Can God Sin?

Every so often, someone will bring up the question if sin can be found in God. Or, another way to phrase this question is, “Can God sin?” The answer to the question for the majority of Christians who live by faith is obviously “no,” but what can we find in the Bible that supports the answer? Let's take a look at a few Bible passages that point to the sinless nature of God.

Those who claim sin can be found in God do not look at God's master plan. For example, a skeptic of the sinless nature of God might point to all the terrible things He let happen to Job just to prove a point to Satan. The Bible says in Job 1:1 (NIV) that Job was an upright man who was blameless. After Job's children, cattle, health, and belongings were taken from him, his wife could not understand why Job maintained his integrity with God, so she told him to “curse God and die” (Job 2:9).

No doubt, Job's wife was having a dilemma in thinking that this was a sin (referring to what God did to them). In Job 1:21 (NIV), he declares that he came into this world with nothing, and will leave with nothing. Job refused to blame God (Job 1:22). In Job 2:9-10 (NIV), he tells his wife that we must accept the trouble as well as the good from God. This passage goes on to say that Job still would not use his words to sin. We can conclude that God had a master plan because Job's model behavior today serves as a comforting example for all of us going through tragedy, loss, and hardship. No, God did not sin; he gave us medicine for the future.

The fact that God does not sin is a standard we fall short of. Romans 3:23 (NIV) says that every person is guilty of sin and has missed the mark of the sinless standard God has set. If God was guilty of sin, then that standard would be void and the Bible would have no value. Romans 6:23 (NIV) declares that the “wages of sin is death.” God does not fall under this penalty, which is further evidence that He does not sin. Also, Romans 5:12 (NIV) proclaims death and sin were also brought into this world by man and Satan--not God.

Only that which is good, not evil, comes from God. The Bible says in James 1:12-13 (NIV) that God is not tempted by sin, nor does God use sin to tempt anyone else. James 1:16-17 (NIV) proclaims that the perfect and good gifts (not those from sin) are what come from above.

Jesus had to be sinless in order to be an acceptable sacrifice. Jesus is God's son. He is God incarnated as a human being. He is God, so He has all the same characteristics and sinless nature of God. If this fact were not so, then the Gospel would be worthless, but we know better than that. 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NIV) tells how God made Jesus, whom was sinless, to take the penalty of our sin. This passage also declares the result of this sinless sacrifice: we as believers now take on the “righteousness of God.” The word “righteousness” proclaims the sinless nature of God.