~JM~

Yeah, he and Fortner were close and both actively promoted this heresy in New Focus mag. I stopped my subscription because of it.

"He was made sin itself as if He had sucked all the sin of all the elect into Himself and was so full of it, He was called ‘Sin’ itself because sin was no where else."

The little snippet you provided JM, to me at least is not enough evidence to prove the writer is teaching an "infused or inherent" sin in Christ.

I highlighted the words "as if" in blue. If the writers use of the words "as if" means imputed rather than infused, I would agree. But if the writer means an infused or inherent sin in Christ, then I would strongly disagree.

I must read more of the writers complete article on this matter.

Nicholas

I've wondered myself so often at the belief of each in exactly what is mean by Christ 'being made sin'. I don't recall the exact words of any of them saying that Christ was infused with sin and made an actual 'sinner'. I ran across this on Fortner's site the other day which seems to say just the opposite of what he is accused of. So if you find an answer, clue me in won't you? This was under the heading of 'Five things slanderously reported'.

When we repeat the very words of Inspiration asserting that our Lord Jesus Christ was “made sin for us” (2 Corinthians 5:21), we are accused of saying that “sin was infused into Christ.”

I’ve never known anyone to suggest or in anyway imply such a monstrous thing, except those who simply refuse (whatever their reason may be) to bow to the revelation of God. Wishing to make a straw man they can beat with vigor and pretended indignation, they speak as though some blasphemous fool actually believed the invention of their own perverse brains. What a great pity it is that evil men will take the most precious revelation of Holy Scripture and turn it into a theological football to kick around for their amusement!

Our blessed Savior had no sin of his own. He was born without original sin, being even from birth “that Holy One” (Luke 1:35). Throughout his life he “knew no sin” (2 Corinthians 5:21) and “did no sin” (1 Peter 2:22); “and in him is no sin” (1 John 3:5). But on Calvary the holy Lord God “made him sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Just as in the incarnation “the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14), in substitution the Word who was made flesh “was made sin for us.”

I do not know how God could be made flesh and never cease to be God; but he was. I do not know how the eternal God could die and yet never die; but he did (Acts 20:28). I do not know how all the fulness of the infinite, incomprehensible God can dwell in Christ bodily; but it does (Colossians 2:9). And I do not know how Christ who knew no sin could be made sin and yet never have sinned; but he was.

These things are mysteries beyond the reach of human comprehension. But they are facts of divine revelation to which we bow with adoration. Hard as it is for many to realize, our God is “slightly” bigger than our puny brains!

BTW, this whole quote is by Fortner, not me!

Fortner fails to support "made sin" by imputation. Anything other than that is just wrong in my opinion. So he doesn't mean "infused sin", but just what does he mean? MYSTERY he says! No - it's not a mystery. Jesus was made sin by IMPUTATION only and to say otherwise is just ridiculous. So much of what Fortner has to say, I support and rejoice in. But this teaching of his is just wrong.

Actually I agree with you Brandan. I just thought it was interesting that he was never saying that Christ was made a sinner as so many have accused him of. I was glad to know that.

The controversy is that Fortner supported someone who WAS saying that "Christ was made a sinner". He was Mark Daniels - the former pastor of Eager Avenue Church in Albany, GA. The church fired him and Fortner denounced them for doing so.

Here are some of the quotes: http://www.pristinegrace.org/media.php?id=421

Paul using this very passage from Deuteronomy as his reference point for his statement in Galatians 3:13, is showing that one thing Christ became, that He was not before is that He became a sinner. He became a man in whom was sin!
He had to be equally as sinful, equally as guilty and equally as accursed as me in order to take my place.

He became sinful that I become righteous.

He became the equal sinner that I am, he became the same sinner that I am before God.

It's as incomprehensible for me to be a sinner and a saint, at the same time as He could be the Son of God, pure and holy, and be a sinner, just like me.

He had to be made the identical substitute for their sin. A righteous man could not die for my sin! God would have never killed Him. If He was a righteous man, no sin in Him, God would have been unjust to kill him.

It says, God somehow, took a being, who had never known sin before and actually made him to be sin.

