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The Nature of Man

Marcia

Active Member
This topic has come up a few times in this forum and elsewhere.

I think all of us are saved by grace - those who can be saved by grace through faith have faith; those who cannot, such as infants or others, are still saved by grace.

But an infant is not saved because they are innocent - they still have a sin nature and need redemption.
 

DHK

<b>Moderator</b>
HP: One would do well to recognize the innocence Jesus saw in children. There is not the slightest shred of evidence that children are sinners or that they are sinful or that they are not innocent. “
Mt 19:14 But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.”

Not one definition of sin would in any way imply children are guilty of sin, and every definition would suggest the exact opposite. If that is not true, show us one definition of sin that would or could include infants.

This Scripture has nothing to do with sin, sinners, or the sin nature. It is a red herring. In Mat.19:14 Jesus is speaking of faith, not innocence, not sin, not sin nature. You are way off topic here, taking Scripture waaaayyyy out of context.

Put your faith in Christ as a child puts their faith in their parents. Salvation is by faith alone. A child doesn't work for their salvation. All is provided by their parents, as they put their simple faith in their parents provision for them. It is a wonderful illustration of salvation by faith alone.
 

Thinkingstuff

Active Member
This topic has come up a few times in this forum and elsewhere.

I think all of us are saved by grace - those who can be saved by grace through faith have faith; those who cannot, such as infants or others, are still saved by grace.

But an infant is not saved because they are innocent - they still have a sin nature and need redemption.

Man bad
God good
Man always bad
God always good
Man needs God to be good

A Neandertal told me that once.
 
Marcia: I think all of us are saved by grace - those who can be saved by grace through faith have faith;

HP: I agree. :thumbsup:


Marcia: those who cannot, such as infants or others, are still saved by grace.


HP: Where do Scriptures ever represent babies being saved by grace?

Macia: But an infant is not saved because they are innocent

HP: Where does it ever state that salvation is needed for innocent infants?

Marcia: - they still have a sin nature and need redemption.


HP: Show us in the Word of God where it ever uses the words ‘sin nature,’ and if so where it attaches that nature to infants.
 
DHK: A child doesn't work for their salvation.

HP: A child does not need to be saved, for they have not sinned. Neither are they righteous. God has not told us the role they will play in heaven or of their state.

No man works for their salvation. Salvation is by grace and grace alone. Just the samen no one will be saved apart from the fulfilling of the conditions God has set forth to be saved. The conditions of salvation are: Repentance, faith, and continued obedience until the end.

Conditions are never thought of in the sense of that for the sake of, neither is anything we do the grounds of our salvation. Conditions are always thought in the sense of ‘not without which and are NOT meritorious in ones salvation. Nothing man can or ever will do, including repentance, faith, or continuing to the end can or will in any way contribute to the grounds of our salvation, i.e., the grace and mercy of our God.

Write this down as a direct quote of mine and hold it as a frontlet before your eyes as you consider my position.

No man can do anything to work for or merit salvation. Not then, not now, not ever!:godisgood::thumbs:
 

DHK

<b>Moderator</b>
All translations have biases. Only the original languages are without error, which is why I looked up the Hebrew and posted that for your reading. Accoring to the originally authored text in the orginal language, the rendering I gave you is correct.
I gave two translations which I believe were accurate in their rendering of this verse. If you want to talk about bias, your bias was "outstanding" to the point of ridiculous. You looked up the Hebrew (a fruitless exercise) and chose one meaning out of many to suit your pre-determined idea. That is bias.
Here is what you said in your previous post:
In Pslam 51, the word "shapen" - the Hebrew word chuwl - means to "travail in pain and bring forth". The word "iniquity" is the Hebrew word avon which means "punishment of iniquity".

So the literal translation would be: "Behold I was brought forth in pain under the punishment for sin (which is death)." The whole verse is probably a reference to Genesis 3:16, as it artisticly echos the verse:

Gen 3:16a Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children;
Now what does the Hebrew really say concerning "shapen"
lwx chuwl khool

or chiyl {kheel}; a primitive root; properly, to twist or whirl (in a circular or spiral
manner), i.e. (specifically) to dance, to writhe in pain (especially of parturition) or
fear; figuratively, to wait, to pervert:--bear, (make to) bring forth, (make to) calve,
dance, drive away, fall grievously (with pain), fear, form, great, grieve, (be)
grievous, hope, look, make, be in pain, be much (sore) pained, rest, shake,
shapen, (be) sorrow(-ful), stay, tarry, travail (with pain), tremble, trust, wait carefully
(patiently), be wounded.
Out of about 35 meanings of this word, you chose one that would suit your cause. That is bias; or perhaps deceit would even be better.
Then, you use your one-definition-word and apply it symbolically or allegorically to the curse in Genesis 3 to which Psalm 51:5 has no relevance at all.

