the little children do wrong from a very
young age because they inherited a
sinful nature are we naturally inclined
to do evil you know people in the
religious world answer yes to these
questions but what we want to know is
what does the Bible say that’s what
we’re going to talk about in this study
you
in Ephesians chapter 2 the Apostle Paul
discusses the fact that before
Christians obeyed the gospel we were
serving the devil just like
non-christians are still doing and then
he writes this in verse 3 among whom
that is among the world also we all once
conducted ourselves in the lust of our
flesh fulfilling the desires of the
flesh and of the mind and word now
listen to this and were by nature
children of Wrath just as the others now
I want to focus on this phrase by nature
children of Wrath Prince many people
teach that what this phrase means is
that we were naturally sinners they say
it means that we were born that way that
that from the moment we entered this
world we had a sin nature or a sinful
nature sometimes people call it a fallen
nature sometimes it’s called original
sin now what we’re gonna do is we study
this today is we’re going to answer
three questions number one what is this
sinful nature number two where do people
get this idea and then number three and
most importantly what does the Bible say
alright here’s our first question what
is this sinful nature now you may say
I’ve been a Christian for years and I’ve
never heard of this I’ve never read
anything in my Bible about a sinful
nature what in the world are you talking
about Prince it’s taught by many people
in the religious world that when Adam
sinned in the garden that something in
his very nature was corrupted that he
was permanently changed and that this
corrupted nature was passed on to all of
his descendants and so they would say
although we retain a shadow of the image
of God in us our primary nature now is
the Fallen nature of Adam and so they
would say we are not naturally inclined
toward good but rather just the opposite
we are naturally inclined to do evil by
nature at birth
we are wicked in fact some would carry
it so far as to say that we are born
earng sinful that we are lost at birth
because Adam’s sin was passed on to us
we inherited his sin and his sinful
nature and so whenever I commit a sin
it’s because of that part of me that
drives me to do it and they would say
that what has to happen to get beyond
this sinful nature is that the Holy
Spirit has to operate on your heart and
change you empower you and a great deal
of the religious world believes this let
me give you some examples this is a
quote from Charles Stanley is a very
popular denominational preacher he says
Romans 6:16 says we are slaves of the
one whom we obey slaves of either sin or
obedience to the Lord because every man
is listen what he says because every man
is born with a fallen nature being the
master of our own lives is the same as
being enslaved to sin now did you notice
what he said that we are born with a
fallen nature here’s another quote this
is from perhaps the most famous Baptist
preacher who ever lived
Charles Spurgeon commenting on the idea
of the sinful nature he said as the salt
flavours every drop in the Atlantic so
the sin affect every atom of our nature
it is so sadly there he says so
abundantly there that if you cannot
detect it you are deceived one evening
when my children were little we were
having our family devotional and we were
reading a book about dinosaurs it was
written on a a child’s level it was
called dinosaurs of Eden and that
particular book explains from a biblical
perspective what happened to the
dinosaurs and it talked about the Garden
of Eden and it talked about Adam and Eve
living in the garden with all of the
animals including the dinosaurs and then
it mentions Adam’s sin and then it said
this now because we are the descendants
of Adam we are sinners just like him our
very nature as such that we don’t really
want to obey God’s Word that’s why we
are so
easily led astray by evolutionist
teaching things such as millions of
years of history down deep in our hearts
we would rather listen to the fallible
scientists opinions than the clear Word
of God just a few pages over in the book
they asked this question they said why
don’t scientists believe that God
created the world and why don’t they
believe in the flood and then they give
this answer
they say scientists are sinners because
of this they don’t want to believe it
has nothing to do with the evidence
there is an exception of course they say
for those whose hearts have been changed
by the Holy Spirit becoming true
Christians now friends they’re wrong
about this they’re absolutely wrong I’m
just reading to you what they say and I
think that when people make arguments
like they did in that book they do a
great deal of harm in fact one site on
the internet even argues as a proof of
creationism they argue that evolution is
at a loss to explain the sin nature they
believe that’s a strong proof of
creation that evolution can’t explain
the sin nature but you see that sort of
thing is going to hurt those of us who
were trying to genuinely get
evolutionists to see the error of their
ways when I was taking classes at
Liberty University the idea of a sinful
nature is a concept that is regularly it
was regularly taught it was suggested in
textbooks that one of the keys in quote
Christian counseling is that you have to
