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2. TONIGHT’S SHOW DO BABIES NEED TO BE BAPTIZED? “A Study Of The Doctrine of Original Sin”

3. LET US DEFINE THE SUBJECT! • "Original sin" refers to the first sin committed by Adam and Eve, and the consequences of that sin to future generations. • All Bible students agree that serious consequences came to mankind from that sin. • But the term generally refers to a particular doctrinal concept about sin as taught by most Protestant and Catholic churches.

4. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes are from the Westminster Confession of Faith in the Presbyterian Book of Confessions. • "Our first parents ... sinned ... By this sin they fell from their original righteousness, and communion with God, and so became dead in sin, and wholly defiled in all the faculties and parts of soul and body. They being the root of all mankind, the guilt of this sin was imputed, and the same death in sin and corrupted nature conveyed to all their posterity...From this original corruption, whereby we are utterly indisposed, disabled, and made opposite to all good, and wholly inclined to all evil, do proceed all actual transgressions" - Chap. VI, sec. 1-4. • "Every sin, both original and actual ... doth, in its own nature, bring guilt upon the sinner, whereby he is bound over to the wrath of God, and curse of the law, and so made subject to death, with all miseries spiritual, temporal, and eternal" - Chap. VI, sec. 6.

5. Consequences and Related Doctrines: • “Total Inability” • Since man is incapable of doing anything good, he is powerless to respond to God's effort to save him. Nothing we can do, say, or think, can in any way influence our chance of salvation. [See Chap. IX, sec. 3] • “Unconditional election” • God does this "without any foresight of faith or good works, ... or any other thing in the creature, as conditions, or causes moving Him thereunto..." (Chap. III, sec. 3-7). It is of God's "...grace alone, not from any thing at all foreseen in man, who is altogether passive therein" (Chap. X, sec. 2).

6. THE BIBLE: • Original Sin. • Genesis 3:1-6 - Adam and Eve were the original (first) sinners. • Romans 5:12 - Through Adam, sin entered into the world. • Hereditary Depravity. • Genesis 3:15-19 - From Adam, man has inherited the consequences of his sins, but not his actual sins nor the penalty of his sins. • Physical decay and death - v. 19; 1 Corinthians 15:21-22. • Struggle with Satan - v. 15; 1 Peter 5:8. • Pregnancy and childbirth attended by pain - v. 16. • Physical hardships and toil - v. 17-19. • Environmental influences and conditions for temptations - cf. Romans 5:19. • But, sin is committed, not inherited - Romans 5:12; Ezekiel 18:4, 20. • Must be like children to enter the kingdom of heaven - Matthew 18:1-3; 19:14.

7. Consequences and Related Doctrines: • “Irresistible Grace” • Since man can do nothing to respond to God's will, God sends the Holy Spirit to act directly and irresistibly on the hearts of the elect to enable them to believe and obey. (Chap. X, sec. 2) • Other related doctrines of Calvinism are: • "Limited Atonement" (Jesus died only for those who are unconditionally elected, not for all mankind), • And "Perseverance of the Saints" (those who are God's elect, once saved, can never so sin as to be eternally lost - Chap. XVII, sec. 1,2). The first letters of these doctrines spell TULIP.

8. Infant baptism • If babies are born guilty of Adam's sin, then it is reasoned that they must be baptized for remission of sins. This is the origin of infant baptism (though some no longer practice it for this reason). • Though there are various forms of the doctrine, we have described the basic concept. • Calvin, Luther, and other reformers believed it, but the Catholic Church taught it long before the Protestant Reformation. • Few members of many modern denominations care about this or any other doctrine, but it is still in their official creed books.

9. Consider what the Bible Teaches: • Men Do Not Inherit Guilt, Nor Are They Accountable for Other People's Sins. • If we can inherit Adam's guilt, why not inherit the guilt of all our ancestors? And why can't we inherit righteousness too? If our parents were Christians who have been cleansed from all sin (1 John 1:7,9; Heb. 7:25), then there would be no sin to inherit, so we would be born pure! • Ezekiel 18:20 - The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself. • None of Adam's descendants bear the guilt of his sin. No one's guilt can come to us through our parents. Adam's sin is upon Adam alone. If you or I are guilty of sin, it is because of what we have done (note v24).

10. Consider what the Bible Teaches: • Did Jesus Inherit the Guilt of Adam's Sin? • Hebrews 2:14,17 - He shared in flesh and blood, made in all things like us. • Luke 3:38; Galatians 4:4 - He was a descendant of Adam, born of woman. • 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 John 3:5; 1 Peter 2:22 - Yet Jesus knew no sin. In Him is no sin, because He did no sin [Heb. 4:15; 7:26] • If we inherit sin from Adam, then Jesus must have inherited it since he was a descendant of Adam and was like us in all things. But He did not inherit it, therefore we do not inherit it. Guilt is not inherited. • THE CATHOLIC CHURCH recognized this problem thus came the doctrine of IMMACULATE CONCEPTION of MARY • The Immaculate Conception. (Proclaimed by Pope Pius IX in 1854

11. Each Person Is Individually Accountable and Will Be Judged for What He Personally Does. • A Person Becomes Guilty of Sin Because of His Own Personal Conduct • Sin is what people do (in word, deed, or thought) that is not in harmony with God's will. When the Bible says people are "in sin," "slaves of sin," or under the "law of sin," it refers to the condition of guilt and other consequences a person experiences because of his own sinful conduct. • All the following passages say a person becomes guilty of sin when he himself commits or practices wrong. Contrast each passage to original sin, which says man is a sinner by inheritance before he does anything himself. • 1 John 3:4 - Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. Sin is defined as something a person "commits" ("transgression" - KJV), not what he inherits. [cf. v6,8] • Mark 7:20-23 - A man is defiled (made guilty) by things (such as those listed) which a person does because of decisions in his heart. Contrast this to original sin.

12. Scriptures Being Examined • Romans 3:9-18,23 - We are all "under sin" (v9) because we "have sinned" (v23). We have "turned aside" (v12), we do not "do good" (v12), etc. [cf. Psa. 14:1-4] • Romans 6:16,19 - People become servants of sin because they present themselves, their own members, as servants of sin and uncleanness. When we obey sin, we become servants of sin. Compare to original sin. • James 1:14,15 - A man becomes worthy of death when he responds to temptation by sinning (note "then ... when"). Sin and spiritual death are results of what he does. Note "each man" - it is an individual matter, and it is true of each of us. • James 2:10,11 - A person becomes guilty and a transgressor when he disobeys the law (stumbles).

13. Scriptures Being Examined • John 8:34 - A person becomes enslaved to sin because of what he himself "commits." • 1 Timothy 6:10 - Love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. Original sin says the love of money has another root - inherited depravity - a "root" to the "root." The Bible says the root is the man's attitude, not Adam's sin. • 1 Peter 2:22 - Jesus was not a sinner because he did no sin. If original sin is true, He would have been a sinner whether He did anything sinful or not.

14. Call Now !!! • Call And --- • Ask For A Copy Of This Presentation • Ask To Be Added To The Beacon’s Mailing • Ask For A Free Bible Correspondence Course • Call With A --- • Biblical Question Or Comment • Receive a Biblical Answer – “Book, Chapter and Verse” Call (828) 327-9459 or - WHKY