~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Our view of the human race is too high. We think that people are better than they really are, that people are basically good by nature. Sure, everyone does bad things once in a while, but people are good at heart--we think. But things are actually a lot worse than we think. Our perspective is distorted, and we need the truth of God's word to clear away the fog from our understanding and tell us how things really are. And God, who knows the hearts of all people, says that humans are not basically good at heart, but are basically sinful. In fact, the whole human race has fallen into sin, and therefore we are all born sinful.If we are going to have an accurate view of ourselves and the greatness of God's grace that rescues believers from sin, we must see the world the way God sees it. In fact, one aspect of our spiritual growth is that our new nature is "being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator" (Colossians 3:10). In order to bring ourselves closer to God's view of the world, we will examine the following five truths that He has revealed in Scripture.
1. Humans are created in the image of God.As we will see in this article, it is of great importance that we understand these truths. If we do not, it can have terrible consequences in our lives such as pride, lack of trust in God, lack of gratefulness to God for the salvation He gives in Christ, and great dishonor to the name of God.
2. Humans are all born sinful as a result of the sin of Adam, the first human.
3. Humans are all born fully sinful--there is no moral good in us.
4. God changes the hearts of all those who trust in Christ, thereby giving them moral goodness and the ability to do good things.
5. Everything that unbelievers do is sin, because they are still in the state of utter sinfulness that they were born with.
There are two main ways in which, as originally created, we were like God. The first way we will call the spiritual image of God.[2] We are similar (though not identical) to God in that we will remain forever, we have the ability to think and reason, we know right from wrong, we can form relationships with others, we have affections, and we have immaterial spirits. The second way we resembled God is in our moral character. We will call this the moral image of God. Since God originally created Adam and Eve without sin, they not only had the spiritual image of God, but were also like God in respect to His moral character--they did righteousness, loved holiness, loved one another, and were good by nature. The moral image of God meant that we used our spiritual image of God to honor Him.
When Adam sinned, the human race lost its moral likeness to God. We stopped reflecting God's goodness, love, holiness and other moral qualities, and started defying God's moral excellence. In that sense the image of God is now lost in us. But the image of God is not lost in regards to all respects, because we still have the spiritual image of God. Genesis 9:6, referring to humans born after the fall, says "in the image of God He made man." Humans are still in the spiritual image of God (see also James 3:9; Genesis 5:1-3), however, we have lost the moral perfections of this image. Because we lack the moral image of God, we now use our spiritual image to defy God and attack His glory.
Before moving on to understand just how badly we ruined ourselves, the simple fact that humans are still in the image of God should make us understand two things. First, there is great dignity in being human. Humanity has value. Even now that we are sinful, and there is no moral goodness in us, we still have significance. Wayne Grudem writes that "this has profound implications for our conduct toward others. It means that people of every race deserve equal dignity and rights. It means that elderly people, those seriously ill, the mentally retarded, and children yet unborn, deserve full protection and honor as human beings."[3] Second, this truth that we have corrupted the moral image of God in us, and that we are still in His spiritual image, should nail home to us how terrible sin really is. Because we were originally in the moral image of God, we were given one of the highest responsibilities God could have given us--to display His moral greatness to creation. And we blew it. The greater the responsibility that is violated, the greater the sin. And we have violated one of the greatest possible responsibilities. And because are in the spiritual image of God, we have corrupted something of great importance. What a terrible thing that we stopped using our spiritual likeness to God for the purpose of loving God, and started using it for the purpose of sinning against God.
The Bible teaches that Adam's sin had two main effects on the human race. The first is that it is imputed to everyone. This means that we are all counted guilty for what he did. When Adam was tested in the Garden of Eden, He was acting as the representative of the entire human race. Therefore we share in the blame for his sin. I have written on this doctrine, called imputed sin, in an article called "Born Guilty." What we are going to examine in this article is the second effect that Adam's sin had, called original sin. Original sin means that, because of Adam's first sin, we are all born with an evil nature that is against God. We all come into this world with a sinful nature. It is important to see that whereas imputed sin means that we share in the blame for Adam's sin, original sin means that we become polluted because of Adam's sin. Imputed sin most directly involves our legal standing, original sin most directly involves our moral character.