Now let's get to the heart of the matter. Answer a simple question. When David says: in the KJV, "in sin did my mother conceive me," what sin did his mother commit? Or what is something else that David was referring to?

Could it be possible that another translation has a better rendering of this verse, such as:
(GW) Indeed, I was born guilty. I was a sinner when my mother conceived me.

(NET) Look, I was guilty of sin from birth,
a sinner the moment my mother conceived me.

Where in Scripture was the sin that the wife of Jesse committed? Give Scripture please.
I can't find the phrase "the Adamic nature" in any of the translations of my Bible. Can you point out this scripture to me?
I can't find the word "trinity" in any of the translations of my Bible. Can you point out this scripture to me. The Bible teaches both.
Interesting. Yet - death reigned in those from Adam until Moses... even over those who did not eat the fruit of the garden of eden - that being the only law of God until the time of Moses (unless you count things like "be fruitful and multiply" or count God creating plants as food as an implied command not to eat animals).
You have a problem with this. Did not Adam and his descendants die? Did not he and all his generations have laws to obey? Of course they did. They did not have the Mosaic law, which is referred to in Romans 5:13, but they did have law.
Rom 5:13 (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.
14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.

So sin was not 'charged' (imputed) to those who were between Adam and Moses, because The Law had not yet entered. However, death was 'imputed'... they did experience death even though they had not disobeyed any existing law (they didn't eat of the fruit from the tree of the knowlege of good and evil, for example).
Adam died because he broke God's law, as did every man that followed him. The wages of sin is death. No man has lived a sinless life except Christ. All men have died because all have sinned. All have sinned because all have fallen under the curse and therefore have inherited a sin nature. They will sin; they have a sin nature. It didn't take the law of Moses to tell them that. Why do you confuse the law of Moses with the general moral law of God?
The curse of sin is death. You just made my argument for me again. You said the curse (which is death) fell upon all mankind.
Death is a result of sin. You can't have death without sin. Adam died because he sinned. The curse came as a result of sin.

"In Adam's fall; we sinned all." (McGuffey's Reader)
Sin didn't reign. Sin had no power until the law was given.
Not true. It is not true because you are assuming that the law here refers to the Mosaic law. It isn't. Sin reigned as soon as Adam sinned and broke God's law.
God's law has been in this world for as long as Adam and Eve have been created. I don't see where your problem is.
Rom 7:8 But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin [was] dead.
Now you have jumped from chapter five to chapter 7, where Paul is giving his own testimony. He does refer to the Mosaic law, under which he was brought up. He uses the first personal pronoun, "me." The law showed him that he was a sinner, in need of a Saviour. The law pointed him to Christ.
What scripture does the idea that the sin nature is passed on biologically contained? What scripture says that the male is the one who passes it on biologically? There is none.
Romans 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
--By one man...death by sin...all have sinned.
The one man was Adam. Because of his sin all have become sinners. It was passed on through Adam.

Romans 5:15 But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.
--We are all dead spiritually, that is we all have a sin nature that separates us from God, because of the sin of Adam. As Adam gave us that sin nature, so Christ will give us a new nature, by his grace--a free gift to all.

Romans 5:16 And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.
--Because of Adam we all are condemned. Because of Christ we all have hope. Our sin nature is passed on through Adam; otherwise how else are we condemned. Paul says it is because of Adam.

Romans 5:17 For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)
--Death reigned because of Adam. But death reigns only because of sin. If Adam had not sinned there would have been no sin. Because of Adam's sin, we all sin, and we all die. The sin nature is inherited.

Romans 5:18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.
--Because of Adam judgment came upon all men to condemnation. This would not be possible unless all received a sin nature through Adam. It is called our Adamic nature. Adam is the head of our race. There is only one race--the Adamic race. And from Adam we have inherited his sin nature. It came as a result of the fall; the curse.

Romans 5:19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
--We are made sinners because of Adam's disobedience. The teaching here is very clear. Adam's sin nature is passed down.
 

