgical staff nurse who herself is on a compressed time schedule.

The PACU nurse must deal with a family who is wondering why a simple procedure is taking so long. Additionally, the PACU is now short one nurse who would otherwise be using her critical care skills. If it’s approaching 4:00 p.m., the client must be transferred to another unit as PACU wraps up for the day. Finally, the probability for contentious counterposing exists between nurse-client, nurse-nurse, or nurse-family.

Emotions

My observation is that PACU gynecological clients have deeper emotional needs than the general population of gall bladders and appendectomies. They are often sobbing, overcome by ambiguous feelings and verbalizing, “Why am I tearful?”

We may call this an aberration and yet we are all emotional beings with emotional responses to stress; we are consistently setting up elaborate emotive defense schemes and safety nets. Our desire is to avoid unpleasant situations. The reality, however, is that occasionally we must all confront a difficult situation.

“Closed eyes” clients avoids confrontation. Rather than avoiding avoidance (confronting), “closed eyes” choose to retreat to a safe place. Note, however, I did not say a Disney place but rather a place which serves as a refuge. Unfortunately, this safe place must be violated in order for the client to be discharged.

What gains does a “closed eyes” desire? Is she in avoidance? Is she demanding attention? Is she feeling rejection, worthlessness, eliciting sympathy, or affirming significance? Are dissociative or hysterical components present? Are there idiosyncratic anesthesia considerations? These questions must be answered before a good strategy can be developed to facilitate a timely discharge.

Etiology

Closed Eyes does not meet the criteria of a dissociative disorder 5 as the patient is intentionally unwilling to open her eyes but not unable to open her eyes. An unintentional closing of eyes would justify a classification into a “dissociative (conversion) disorder”. 6 Conversion disorders are not produced intentionally.

Although not a dissociative disorder there is a dissociative “aspect” to Closed Eyes, the blocking out of awareness. The client blocks out reality to banish painful thoughts. Closed Eyes somatically express their angst through passive withdrawal.

Histrionic Aspects

“Histrionic personality disorder has a prevalence of approximately 2-3% of the general population. It begins in early adulthood and has been diagnosed more frequently in women than in men. Histrionic personalities are typically self-centered and attention seeking. They operate on emotion, rather than fact or logic, and their conversation is full of generalizations and dramatic appeals.” 7

Author’s View

Although anecdotal, I do have my own thoughts on what causes a person to tilt toward Closed Eyes. The client avoids or marginalizes her own emotions retreating into a mental safety zone. This safety zone is enhanced by warm blankets and dim lights, The client is overcome by feelings for a short duration, therefore, incapable of responding to the demands of the outside world. The outside world, after all, reaffirms her barrenness and sterility in a familial and religious culture which venerates mothers. My own curiosity has caused me to wonder if their minds are in a place of solitude and peace, a place of altered perception, or a place of shame and fear? It’s likely that there are many layers to “closed eyes” i.e. cultural, physical and psychological.

History of Hystera

Of interest is the fact that until the eighteenth century hysteria was associated with emotions and the uterus. Hystera = uterus, hence hysterectomy, Greek Origin. 8 Hippocrates linked a woman’s strange emotional behavior to a displaced uterus. Attributing the cause of hysterical behavior to a dysfunctional uterus persisted two thousand years. Hysteria was a woman’s disease. If a woman demonstrated emotional problems she was obviously possessed by the devil.

Not until Robert Whytt 9 in the late 1800’s demonstrated that psychosomatic illness takes on many forms did the uterine connection disappear. To suggest a connection of “closed eyes” to uterine manipulation one would have to accept that the hypothalamus-hypophysis-ovaries axis or other hormonal and/or neurological processing plays a role. A woman’s gynecologic makeup is indeed endocrinologic and the relationship of manipulation of the uterus during surgery to post surgical hysteria may be underestimated.

A few years ago I helped my wife insert a pessary. She was fine emotionally until I hit a part of the anatomy that caused a huge flood of jarred emotion that was directly related to something physical. It resolved immediately. It appears that minute physical touches or manipulations can cause fluctuations in a very delicately balanced hormonal –neurological system.

Protean

Physical manifestations are colored by culture and take on many manifestations. In Saudi Arabia the post surgical gynecological client might present with aphonia instead of “closed eyes”. Research by Tariq Ali Al-Habeeb demonstrated that hysteria is a normal acceptable way of expressing themselves in Saudi Arabia. Ali Al-Habeeb reports that 21% 10 of hysterical subjects in a study of in-house hospital patients presented with aphonia. Statistically 7.5% are gynecological. The author believes silence (muteness) to be a variant of hysterical shouting. Similarly there exists a relationship between aphonia and the “unwillingness” to open eyes. Are these different manifestations of the same clinical entity?

Alexithymia

Alexithymia, 11 a difficulty in communicating emotions, may play a role in closed eyes. 11 Typical deficiencies may include problems identifying, describing, and working with one's own feelings, often marked by a lack of understanding of the feelings of others; difficulty distinguishing between feelings and the bodily sensations of emotional arousal.

Choice

The following is a letter to the Royal Marsden of the United Kingdom dated 2004 addressed to Tony at the Chi Clinic.12

“September 2004, I was diagnosed with cervical cancer. On referral to the Royal Marsden my options were discussed at length . . . it was decided that a Laparoscopically Assisted Vaginal Hysterectomy and a Laparoscopic Lymphadenectomy was the most appropriate treatment.

“What I tried to explain, and what they could not understand, was that it wasn’t not being a

ble to have children that upset me. It was the fact that it was no longer my choice. Up until the 23rd October 2004, I could have woken up one morning thinking ‘I really want a baby’, and I would have been able to try for one. As of 24th October, that choice was no longer mine”. 12

Expectations

Closed Eyes clients are frustrating because they violate our expectations. After all, what PACU client could be more simple than an LTS procedure? The patient wakes up quickly and with brisk energetic speech and good movement (and no bleeding) is ready for discharge. The expectation of an in-out recovery that will entail managing an airway for a short duration ends up a three hour nightmare. Pain travelling through afferent pain fibers can be eased within ten minutes but pain travelling through a troubled mind is not so easily assuaged.

If an outpatient appears to be a “no wake up” rather than a “slow wake up” consider the possibility of “closed eyes”. Does the client’s nonverbal body language scream “leave me alone”? Does she respond to your commands? Is your client in a different reality?

If the client is perceived to exhibit “closed eyes” syndrome there are two options available. The first is an attempt to breach the client’s passivity with authoritative commands. This choice has the potential of pushing the client further into withdrawal.

The second option is to adopt the mnemonic F-A-S-T developed by the author as a strategy in addressing “closed eyes”.