Sometimes it is thought that original sin means the transgression Adam and Eve committed, since that was the first (and thus original) sin. That is not accurate. Original sin refers to the results of Adam's sin--that all of his descendants are born sinners.
R.C. Sproul very clearly explains one of the very important truths that original sin teaches us: "We are not sinners because we sin. We sin because we are sinners." People do not come into this world good and then get a sinful nature upon their first willful sin that they commit. Rather, we come into the world with a sin nature and all of our sins are a result of having that sin nature. We act according to our natures. So because of our sin nature, we do sinful actions. A cow does not become a cow by mooing, but moos because he is a cow. Likewise we do not become sinners because we sin, but we sin because we are sinners.
There is a great wealth of scripture teaching that we are born sinful. The Bible everywhere either assumes original sin or outright teaches it. Let's take a look at some of this Scriptural evidence.
Where does the Bible teach original sin?
The first thing to understand is that God did not originally create Adam and Even as sinners. He created them good, without a sinful nature and without sinful inclinations in their hearts. When tested, they sinned by their own choice. Thus, God cannot be blamed for original sin, because he originally created Adam and Eve morally good: "God made men upright, but they have sought out many devices" (Ecclesiastes 7:29).
Scripture says that we are born sinners and that we are by nature sinners. Psalm 51:5 is a very clear statement that we all come into the world as sinners: "Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me." Ephesians 2:2 says that all people who are not in Christ are "sons of disobedience." Being a son of something involves being born with its traits. For example, just as Bill Clinton was born with the traits of the Clinton family, so also all humans are born with the trait of disobedience. Ephesians 2:3 also establishes this, saying that we are all "by nature children of wrath." We are all "by nature children of wrath" because we are all by nature sinners--for God's wrath is not on a person unless they are a sinner and deserve that wrath. And since we are sinners by nature, we see that sin is not just something you do, it is something you are. Thus, Adam and Eve were originally created morally good, but because of their sin moral goodness vanished from the human heart and all of their descendants are thus born with a sinful nature.
Why did Adam and Eve, once they had become sinners, only give birth to more sinners? Why weren't their children born good? Because God has established things such that things reproduce after their kind. Since Adam and Eve were sinners, their children, who were born after their nature, were also sinners. Job 14:4 says "who can make the clean out of the unclean? Not one!" So because Adam and Eve became sinners, all of their descendants are sinners (which is the whole human race) because unclean people cannot produce clean people, but only more uncleanliness.
Scripture calls humans wicked from infancy. Along the same lines as the evidence we have just seen, there are verses which declare that we are wicked from the time that we are born. Proverbs 22:15 says "Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child." Genesis 8:21 declares, "...the intent of man's heart is evil from his youth." Jonathon Edwards, in his classic work The Great Christian Doctrine of Original Sin Defended, remarks that on this verse: "The word translated youth, signifies the whole of the former part of the age of man, which commences from the beginning of life. The word in its derivation, has reference to the birth or beginning of existence...so that the word here translated youth, comprehends not only what we in English most commonly call the time of youth, but also childhood and infancy."
Wickedness is often spoken of in Scripture as something belonging to the human race as a whole. This implies that it is the property of our species. In other words, wickedness is considered a property of human nature after the fall. Thus, it must be concluded that we are all born sinners, since we are all born human and sin is regarded as a property of humanity. One very clear passage on this we have already seen. Ephesians 2:3 says that we are "by nature children of wrath." The verses before this are also relevant to original sin: "And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest" (vv. 1-3). Paul is reminding Christians of what they were like before their conversion to Christ ("you were dead in your trespasses...in which you formerly walked"). Thus, all people, until and unless they are converted, are sinners. Paul went on to make it absolutely clear that all Christians came from this state ("...we to all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh") and that all non-Christians are still in this state ("...and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.") Thus, Scripture regards all people before they are saved by Christ as sinners and thus deserving of punishment from God.