DHK

<b>Moderator</b>
In fact, Eve was decieved, but the sin was laid to Adam's charge because he is the head of the wife... meaning he had authority over the woman and therefore was legally responsible for her and her actions, just as Christ has authority over us and has taken responsibility for our sin.

1Ti 2:12 But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.
13 For Adam was first formed, then Eve.
14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.
Eve was deceived; Adam rebelled.
DHK, if that were true, it would have said: "and so sin passed upon all men, and because of it death." But it didn't say that. It said "death passed upon all men because all are sinners". It was death that was passed or inherited. It is the curse that remains in the earth and in man, not the crime for which the curse was given.
Galatians 3:10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.
--The text means, that if one does not keep continuously all things (from birth to death) that are written in the law, he is cursed. If at any time between birth and death you mess up, or sin just one time, you are cursed. That is the law. The law cannot save; it can only condemn. All mankind from birth to death, is cursed. They are under the curse of the law. There is no hope, not even for an infant.

Galatians 3:11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident:
Galatians 3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
--The reason that one can go to heaven is that Christ redeemed us from that Christ. The rest of verse 11 says: "The just shall live by faith."

Galatians 3:22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.
--All are under sin. All are under the curse.
There is no question in this passage that all have the Adamic curse, a sin nature; all are under sin. The Scriptures teach this vital doctrine plainly. It is the very reason why we need a redeemer.
Actually, David was assured that he would see his child in hell. Christ had not yet come, and there was no hope for life. Even Abraham - the first counted righteous for his faith in Jesus Christ - was in hell until after Jesus came.

Luk 16:23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

Luke seems to indicate that Abraham and Lazarus were not, however, in torments. So it seems it was a swanky, posh part of hell. Still they were certainly not in heaven (they were separated from God - no man comes to the Father but by Jesus Christ), and David would not have been in heaven, nor would David's dead son - Christ had not come, and David definately sinned in his life.

Ah yes, but the heaven/hell that Abraham was in is an argument for a different thread.
Go back to Luke 16. Hell was in two compartments: Hell and paradise. That is why Jesus could say to the thief: "Today thou shalt be with me in paradise. David saw his infant in paradise. Abraham was in paradise. The other compartment was hell. You are being too technical here.
As I have shown you, the interpretation I gave was by looking at the original Hebrew text and meanings. I would say the original language is probably the only fully accurate translation.
Looking at the Hebrew weakened your position; not strengthened it.
I agree with you that one can be born a sinner. This isn't what David was saying, however. Additionally, being born a sinner is separate from inheriting the 'sins of our fathers'.
That is what David was saying. He certainly was not attributing any sin of any kind to his mother.
 

Marcia

Active Member
HP: I agree. :thumbsup:





HP: Where do Scriptures ever represent babies being saved by grace?



HP: Where does it ever state that salvation is needed for innocent infants?



HP: Show us in the Word of God where it ever uses the words ‘sin nature,’ and if so where it attaches that nature to infants.

HP, I already said I'm not doing this again with you. I already went that route and said my piece. You continue to reject the belief that man is born with a sinful nature and I don't have time to go through all we went through before on this. You can't rope me in. :wavey:
 
Thingstuff: Man bad
God good
Man always bad
God always good
Man needs God to be good

A Neandertal told me that once.


HP: There is an old ancient proverb that says, Neanderthal’s were not noted for their brimming intellects. Be careful not to simply absorb what they painted on some wall. :smilewinkgrin:
 

steaver

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
HP: Show us in the Word of God where it ever uses the words ‘sin nature,’ and if so where it attaches that nature to infants.

I'm still looking for the words "age of accountability". Could you point this verse out to us?

:jesus:
 

Gup20

Active Member
Out of about 35 meanings of this word, you chose one that would suit your cause. That is bias; or perhaps deceit would even be better.
Deceit? Do you really accuse me of bearing false witness? Well lets take a closer look.

Chuwl meanings:
Gup20: travail in pain and bring forth
DHK: sexual conception

I'll even use your list of definitions:
lwx chuwl khool
Properly; to twist or whirl (in a circular or spiral manner), i.e. (specifically) to dance, to writhe in pain (especially of parturition) or fear;

Figuratively; to wait, to pervert:--bear, (make to) bring forth, (make to) calve,dance, drive away, fall grievously (with pain), fear, form, great, grieve, (be) grievous, hope, look, make, be in pain, be much (sore) pained, rest, shake,
shapen, (be) sorrow(-ful), stay, tarry, travail (with pain), tremble, trust, wait carefully (patiently), be wounded.