Figure 1: Strategy for engaging clients who require space and time.

Time Pressures

“Closed eyes” clients as well as those with pseudo-disorders require time. PACU nurses must remain focused and flexible, able to prioritize when confronted with these psychosomatic projections or they will risk burn out. Be careful the client does not detect your urgency in dealing with time issues. Although withdrawn into her own reality, she still interprets what’s going on around her.

Studies by Michael DeDonno, Case Western University, suggests that most frustration from time pressures are artificial.

“It’s not the time pressure but the “perception” of time pressure that affects us. If you feel you don’t have enough time to do something, it’s going to affect you . . . But instead of more time, maybe what they need is a change of perception”.13

Nurses confronted with a client presenting with psychosomatic projections such as “closed eyes” must shift from a strict biomedical modality to a holistic biopsychosocial model. The PACU adopts only the communicative aspects of this model. The psychosocial paradigm shifts from disease centered to client centered.

A biopsychosocial model will prevent being locked into a numbers game. This game teaches that therapeutic interventions produce outcomes within predictable time blocks. It’s “treat ‘em and street ‘em”.

The PACU is largely about numbers. Our monitors reflect numbers that give us insight into the hemodynamic and ventilation status of a client. These numbers are real and objective. We rely on these numbers sufficiently to perform interventional critical care. We trust these numbers as we discharge our client. Numbers define the essentials of a biomedical model.

Biomedical Model vs Biopsychosocial Model

Johannes Bitzer defines the biomedical model as the following:

“Symptoms are caused by objectively measurable (biological) factors, which constitute disease entities independent of individuals. These diseases are defined in the biomedical code and structured into subunits like etiology, pathophysiology, diagnostic procedures, and therapeutic interventions. This code is international, is continuously adapted and the “truth” of the code is evaluated by using scientific evidence, which is the basis of standardized practice.14

Biopsychosocial Model

Symptoms as the manifestation of individual suffering are the result of an interaction of biological, psychological, and social factors specific to the patient. . . Diagnostic procedures have therefore to add to the detection of measurable biological abnormalities an understanding of the patient’s life situation and patterns of thoughts, feelings, and behavior to the illness state. Therapeutic plans take into account the characteristics of the motivation, the objectives, the decisions, and the behavior of the patient”. 15

Nurses involved in recovery of post surgical clients are not interested (during recovery) of a clients “life situations”. They are interested in one’s airway, bleeding, ventilation status, wound status, electrolytes, monitoring pressors and relieving pain. There is more satisfaction in putting the numbers on track of someone whose physical defenses have crashed than dealing with someone whose emotional defenses have been breached.

Do nurses ignore the cultural, social, and psychological factors of healing? Absolutely not. Nurses are trained and keen to the cultural and religious facets of disease recognizing that cultural factors are at the core of how we respond to disease. We know that “affect” communicates pain, i.e. grimacing, and that behavior elicits signs of impending crisis, i.e. restlessness and anxiety caused by bleeding. We perceive when a client fears surgery or discharge. We take seriously the client’s feelings of impending doom. We detect and intervene when we suspect emotional abuse. We understand that most disease is caused by stress and we appreciate the need for ego support systems and family care. As PACU nurses we get great satisfaction in knowing our discharged client will have improved function, improved sexuality, freedom from pain and anxiety, a sense of being socially active where social inhibition ruled, or economic freedom from a hernia or muscle repair.

The PACU nurse does not, as protocol, embrace a direct holistic approach to recovery for the same reasons physicians don’t practice holistic medicine in their offices. There is simply not enough time. Physicians must maintain a high client flow to be economically solvent.. Clients can be difficult, time consuming, and complicated even within the boundaries of a biomedical model.

Research

“Closed eyes” bring into our “ focus” the need for divergence as well as convergence.
Focus is defined as “a point at which rays of light or other radiation converge or from
which they appear to diverge 16 . . . “

Allopathic medicine focuses on pathogenicity and assumes epidemiological convergence of “universals”. Reality demonstrates there is more pathoplasticity than pathogenicity in the expression of anxiety. This plasticity is provided by the introduction of culturally divergent aspects, i.e. aspects of voodoo, witchcraft, fear of sterility, or social stigma. Future research must consider the ethnographic idioms of anxiety as well as epidemiological.

Closed eyes offers the research psychologist a challenge. What medical history contributes to “closed eyes”? Certainly depression, anxiety and abuse alone does not guarantee closed eyes. What factor predisposes a reasonable, logical client into a passive immature client who refuses to respond to medical and nursing authority?

Research investigations should explore the role of culture, sensory processing, hysterical or dissociative aspects, physical manipulation of the uterus as related to emotions, or perhaps premorbid predispositions such as Avoidant Personality Disorders. Are there pervasive psychological indicators that warn of coming “closed eyes”? The answers will help nurses develop interventional protocols.

Predicting Convalescence

It has been my experience that Closed Eyes do not do well in hospital convalescence. They become morbidly self conscious, prefer isolation, are more likely to manifest pseudo conversion-type disorders and at greater risk of surrender to impulses. They generally do not respond to anti-anxiety medications. They are inhibited socially and regress when those of authority challenge them “Social anxiety is a devastating and persistent condition that is characterized by a fear of social interaction.” [Luterek, 2006}.17

Summary

Non Judgmental

For women who have difficulty conceptualizing their illness we must be patient and non-judgmental. Closed Eyes clients have apparently failed to resolve issues surrounding sterility. Was it her choice for sterilization or was it her husband’s? Does she believe others are limiting her choices or is the conflict within herself? Is there contradiction between that which is matriarchal and freedom of choosing a career.

Although the somatic manifestations may differ, the psychological components are the same and ultimately involve beliefs. All behavior results from what we believe. Beliefs are profoundly influenced by our culture. These beliefs can result in “closed eyes” for the Hispanic but for others a lack of eye contact, tearfulness, trembling, being garrulous, or continued requests for pain medication. I have on several occasions had clients coming out of anesthesia demand that I tell them a joke. They were noticeably agitated until I recited a joke. Was this anesthesia related or were psychological components present?

Appropriate Response

As PACU nurses we focus on the physiological sensory aspects of recovery and do quite well across space-time. However, there will be times when we encounter the affective-cultural expressions of disease (dis-ease) . The cultural-social genre is a time sensitive frustration for the PACU nurse. We must not react to these inappropriate emotions by escalating our own inappropriate emotions. Closed Eyes can bring into “focus” a need for compassion and understanding when these attributes seem most unattainable. A soft voice and empathy may trump the psychological principles of Psych 101.

Normal is What?