take into account man’s sinful nature in
fact listen to this quote concerning
Christian counseling it says perhaps at
no other point do secular and Christian
philosophies of counseling separate ways
so sharply as in the belief in the work
of the Holy Spirit a responsible view of
persons in the Christian counseling
relationship must therefore recognize
the sinful nature of man encouraged him
to rely on the power of the Holy Spirit
for changes in his life and so what are
they saying friends what they’re saying
is the
that you have these counseling issues
the reason people have these problems
for which they need counseling they say
is because of the sin nature and they
say the only way you can overcome this
sin nature is through the supernatural
help from the holy spirit now before we
move on to the next point I want to read
to you one man’s explanation of how this
sin nature thing works this man’s name
is James Allen mr. Allen suggests that
immediately after his fall Adam
exhibited characteristics of the
original sin nature for example he says
he tried to cover up his sin he blamed
Eve etc now how did Adam’s sin nature
that he supposedly had how did it get
passed on to others he offers this
explanation
he says the sin nature is located in the
genetic code of the flesh that is the
DNA he cites psalm 51:5 as proof of this
arguing that david said his conception
was marked by sin and then he argues he
says this is the reason why Jesus had to
be born of a virgin so that he wouldn’t
get the sin nature my friends I would
stop there for just a minute and I would
make this argument if the sin nature
were real and Jesus did not get it
then he was not tempted in all points
like we are as Hebrews 4 and verse 15
says that he was anyway this man argues
that when Adam became sinful he acquired
via genetic engineering the sinful
nature now I want you to listen to this
quote the original sin nature begins in
each person when sperm with its 23 male
chromosomes fertilizes the ovum of the
female with its 23 chromosomes so the
genetic code in general and the original
sin nature in particular is found in the
first cell and spreads to all cells 100
trillion during gestation the original
sin nature manifests itself
overtly and the central nervous system
and has excellent opportunity from birth
onward to influence the soul which is
interfaced with the brain and so he says
all men are inherently sinners due to
genetic engineering now again this is
just one man’s explanation for how this
supposedly happens none of this is in
the Bible and so his explanation is just
as good as anybody else’s now let’s move
on to our second point and it’s a very
important question where do people get
this idea of a sin nature
well it’s interesting to me that the
Jews do not believe in the doctrine of
original sin they don’t believe that
there is a hereditary stain upon all of
mankind as a result of being the
descendants of Adam now some people say
that the doctrine of original sin was
first developed in the second century by
a bishop named IRA næss he believed that
Adam’s sin is the source of human
sinfulness and that all human beings
participate in his sin and share in his
guilt perhaps though the one person who
is most responsible for the widespread
belief in this doctrine was a man named
John Calvin now John Calvin’s teachings
are oftentimes summarized in an acrostic
the word tulip tul I P T stands for
total hereditary depravity the you and
tulip stands for unconditional election
L limited atonement i irresistible grace
and P is the perseverance of the saints
now the first point the T total
hereditary depravity carries with it the
concept of inheriting the sin of Adam
total absolute hereditary you inherited
genetically depravity you see the word
depraved as it’s sin it’s the belief
that mankind is born completely sinful
and today many if not most of the
Christian denominations in existence
have been deeply affected by John Calvin
what we call Calvinism some people today
think that they see this doctrine of in
here
did sin even in various passages of the
Bible such as the one we started with
Ephesians chapter 2 and verse 3 now
again that verse says that we were by
nature the children of Wrath or the
objects of God’s wrath and they will say
that this passage proves that we are
born that way and that sin is not a
willful violation of God’s Word Baptist
writer BH Carol contended that this
passage Ephesians 2:3 he says knocks the
bottom out of the thought that sin
consists in the willful transgression of
a known commandment he argued that this
passage is an allusion to original sin
but friends this is absolutely not
what this verse is teaching you know the
argument has to do with the phrase by
nature we were by nature the children of
Wrath what is that phrase by nature
really mean now they would say that it
means that you were born that way they
would say that it means that man
inherited this sinful nature but you
know this Greek phrase doesn’t have to
mean that at all in fact the Greek word
here can mean of long-standing practice
one version translates it this way you
were by custom children of Wrath in fact
if you write in your Bible next to the
word nature I would suggest you write
habitual practice it means it was their
nature to sin why not because they were
born that way but that’s the way they’ve
always lived in fact let me give you an
example of this in modern usage may be
