“For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” (2 Cor 5:21).

Question

Since Jesus was made “sin” for us, did He become a sinner? Certain proponents of the prosperity gospel, health-and-wealth ideology, hyper-grace doctrines, and the Pentecostal or Charismatic Word of Faith movement teach that Jesus became a sinner and took on either “Satan’s nature” or a “sinful nature” to be our Saviour.

Did Jesus become a murderer, an adulterer, a thief, a liar, … a sinner, for us? Let me answer this as clearly and strongly as I can: He never did! God forbid! Jesus did not become sinful or a sinner to save us from our sins. If He had, He would be no Saviour, and we would still be in our sins. It is important to note how the truth is stated, “he hath made him to be sin for us”, not “he hath made him to become sinful for us”. There is a huge difference between the two.

There is no doubt Jesus is our Saviour—He was our Substitute and took our place on the cross so that we might be saved. Truly, “The Son of God became the Son of Man so that the sons of men might become the sons of God.”

So, what does 2 Corinthians 5:21 mean? How does Jesus who was made sin for us not mean at all that He became sinful or a sinner?  Note that the answer is right there in the text itself.

He Who Was Without Sin

First, note that the statement, “For he hath made him to be sin for us,” is qualified by the phrase, “who knew no sin.” The word “knew” (ginosko) can refer to either cognitive knowledge (knowledge by learning) or experiential knowledge (knowledge by practice), or both, depending on the context. Here, it means both; that is, Jesus did not sin at all—in mind, in heart, or in deed. He did not know sin as we, who are born in sin and live in sin, know it. Jesus was holy, pure, and good in every way. Born of the virgin, He was sinless from birth, and He lived a sinless life.

Hebrews 4:15 says, “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.” 1 Peter 2:22-24 declares, “Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.”

Even Pilate, after examining Jesus, found Him not guilty—“I find in him no fault at all”—and stated this three times (John 18:38; 19:4, 6). One of the criminals crucified alongside Jesus reproved the other, who had insulted Jesus: “Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.” Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.” Jesus replied, “Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:40-43).

What a Saviour! He was the sinless and spotless “Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). Jesus Christ, being 100% God and 100% man in one Person, was impeccable—without sin and incapable of sinning. As Jesus challenged His enemies, “Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?” (John 8:46).

Was Made a Sin Offering

Second, Jesus was made “sin for us.” The word “sin” here is both biblically and doctrinally significant. We have already established that the notion of Jesus becoming sinful or a sinner is utterly unbiblical and untrue. So, what does it mean when Scripture says that God made Him to be sin for us? In light of the Old Testament, the term “sin” here refers to a sin offering (Lev 4:1-35; 5:1-13; 6:24-30). The phrase “for us” signifies substitution. The sin offering acted as a substitute for the sinner. When a sinner presented a sin offering, he would lay his hand on the animal’s head, symbolising the transfer of guilt from the sinner to the animal—foreshadowing the ultimate sacrifice of Christ (Heb. 9:22; 10:1-18).

For example, this understanding of “sin” is seen in Genesis 4:7, where God told Cain, “sin lieth at the door.” This can be taken to mean that a sin offering was readily available; Cain could have offered an animal sacrifice (instead of fruits and vegetables) to atone for his sin, leading to forgiveness and restoration.

On the cross, Jesus became a sin offering for us. He bore our sin—that is, the guilt and penalty of our sin—to atone for us, fulfilling God’s justice and righteousness and appeasing His wrath and judgment against us. “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit” (1 Pet 3:18). Isaiah 53:4-6 further proclaims, “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” And as John the Baptist declared, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29)

That We Might Be Justified

Third, God “made him to be sin for us.” The word “made” (poieo) here means to appoint or to attribute, and it carries an important theological significance. It relates to the doctrine of imputation, which involves ascribing or attributing something to someone, particularly in a legal or moral sense. In the doctrine of the atonement, our sin is imputed to Christ when He dies on the cross. Although Christ is sinless, He bears the guilt and penalty of our sin, taking upon Himself the punishment we deserve.