Closed Eyes may simply have a greater capacity for experiencing their own bodies than those considered more mature in responses to illness. Obviously, their accelerated feelings need appropriate brakes. And when their emotional brakes fail them, we as PACU nurses must intervene with a strategy that recognizes we are all individual when it comes to response to illness. Our culture has defined what emotional competence looks like. However, we need to put all emotional responses through a cultural and social filter and think pathoplasticity – not pathogenicity.

“That hormone cycle that you have been taught to ignore/dismiss/cover/hide, actually is your foundation of being; the definition of who you are, your connection to yourself, to other women, to your partners, children, to your life!
“Women’s hormone cycles are not just a cyclical pain; they are our integral link to all the other cycles in life. They are so much more than hormones ‘raging’ through our body. Your hormone cycle earns you the right to be a healer, a spiritualist, and wise woman, respected by all”. 17

REFERENCES
1. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004.
2. Syndrome. (n.d.). Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary.
3. Simons, Ronald C.; and Hughes, Charles C. (eds.) (1985) The Culture-Bound Syndromes: folk illnesses of psychiatric and anthropological interest. Dordrecht, The Netherlands: D. Reidel Publishing Company.
4. List of Culture-Specific Idioms derived from DSM IV (pp. 845-849) and “Kaplan and Sadock’s Synopsis of Psychiatry pp. l90-192, 493-495; Simon and Hughes l985: pp. 475-506
5-6. DSM-IV, Dissociative Disorders, Depersonalization Code 300.15
7. American Psychiatric Association: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition. Washington, DC, APA l994 Histrionic Personality Disorder, Code 301.50
8-9. National Library of Medicine, Emotions and Disease Psychosomatic Medicine: “The Puzzling Leap”,

10 .Al-Habeeb, Tariq Ali, "Hysteria: A Clinical and Sociodemographic Profile of 40 Patients Admitted to a Teaching Hospital, 1985-1995", Ann Saudi Med 1997; pp.35-38.
11. "alexithymia." Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. 05 Dec. 2009. .
12. Letter written to Hardiman, Tony of the Chi Clinic
13. Perception of Time Pressure Impairs Performance Science Daily (Feb.16,2009) – “Ask Anyone Working On a Project” Accessed November 25, 2009
14. Psychological Challenges to Obstetrics and Gynecology: The Clinical Management, Jayne Cockburn, Michael Pawson, “Teaching Psychosomatic Obstetrics and Gynecology” by Johannes Bitzer, Essentials of Psychosomatic OB/GYN Cp 2007, pp. 3-14
15. Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Clinical Management, J. Bitzer, Essentials of Psychosomatic OB/GYN, Cp 2007, ISBN 9781846288074, pp.3-1
16. Answers.Com Q&A Site , (fō'kəs) n., pl., -cus•es, or -ci (-sī', -kī'). Accessed December 5, 2009
17. Rojas, Stephanie and Bartlett, Jocelyn, The Relationship Between Social Anxiety and Emotional Expressivity: Univ. of Nevada, Las Vegas, Dept. of Psychology
18. Botha-Williams, Leslie, Female Mystique: The three Phases of Eve.

Evaluating Your Workplace

Ask the following questions to see how your workplace rates.

1. I find that my job challenges me without sensory overload.
2. I have been given a clear set of priorities that are reasonable.
3. I find my work rewarding.
4. We work as a team and they accept my suggestions.
5. Sufficient time is given without the stress of time constraints.
6. I feel comfortable with the hierarchy set up for complaints
7. There is good communication within our team as well as management.
8. I understand the rules regarding my workplace
9. My job utilizes my skills maximally.
10. The amount of extra time required is acceptable
11. My team is not closed to suggestions from outside.
12. There is a mechanism in place for cross interdepartmental communication.
13. There is good communication between my superiors and myself.
14. My team is adequately staffed
15. I have proper resources to get the job done and if not I am allowed to purchase the right equip.
16. I have had a good orientation and sufficient information to do my job confidently.
17. Top management is willing to listen carefully when problems arise.
18. I am ask for input when decisions are made that affect me.
19. I get adequate notice if overtime is needed.
20. I get recognition for a job well done
21. Rules are applied equally without favoritism shown.
22. Workloads are equitable
23. Scheduling is flexible when needed
24. Learning new things is encouraged
25. Changes are given when prolonged mundane jobs are required
26. Management is supportive and picnics etc with management encouraged
27. Staff around me are professional
28. Discipline is consistent and non-biased
29. There is a clear division of who is in charge and I respect that division.
30. Appropriate talk, not too much sex, religion, politics talk.
31. Seniority counts
32. Work breaks as promised
33. Workspace adequate
34. Rewards by merit
35. No micromanaging

Creatio Continua

"And he is before all things, and by [in] him all things consist [sunistermi]". Colossians 1:17

The second person of the trinity, Jesus Christ, works to sustain [sunistemi] his creation. Sunistemi is a Greek word that translates "sustains". In the physical realm several forces must be sustained. These force fields include gravitational, electromagnetic, atomic, and strong nuclear force. Gravity is a "force" that attracts our bodies to the earth, objects to objects, and keeps the planets in orbit. Purists might insist that gravity not be labeled a "force" but a space-time curvature or particle waves but nonetheless gravity exerts a force.

Electromagnetic "force" provides a magnetic shield around the earth protecting from dangerous cosmic rays. The magnetic shield is decaying at a fairly rapid rate. Real time observations for the last 150 years demonstrate that the earth has only 1/32 of it's "fraction of magnetic moment" left.

Finally there is the "atomic force" keeping electrons in their orbits and a "strong nuclear force" to keep neutrons and protons bound.

The Omnipotent One Becoming the Impotent One

"Then the band and the Captain and officers of the Jews took Jesus, and bound him".
Jesus Christ God-man was bound by hemp. Yes, Jesus the man was bound but Christ the creator could never be bound. Let's suppose that Jesus Christ, God-man had been bound.
In a moment of time (when Christ's attributes are restricted) an unparallel cataclysm occurs - a great thunderous roar heard only by God - for there are no ears to hear . The cataclysmic roar is followed by universal silence. Nothing consists anymore as binding energies are non-existent.

The Cohesive Dance is Finished

In the twinkling of an eye, in a great singular catastrophic implosion, the laws governing the quantum universe, bound and unbound, ceases. The gravity, electromagnetic, atomic, and nuclear forces that are governed and conserved by physical laws decreed by an omnipotent God disintegrate. Electrons dancing in predictable resonance by the hand of our creator lose their dancing counterpart who would normally be pulling them in, finding themselves instead being repulsed . No more cohesive jiggling and fancy oscillations by quarks. It's all over, the atomic dance is forever finished.

