We are almost on the same page here at least as far as the results are concerned. Either one of our views of Eph 2 is still opposed to Calvinism. But I do believe the Bible is pretty clear on the subject of being born in sin, and if we are born in sin, then we are born dead in sin.
But we are not born dead in sin, the scriptures I showed refute that. If we are born dead in sin, then Paul could never say he once was alive, but that is exactly what he told us. If we are born dead in sin, then Jesus could not have said the prodigal son was alive AGAIN, but that is what Jesus said twice. If we are born dead in sin, separated from God, then Peter could not say we are RETURNED to Jesus, but that is exactly what he said. You cannot return someplace you have never been. Folks minds are so conditioned by false teaching they simply do not see what scripture plainly says.
"Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me." Psalm 51:5. This does not mean, as some opine, that David was born into a sinful environment. David was "Shapen...in....iniquity".
Yes, the flesh is corruptable (able to be corrupted), but the soul and spirit are received from God and are not corrupt (at first).
Ecc 12:7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was:
and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.
Mat 26:41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation:
the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
Total Depravity as taught by Calvinism is false doctrine. Jesus here shows the disciples were willing in their human spirit to obey, but their flesh was weak. This was before the disciples received the indwelling Holy Spirit.
Our spirit is given to us by God, God is called the "father of spirits" in scripture. God does not give us evil spirits.
Although John 9:34 is stated by heretics, it shows the understanding they had of the law. "Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us?"
And they were in complete error.
And in Romans 5, if Adam is the reason that all die, then the curse of sin must logically occur at conception.
Adam introduced sin into the world which brought condemnation and death. Those who copy Adam die as he did. Notice that verses 13-14 only speak of men from Adam to Moses. Why doesn't it say all men from Adam? Paul had explained in chapter 2 that men without the law perish without the law. Why? Because they have the law written on their hearts. This is what Paul is saying in Rom 5:13-14. Paul is not saying these men sinned in Adam, God said the son shall not bear the iniquity of his father, or vice versa (Eze 18:20)
The idea that there was no original sin is based on an old teaching called Pelagianism.
He was correct.
The issue then becomes when sin is imputed. Romans 4:1-7.
Sin is not imputed when there is no law. This is why babies cannot be sinners, because they have no knowledge between good and evil. Romans 9:11 clearly shows babies have committed no evil.
Deu 1:39 Moreover your little ones, which ye said should be a prey,
and your children, which in that day had no knowledge between good and evil, they shall go in thither, and unto them will I give it, and they shall possess it.
God did not punish the children of the Jews who sinned in the wilderness, because they had no knowledge between good and evil. God does not impute sin to babies and small children. See also Isa 7:16, and Jon 4:11, and of course Romans 7:9. This is exactly what Paul is explaining, that he was spiritually alive until he came to know the law. He thought the law would lead him to eternal life, but sin working by the law convicted him as a sinner and he spiritually died. If men are born dead in sin, then Paul could NEVER say he was alive once. And Paul was of course speaking of spiritual life here, he could not possibly be saying he physically died.
When Ecclesiastes is mentioning God making man upright, Solomon is speaking in a moral sense, not a sinless sense. God made man with a conscience and holds him accountable to his conscience. Romans 2:12-14.
Perfect example of how Calvinists explain scripture away. The verse is simple, God made men upright, but all men seek out inventions or sin and spiritually die as the prodigal son did.
When Paul states he was alive, Paul was a Jew under the law, and keeping the law kept them alive, literally (Prov 7:2, Deut 4:40). When Paul was physically alive in the world, once the knowledge of sin came because of the law, sin was imputed to him. The fact that everyone that is not saved is already under condemnation further serves to support that. John 3:17-18.
Nope, Paul could not say he was ever alive if OS is true. You are listening to those who explain scripture away.
Notice that Romans 7:9 says that sin REVIVED and he died, which means it was there before. It is a matter of being born in sin, but not having the sin nature imputed to you until your become consciously aware of the need to repent.
Sin without law has no power, it is dormant. Until Paul learned the law, sin had no power over him. When he learned the law he was convicted of his sins and spiritually died. Sin is only imputed when there is law.
The prodigal son is symbolic of the relationship between God and Israel (not God and a backslidden or unsaved person as is the popular usage of it). Israel was a nation that was given promises and sat in the Father's house, and then chose to reject what the Father had done, but will come back to Him during and after the tribulation after they have spent 2,000 years eating with the pigs. Romans 11:1, 26, and Revelation 7:4-7 for those who think Israel is the church, tell me which tribe you are in during the tribulation!) The nation of Israel was once alive and then became dead as a nation when they rejected Christ (Romans 11:25).
No, Jesus is clearly speaking of lost sinners. In all three parables, none was originally lost. The sheep was not originally lost, but BECAME lost, Jesus sought him out and found him. Jesus explains this was a lost sinner who repented. The woman had 10 pieces of silver, none was lost. When one BECAME lost, she searched and found it. Jesus explained this was a lost sinner who repented. The prodigal son was not lost at first. He left home and was joined to a citizen of a far country (Satan). This is when he BECAME LOST and he died. When he repented, Jesus said he was ALIVE AGAIN. Do not let folks explain scripture away, it is plain and simple.
Peter said we were AS sheep going astray, not that were were alive at some point. To be alive at some point and then to be dead when sin came would imply losing your salvation at some point. Going by the interpretation you offered would imply that as sheep we at some point had knowledge of Christ and then left and returned. When the sheep returned is a universal statement (not be confused with Universalism). As Peter later says, it is not God's will that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. Christ died so that all would come to Him, and thus when as sheep return, they are returning to Someone who's original intent was to be their Shepard in the first place.
You cannot RETURN someplace you have never been. Words have meaning. If you were born separated from God, you could not return to him.
The whole matter of repentance involves turning to Christ from what you ARE, not what you became, or what you've done (e.g. Luke 18:13).
Funny, because Psalm 14 says we have BECOME filthy, Paul rewords this in Romans 3 and says we have BECOME unprofitable. The scriptures say man CORRUPTED himself. The scriptures say we fade as a leaf. All leaves begin green and alive, no leaf starts out dead. It is all plain, but folks are blinded by false doctrine.
This is where Calvinism by many is misunderstood because it is held that because Calvin believed in original sin and then called it Total Depravity, that critics are now attempting to revive the Pelagian rebuttal to original sin. But it is not the view of original sin that is the problem with Total Depravity. It is the idea that man can not hear God or respond to him, and thus needs God to superimpose and irresistible grace to wake the sinner up and grant him repentance, which as I have shown from Genesis 3 where Adam not only heard God but responded to Him while he was dead in his sin. is just one example that refutes that.
I believe Pelagius has been misrepresented, he did not believe any person could be saved without God's grace and neither do I. If God had not revealed himself to us through his word, then no man could be saved (Rom 10;14). Faith comes by hearing the word of God.
Men are born with the innate ability to believe, but no man can believe what he has never heard and does not know. This is why Paul asked how any man can believe unless he has heard, and how can he hear without a preacher?
When a man hears the gospel, he is enabled to believe or not.
Pay attention to the words and you will see Original Sin is false doctrine. Almost every single thing that Calvinism teaches is the exact opposite of scripture. It is a complete LIE.
