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Mr. Finnell pops up from time to time on my blog, mostly because of his persistent overconfidence in his interpretations of Scripture. This missive is no exception.
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Are all babies born into this world as dirty little sinners? (The author attempts to set us up by using descriptors to prejudice our thinking.)
BABIES ARE NOT GUILTY OF ADAM'S SIN
ORIGINAL SIN: Accord to the proponents of original sin, men are born with hereditary depravity (I did a google search for this phrase and the first 30 hits were all refutations of the concept. I could not find anyone who uses this phrase when describing original sin.
Indeed, I don't think there are many who believe that original sin is hereditary, i.e. genetic. This characterization dishonestly introduces a concept foreign to the doctrine and misleads us as to the actual teaching as held by proponents.)
and corruption of nature and liable to God's wrath. They think all men are inclined to do evil, and that continually. (I wonder why Christians would believe such a thing? Oh, maybe this: "The LORD saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time." Ge. 6:5
Or perhaps this: "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?" Je. 17:9)
They believe every person born into this world deserves God's wrath and damnation due to the sin of Adam. (Perhaps because of Scripture they believe this? At the end you will find Mr. Finnell making this assertion: "MEN WILL DIE PHYSICALLY BECAUSE OF ADAM'S SIN." Consider these Scriptures, and ask if they can be made to fit his assertion:
Like 1 Co. 15:21-22: "For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive."
Col. 2:13-15: "When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having cancelled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross."
Col. 3:9-10: "Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator."
Ro. 8:13-14 "For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God."The sinful nature is what wars against us. It is what Christ intends to put to death. It is quintessentially what it means to be born again. The curse of Adam's sin is not limited to our physical death, it is emblematic of our spiritual death.)
They believe all men are guilty of sin at the moment of birth. They believe all babies are dirty little sinners.
Mark 10:14 But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and said to them, "Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.
Was Jesus saying the kingdom of God belongs to DIRTY LITTLE SINNERS, like these children? (Context, please. Jesus is not referring to children's sinlessness, he is referencing their uncomplicated, trusting nature.)
Mark 10:15 Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all."
Was Jesus saying in order to enter the kingdom of God you have to be DIRTY LITTLE SINNERS, like children?
If all babies are born DIRTY LITTLE SINNERS; that would have made Jesus a DIRTY LITTLE SINNER.
Hebrews 2:14-17 Therefore, since children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil.........17 Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make the propitiation for the sins of the people.
Jesus was a descendant of Adam. He was made like His brethren in all things. According the original sin advocates that would make Jesus born as a DIRTY LITTLE SINNER. JESUS WAS NOT GUILTY OF ADAM'S SIN NOR ARE ANY BABIES GUILTY OF ADAM'S SIN. (Did the writer of Hebrews set out to prove something here about the sinful nature? No. For he later writes,
"For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are — yet was without sin." He. 4:15Mr. Finnell simply needs to read his Bible.
Beyond this, can we make an inference? Assuming for the moment that Mr. Finnell is correct in that sin is a genetic inheritance, where did Jesus inherit his genetic makeup? Through his mother's side. Inheritance of every kind descends from the lineage of the father. Did Jesus receive this inheritance? No, because Jesus' father was the Lord via the Holy Spirit. He did not receive his genetic inheritance from Joseph, it was from His Father.
Jesus could not have "inherited" original sin.)
1 John 3:5 You know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin.
Jesus was not born a DIRTY LITTLE SINNER.
Psalms 139:13-14 For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother's womb. 14 I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well.
Did David believe God made him, wonderfully made, because God made him totally depraved and a DIRTY LITTLE SINNER? (So, this Scripture does not speak of sin, it speaks of the wonder of creation. Interestingly, David himself was able to make that distinction: "Indeed, I was guilty when I was born; I was sinful when my mother conceived me.” - Ps 51:5)
Ezekiel 18:20 The person who sins will die. The son will not bear the punishment for the father's iniquity, nor will the father bear the punishment for the son's iniquity; the righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself.