Darkness now rules. Molecular forces holding all things together become unglued. Oh, but not to worry. Electrons, lepons, muons, and quarks scattered to infinity will be assembled by chance, the only phenomena capable of higher order from decay; the only phenomena that can take chaos and form universal physical laws, the mathematics of which few can comprehend. The only phenomena that can spontaneously generate life.

Parable of The Origin of Time

Evolutionary Fantasy

"Once upon a point of infinite density, Nothing that was Something went 'Boom!' Then there was Everything. Everything eventually named Something 'Matter,' the tragic character in our story. Sadly, Matter had no mind, yet this makes our tale all the more amazing!" Now Matter had only one companion, the the hero of our fable, a mysterious stranger of unknown origin called Chance. Chance, though blind, was a brilliant artist. Chance taught mindless Matter to paint and paint our pupil did. Matter painted a universe from center to rim on the canvas of a vacuum. And lo, innumerable galaxies emerged filled with infinite wonders, beauty, order, and life. The inspired brush strokes of ignorant Matter, guided by the hands of blind Chance, created together a cosmic masterpiece. But as Matter and Chance were working away they failed to spot out the villain called Time. Time crept in unnoticed back at the boom and was extremely wound up about being stirred from his sleep. Time determined there and then to wind down again and thus rub the masterpiece out-as soon as he got hold of that Chance! Chance, being blind, didn't see Time coming and mindless Matter was helpless to intervene. Now, Time ruins the painting little by little and brags that by Chance it's just a Matter of Time before the canvas is blank and the boom will swoon and Everything that was Something will be Nothing again, once more upon a pointless point of infinite nothingness, with no Time for Chance to Matter anymore." [Joe Boot]

Reality - Boundless Love

God spoke:
"Can you bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion"? "Knowest thou the ordinances of heaven? Can you set the dominion thereof in the earth?" "Where is the way light dwelleth? And as for darkness, where is the place thereof"?

Book of Job

"Have you commanded the morning since your days; and caused the dayspring to know his place". "Have the gates of death been opened unto thee? Or have you seen the doors of the shadow of death?" "By what way is light parted, which scatters the east wind upon the earth"? Book of Job

The Creator has spoken. Scientists, "Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I (God) will demand of thee, and answer thou me." -Book of Job

For you scientists who believe you understand the nature of things please send the answers to the above to my blog "comments" section. Before you answer pause a moment and think of Job's response when God answered him in a whirlwind.

"With God is terrible majesty . . Touching the almighty, we cannot find him out: he is excellent in power, and in judgment, and in plenty of justice: he will not afflict. Men do therefore fear him: he respects not any that are wise of heart Surely God will not hear vanity, neither will the Almighty regard it." Job 35-37

Take to heart that ". . .God will not hear vanity." Answer in awe and respect. And if you dare presume answers to the above, do not mock God by answering within a context of your present views of cosmology.

Cosmology concerns itself with the origin, nature, and meaning of the world. Science has failed in all three areas. The origin of the universe is "In the beginning God", the nature of the universe is "In Him" (Jesus Christ), and the meaning of life is bound in the person of Jesus Christ; his creation, redemptive work, and our future consummation in glory.

Creative Artistry in Creation

Metaphorically, God in his wisdom contrived a great painting. Wisdom governed the brush strokes. Omnipotence effected the painting with holiness providing the motif. Despite the attempts by satan to mar the painting, love and faithfulness insures the painting will continue until the appointed time of completion.

We've discussed God's physical laws (forces) providing the "glue" necessary for cohesion but the earth is also contingent on the laws of nature. God directs the renewal and conservation of habitats through complex interactions of living organisms, i.e. synergism, amensalism, predation, competition, and commensalism.

In addition biogeochemical and hydrological cycles are maintained by our creator. Mineral cycles maintained in equilibrium include the carbon, sulfur, phosphorous, nitrogen, and oxygen cycles.
Inanimate mineral cycles are interconnected with living systems.. For example sulfur must be oxidized to sulfate so as to be incorporated into a cell as ATP - Sulphurylase Nitrogen also must be acted upon to be useful for living organisms. Nitrogen is reduced to form ammonia which can be used by green plants.

God's laws regarding nature provide for uniformity and a unifying regularity that maintains the smallest ecological niche - progressing upwards to direct and uphold global atmospheric ecosystems.

"Worthy are you, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for you created all things, and because of your will they existed, and were created." Rev. 4:11

Conclusion

God's full attention in upholding his creation reveals his nature and character. He is not dispassionate but takes a lively interest in his creation. This interest is a natural interest of potter to clay. Our duty is to acknowledge and give God due glory for his creation using his creation responsibly.

Glory (doxa = to think) is to give a proper opinion based on what is expressed. God's creation expresses all his attributes, i.e. power, wisdom, sovereignty, holiness, and love. Our response is to be bound to thankfulness.

"But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, because God has from the beginning chosen you to salvation . . . whereonto he called you to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ". II Thess 2:13

"Who being in the brightness of His Glory, and the express image of His Person, and upholding all things by the Word of His Power . . . " Heb 1:3

Impeccability of Christ

The Greatest of Truths – The Impeccability of Christ

In defense of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, I must speak to the issue of posse non peccare (God able not to sin) versus non posse peccare (God not able to sin). There are some who would believe that Jesus Christ could have sinned, i.e. that he was “peccable”. The etymology of the word is from Latin peccabilis = to sin. Pek’e bel, an adjective meaning “liable to or capable of sin”.

The doctrine of the impeccability (integrity) of Christ is important as it touches on the nature and character of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Those ascribing to the notion that Jesus could have sinned point us to Hebrews 4:15, “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin”.

Whether one takes the position that God was able not to sin or that God was not able to sin depends of course on one’s literary analysis and application of hermeneutics. Those who believe Jesus could have sinned take the “logical conclusions” approach to interpretation. That is, to look at a verse at face value and make logical deductions. A straightforward simple “logical conclusions” approach can be problematic when interpreting scripture as the end result is eisigesis rather than exegesis.

This is because many truths of scripture are veiled or presented as a mystery or paradox. Additionally problems of translation can occur.

Reasoning a particular scripture requires going beyond the verse itself and drawing conclusions within a framework of a systematic theology. For example a logical conclusions approach could result in believing there are three separate Gods or that one could lose his salvation. A logical conclusions is a reasoning approach but the greatest enemy of faith is reason. Reason must be tempered with prayer, methodical bible study, dependence on the Holy Spirit, and an appreciation for systematic theology. Seasoned with prayer and an earnest desire for truth, reasoning is our friend, “come let us reason together” said our Lord.