In Psalm 14:2, 3 we read: "The Lord has looked down from heaven upon the sons of men, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God. They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one." This verse is clear that wickedness is a property of all humans: "they have all turned aside...there is no one who does good." The phrase "together they have become corrupt" seems to point to the fact that all humans became corrupt at the same time--when Adam fell.
Job 15:14 similarly declares that wickedness is a property of humanity: "What is man, that he should be pure, or he who is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?" Verse 16 says that humans are "detestable and corrupt" and that we "drink iniquity like water!"
Jeremiah 17:9 says that "the heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it." This seems to assume original sin--wickedness is a property of the human heart. Ecclesiastes 9:3 declares a similar truth: "...the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil, and insanity is in their hearts through their lives." Again, the human heart is wicked, and therefore all humans are wicked. This proves that we are born that we, for if infants did not come into the world as sinners, it could not be true that all humans are wicked and that wickedness is a property of humanity.
These texts make clear, then, that human nature is corrupt. Therefore, even infants are corrupt because they are human. And if infants are corrupt, then this is the same as saying that we are born that way--which means we are born with original sin. One may, however, object that these texts speak nothing of infants, only those who are old enough to make moral decisions. All of those people are wicked, but this doesn't mean that infants are. This is an ingenious objection, but it does not succeed.
First, the texts do not seem to restrict themselves to people who are old enough to make intelligent decisions. They seem to speak of human nature as a whole, a classification under which infants certainly fall. Second, as Jonathon Edwards pointed out, "..this would not alter the case...For if all mankind, as soon as ever they are capable of reflecting, and knowing their own moral state, find themselves wicked, this proves that they are wickedby nature."
In other words, even if these verses were only speaking of people old enough to mentally understand sin, they would still be teaching original sin. For on that view, these verses would be saying that all people, as soon as they know good from evil, find themselves sinners. But if all people, as soon as they are capable of moral decisions, find themselves sinners, this proves that they are that way by nature.
Third, Edwards also says, "why should man be so continually spoken of as evil, carnal, perverse, deceitful, and desperately wicked, if all men are by nature as perfectly innocent, and free form any propensity to evil, as Adam was the first moment of his creation?"[4]
Infants die, therefore they must be sinners. Death--both physical and spiritual--is a result of sin (Romans 5:12; 6:23). Thus, death cannot come upon anyone unless they are guilty of sin. Since infants die, they therefore must be sinners. Someone may point to Christ, who was sinless and yet He died. But He willingly gave up His life, and He did it to conquer the curse of death that we were under. In fact, God imputed to Christ our sins on the cross, and Christ died in punishment of those sins. (Remember, imputation involves your legal standing, not moral character. Christ was not turned into a sinner on the cross--He remained perfectly holy in His nature. He was counted guilty, or blamed, for our sins.)
God executes His judgements on infants. Thus, they must have come into the world guilty of original sin, since they have not yet committed any personal sins. Have you ever been troubled by the many Old Testament passages where God commands Israel to destroy whole cities--including the infants? These are very difficult passages! But that is because we do not have a proper view of sin. Since God is commanding the infants to be destroyed in judgement along with the rest of the inhabitants, the infants must be sinners. For God does not judge people for sin unless they are guilty of sin. But if the infants are guilty of sin, it cannot be by their own personal choice--since they don't yet have the mental capacity to make moral decisions. Thus, they must come into the world sinners because of Adam's sin.
Let's take a closer look at some of these passages. When God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, he said he would not destroy the righteous with the wicked (Genesis 18:25). The only righteous person found was Lot (and perhaps his family), and he was therefore rescued with his family. But the infants were left to be destroyed in that city. Therefore, the infants must have been wicked. This means that infants must be guilty of original sin. People often have the idea that infants are innocent before God. Not so! Looks are very deceiving. They are sinful just as we are.
