By Michael Bunker
mbunker@michaelbunker.com
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February 26, 2003 - The enemies of God have gathered their forces and they have focused their attack on the foundational doctrines of the true Christian faith.  We will endeavor to prove the Doctrine of Original Sin from the scriptures so that this critical Christian Doctrine will continue to stand as a bulwark against all those who would attempt to destroy faith.

Our central scripture in Romans will serve as our rallying point in this important battle.  Paul writes, “For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous”, and we can readily see in this verse the corollary doctrine of SUBSTITUTION applied to our situation.  Paul teaches that since righteousness must be IMPUTED in order for us to be justified by Grace, then sin must have also been imputed in order for the whole race of men to be considered ruined by sin, as the scripture says, “Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin” (Rom 4:8). 

We will look closer at this issue of substitution, and from it we will derive a clearer understanding of the necessity of the Doctrine of Original Sin to proper theology.

First I need to make sure that we delineate between the critical doctrines of ORIGINAL SIN and of TOTAL DEPRAVITY (or total inability) in our understanding, because one is the CAUSE and one is the EFFECT brought about by the cause.  I could tell you the story of a man who did not have the ability to use his arms or his legs, and I could tell you many stories about how the man functioned, or how he was unable to perform certain tasks, and I could tell you many amazing facts concerning his current condition - but none of those facts or stories necessarily would tell you about the horrible car accident that brought about his current condition.  The horrible automobile wreck and its subsequent consequences are two completely different stories and although each story is true, each one is incomplete without the other.

We have studied on the Doctrine of Total Depravity in the past, and we will deal with that doctrine in this DOCTRINE SERIES in the future - but today we will discuss the CAUSE of total human inability, and we will prove that it is not only a true Christian Doctrine, but that the denial thereof is the root cause of many last days heresies.

First we will deal with the precept of Original Sin, and in doing so we will discuss all of the arguments made against it.

Westminster Confession of Faith Statement on Original Sin

Chapter 6 - Of the Fall of Man, of Sin, and of the Punishment thereof.

I.  Our first parents being seduced by the subtilty and temptation of Satan, sinned in eating the forbidden fruit (Gen. 3:13; 2 Cor. 11:3).  This, their sin, God was pleased, according to his wise and holy counsel, to permit, having purposed to order it to his own glory (Rom. 11:32).

II.  By this sin they fell from their original righteousness, and communion with God (Gen. 3:6-8; Eccl. 7:29; Rom. 3:23), and so became dead in sin (Gen. 2:17; Eph. 2:1), and wholly defiled in all the faculties and parts of soul and body (Tit. 1:15; Gen. 6:5; Jer. 17:9; Rom. 3:10-18).

III.  They, being the root of all mankind, the guilt of this sin was imputed (Gen. 1:27,28 and Gen. 2:16,17 and Acts 17:26 with Rom. 5:12,15-19 and 1 Cor. 15:21,22,49), and the same death in sin and corrupted nature conveyed to all their posterity, descending from them by ordinary generation (Ps. 51:5; Gen. 5:3; Job 14:4, Job 15:14).

IV.  From this original corruption, whereby we are utterly indisposed, disabled, and made opposite to all good (Rom. 5:6; Rom. 8:7; Rom. 7:18; Col. 1:21), and wholly inclined to all evil (Gen. 6:5; Gen. 8:21; Rom. 3:10-12), do proceed all actual transgressions (James 1:14,15; Eph. 2:2,3; Matt. 15:19).

V.  This corruption of nature, during this life, doth remain in those that are regenerated (1 John 1:8,10; Rom. 7:14,17,18,23; James 3:2; Prov. 20:9; Eccl. 7:20): and although it be through Christ pardoned and mortified, yet both itself, and all the motions thereof, are truly and properly sin (Rom. 7:5,7,8,25; Gal. 5:17).

VI.  Every sin, both original and actual, being a transgression of the righteous law of God, and contrary thereunto (1 John 3:4), doth, in its own nature, bring guilt upon the sinner (Rom. 2:15; Rom. 3:9,19), whereby he is bound over to the wrath of God (Eph. 2:3), and curse of the law (Gal. 3:10), and so made subject to death (Rom. 6:23), with all miseries spiritual (Eph. 4:18), temporal (Rom. 8:20; Lam. 3:39), and eternal (Matt. 25:41; 2 Thess. 1:9).

