so Jesus was wrong when he said you were enslaved to sin? You can't have it both ways Winman. Jesus says everyone that sins is a servant(or slave, bondservant) of sin. And I'm assuming you are changing your mind and no longer believe what you said in your previous post. So is man enslaved to sin or not?
I have explained this several times, and the observation of all men agrees with me.
Jesus said the person that #1 sins, is the #2 servant of sin. Please note which comes first. The choice to sin precedes becoming a servant or slave to sin.
I will repeat myself with several examples, but you will see this same pattern with all sin.
Is a man born addicted to cigarettes? No. When a man decides to smoke his first cigarette, did he begin to smoke because he was compelled by an addiction to cigarettes? No. It is when a man freely chooses to smoke and continues to smoke that he AFTERWARD becomes addicted and a slave to nicotine.
This holds true to all sin. No one is born addicted to alcohol. It is when a man freely chooses to drink and continues to drink that he becomes addicted and a slave.
No man is born with a copy of Hustler in his hand. But if a man chooses to look at pornography and continues to look at it, he can become addicted to it.
Gambling is the same, nobody is born with a deck of cards or a lottery ticket in his hands. When a man freely chooses to gamble and continues to do so he can become addicted and a slave to gambling.
Do you deny this? Tell me you deny this. This is what you have observed with your own eyes! You have never seen the contrary, not once.
If we are born a slave, addicted to sin, then we are not transgressors, but victims. There is the occasional baby born to a woman addicted to crack or heroin, and that baby is born addicted. No one considers that baby a transgressor, but a victim of his own mother's sinful behavior.
But that is rare. The vast majority of men are not born addicted to cigarettes, or alcohol, or drugs, or pornography, or gambling, but freely choose to engage in these activities while they are yet not addicted, but through continual practice become a slave and addicted to these sins.
I believe we are born into this world upright (Ecc 7:29) just as Adam and Eve were, and just like Adam and Eve we all choose to sin of our own free will and corrupt ourselves, and addict ourselves to sin thorugh continual practice.
Now, I do believe the knowledge of good and evil had an effect on mankind. I believe man received a knowledge greater than his ability to control, or rather IMPAIRS his ability to control himself. I believe the thorns and thistles represent this. Thorns and thistles do not make farming impossible, but they do make it more difficult. Man's mind and imagination was opened to have a greater conception of sin than intended. Man could now invent or imagine sin and the pleasures of sin. This tends to tempt him and cloud his judgment, making it easier to sin. Another analogy would be the effects of alcohol. A person who drinks is affected in that his judgment is impared, while his sensibilites are often increased. A man who is very drunk will act in inappropriate ways he would not normally act. I believe the knowledge of good and evil had a similar effect on man.
But we are not judged for our nature, but for our acts. We are not judged because we have the ability to sin, but only when we actually choose to sin.
I also believe man retained the ability to make a choice between good and evil as scripture itself says.
Isa 7:16 For before the child shall know
to refuse the evil, and choose the good, the land that thou abhorrest shall be forsaken of both her kings.
This verse shows men have the knowledge to refuse evil and choose good. Whether they do so is their own personal choice.
Not understanding how one is both born an enemy and an enemy due to their sin. If they were born that way their sin is irrelevant in their being an enemy, and if it is their sin that causes them to be an enemy, that contradicts being born that way.