Out of the 33 definitions you have provided, 15 of them support my statement (these are in bold) including 2 of the 3 proper meanings. Out of the 33 definitions you have provided 0 proper meanings support your definition, and just 3 of the figurative meanings can be stretched to mean "conceived".

Deciet indeed, but not by me.
DHK said:
When David says: in the KJV, "in sin did my mother conceive me," what sin did his mother commit? Or what is something else that David was referring to?
Sin was in the world (his mother being a sinner) when David was both conceived and born.
Psa 51:5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.
Lets look at this more closely. "In sin did my mother conceive me". According to you Sin is a modifier of the subject "me". However, the subject of the line is "mother" and sin is a modifer of that subject. Otherwise, the sentence would mean that David concieved himself. Do you believe David's mother wasn't a sinner?

As we have seen from your own list of definitions, "concieved" is tenuous at best with just 3 out of 33 definitions even marginally supporting that notion, and none of them meaning "concieved" with any certainty. However, nearly half of the possible definitions, including 2/3 of the proper meanings support my interpretation.

Do you truely think that word studies into the original languages are fruitless? Personally I'd rather get it right than rely on the sponsors of the translations.
DHK said:
You have a problem with this. Did not Adam and his descendants die? Did not he and all his generations have laws to obey? Of course they did. They did not have the Mosaic law, which is referred to in Romans 5:13, but they did have law.

The Law given was Do not eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Do you know of any other laws that were given?
DHK said:
Death is a result of sin. You can't have death without sin.
Jesus died, so according to your logic, he must have sinned. However, it was death that was passed in The Curse, not sin.
Romans 5:12 - "... and so death passed upon all men."
It does not say sin passed upon all men, it says "death passed upon all men".
Not true. It is not true because you are assuming that the law here refers to the Mosaic law. It isn't. Sin reigned as soon as Adam sinned and broke God's law.
God's law has been in this world for as long as Adam and Eve have been created. I don't see where your problem is. (empphasis by Gup20)
I guess I am a sucker for what the Bible says.
Rom 5:14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.
It appears that God's word says that "death reigned", not sin reigned.
The rest of Romans 5 goes on to describe how death (which entered the world because of Adam's sin) is passed upon all men. It isn't sin that is passed, it is the punishment for it - the condemnation - the death. We don't inherit sin biologically, otherwise Jesus would have been a sinner. However, Jesus wasn't a sinner, but he did die, so it is logical that death was passed, but not sin. In Genesis, God didn't curse the world with SIN, he curse it with the punishment - which is death. Therefore death is a constant in the world because of the curse. We all deserve death because we all sin.
--The text means, that if one does not keep continuously all things (from birth to death) that are written in the law, he is cursed. If at any time between birth and death you mess up, or sin just one time, you are cursed. That is the law. The law cannot save; it can only condemn. All mankind from birth to death, is cursed. They are under the curse of the law. There is no hope, not even for an infant.
I agree 100%. The Curse is death. The curse isn't sin. God doesn't say because you have sinned, I will punish you with sin... he says because you have sinned, I will punish you with death. So The Curse is death.
--All are under sin. All are under the curse.
There is no question in this passage that all have the Adamic curse, a sin nature; all are under sin. The Scriptures teach this vital doctrine plainly. It is the very reason why we need a redeemer.
The curse = Death. These are interchangable. Sin is the offense, death or The Curse is the punishment for the offense. All of us have been shown (by the Law) to be sinners, and therefore all of us deserve death (the Curse) which is already upon us all because we inherited death from Adam. Otherwise, Jesus could not have died, and no one could die until they have sinned - so abortions wouldn't work, and there would be no miscarriages.
You are being too technical here.
Well I'm sorry, I assumed heaven and hell were two different places. Paradise was in hell in Davids time, and all the Jews understood that the Messiah would come and THEN give them access to heaven.
Looking at the Hebrew weakened your position; not strengthened it.

Looking at the original Hebrew actually eliminated your translation from the realm of possibility, and gave significant credence to the interpretation I gave you.