In 1 Samuel 15:3 God commands Saul "Now go and strike Amalek and utterly destroy all that he has, and do not spare him; but put to death both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey." The fact that God's judgement extends to children and infants must indicate that they are sinners. These passages should alert us to the fact that we have a very low, weak view of sin. We tend to think of sin as not being that big of a deal. But God considers sin to be so serious that even infants are deserving of judgement for their sinful natures.[5]
If we are not born sinners, why must we be born again? In John 3:6 and other places, it is said that we must be born again. But why is this, if the first time around we all enter the world fine? In declaring that we must be born spiritually, Jesus is declaring that physical birth is not enough for salvation (John 3:3-15). But how could He say this if we are born into the world innocent of sin?
If there is no original (or imputed) sin, there is no need for us to be redeemed by Christ. Christ came to save a fallen world. If our world is not in the clutches of original sin, then it is not fallen. If it is not fallen, what ultimate need is there for Christ?
If humanity is not born in sin, wouldn't we expect there to be some people who have "beaten the odds" and never sinned? If we are born innocent and good, wouldn't you expect there to be at least some people to have continued in this state and be sinless today? I think all of us know that "all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God" (Romans 6:23). The fact that everybody sins needs some explanation. The best explanation is that we are sinners by nature--we are born that way. Someone might argue that the reason all people sin is because society is sinful, and thus society renders it impossible for anybody to keep themselves entirely pure. But that only pushes the question back one step. How did society get sinful in the first place? If people are born morally good, wouldn't we expect there to have been at least some societies develop which are morally good?
The OT ceremonies indicate original sin. In his book The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination, Loraine Boettner writes: "The Old Testament ceremonies of circumcision of the new-born child, and of purification of the mother, were designed to teach that man comes into the world sinful, that since the fall human nature is corrupt in its very origin."
Is original sin fair? One may wonder if it is fair for us to be born sinners because of what somebody else did before we were even born. I believe that many reasons are able to establish the fairness of it. But for the sake of space, I will only give one. Consider these words of the great theologian R.L. Dabney: "[Man] is obviously under a curse for something, from the beginning of his life. Witness the native depravity of infants, and their inheritance of woe and death. Now, either man was tried and fell in Adam, or he has been condemned without trial. He is either under the curse...for Adam's guilt, or for no guilt at all. Judge which is most honorable to God, a doctrine which, although a profound mystery, represents Him as giving man an equitable and most favored probation in his federal head; or that which makes God condemn him untried, and even before he exists."
What a shocking truth: there is nobody and nothing on earth that is unaffected by sin. There are no pockets of goodness left in human society, apart from what God puts there by His redeeming power. Let us be gripped by the startling truth that the whole world is corrupted by sin!
The Scriptures answer that we are born fully sinful. There is no island of goodness that is left in us. Genesis 6:5 says about mankind that "every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." Lest anyone object that this was only the case before the flood (which occurred in Genesis 7) and after the flood God had wiped out this terrible evil in our hearts, God declares after the flood that: "The intent of man's heart is evil from his youth" (Genesis 8:21).
Ephesians 2:1 says that before conversion, Christians were "dead in trespasses and sins." We weren't simply sick, we were dead! People who are dead in sins cannot do good any more than a dead corpse can obey your command to wake up. Paul goes on to spell out just how terrible this condition really is, and to say that it is the condition of all people by nature (as we saw): "And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest" (Ephesians 2:1-3).
Romans 3:9-12 is another stunning incitement on all humanity. "...both Jews and Greeks are all under sin; as it is written, `There is none righteous, not even one; there is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God; all have turned aside, together they have become useless; there is none who does good, there is not even one.'" Jeremiah 17:9 says that "the heart is more deceitful than all else, and is desperately sick; who can understand it?" Job 15:16 says that man is "detestable and corrupt" and that he "drinks iniquity like water." So much for the common American notions that "people are basically good at heart" and "we aren't that bad after all." Let's stop flattering ourselves!
The fact that we are born totally sinful should make it clear that all of the transformation that a Christian undergoes in becoming more and more holy and escaping more and more of the pollution is from God, and not ourselves. It couldn't be from ourselves because there was no moral good left in us. Therefore, we cannot take credit for any good we do as Christians. Everything good that we do is a result of the grace of God working in us (1 Corinthians 15:10). This knowledge is a powerful sword with which to fight pride. How can we be prideful of anything we do if we truly recognize that God was the ultimate cause of it all? If we see pride coming upon us, we must fight it with the words of Paul: "For who regards you as superior? And what do you have that you did not receive? But if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?" (1 Corinthians 4:7).