On the cross, Christ actually became as sinful as I. Something He had never been, could not have become, and did not want to happen, and prayed for that it might let it pass, and yet became a reality IN HIS VERY BEING.

And somehow then, I'm made to understand, unthinkable thoughts, of how that his Son, purely, holy and righteous could be made as sinful as I.
You know, its no wonder that He prayed in the garden until His sweat literally became great clots, ugly clots of blood dripping to the ground. Because here was a being who had never known sin, he'd never thought a sinful thought, He never had a sinful desire, had never had an ill intention, had never had any sin come across His mind, His heart, His will, or His being. And yet He knew He was facing becoming just as sinful as His people. No wonder He prayed, ' Lord couldn't we do this some other way? Is there not some other arrangement that we can make (snicker)? I don't mind the dying part, but Lord is there not some way that I could escape being made like THESE people. He prayed until He couldn't pray anymore. He prayed until His sweat turned to blood because it was unfathomable to Him to think about becoming sinful in the place of His people

Fortner actually SUPPORTED those statements. If he would have joined the side of the people who said those were wrong, I doubt much of a stink would have been raised. I love the work of Fortner, but him supporting these statements really ruin my respect for the guy. It was really quite troubling to me....

Here is what Fortner had to say about the controversy:

One matter needs to be cleared regarding Mark Daniels. It is insignificant to me what is thought or said about me and/or my doctrine. But Bro. Lawson is totally in error about Mark Hiding anything from the Eager AV Church. Those men have known my doctrine for 20 years. It has not changed. They knew my association with Bro. Mark. They were not kept in the dark about anything. They simply called a pastor who would not buckle under to their intimidation. Mark is a faithful man. I have known him for a long time. And I was present in Albany at Eager AV Church for a meeting just a few days before the Church removed him from the pulpit specifically for saying what the Word of God clearly says, that " he who knew no sin was made sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." It is both unwise and contrary to everything taught in the Scriptures to make accusations against any man based upon the reports of others. .......
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Albany, GA — Recently, Bro. Mark Daniel was dismissed from the pulpit of the congregation in Albany, GA, that had called him as pastor just eight months earlier. He was dismissed for daring to assert, as the Scriptures clearly do, that Christ was " made sin for us" (2 Cor. 5:21). The wickedness of the men involved in that action resulted in the gathering of a group in Albany who desire to establish a gospel church. [comment: as if the “wicked” Eager Ave. folks were not gospel believers] Pray for them as they seek God's direction in this new work

Fortner also said this on 9-11-2005

Now in exactly the same way, in exactly the same sense just as the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us in the incarnation in substitution, he who was made flesh was made sin for us. Wonder of wonders. I don’t know how God could be made flesh and never cease to be God, but he was. I don’t know how God could die and yet never die but he did.

…

Now I know this, I know this, just as really as the Lord Jesus the Son of God was made flesh, just that really he was made sin for us. Its not that he was treated as though he were sin, it is not that he had sin pasted on him and he took it. It’s not just that sin was imputed to him. Now listen carefully, I’ll give you a homework assignment. You search the scriptures. You will never find not in the entirety of this book even one reference to sin being imputed to Christ. Its not there, its not there, not there. There’s not one legal term used we talk about sin being imputed to Christ. Now it’s taught it is taught throughout the scriptures no question about that, but we have been taught to believe that our Lord was made sin by imputation. That is not the case. We are made righteous by imputation and the word is used throughout the scriptures talking about us being made righteous having his righteousness imputed to us. But never is the word used with regard to Christ being made sin. He was not made sin by imputation. Sin was imputed to him becausehe was made sin. Sin was imputed to him, charged to him and punished to Him because He was made sin.

And I don’t know how Christ who knew no sin could be made sin and yet have never sinned.

The transfer of sin to the Savior was real Mr. Spurgeon wrote, and produce in him as a man the horror which forbade him to look into the face of God, bowing him down with crushing anguish and woe intolerable. My soul, what our sins must have done to us eternally if the friend of sinners had not come here to be made sin for us. (Don Fortner, Sermon on Psalm 22, September 11, 2005)