somebody says hey where’s Joe tonight
someone else responds it’s Saturday
night you know he’s probably drunk
that’s his nature they don’t mean that
he was born that way they don’t mean
since he was a baby he’s been getting
drunk on Saturday night they mean that’s
the way he always does things that’s his
custom that’s his practice now another
passage that sometimes people go to in
the Bible that they believe justifies or
teaches the idea of inherited sin is
Psalm 58 3 it says the wicked are
estranged from the womb they go astray
as soon
as they are born speaking lies now
someone might argue see it says it
they are sinful from birth they are
telling lies as soon as they are born
they are born sinners this is
straightforward and clear now someone
else may say well if it doesn’t teach
that we are born sinners then what does
it teach how do you explain this passage
prints the first thing that we have to
be aware of when we look at this passage
is that it is a solemn it is highly
poetic in nature and it contains a lot
of figures of speech this particular
verse is a hyperbole a hyperbole is an
exaggeration for the sake of emphasis it
is not literal now someone might say
well that’s easy to say how do you know
that can you prove that well in verse
number 3 the text says he is speaking
lies as soon as he is born every parent
knows that that’s not the way it works
babies aren’t speaking as soon as they
are born much less are they telling lies
the second they are born
what’s the point it’s an exaggeration
it’s a hyperbole for the sake of
emphasis furthermore verse 6 says that
these little ones who are speaking lies
should have their teeth broken have you
ever seen a baby with a set of teeth as
soon as he’s born again it’s not literal
this is hyperbole and if the language of
Psalm 58 3 through 6 is literal then one
must conclude that we’re not dealing
with human beings at all but rather with
lions because verse 6 says to break out
the fangs of these young lions Prince
this would be very strange
you’ve got talking Lions who are telling
lies this sounds like something out of a
Disney movie The Lion King maybe what’s
the point the point is it’s not literal
there is hyperbole and figurative
language being used here so what does
this passage really mean Prince the
point is very early in a person’s life
he turns against God in fact notice that
verse number 3 says that they go astray
that’s important they go
stray not that they are born that way
that alone ought to settle the question
I tell you another reason why many
people today believe in the doctrine of
the sinful nature and it’s because of
the NIV the New International Version of
the Bible now this particular
translation was translated by
individuals who believe strongly in
Calvinism and inherited sin they
believed in the false doctrine of
original sin and that man has a sinful
nature and so as a result many times
when they would run across the Greek
word Sark’s Sark’s is a Greek word which
means flesh but instead of translating
it as flesh they translated it as sinful
nature now in reality there is no Greek
word for sinful nature but 23 times the
NIV has inserted this phrase into their
translation now I went and checked some
other translations to include the King
James the New King James the American
Standard the new American Standard the
Revised Standard the ESV and none of
them contained the phrase sinful nature
but since the NIV is an extremely
popular version today hundreds of
thousands of people are walking around
with this Bible under their arm that
repeatedly contains the phrase sinful
nature and in fact that’s just one of
the reasons that I don’t like the NIV so
where do people get the idea that we
have a sinful nature well they get it
from John Calvin they get it from
modern-day preachers who preach
Calvinism they get it from Calvinistic
translations of the Bible such as the
NIV and here’s one more source that you
might not expect some people think that
they even see this sinful nature in
children they will say this they will
say no one has to teach a baby to be
selfish or self-seeking or demanding
they will argue that children are just
naturally that way
they say it’s part of their sin nature
and so they say when a baby cries it’s
because of his sin nature in fact I want
to give you an example of this
this is from a website written by a man
who identifies himself as elder James
Taylor
he says newborn infants legitimately cry
for three reasons
hunger soil diapers and pain usually
from gastronomic distress during the
first few weeks or months of a baby’s
life whenever he cries mama will feed
him change his diapers and burp him and
that takes care of it when she sets him
back down everything is okay
but after a few months when she sets him
down this time he continues to cry now
he is crying for your attention but you
thought it was hunger soiled diaper or
pain and it was none of the above then
on Sunday while sitting in church and he
adds the snow Primitive Baptist churches
have no nurseries we are congregational
only he begins to cry during the church
service taking him out and checking for
hunger soiled diaper or pain finds
nothing but he stops crying until you
return to services then he starts all
over again he is tired of sitting still
and he wants to get down and play then
when you get in the car to go home or
you go on a trip the same thing happens
all over again now is the time to