This idea is echoed in the phrase, “that we might be made the righteousness of God in him,” where a different Greek word for “made” (ginomai) is used. As our Substitute, Christ is imputed with our sin so that we might be imputed with His righteousness for our salvation. This reflects the doctrine of justification: we are declared righteous by God because of Christ—not because we are inherently righteous, but because He is. His righteousness is imputed to us.

Paul explains this in Romans 3:23-26: “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.”

Justification leads to sanctification. Justification is the imputation of righteousness to us—a one-time act of God when we believe in Christ as our Lord and Saviour. Sanctification, on the other hand, is the implantation of righteousness in us—a continuous work of God to make us increasingly like Christ as we live for Him. Thus, the sinless Son of God was made (poieo) sin so that we, the sinful sons of man, might become (ginomai) saints. Jesus Christ was imputed (not implanted) with our sin, so that we might be both imputed with His righteousness (justification) and implanted with His righteousness (sanctification).

Summary

To summarise, let me conclude with John Wesley’s commentary on 2 Corinthians 5:21, “He made him a sin offering, who knew no sin – A commendation peculiar to Christ. For us – Who knew no righteousness, who were inwardly and outwardly nothing but sin; who must have been consumed by the divine justice, had not this atonement been made for our sins. That we might be made the righteousness of God through him – Might through him be invested with that righteousness, first imputed to us, then implanted in us, which is in every sense the righteousness of God.” Amen.

THE BLIND SEE BUT
PRIDE BLINDS

In John 9:1-41, we see Jesus healing a man born blind. Each miracle performed by Jesus carries a deeper truth or lesson. Jesus is the light of the world, the One who opens our eyes to the spiritual wonders of His Truth. How do we know for sure that He has this power? Jesus demonstrated it through His miracle of healing the man born blind—a man who had never seen light. When Jesus opened his eyes, he saw light for the first time. If Jesus could give sight to the physically blind, surely He could bring light to those spiritually blind. To this man, Jesus gave not only sight but also the light of life. When Jesus asked him if he believed in the Son of God, he promptly replied, “I believe,” and worshipped Him.
In contrast, although the Pharisees had physical sight, they were spiritually blind to who Jesus truly was. On the other hand, the blind man, though not as knowledgeable as the Pharisees regarding the Law of Moses, could identify Jesus as a prophet. Perhaps he was reminded of the story of Naaman, the leper who was healed by Elisha after being told to wash in the Jordan River (2 Kgs 5:1-14), leading him to think of Jesus as a prophet empowered by God.

It is also possible that the blind man could have seen Jesus not simply as any prophet but as the Prophet like Moses of Deuteronomy 18:15, given the unprecedented nature of this miracle. As the man said to the Pharisees, “Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind. If this man were not of God, he could do nothing.” Many miracles performed by Moses during the Exodus were unique in Israel’s history, and Moses was regarded as exceptional among Israel’s prophets (Deut 34:10-12). Now, the man who was healed recognised a similar greatness in Jesus, asking himself if He could be the Prophet Moses foretold. When Jesus later revealed Himself as the Son of God, the man believed without hesitation. Moses was a prophet-servant, but Jesus is the Prophet-Son, the Messianic Prophet greater than Moses. By believing, the formerly blind man proved to be a true disciple of Moses, unlike the Pharisees who claimed to follow Moses (John 9:28) but could not see that Jesus was the One Moses had spoken of. What blindness!

Jesus said, “For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.” Some Pharisees nearby overheard and asked, “Are we blind also?” Jesus answered, “If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth” (John 9:39-41). Take heed of Proverbs 26:12: “Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? there is more hope of a fool than of him.” Pride blinds a person to his own flaws, leading him to think he is always right and unwilling to listen to others. For those who are humble, the Lord will teach and guide with His wisdom and show them the path that leads to truth and life. “The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way.” (Ps 25:9). Amen.