Being tempted from within means temptations that do not arise from external sentient sources, such as Satan. So to ask if Christ could be tempted from within is asking if Christ could be tempted without the devil (or some other evil being) explicitly tempting Him.

For example, if I pass by an attractive woman who is dressed provocatively, I may need to turn away to keep my mind pure. Could Christ have been tempted like that?

Regarding Christ's being tempted in all points as we are, a point that's often forgotten, or not understood, is that Christ bore our sins, in addition to taking our sinful nature. It was this combination that allowed Him to be tempted in all points as we are.

The SOP writes, "The enticements which Christ resisted were those that we find it so difficult to withstand."(DA 116) What are the enticements we find so difficult to withstand? These are the same things Christ was tempted to do. These temptations were difficult for Christ for the same reason they are difficult for us -- hereditary and cultivated tendencies to sin. In the case of Christ, of course, the cultivated tendencies were ours, not His. But, nevertheless, it was our sins which made His temptations difficult, just as our sins make our temptations difficult.



Let's look at some of the points, and come back to comment on them:

1.Christ bore the sins and infirmities of the race as they existed when he came to the earth to help man.
2.In order to elevate fallen man, Christ must reach him where he was.
3.He took human nature, and bore the infirmities and degeneracy of the race. He who knew no sin became sin for us. He humiliated himself to the lowest depths of human woe, that he might be qualified to reach man, and bring him up from the degradation in which sin had plunged him.
4.The weight of the sins of the world was pressing his soul...He felt the overwhelming tide of woe that deluged the world. He realized the strength of indulged appetite and unholy passion...

Regarding Point 1, "Christ bore the sins and infirmities of the race as they existed when he came to the earth to help man," this is both sin in its tendency and in its commission. Christ bore both in order to help man. His temptations in the wilderness involved both aspects.

Regarding Point 2, "In order to elevate fallen man, Christ must reach him where he was." This describes the issue so clearly, it's difficult to understand how it isn't grasped. Where are we? We're in the pit of sin. Where do we need to be elevated from? Our pit. Where did Christ come to, in order to elevate us? He came to our pit. This is abundantly clear. He didn't hold Himself off from us, at arms length, but He came down to our level, where we are, in order to elevate us.

Now it wasn't necessary for Christ to commit sin in order to do this. It was necessary for Christ to take our sinful nature and to bear our sins.

Point 3 bears this out:

"He took human nature, and bore the infirmities and degeneracy of the race. He who knew no sin became sin for us. He humiliated himself to the lowest depths of human woe, that he might be qualified to reach man, and bring him up from the degradation in which sin had plunged him."

Note:"to the lowest depths of human woe." "Lowest" means "the lowest point; a point at which it is not possible to go lower." This is the point that Christ went to. Why? In order to reach me, because that's where I am.

Note again: "bring him up from the degradation in which sin had plunged him." This is speaking of "degradation." In another passage the SOP writes:



Christ took our nature, "degraded and defiled by sin," and, in addition to this, He bore our sin. Why did He do so? In order to "bring (man) up from the degradation in which sin had plunged him."

Regarding point 4, "The weight of the sins of the world was pressing his soul...He realized the strength of indulged appetite and unholy passion," I think what people often don't realize is that Christ felt the strength of our temptation, that He was actually tempted like we are.

1) Christ would not have been tempted from within, according to your definition of such.

2) Christ did not "become sin" for us until He drank of that cup on the cross. This was not a "from birth" experience. The sins He bore were laid upon the Spotless Lamb, and caused His death, for they separated Him from the presence of the Father.

Christ bore the sins and infirmities of the race as they existed when he came to the earth to help man....He who knew no sin became sin for us....The weight of the sins of the world was pressing his soul

3) Christ was humiliated in taking our flesh, humbled to the dust, so to speak, but this in no way implies He bore sin-filled flesh. The flesh may be weak, but it does not contain sin.

4) Sin-degraded or sin-defiled flesh does not make the flesh itself sinful. I might put bullet holes in a piece of cardboard, but I would still not find bullets in it. Sin may have weakened the flesh, but the flesh itself is not sinful in the sense of harboring sin. Sin is a choice. Flesh does not choose.

Then Christ wasn't tempted like any one of us!

Only a proud person can be tempted like a proud person, so Christ couldn't have been tempted as such a person.

Only a selfish person could be tempted like a selfish person, so Christ couldn't have been tempted as a such a person.

Only a presumptuous person could be tempted like a presumptuous person, so Christ couldn't have been tempted as such a person.

No matter what my sin is, Christ wasn't tempted like me. Not much consolation there.

There are actually two things going on. First of all, there is sin-damaged flesh, as we all have. Our flesh tempts us to sin

The second thing is that Christ's flesh was full of sin -- ours!

For example, if I pass by an attractive woman who is dressed provocatively, I may need to turn away to keep my mind pure. Could Christ have been tempted like that?

Being tempted from within means temptations that do not arise from external sentient sources, such as Satan. So to ask if Christ could be tempted from within is asking if Christ could be tempted without the devil (or some other evil being) explicitly tempting Him.

... I think what people often don't realize is that Christ felt the strength of our temptation, that He was actually tempted like we are.

We're in agreement here, except that your first sentence could be written more clearly. Of course sinful flesh must be sinful, otherwise it wouldn't be called "sinful flesh." But the "sinful" in "sinful flesh" does not imply a participation in sin, but rather a condition, which is what you are saying, and I agree with your point.

Christs goals/mission were His driving force.

Just to expand to what you might of wanted to say. If we are to believe that Jesus was our example, well to be realistic, I don't have love/goals/mission naturally in my heart, so if I depend to find these in my heart, then I'm lost.

I believe that Jesus driving force was to depend and submit to the Father. The Father love, goals and mission(Father's Spirit) dwelled in Jesus. That's how Jesus became victorious, and showed us the Father. Jesus said that without the Father, He can't do anything.

So I believe that it's the same for us. We need to depend and submit entirely on Jesus and realize that without Jesus, we can't do anything. By having Jesus dwelling in us, we then have the love, goals and missions of Christ and of the Father.