We would expect that a “logical conclusions” hermeneutic mindset would also reject the elective purposes of God in predestination as it would seem “logical” that if God elects somes to salvation then others are elected to hell. Indeed we do find those ascribing to the logical conclusions hermeneutic rejecting biblical predestination.

Choosing to reject Pauline soteriology (See Ordo Salutis) has many theological perils. This is because God’s elective purposes touch on all the attributes and doctrines of God including the impeccability of Christ. God has decreed an effectual call to his elect. God hath from the beginning chosen us . . .” II Thess 2:13. It is against the nature and character of God to send a man emptied of deity and capable of sin to be tempted of Satan. This puts our salvation in the balance. As the sequence of soteriological events of Romans 8:29-30 are guaranteed, Jesus could never have been susceptible to sin as it contradicts an effectual call.

A “logical conclusions” approach will always be eclectic and it’s weakness lies in the formation of premises that appear as truth but are indeed false. The premise for believing that Jesus could have sinned stems from the false premise that some part of God’s divinity was emptied so that he could “relate” to man.

Of what significance is the doctrine of the impeccable nature of Jesus Christ? Scriptures relate that God was in the flesh (“God in the flesh”). Although Orthodox Christians label those who believe Jesus was capable of sin as heretics I decline to go that direction as I personally know Christians who believe in the peccability of Christ who seem genuine in their faith.

Whether Jesus could have sinned or not has enormous theological ramifications. The belief that God-man becomes perfect man-God, capable of sinning, results in the perversion of God’s immutability, atonement, the work of the Holy Spirit, and the hypostatic union existing in the dual nature of God-man and the trinity. Jesus was both divine and human with the divine being the core and controlling personality of the humanity of Christ.

Of Glory or Shame

“ The divine nature cannot innocently and righteously leave the human nature to its own finiteness without any support from the divine . . . When the Logos goes into union with a human nature, so as to constitute a single person with it, he becomes responsible for all that this person does through the instrumentality of this nature. The glory or the shame, the merit or the blame, as the case may be, is attributable to this one person of the God-man. If, therefore the Logos should make no resistance to the temptation with which Satan assailed the human nature in the wilderness, and should permit the humanity to yield to it and commit sin, he would be implicated in the apostasy and sin. The guilt would not be confined to the human nature. It would attach to the whole person. And since the Logos is the root and base of the person, it would attach to him in an eminent manner. Should Jesus Christ sin, incarnate God would sin; as incarnate God suffered when Jesus Christ suffered.” (1)

The Holiness of God

“ . . .the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that Holy Thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.” Lk 1:35

Jesus is described in Luke 1:35 as “that Holy Thing which shall be born of thee (Mary) shall be called the Son of God”. Jesus’ nature is described as holy and not simply perfect. Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit for the reason that hereditary sin is intrinsic to the seed of man. If Jesus had been conceived by man we would have reason to believe he might well have been tempted. Jesus is described as being holy, an attribute of God, not simply a superior behavior that metamorphed from a clean moral and ethical slate (tabula rasa) . Divine Holiness cannot be tempted or corrupted.

“Divine holiness is more than being free from all moral or ethical defilement. It is not just a passive freedom from iniquity, it is an active attribute which not only refuses to participate in sinful acts, but must take retributive action against sin in all its forms. Holiness did not merely reside in the Son of God, He was (and is) the source of holiness”. (2

The difference between the first Adam and the second Adam is in the attribute of holiness. Adam was born “innocent” not perfect. If he had been born perfect he would not have sinned.

Jesus was holy and sinless by nature. There is a difference between non sinful (perfect) and sin less. I cannot base the confidence of atonement upon a “perfect” man or a hermeneutic that disconnects Logos from humanity. My salvation rests upon the atoning sacrifice of God-man who declared “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth”. Matt 28:18 Failure to understand the person of Jesus Christ will ultimately result in failure to understand his ministry.

The Holy Spirit would never miraculously conceive anything that could sin – bringing into conflict opposing natures. It violates the nature of the trinity as well as the principle of holiness, that attribute which cannot tolerate sin and demands judgment for sin. The Holiness of God involves the nature of God. Holiness repulses sin and temptation as identical poles of a magnet repulse their force fields. God’s holiness could not be solicited to evil. Jesus, that Holy One, in his humanity, did not through human effort achieve a victorious unblemished life, nor by the grace of God (as the cults believe) or the Spirit of God, but was in essence the spotless Lamb of God.

Person versus Persona

There is a difference between person and persona. Person (GK. Prosopon) refers to one’s nature. A human “person” is by nature sinful and has in common characteristics of thinking, feeling, and behavior. Persona is a Latin word meaning “mask”. Today our word connotates to conceal or disguise but during the golden age of the Greeks, masks were used to identify a character. For example a sad mask or happy mask helped the audience to relate to an emotion.

The person of Jesus must be distinguished from his persona (schema = form). Jesus was made “kathhomoiotea” (like as we are). Those holding to posse non pecarre translate this verse to mean that Jesus Christ was like us. This ablative singular of homoiotes is Greek for “similar” not “identical”. Christ’s birth (conceived by the Holy Spirit) kept him from being identical or “like as we are” insuring protection from the possibility of sin.

In The Form of God

The English vernacular would suggest that the “form of God” refers to the morphology of God since morphology deals with the outward appearance. However, the English fails to denote the true meaning of “form”. The “person” of Christ is more appropriate than “persona” in describing form as we are dealing with essence.

The Greek language is richer in morphology and more descriptive due to a middle voice and all nouns having a gender. At times words translated from Greek to English lose their meaning as in the case of “form”. En morphe theou (in the form of God) in Greek indicates the very opposite of “form” in English. The Greek language translates morphe as “the inner true character” or “the intrinsic essential - indicative of the interior nature [S.G. Green]. This proper meaning is substantiated by verse 2 of the kenosis passage where Jesus comes in the “form” of a servant. His servanthood was very real in character.

The outward manhood of Jesus, co-substantiating with the God-head, walked and ministered on the earth as the Son of Man. This description was used by Jesus over sixty five times and referred to his messianic designation. Although it speaks primarily of his humanity it does not preclude his being deity. Jesus was referred to as the Son of Man but also as the Son of God.

These descriptions, form of God and form of a servant, combine two natures into one. As the Son of Man (Jesus) forgave sin. But it was God (Christ) who gave Jesus the authority to forgive men their sins (not the Holy Spirit). In a “logical conclusions” interpretation, the Son of Man is emptied of divine attributes and therefore capable of sin. In fact the term Son of Man is far more reaching and encompasses Christ’s Godly attributes.