We can't even take credit for our faith, because that too was a gift from God (Philippians 1:29). If you think about it, it couldn't be any other way. If by nature "every intent of man's heart is only evil continually" (Genesis 6:5), we would never believe in Christ by our own power. For believing in Christ requires that we have a good intention in our hearts enabling us to choose Him, which Genesis 6:5 says we do not have. Therefore, God must be the one who changes our hearts and puts a good inclination in us so that we will believe in Christ. Thus, while we become more and more holy as we continually trust Christ, we must recognize that there is a change that our hearts undergo before our first act of faith. This change, called "regeneration" or the "new birth," is necessary to enable and cause us to have faith. Since this change precedes and enables faith, it is not something we choose of our own will. Rather, God alone decides who will be changed, and therefore God alone decides who will be saved (see John 1:12-13; 6:44, 65; Romans 9:13-24; Acts 13:48).[6]
The Scriptures teach this in many places. Titus 1:15-16 says, "To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience are defiled. They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient, and worthless for any good deed." For unbelievers, "nothing is pure." They are "worthless for any good deed." Hebrews 11:6 says "Without faith it is impossible to please God." Unbelievers have no faith, therefore they cannot please God. In John 15:5 Jesus says "apart from Me you can do nothing."
Unbelievers are apart from Christ, therefore they can do nothing of any value. That is, they can do nothing good. Romans 3:12, speaking of people as they are by nature and without Christ, says "There is none who does good, there is not even one." Romans 8:7 says that non-Christians are hostile toward God and do not subject themselves to His law. In fact, they aren't even able to obey His law. Paul then says in verse 8, "those who are in the flesh cannot please God." Thus, if you are a non-Christian, nothing that you do pleases God. Everything that you do is sin. You aren't even able to obey God.
But don't we see unbelievers do good things all the time? Don't they very often give food to the poor, give to charity, tell the truth, and love their neighbor? Yes. They very often conform externally to the law of God. But they never conform to it internally. Their motives are never love for Christ or to bring glory to God. They are not obeying by faith. Therefore, the things they do which externally conform to God's law are sin because they do not spring from proper motives. Their good deeds have the outward appearance of virtue, but inside have the appearance of dead men's bones.
It is a terrible dishonor to God to say that people can be good without Him. How can we call an action good if it is not done with respect to the one who is the source of all good? Sin is defined as a "falling short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). What a terrible thing, therefore, it is to believe that actions which are not done for the glory of God can be considered morally good.
Further, to think that people can do good apart from God flatters us and causes pride. This is because it establishes our independence from God through the prideful attitude, "God, I don't need you. I can be good all by myself." But if we recognize that we need God to be good, this makes us humble because we realize that we aren't as good as we thought, that we are not independent as we thought, and that we must depend wholly on God. Dependance on God is the complete opposite of pride. "An arrogant man stirs up strife, but he who trusts in the Lord will prosper" (Proverbs 28:25).
Since humans were originally created in the moral and spiritual image of God, we should not think that sin is an essential property of humanity. After the fall all humans are born sinful, but this is not the way human nature is supposed to be. It is a corruption of our humanity. The maxim, "To err is human" is wrong. We err and sin not because those things are human, but because those things belong to fallen humanity. Second, since we were created with such a high standing, the fact that we have corrupted ourselves and lost the moral image of God should strike us as a very serious sin. Third, since we are still in the spiritual image of God after the fall, we should treat all people with respect.
As you let the truth of original sin sink into your heart, it will have many good effects. You will begin to see the world the way God does--doomed, utterly doomed, with no hope apart from His grace because no one escapes the clutches of sin, not even infants. Let this wake us up to the extent of sin's grip upon the world. We often lack awareness of how wide-spread sin really is. The fact is that everybody, always, since the time of Adam and Eve has the terrible evil of sin in their hearts. Let this destroy the cocky security we may be tempted to take from any thoughts about the "goodness of humanity." Humanity is not good! Let us stop flattering ourselves and admit the truth.