So we will now engage ourselves to examine this doctrine much closer.

First we must emphasize the fact that the Original Sin, which brought ruin upon the whole human race, was PERMITTED by God, as an act of His will, in order that His Glory would be made known to all of Creation.

“For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.  O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!” (Rom 11:32-33).

Before we begin to bring a railing accusation against God, to say that either this is not “fair”, or that God cannot have purposed Adam’s sin - let us heed a fair warning:  the entire concept of Christianity is based on the eventual propitiation of sin.  The act of atonement (or rather “propitiation”) is the assuaging of God’s wrath, and it is in the Bible pictured as AN EXCHANGE.  By way of explanation, let me ask:

“How did God’s benefits TRANSFER to His sheep?  “…Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God” (James 2:23).  Paul also teaches the same about the Abrahamic case adding, “But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead” (Rom 4:24).

RIGHTEOUSNESS IS IMPUTED!  As Webster’s defines it in this case, imputation is “To reckon to one what does not belong to him.”

Paul contrasts Righteousness and Sin throughout the book of Romans, and makes a special point to emphasize the fact in 2^nd Corinthians, “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (2 Cor 5:21).  Jesus had OUR sin imputed to His account, in order that HIS righteousness could be imputed to OUR account.  Now we may ask, is that fair?

“But not as the offense, so also is the free gift. For if through the offense 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.  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 offenses unto justification.   For if by one man's offense 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.)  Therefore as by the offense 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.   For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous” (Rom 5:15-19).

So our railers and accusers must meet head on with the fact that to deny the imputation of sin through Adam’s transgression is also to deny the righteousness imputed by Christ’s sacrifice.  By denying Original Sin, the accuser is denying the propitiation for sin, and cannot be a partaker thereof.

ORIGINAL SIN IS IMPUTED

We know that Original Sin is imputed to our account, and is the cause of human ruin by the plain text of scripture:

“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” (Rom 5:12).

And again in 1^st Corinthians:

“But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.  For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.  For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive” (1 Cor 15:20-22).

And we see this corruption in men both BEFORE and AFTER the flood:

“And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Gen 6:5).

“And the LORD smelled a sweet savor; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done” (Gen 8:21).

So the question is, “Who did Adam represent?”

Our initial verse teaches that because of Adam’s transgression, many were MADE sinners.  Who were these many?  The Biblical laws of representation and of generation teach us that ALL (meaning ALL without exception) of mankind was IN ADAM at the time of his transgression.  The curse comes from God upon ADAM (Hebrew, meaning MAN, Mankind, the race of men).

“And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;  Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return” (Gen 3:17-19)

Death entered in at this point.  Before that there was no death, and, as the Bible says :

“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:  For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.  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” (Romans 5:12-14).

If sin is not imputed where there is no law, then the only law which could have been violated by Adam was this, “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” (Gen 2:17).  The law is stated, and the immediate punishment is also declared.  SIN causes DEATH.  So when the fact of eventual death is imposed upon Adam, we see the righteous judgment of God brought upon the original sin of the 1^st high priest of man.

Now Paul makes the point that the residue of men who lived and died before the law was installed could not have violated a law that did not exist yet!  Paul says parenthetically, “For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.  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”, proving the point that these men were under the curse and the penalty of ADAM’S sin, and not only of their own.  Paul says this is a FIGURE, or a shadow picture of the 2^nd Adam who was to come.  Jesus Christ, our Great High Priest, our great Redeemer, our Savior, Lord and King, perfectly kept the law, so that His righteousness could pass upon the “many” that He represented.

Adam represented ALL those who were IN HIM at the time of His transgression.  He was the earthly father of ALL men, and it is from his blood that God has made all nations (Acts 17:26).  All those who were represented by Adam, fell in Adam.  All those who REMAIN in this first birth, are still represented by the fallen Adam, and they remain in their sins (which are a product of their sin nature, inherited from Adam).

So, who were the MANY that Christ represented?

I ask this question to destroy the arguments of Arminians who will say, “If ALL (without exception) fell in Adam, then ALL (without exception) are made righteous in Christ”.

This is foolishness on its face.  Was the Christ the representative of “All” without exception, or “All” of those who are IN HIM?

