Are individuals born evil or made that way?

[Yeshua1]

We sin because we are sinners by nature at conception. As soon as an infant is capable of expressing themselves, no one needs to teach them to do wrong as it comes by nature. No circumstance is necessary for them to be evil by nature but only necessary to express evil.

Jesus said "BEING evil" not "becoming" evil.

Mt 7:11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
Mt 12:34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
Lu 11:13 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

In all three cases the word "being" translates the present tense participle "ontes". If children of Adam "became" evil the Greek word "egeneto" would have been used in the Aorist tense.

We commit sinful acts.thoughts, as that is our very nature before becoming born again with a new nature!

 

[Darrell C]

Well yeah, everyone is born with a bunch of certain temptations and proclivities to sin.

I agree with a "proclivity to sin," but not with being born with a "bunch of certain temptations."

There is no temptation the babe in the womb, who has no understanding of anything. That child is conceived without the Spirit of God, and thus will, when they grow up to have personal desires...sin, and yield to the temptations that exist in this world.


God bless.

 

[Darrell C]

The sin nature was in charge at the time of the sinning, so yes, I allowed it to :make me do it"

On the contrary, the only difference between your sin in your pre-converted life and your sin now is that you can now recognize sin for what it is, a violation of the will of God.

When you sinned then, you had no ability within you that could identify your evil with transgression of the Law and will of God. When you sin now most of the sin you commit is known to you as sin. Therefore, it is not "sin within you" that caused you to sin, but your own weakness.


God bless.

 

[The Biblicist]

On the contrary, the only difference between your sin in your pre-converted life and your sin now is that you can now recognize sin for what it is, a violation of the will of God.

When you sinned then, you had no ability within you that could identify your evil with transgression of the Law and will of God. When you sin now most of the sin you commit is known to you as sin. Therefore, it is not "sin within you" that caused you to sin, but your own weakness.


God bless.

Basically I agree with this analysis. The sin nature was present within the infant, and thus the infant was evil by nature but circumstances along with understanding provided expression and intent for sin.

 

[Archie the Preacher]

Yes.

By any measure, humans - individuals - are sinful in that no one merits life with God in Eternity on their own actions. I suggest how they - we - got that way is irrelevant.

Humans are not completely depraved in that many non-believers can accomplish 'good' things. Artists do great works of art while being isolated from God in the normal sense of the words. Non-Christian doctors perform serious surgery. The Iliad and Odyssey are highly treasured historical poems, 'written' by an obvious non-God-loving man (in the Jewish or Christian concept).

Yet none of these sorts of people merit Salvation by virtue of their 'works'.

We are born with the nature to serve our own interests rather than anyone else's; including God's. Life tends to solidify that nature.

 

[Yeshua1]

On the contrary, the only difference between your sin in your pre-converted life and your sin now is that you can now recognize sin for what it is, a violation of the will of God.

When you sinned then, you had no ability within you that could identify your evil with transgression of the Law and will of God. When you sin now most of the sin you commit is known to you as sin. Therefore, it is not "sin within you" that caused you to sin, but your own weakness.


God bless.

I have the Holy Spirit now within me to give me power over sinning, and a new nature....

 

[Yeshua1]

Basically I agree with this analysis. The sin nature was present within the infant, and thus the infant was evil by nature but circumstances along with understanding provided expression and intent for sin.

Without the Lord applying the Grace/Merits of Jesus death unto them, even they would be lost, as none are innocent!