Further, as we let the truth of original sin grip us, it will help drive home to us that we cannot save ourselves, because no one is unaffected by sin. We will see that we have to look outside of ourselves to Christ Jesus for salvation--for He is fully God and fully man, the only perfect human to ever live. We should see the value of Christ's redemptive work shine more clearly as we come to terms with the extent of sin and that our world is totally unable to save itself. We need help from above, and God has provided that in Christ.
Understanding original sin also strips us of any superficial views of sin that we may have, because sin isn't just something humans do, it is something that we are. Sin is not just on the surface of our being, it goes to the very core of our being. Original sin also wakes us up to the seriousness of sin. The fact that even infants, which outwardly appear so good, are sinful should be a very sobering thought. That infants therefore deserve eternal judgement should show us how terrible and offensive to God sin really is. Finally, the great truth of original sin teaches us not look to the ways of the world--merely human ideas, religions, or how-to books--for instruction on how to live. They are all themselves affected by sin since they are a product of a world in the clutches of sin. Instead, we will use the infallible and pure word of God as our standard in discerning the truth, and as our only fully trustworthy guide to doctrine and practice. Of course we should not close ourselves off from human teachers, but we should mainly seek to learn from the people that teach the word of God, not the wisdom of the world.
The extent and seriousness of sin should combine to make us feel the danger that the world is in. If you are saved, praise God that he saved you. And have a greater sense of urgency in reaching the world for Christ. Life is serious!
The fact that we have fallen all the way, such that there is no moral good left in us, also has many applications. We need to see how ruined we are before we can see the greatness of the rescue we need. The fact that we were in the utter depths of sin, unable to even do one good thing for God, should make us admire the great lengths that God went to in order to save us, and the power He had to manifest to accomplish it. Let our worship of God became more thankful, humble, and awe-inspiring.
The fact that all moral goodness comes from the transforming power of Christ should preserve humility in us as Christians. For this truth teaches us that any good that is in us, and any good action that we do, is ultimately a result of the amazing grace of God.
Finally, the truth that everything unbelievers do is sin should bring us back to a God honoring view of obedience. Let's stop leaving God out of the picture when we define sin and righteousness! And this truth should help lead unbelievers to the Savior, teaching them that they are utterly dependant upon God for everything.
Finally, this all should spur us Christians on to become more holy. Our hearts have been changed so that there is good in us and that we can do good. We should detest the remnants of original sin that remain in us and strive to put our sin more and more to death (Romans 6:12; 8:13). And we should strive to bring to greater dominance the grace of God and fruit of the Spirit in our lives (Romans 6:19).
"And so, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgive each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. And beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity" (Colossians 3:12-14).
2. "Spiritual image of God" is not a special theological term. However, the two main ways in which we resemble God are standard theological doctrines. I came up with the term "spiritual image" for the sake of clarification when referring to this first aspect, not because it is a technical or commonly used phrase.
3. Grudem, p. 450.
4. Jonathon Edwards, "The Great Christian Doctrine of Original Sin Defended," in The Works of Jonathon Edwards Vol. I, (Banner of Truth Trust, 1995 reprint), p. 188.
5. I know that this may raise the question in many people's minds about what happens when infants die. I believe that God is able to save them if He so desires. For example, it says that John the Baptist would be "filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb" (Luke 1:15). However, I do not know if God saves all infants who die, or only some. We must also recognize that if an infant is saved, it is not because of any inherent goodness in them. They are guilty and must be forgiven, and thus it is out of God's sheer mercy that He would act in saving any of them.
6. For more information on this issue, see my article Predestination and Human Freedom.
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the New American Standard Bible, copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1975, 1977, by the Lockman Foundation.
For study on the doctrine of imputed sin (which was mentioned earlier as the other affect Adam's sin had on his descendents), see my article Born Guilty.
MP
No comments:
Post a Comment