“…He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing” (John 15:5)

“For in him we live, and move, and have our being…we are also his offspring” (Act 17:28)

We can see that those who are IN HIM bring forth fruit, and those who are IN HIM are considered his offspring.  Now the Apostle Paul told the Church in Ephesus that those who were IN HIM on the Cross were CHOSEN out of mankind to be IN HIM:

“According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love” (Eph 1:4).

The act of choosing declares that some are chosen, while others are ignored or passed over.  Only those who have been made righteous are IN HIM.  The profane, the lost, the unredeemed, the unregenerate are in darkness, and cannot be IN HIM:

“This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” (1 John 1:5)

Jesus claimed to die for His sheep (John 10:11, 15), while claiming that there were many who were NOT His sheep (John 10:26).  Jesus declared that He was the representative of MANY (Matt. 20:28), for YOU (Luke 22:20), and for His FRIENDS (John 15:13), but He never once declared that he was the representative of ALL men.

DOES THE SCRIPTURE TEACH THAT BABIES ARE BLAMELESS?

You have often heard that babies are “sinless”, “pure” and without blame.  Can this be true?  Is there an “age of accountability” in scripture?  Absolutely not, in fact this concept of an “age of accountability” has been a HUGE stumblingblock placed in the path of God’s elect children.  Let’s examine the issue.

“But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.  Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein” (Mark 10:14-15).

This is really the only verse used by proponents of the age of accountability doctrine to prove their doctrine is correct.  But is this verse speaking of ACTUAL little children, or is Jesus using a perfect parable (as He most often did)?  Clearly he cannot be saying that ONLY physical children can receive or enter in to the kingdom.  This would contradict the entirety of Christ’s ministry on earth, particularly where He was speaking to grown men and said, “Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32).  Does the Bible contradict itself?  NEVER.

The parable of Jesus in Mark 10 is designed to tell us:

1.      that Jesus considers His elect to be His children.

2.      that those who would enter in the Kingdom, will come to Him having faith IN HIM, and not in their own strength.

Jesus Himself explains His parable in the Gospel of Matthew:

“And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.  Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.  But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.” (Mat 18:3-6).

Clearly in the parable of Jesus, he speaks of those who ARE CONVERTED becoming as little children.  And those who receive a CONVERT are those who receive Christ.  Those who offend the ELECT children will be punished.  Jesus explains His own parables in His own words.  Just as in the parable in Mark 10, Jesus begins this teaching session in Matthew 18 by calling “a little child unto him”, and setting the child “in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:2).  The pattern is clear.  Jesus calls His children to Himself, and they receive the Kingdom with the simple belief of a child.

So what does the Bible say about the natural state of babies and children?

“Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me” (Psalm 51:5).

“The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies” (Psalm 58:3).

“For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy” (1 Cor 7:14)

If the election of God is made moot by the free will of children who reach a certain age, then what does that make of the election of God?  To declare that children must “understand” the law in order to be accountable to it, denies the fact that the Bible teaches that ALL are accountable to the law, regardless of whether or not they have heard the law or the gospel!

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;  Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath showed it unto them.  For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse” (Romans 1:18-20)

Arminians hate it when we say that ALL does not always mean “ALL without exception”, yet they selectively interpret ALL in their own reading of these verses.  They will say, ALL EXCEPT BABIES OF COURSE, and by doing so they declare the Bible a liar when it declares that “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God”, because, of course, ALL cannot always mean ALL, right?

Genesis 18 offers us more abundant proof, as does the entire Old Testament, when it is declared that the angels were unable to find 10 righteous persons in all of Sodom.  Clearly there were children in Sodom, and, if they were righteous, God would have spared Sodom on their account as the scripture says,

“That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?” (Gen 18:25)

Yet all those so-called righteous babies and children in Sodom perished in the flames, as did almost all the babies and children of Canaan who were purged by the sword of Joshua (Josh 8:26, Josh 6:21).  Why were these children and babies killed when it is supposed that they had not reached the “age of accountability”?  Why did death (the penalty for sin) come upon those who had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression?

Because they belong to the fallen, sinful race of Adam.  Adam was their representative, and in him they all fell.

Now, we are NOT saying that all babies who die go to hell.  What we are, in fact, doing - is restating God’s sovereignty over who IS and who IS NOT to receive mercy:

“For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion” (Rom 9:15).