“By taking on this title (Son of Man) in Mark 13:26 and 14:62, Jesus established himself as the fulfillment of the heavenly authority figure of Daniel 7 who is granted the right to come to earth, rule and judge on behalf of God. The term blends the heavenly and earthly aspects of Christ. Because of his divine nature, God grants authority to Jesus to forgive sin. Because of his earthly purpose to be a ransom for many, he must suffer, be rejected, betrayed and killed, finally to rise again. While others may not have immediately grasped what Jesus meant by this title, Jesus used it to claim authority, demonstrate power and assume responsibilities no other man.” (3

The persona of Christ relates to the kenosis verse “in the form of God” (Philippians 2:6) We shall see in this treatise that the English language fails in expressing the true significance of a verse. As a matter of fact the English word for “form” correlates with our term morphology. As my whole life centers around the study of morphology (bacterial shapes) I appreciate any discussion on morphology.

The Greek language is much more descriptive than English and adds a new dimension to etymology. En morphe theou (in the form of God) in Greek indicates the very opposite of “form” in English. The Greek language translates morphe as “the inner true character” or “the intrinsic essential - indicative of the interior nature [S.G. Green]. This proper meaning is substantiated by verse 2 of the kenosis passage where Jesus comes in the “form” of a servant. His servanthood was very real in character.

Kenosis

“But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross”. Philippians 2:6-8

“The "emptying" is satisfactorily explained in the subsequent words of the verse, taking note of the two participles which grammatically modify and explain the verb: He emptied himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. This emptying, in fact, was done as the man Christ Jesus, and neither of these ideas necessitates or implies the giving up of divine attributes. Christianity maintains that Jesus did not "empty" himself of any of his divinity in the incarnation, although it is true that his divine attributes were veiled. When the Kenosis theory concludes that Jesus is or was less than God (as has been the case in the past), it is regarded as heresy. “ (4)

There is no evidence from the kenosis passage that God emptied himself of his attributes. He gave up his prerogatives [exclusive or special rights and privileges] as God in his majesty and veiled his glory.

Greek To Me

“Jesus did not empty himself of anything. During the incarnation he still possessed the morfh/' qeou' [MORFH QEOU] and he was still i[sa qew'/ [ISA QEWi]. The text says absolutely nothing about his attributes. How did he make himself nothing? Note the following participles (that are probably used instrumentally): morfh;n douvlou labwvn, ejn oJmoiwvmati ajnqrwvpwn genovmeno" [MORFHN DOULOU LABWN, EN hOMOIWMATI ANQRWPWN GENOMENOS], "by taking the form of a servant [and] by becoming in the likeness of humanity." In that condition he did not manifest the morfh'/ qeou' [MORFH QEOU] outwardly. That he still possessed it, however, may be seen in the transfiguration. The morfh;n douvlou [MORFH DOULOU] served as a temporary veil cloaking the morfh'/ qeou' “ (5

Hebrews 10:19-20: "Since therefore, brethren, we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh" (NAS)

“Neither Christ's divinity, nor His Divine attributes, nor the use of those attributes, nor His glory, was in any way emptied. Rather, these were "concealed under a veil of flesh." There is a distinct difference between emptying and concealing. If I were on a family vacation, and if I carried all my money in my wallet, I'd much prefer that my wallet be concealed than emptied. There is a big difference. . .

”The reality is that Christ's glory is multi-dimensional, and being God He reveals it when, where and how He chooses. During His life on earth the angels never ceased beholding His glory, the heavens never stopped declaring His glory, nor was the earth ever any less full of His glory. And the utter humility in the way He poured himself out for us was no less glorious than the cloud that filled Solomon's temple (1 Kings 8:10ff) or the consuming fire that shrouded Mt. Sinai when He gave the 10 commandments (Ex. 24:16-18)”. (6

Christ the God Man

“Because Christ is God He could say “you are of this world, I am not of this world (NAS Jn.8.23) This statement is not true of Christ’s human nature. If we err in ascribing this statement to His human nature, we would conclude that Christ was only a spirit. On the other hand, because Christ is man, He elsewhere says concerning His second coming: “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son of Man, but the Father alone” (NAS Mt 24.36. This statement is not true of Christ’s divine nature. If we ascribe this statement to His divine nature, we would conclude that as God, He did not know when He would return. He would not be omniscient, He would be less than God, and thus, not God at all. . . (7

Attributes Displayed by Jesus

Jesus not only displayed his attribute of glory but demonstrated he possessed other divine attributes as well.

Jesus Christ as creator affirmed he existed independently from his creation, the “Alpha and Omega” the beginning and the end, the Word made flesh.

“I lay down my life, that I might take it again, No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again”. Jn 10:17

“And Jesus knew their thoughts” Matthew 12:25

“Before that Philip called thee, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you”. Jn 1:47

“Jesus perceived in His Spirit (not by the Spirit) that they so reasoned within themselves . . . “ Mk 2:6-8.

“And they were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes”. Mk 1:23 This authority was given by the Father not the Holy Spirit.

“But the men marveled, saying, what manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!” Matthew 8:27

Miracles: Holy Spirit or God

To empty God of his attributes would beg the question, how did Christ perform his miracles? Those believing Christ capable of sin must answer “the Holy Spirit performed the miracles”. There is a distinct difference between possessing attributes and manifestation of attributes. Our Lord did not manifest his miracles until after his baptism with the Holy Spirit although as God he certainly possessed them.

Was it the Holy Spirit keeping Christ on the cross? Was it the Holy Spirit forgiving men of their sins? Was it the Holy Spirit’s enabling that gave Christ the power to say “all authority is given me”? Was it the Holy Spirit empowering Christ to declare “I am Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End. Was it the Holy Spirit who prompted Jesus to declare “I Am”.

"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go to the Father" (NAS Jn. 14:12).

If I do not the works of My Father, do not believe Me; ³⁸but if I do them, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may understand the Father is in Me, and I in the Father. (Jn 10:38)

There were times when Jesus relied on the Father for his work and miracles.

TEMPT, (not) to be tempted, to – 5. To try, prove exceedingly, ekkperiazo. Hebrews 4:15 was in all points [tempted], and were . . .

My question is this, why do we give priority to a definition of “tempt” as enticement to do wrong when the Greek word gives preference to “trying” and “proving”. Using the first definition of “tempt”, [ekkperiazo], let me say that yes, Jesus was tempted. He was not tempted to evil as God cannot be tempted to evil. His temptation s (testings) were from without (in his humanity) for the very purpose of proving he could not be tempted.

In All Points Tempted

Jesus had many testings. As a matter of fact he was tempted “in all points as we were”. In his humanity Jesus experienced anger, longings, sufferings, loneliness, cruelty, oppositions, hunger, thirst, and the list goes on to include all points. Does this mean that Christ was tempted to homosexuality, bisexuality, and all the dark hedonistic perversions of the world?