Many Calvinists use "orginal sin" as a cop-out. They say God is sovereign and caused me to be a sinner, and they use this to soothe their own conscience regarding the sin in their own lives. You should search yourself, DHK. Do you have sin in your life? If your initial reaction is no, then your self-righteousness is probably a sin.

Rom 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

All means all. This includes me... this includes you... this includes David's Mother.
 

Gup20

Active Member
Actually, it says all have sinned...please tell me what sin a human that is conceived has committed. Have sinned is past tense...everyone that can will sin, and has. Did their cells fail to divide properly according to the law?

That's very good. Indeed it does say have sinned, not are sinners. I don't know... perhaps a pre-born child feels pain and kicks his mother in the womb to lash out in hatred and retaliation. Who can know the heart of an unborn child but God?

He rose again because He defeated sin and because He is God. Scripture states He became sin for us...how do you reconcile that with your view?

It is The Law which allows substitution by a pure sacrifice to take on the sin of man and die in our place.

Isa 53:7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.

Wrong. Our old bodies will be resurrected like Christ's was. The Bible tells us our bodies will be as His is. Same body, but restored...like Christ.

1Cr 15:44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
Phl 3:21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

Act 24:15 And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.

I guess I've always taken these verses to mean that our bodies would be purged of any corruption - or any form of death - and be glorified.

Non sequitur based on faulty presuppositions. The answer is no, they will be resurrected in their resurrected bodies.
You are half correct. They know no sin, and will rise in the resurrection along with the rest of those justified...but the curse has been passed on to even them, that it is appointed once to die.[/quote]

I guess I call "changed" or "glorified" a new body, and you are saying it is the same but restored body. Lets just agree that it is our body but with upgrades.
 

webdog

Active Member
Site Supporter
I don't know... perhaps a pre-born child feels pain and kicks his mother in the womb to lash out in hatred and retaliation. Who can know the heart of an unborn child but God?
...and prior to formation of the brain? I mean, if we are conceived in sin, the zygote is a sinner...no?
 

Gup20

Active Member
...and prior to formation of the brain? I mean, if we are conceived in sin, the zygote is a sinner...no?

Personally, I think blastocyst sounds more sinful than zygote. ;)

I don't know, myself, when or if there is an age of accountability. Does it begin at conception? At birth? At whatever age we are able to understand good and evil?

Would you agree that there is no such thing as "original sin" in the sense that we inherit a sin nature from our parents? Would you agree that we do inherit death from our parents? (romans 5:12)
 

webdog

Active Member
Site Supporter
Personally, I think blastocyst sounds more sinful than zygote. ;)

I don't know, myself, when or if there is an age of accountability. Does it begin at conception? At birth? At whatever age we are able to understand good and evil?

Would you agree that there is no such thing as "original sin" in the sense that we inherit a sin nature from our parents? Would you agree that we do inherit death from our parents? (romans 5:12)
I believe we inherit a sin nature as well as death, as they are both passed on to all men. I do not believe Adam's guilt is passed on to all men. If another person's sin guilt can be inherited, why didn't Adam die when Eve sinned first? I also believe words have meanings, and a sinner is one who sins...but I can't tell you how many preachers claim "we aren't sinners because we sin, we sin because we are sinners". This makes no sense.

Gen. 6:5 When the LORD saw that man's wickedness was widespread on the earth and that every scheme his mind thought of was nothing but evil all the time

Rom. 8:7 For the mind-set of the flesh is hostile (A) to God because it does not submit itself to God's law, for it is unable to do so.
 

Gup20

Active Member
I believe we inherit a sin nature as well as death, as they are both passed on to all men. I do not believe Adam's guilt is passed on to all men. If another person's sin guilt can be inherited, why didn't Adam die when Eve sinned first? I also believe words have meanings, and a sinner is one who sins...but I can't tell you how many preachers claim "we aren't sinners because we sin, we sin because we are sinners". This makes no sense.

Gen. 6:5 When the LORD saw that man's wickedness was widespread on the earth and that every scheme his mind thought of was nothing but evil all the time

Rom. 8:7 For the mind-set of the flesh is hostile (A) to God because it does not submit itself to God's law, for it is unable to do so.

I believe that we all inherit death (as Romans 5:12 says) because of The Curse. I think we take on a sin nature because of our fear of death only after we have sinned.

Hbr 2:14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;
15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

Otherwise, Jesus would have inherited Sin and he would not have been sinless.
 
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