Men will not be punished for their fathers' sins nor will they be punished spiritually for Adam's sin. Men do not inherit sin. Men are not born as DIRTY LITTLE SINNERS; they become sinners by choice. (This begs a question. If every person stands condemned before a Holy God, and is only saved by the blood of Jesus Christ, then what difference does it make if indeed people are born innocent? They still all will sin and thus need to be saved to escape judgment.
Mr. Finnell's protestations are in the end irrelevant.)
Matthew 19:14 But Jesus said, "Let the children alone, and do not hinder them from coming to Me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.
Was Jesus saying the kingdom of heaven will be filled with unforgiven DIRTY LITTLE SINNERS? No, He was saying the kingdom belongs innocents like these children.
Job 1:1 There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job; and that man was blameless, upright, fearing God and turning away from evil.
How could Job have been blameless and upright and be born as a DIRTY LITTLE SINNER? Job was not totally depraved, and inclined to do evil continually. (The writer of Job answers Mr. Finnell's question. Job was blameless because he was "fearing God and turning away from evil." Unless Mr. Finnell is attempting to establish that Job was ALWAYS blameless?)
2 Kings 2:1 And it came about when the Lord was about to take up Elijah by a whirlwind to heaven....
Did the Lord take Elijah to heaven because he was born a DIRTY LITTLE SINNER and deserved His wrath and damnation, because of Adam's sin? Elijah was not totally depraved.
Genesis 6:8-9 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. 9 These are the records of the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his time; Noah walked with God.
Noah was a righteous man. How is it possible for Noah to be born a DIRTY LITTLE SINNER; only inclined to do evil, be guilty of hereditary depravity, and find favor in the eyes of the Lord? Noah was saved because he trusted God and was obedient. Noah was not going to be sent to hell because of Adam's sin. Men will die spiritually because of their own sins; not Adam's.
Acts 10:1-2 Now there was man at Caesarea named Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian cohort, 2 a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, and gave many alms to the Jewish people and prayed to God continually.
Cornelius was neither Jew nor a Christian, but he feared God and gave alms to the poor. How would it be possible for Cornelius to act in this manner if he was born a DIRTY LITTLE SINNER; inclined only to do evil, and was totally depraved? Cornelius was not guilty of Adam's sin nor was he guilty any other man's sin.
(All of these examples require the same response. Were all of these people sinless throughout their lives? Or did some change happen in their lives which commended them to God?)
Luke 8:15 But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold fast, and bear fruit with perseverance. (Odd that Mr. Finnell would include this Scripture, because it argues against him. "Good soil" is soil in which seed can grow. It isn't sterilized soil. It isn't free of bacteria or bugs. It isn't pure soil, it isn't perfect, it is good soil.
And this soil required something to grow in it so that it would be productive. That is the word of God, which is what saves us. If nothing grew, it would be bad soil, wouldn't it?
So then, the question is, how can one have a heart that is desperately wicked [Jer. 17:9] and an honest and good heart at the same time? Notice that the verse says there are those who heard the word in a certain kind of heart, an "honest and good" one. It seems clear that God prepared those hearts by making the soil good to receive the seed.)
Jesus said some men have a good and honest heart. How can a man who was born as a DIRTY LITTLE SINNER and are totally depraved, and only incline do to do evil, have a good an honest heart? (False equation. A good and honest heart does not mean sinless. And it would seem strange that the people who can receive the Word are sinless up until the time they receive it, wouldn't it? I wonder if Mr. Finnell has thought this through.)
MEN ARE GUILTY OF THE SINS THEY COMMIT; NOT THE ONE ADAM COMMITTED.
1 John 3:4 Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness.
Babies no not practice lawlessness in the womb.
James 1:14-15 But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. 15 Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.
Babies are not tempted and enticed by lust in the womb. Adam and Eve sinned when they were enticed by their own lust. Men today sin because the are enticed by their own lust. Men will be held accountable for their own sins, not Adam's.
MEN WILL DIE PHYSICALLY BECAUSE OF ADAM'S SIN.
MEN WILL DIE SPIRITUALLY BECAUSE OF THE UNFORGIVEN SINS THEY THEMSELVES COMMIT.
BABIES ARE BORN INNOCENT OF SIN.
BABIES ARE NOT DIRTY LITTLE SINNERS!
(All Scripture quotes from: NEW AMERICA STANDARD BIBLE)
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