Jesus experienced what you and I experience in life as far as our personhood. He experienced testings regarding feelings, motivations, longings, relationships, propensities, and physical needs.

He knows the great difficulty human beings have from day to day. He understands our propensity for pride even though he was never enticed to be prideful. He is fully able to relate to man having being tested in all points as we are. His life during his incarnation allows him to be our advocate before God and judge at the Bema Seat of Christ.

It was not necessary for Christ to be induced to sin to be totally sympathetic with man. Jesus Christ experienced all that we experience and able to be sympathetic to man. However, being capable of sin is a separate issue.

James in his epistle to the Jewish Christians wrote “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust has conceived, it brings forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, brings forth death. James 1:14-15 Let’s examine the sequence leading to death which begins with the solicitation to evil.

· Solicitation (Tempted)

· Lust

· Drawn away

· Enticed

· Conceived

· Sin

· Death

To be tempted one must first be susceptible. As all three persons in the trinity are in a tri-unity, equally possessing the attributes of holiness, a mutation to susceptibility would be incongruent with the nature of the trinity (one in essence). Let’s examine James’s sequence identifying steps leading to sin and death.

Solicitation to Evil
Jesus said “. . . for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.” Greek scholars are unanimous in their assertion that in the Greek language this verse reads “the prince of this world cometh and shall not find the slightest evil inclination upon which his temptations can lay hold”. (8
Our English language often diminishes the meaning of a word resulting in making statements that are incomplete. One such word is “convinceth” which means more than “convict”. When Christ said “which of you convinceth me of sin he was actually saying which of you can convince me I’m capable of sin. How do we know this? The word convince is a noun and not a verb. He did not say which of you convince me of sinning (verb) but chose his words to affirm that he Christ “proceeded forth and came from God” and was impeccable and could not sin.
The same argument is presented in regards to the word sin. The verse does not say “He was tempted in all points as we are, yet without sinning” but “did not commit sin” (noun).
“The idea that temptability implies susceptibility is unsound. While the temptation may be real, there may be infinite power to resist that temptation; and if that power is infinite, the person is impeccable”. 9)
In regards to sin “His holy nature was so insulted by the very implication of His temptation, that He violently rejected the solicitation with a zeal and an anger that can be found only in the Divine resentment which burns gainst all wickedness. Moreover, His eternal awareness saw every detail of the temptation with perfect cognizance”. (10
Lust
The tempted one is now being allured and seduced. Strong desire begins to overwhelm the person who is fully aware of the nature of the seduction. Lust is defined as a “personal inclination” or “intense longing”. There is an inward conflict which causes the person to be drawn away to the object of his longing.


Drawn Away
If Jesus was tempted in all points as we were was he drawn away with lust. If we define lust as simply a strong desire lust does not equate with sin. We can lust for the Word of God. Sin results as we are drawn away (induced, enticed) and conceive of the action.

When one is drawn away he rationalizes and justifies his decision to partake of the forbidden fruit. He knows in his soul that he is succumbing to sin. He is now seduced and enticed to fulfill the next act of disobedience which is the conception of the act itself.

Conceived

The act of sinning is complete.

To sin requires that a person be susceptible to sin. For those who believe Christ was capable of sin it would be interesting to know at what step did Jesus cross the line. Was it in the presentation of sin, illumination, debate, surrender to sin, or the act of sin. [McCormick]. Without the susceptibility to sin, Christ’s temptation would be of no value.

Using McCormicks steps to sin, the presentation to sin was not sin in itself. Illumination is the realization that you are being tempted and therefore not sinful. However, the next step is debating whether or not to sin. This is inducement to sin and Jesus did not entertain the idea of sin. However, if Jesus was tempted in all points as we are the inducement would be necessary. There would an inner conflict and pondering on the nature of the enticement. The outward presentation (scriptural) is now an inward struggle (not scriptural).

If Jesus was indeed tempted as purported by some, what attribute allowed Jesus to withstand the solicitation to evil? Was it because he was perfect? Perfect in what way?

My confidence in his promises and trust in his wisdom lies solely on the integrity of his person. Jesus had no weakness that would predispose him to sin. He had no infirmity that would deceive, entice, seduce, or allure to sin.

Immanuel

There are many names of God which corresponds with an attribute. One of which is Immanuel, “God with us”. God - referring to his deity - and “with us” emphasizing his humanity in touch with our own humanity. Not only is Jesus with us but also his creation, sustaining his creation from it’s origin. There would be no reason to emphasize “God with us” if there were no divine attributes to support this claim as well as supporting creation itself.

When I talk about the impeccability of Christ I am talking about our Lord’s integrity and the absolute certainty that Jesus Christ could not have sinned. What is ironic is this; those ascribing to the notion that Jesus could have sinned interpret the verse opposite it’s meaning. (refer to form being opposite) The“temptation”of Christ was to demonstrate that as the Son of God he could not be tempted.

For two reasons I consider the doctrine of the impeccability of Christ the most important of all doctrines. The first is in regards to confidence. If I could not believe God is who he says he is – my faith is vain. Scripture says Jesus Christ was “God manifest in the flesh”. A God emptied of His attributes is no God at all.

As I read the story of Christ’s “temptation” I see the creator interacting with his pathetic creature. God, in perfect knowledge, as the creator of Satan, seeing and controlling the very molecular forces cementing Satan, knew exactly where Satan was going in his testings and without any inner conflict (Jesus is God manifest in the flesh) ended with “thou shall not tempt the Lord they God”.

I praise the Lord for his work in providing salvation to man. However, it is his person (attributes) that provided a loving immutable salvation plan, conceived and patterned in holiness and effected by his power. These attributes make up God’s majesty and I therefore praise his majesty which encompasses not only redemption but his creation, his sustaining power, promises, and decrees.

Christ’s majesty doesn’t depend upon any activity - but who he is [his person], the uncorruptible Son of God. As I read the “temptation” of Christ in Matthew there is never a doubt in my mind that Jesus will be victorious as he is the pre-existent one of whom Jesus’ own testimony declared “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I Am”. Jn 8:58. My utter confidence from one temptation (testing) to the other lies in his impeccability.

Temptation

Jesus, that Holy One, in his humanity, did not through human effort achieve a victorious unblemished life, nor by the grace of God, but was by essence the spotless Lamb of God.

Jesus was holy and sinless by nature. There is a difference between non sinful (perfect) and sin less. The first Adam was not created perfect but innocent. This innocence was lost and a sense of morality resulted from his sin.