It is enough for us to declare the absolute truth of scripture, and affirm that unto God belong the issues concerning death.  We affirm that He is just, that He is perfect, and that He is worthy.  We affirm that we are BORN in trespasses and sins, that we are altogether incapable of righteousness from our mother’s womb, and that we are totally ruined and in need of salvation from outside ourselves.  We confess that God is wise, and that He will dispense with all men as He sees fit, and that He will be glorified in the doing of it.  We do not bring a railing accusation of “unfairness” against God, rather we declare that God’s manifold goodness is evident in everything that is made, to the extent that every creature could righteously be condemned for ingratitude on that basis alone.

We serve a Just God

Our accusers, all those who reject the Doctrine of Original Sin, will have God to always be “fair” (according to their own fallen judgment), but will NEVER have God to be JUST.  It is God’s justice that is in question, not His fairness.  If God declared that because of sin, Adam’s progeny would suffer physical death, and it is evident that this is true by any examination of history, then it must also be declared that the GUILT of Adam was also imputed to man.  For if God has imputed punishment where there is no guilt, then God could rightly be declared as unjust.  Those who declare that there is no Original Sin, and that this Doctrine is a foul doctrine created by Gnostics to encourage sin, are not only historically and biblically ignorant, but they have become accusers of God in that they are accusing God of allowing the punishment for sin (death) to be carried out against those who have not offended.  We declare that it is just for God to impute righteousness through His beloved Son, and so it is just for God to impute sin through the rebellious Adam.

Adam’s fall was purposed in the secret will of God

Just as we declare that everything that comes to pass, does so by the decree of God - we must also declare that the fall of Adam, and the subsequent spoiling of the race of men, existed from all eternity in the secret will of God, and as such it was inexorably declared in the Creation event that Christ must come to redeem many for His own Glory, and return to the Father having completed that which was assigned Him outside of time.  It is evident that God’s foreknowledge and his omnipotence are inextricably linked, and that he chose not only to permit the fall of man, but to withhold his own mighty power in preventing the spoiling of that which He had so magnificently created.

We also declare that it was to our own eternal benefit that He did so, as He declares in His word, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Rom 8:28).   It is here where the accuser once again declares that ALL cannot mean ALL, in that they believe clearly that Adam’s fall must have been some tragedy which came upon God unware.  But nothing can be further from the truth.

We know that all things that come to pass are the results of God’s work, the result of which will be His continued Glorification in the heavenlies.  Nothing is done “reactively” so that God is constantly trying to fix his plan as he receives more information.  God was in possession of ALL the information from before the creation, and He purposed by His own counsel in the Godhead to perform a wonderful and complete act by His special creation.

HERESIES

There are a multitude of heresies which are derived from the denial of the Doctrine of Original Sin.  The Charismatic movement in particular has derived almost its entire theology on denying Original Sin.  Every one of the last days, pop-theology doctrines have as their foul root, the denial of this critical doctrine.  It is from this denial that they have created their doctrine that believers are “little gods” who have all the power and authority of God on this earth.  I would declare that they are little POPES, but they are not little gods.

The most heinous and patently evil belief system that has as its root the denial of this doctrine is the religion of Jesuitical-Arminianism.  The cornerstone of Arminianism is a denial of Original Sin.  Concocted by the devil through his servant Pelagius (although he was certainly not the first to preach it), this poisonous belief system has been trumpeted by almost every church and denomination in the world in these last days.  Since they believe that man individually falls into sin by his own act of transgression, the Arminian must also believe that he can only come to righteousness and salvation through his own works.  The Arminian believes that if only he can conjure up enough carnal belief, obedience and faith - God is forced to reward him with salvation and eternal life.  This belief system treads underfoot the Cross of Jesus Christ and His blessed Grace which He has bestowed upon His sheep.  The Arminian argues that it is not “fair” for God to impute sin, so they, by their teachings and declarations, are hardened against the imputation of God’s righteousness outside of works.

We thank God that He has sovereignly guarded us from such wickedness, and that he has been merciful on us as sinners.  We pray that God will show us His power as He vindicates His name from such vicious and slanderous attacks on His precious Gospel.  We pray along with the psalmist that we would be even more grieved by those who rise up against God.  We pray for boldness as we preach the true Gospel of Jesus Christ.

We pray that God continues to be glorified and praised for His mighty works, and that we can continue to praise His name as we study His works in His Word.

I am your servant in Christ Jesus,

Michael Bunker

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