Previously Published in the Primitive Baptist, The Christian Pathway – Gospel Appeal    December, 2019  By Eld. John P. (Pat) Young – Editor ZL

As we read in Hebrews 7:26, 27: “For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.”

When I was younger, I heard preachers use the word “Impeccability,” when speaking about the Holy Person of the Lord Jesus Christ. Eventually curiosity got the best of me and I began to look into the subject: “The Impeccability of Jesus Christ.” What is it? What does it mean? How does it affect mankind?

First, here are two words we need to understand, to reach any conclusion on this subject: “Peccabilty” and “Impeccability.” Impeccability means: “Not subject to sin; exempt from the possibility of sinning; and no mere man is impeccable.” It does not mean simply: “Not liable to sin” (for such a statement to stand alone would not eliminate the possibility of sinning, but simply state that a person of impeccability probably would not sin), but it means: “Not able to transgress the divine law.”

We also should note, that “Peccability” and “Impeccability” both are nouns, which state a condition of being. The former says: “One who exists in a state of peccability, is liable to sin and subject to transgress the divine law.” While the latter says: “One who exists in a state of impeccability, is not liable to sin; not subject to sin; exempt from the possibility of sinning, and that no mere man is impeccable.”

Therefore impeccability, is the nature of a Divine Person, as the Lord Jesus Christ, Who is the only begotten Son of God manifested in a body conceived of the Holy Ghost, being “Holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens (God manifest in the flesh), from the very conception of His Holy Person into this world (Luke1:35), and One who is Impeccable and not able to transgress the divine law.

The first man is of the earth earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. (1Cor.15:47) This text makes it clear where the nature of mankind has it's origin, and where the nature of the Lord from heaven has His origin: The first man's nature was of the earth, and the second man's nature was of heaven; the first was natural and the second was Divine; the first was peccable, and was able to stand, but also liable to fall, and the second was Impeccable, Divine, and unable to fall.

There is no man, save the Lord Jesus Christ, whether Priest or King, apostle or prophet, who can be “holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens: Who has no sin, and a nature prepared in heaven; and an Impeccable body, to be the offering for sin. Only God with us, the only begotten of the Father, could be the impeccable offering for sin; the Expiator set forth to remove the righteous obligation of God to punish the sins of the elect. Rom. 3:25

Only one who is unable to fall (impeccable) could make atonement for those who are fallen (guilty); only one who was undefiled Himself, could reconcile the defiled; only one who was harmless could justify the harmful; only one who was separate from sinners, could atone for sin; only one who was holy could give repentance to the unholy, and only one who cannot fall, can save the fallen.

He Who is Holy does grant His chosen repentance; He Who is undefiled has reconciled us to God; and He Who was separate from sinners, and without sin, has stood in the breach between a righteous, offended God and His fallen elect to atone for their sins. A place only “The Impeccable Son of God,” could occupy; a place where only He could stand, with one arm reaching up to the Father while the other embraces all those whom He purchased with His own blood; that we might now stand for faithful Job, and declare: We no more fear the terror of Divine justice, for God hath devised means; He has given us a daysman (Job 9:33), to stand in the breach and lay His hand upon us both, that we be not expelled from Him, and stand in the joy of knowing, His rod has been taken away, the terror is past, and hope springs eternal because of the Impeccability of Jesus Christ our Saviour!