Jesus in kenosis was both divine and human with the divine being the core of his nature and controlling his nature. Jesus was “God manifest in the flesh”. To say that Jesus could have sinned violates his nature, the extent of the atonement, the work of the Holy Spirit, his attribute of immutability, and the meaning of kenosis.

Immutability of Christ

“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” Heb 13:8

To say that Jesus could have sinned would make him mutable by definition. Webster’s defines mutable as “capable of change”. Jesus’ nature could not change. Jesus could not be mutable in culpability of transgressing His Father’s will. A mutable will would not only by outside his Father’s will but contrary to his nature.

Jesus’ tri-unity nature could not be mutable, mutating the nature of hypostasis (substance) of three into a corrupted trinity. If the nature of Christ was corrupted the nature of God was corrupted. The immutable holiness of Jesus put him above being protean – morphing from a sin less state to a potential state of sin.

Dr. John Miley states “Thus the Christ is God, and is inviolate in Personality, and is in possession of every attribute of deity immutably. He cannot be conquered. He cannot cease to be omnipresent, and He cannot cease to be absolutely Holy”. (11

If the triune God was flawed in unity, with a mutation of it’s second person, what would the holy union (cosubstantiation) be in essence? Could a perfect man and an un-god stand against the wiles of the devil? Of what power does the perfect man have and of what origin? “All power and authority”? Certainly not the Holy Spirit as the temptation was between humanity and Satan. The Holy Spirit could not enable victory over temptation as the temptation of Christ would then be insignificant. A man (including you and I ) emptied of Godly attributes tempted by Satan would result in same ending as that for Adam.

Atonement of Christ

Dr. John W. McCormick very aptly states “ . . . the benefits of a vicarious work extend no further than the character and position of the one exercising the vicarious (substitutionary) function”. (12

Dr. McCormick wisely discerns that if the vicarious work of Christ was capable of being limited (sin limits) then Christ’s work on the cross would be of no value. Infinite is defined as the inability to be limited. {McCormick] If Christ emptied himself of deity to the point of being susceptible to sin he was not infinite. The Lamb of God who offered his soul freely at Golgotha was free of any blemish, spotless and infinite by nature.

Summary

I will not accept the counsel of a passive “perfect” man or a hermeneutic that disconnects Logos from humanity. My salvation rests upon the atoning sacrifice of God-man who declared “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth”. Matt 28:18 Failure to understand the person of Jesus Christ will ultimately result in failure to understand his ministry.

It is sad that a simple truth by the apostle Paul; that Christ humbled himself, becoming a servant, veiling his glory, giving up the use of his prerogatives- progresses ultimately into the Holy One being led into the wilderness with a corrupted nature; and that inducement to sin is necessary on the part of God to be “tempted in all points as we are”. This is giant leap in logic that I cannot comprehend.

I wrote “Ordo Salutis” knowing that any theology that denies the elective purposes of God will weaken every doctrine and weaken any attempt at a systematic theology. However Ordo Salutis was not written to persuade anyone to adopt Calvinism. Those marching in lockstep with the Pied Piper of Armenianism voicing their mantra “God wouldn’t elect anyone to hell” simply march to a poor theology. However, those that believe Christ could have sinned greatly err.

As I write on the impeccability of Christ, I am trying to persuade Christians to consider the seriousness and consequences of a God-man capable of sin. All cults take the view that Jesus was capable of sin. It has been the view of Orthodox Christians down through the centuries that a peccable Christ doctrine is heresy. Every Orthodox creed affirms the impeccability of Jesus.

It is regretful that one must write a treatise defined by American Heritage Dictionary as “to drag and deal with”. This treatise does not adequately “deal with” the nature of the impeccability of Christ. Time does not permit me to address the many issues surrounding this doctrine. Additionally, any more pages will seem ponderous [dragging about] and will serve no purpose.

Treatis “to drag about and deal with”. [Middle English treatis, from Anglo-Norman tretiz, alteration of treteiz, from Vulgar Latin *tract t cius, from Latin tract tus, past participle of tract re, to drag about, deal with; see treat.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Conclusions

Jesus was very God possessing all attributes of God-man as a single essence in hypostatic union, Jesus in corporeality (flesh) with God (“come in the flesh”). The eternal being united and incorporated into a human nature in singularity and yet fully human and fully God. The pre-existing one who appeared in epiphany (more appropriately Christophany) in ages past. Manifesting himself in Christ to Abraham, Jacob, Moses, Joshua, and those in the fiery furnace. The Word possessed of every attribute.

When I talk about the impeccability of Christ I am talking about our Lord’s integrity and the absolute certainty that Jesus Christ could not have sinned. What is ironic is this; those ascribing to the notion that Jesus could have sinned interpret the verse opposite it’s meaning. The“temptation”of Christ was to demonstrate that as the Son of God he could not be tempted.

My confidence in his promises and trust in his wisdom lies solely on the integrity of his person. Jesus had no weakness that would predispose him to sin. He had no infirmity that would deceive, entice, seduce, or allure to sin.

I will not accept the counsel of a “perfect” man or a hermeneutic that disconnects Logos from humanity. My salvation rests upon the atoning sacrifice of God-man who declared “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth”. Matt 28:18 Failure to understand the person of Jesus Christ will ultimately result in failure to understand his ministry.

Council of Chalcedon (451)

"Following the holy fathers, we unanimously teach one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, complete as to His Godhead, and complete as to His manhood; truly God, and truly man, of a reasonable soul and human flesh subsisting; consubstantial with the Father as to His Godhead, and consubstantial with us as to His manhood; like unto us in all things, yet without sin; as to His Godhead begotten of the Father before all worlds, but as to His manhood, in these last days born, for us men and for our salvation, of the virgin Mary...known in (of) two natures, without confusion, without conversion, without severance, and without division; the distinction of the natures being in no wise abolished by their union but the peculiarity of each nature being maintained, and both concurring in one person and hypostasis."

References

(1) William G.T. Shedd, Dogmatic Theology, Zondervan Publishing, Vol II pp 33,334

(2) (2)(8) fbinstitute.com/McCormick.htm (page1)

(3) http://www.christianitytoday.com/biblestudies/questions/theology/sonofman.html

(4) http://www.theopedia.com/Kenosis

(5) Rodney J. Decker, M.Div, Th.M, Th.D, Assoc. Prof of

(6) USA Dan Music, Editor, M.A. Theological Wheaton Graduate l978

(7) http://kenosis.info/index.shtml#Miracleshttp://kenosis.info/index.shtml#Miracles

(8) McCormick

(9) (10) McCormick

(10) Walvoord

(11) McCormick

(12) www.wnking.com/impeccability.htm (2) Dr. King Online

(13) McCormick