realize that the wicked are estranged
from the womb they go astray as soon as
they be born speaking lies he says lies
and sins in general are based on our
natural self-centeredness this
self-centeredness is part of man’s
fallen sin nature inherited from Adam
and Friends I want to tell you that this
man is certainly you’re not unique in
this view in fact I would encourage you
to search the internet and you will find
many people who hold this idea that you
see the sin nature in the behavior of
little children friends can I very
kindly but seriously say to you that
when a person asserts that a baby cries
because of a supposed sinful nature that
is absurd now here’s the third question
this is the most important one of course
what does the Bible say
now first
the bible does not teach that babies are
born evil or even inclined toward evil
and Matthew 19 and verse 14 Jesus said
let the little children come to me and
do not forbid them for of such is the
kingdom of heaven and Matthew 18 and
verse 2 then Jesus called a little child
to him set him in the midst of them and
said assuredly I say to you unless you
are converted and become as little
children you will by no means enter the
kingdom of heaven therefore whoever
humbles himself as this little child is
the greatest in the kingdom of heaven
Prince you see the Bible teaches that
the qualities of little children are
models for us to emulate surely the Lord
was not suggesting that we model
ourselves after little totally corrupt
sinners in fact in 1st Corinthians 14
and verse 20 the Bible tells Christians
to be as babes
now if babes are sinful or have a sinful
nature then why in the world did the
Apostle Paul write that now secondly as
we consider the question what does the
Bible say Ezekiel chapter 18 and verse
20 teaches us that sin is committed not
inherited in fact I want you to listen
how very clearly DISA stated the soul
who sins shall die the son shall not
bear the guilt of the father nor the
father bear the guilt of the son the
righteousness of the righteous shall be
upon himself and the wickedness of the
wicked shall be upon himself Prince the
Bible teaches I am NOT going to inherit
the sin of Adam or anyone else first
John chapter 3 and verse 4 defines sin
as the transgression of the law and it’s
something that I commit not something
that I inherent thirdly what does the
Bible say Ecclesiastes chapter 7 and
verse 29 teaches that God made us good
truly this only I have found that God
made man upright but they have sought
out many schemes now what’s the point
that verse God made us good we were not
born depraved we were sinless here’s a
fourth passage what does the Bible say
Isaiah chapter 59 verses 1 through 8
says your sins have separated you from
God notice that your sins not someone
else’s sins not something inherited from
Adam and then in verse number 8 he lists
some of these specific sins that
separate man from God
none of which a baby would be capable of
committing fifth I want you to consider
with me some questions that really need
to be answered question number one if
babies are born as sinners and they are
born having a sinful nature friends what
happens when a baby dies well if this is
a true doctrine then we would have to
conclude that that baby would be lost to
hell
friends that’s absurd I was reading an
article by one man and he was struggling
with this idea of babies being lost and
going to hell and he believes in the
doctrine of inherited sin but he’s
struggling with this concept about a
baby being lost this is what he said he
said infant salvation in some ways is an
issue that is out of our hands we may
have a tendency to worry about it but we
should not worry and whatever God does
with infants or the mentally handicapped
who die we know that he will be just now
what is this man saying he’s saying I
know what my doctrine says but he says
this is giving me some trouble this is
bothering me when it comes to this issue
of babies being lost friends if he would
just stop believing this doctrine then
this issue goes away question number two
if we sin because of a sinful nature
then why did Adam sin now people who
hold this doctrine they don’t believe
that Adam had a sinful nature but rather
that Adam made a choice friends I submit
to you that the same thing is true for
every one of us God created us with the
free
to choose there are good things that we
can choose to do there are bad things
that we can choose to do some bad things
are pleasurable and therefore we want to
do them listen what James says James
chapter 1 and verse 14 but each one is
tempted when he is drawn away by his own
desires and enticed
then when desire has conceived it gives
birth to sin and sin when it is
full-grown brings forth death you see
Satan is going to make it his goal to
show us pleasurable bad things and he’s
going to tempt us to engage in these
things sometimes he will trick us
sometimes we give in due to ignorance
sometimes we knowingly sin sometimes
however we resist and we do what is is
right but you see it’s because I have a
choice you know one of the things that
puzzles me is why people will look at a
baby or a child who does something wrong
and they will conclude he has a sinful
nature you know oftentimes little
children do good things little children
will share they will bring you a flower
they will say I love you daddy
why don’t people then conclude well he
must have a godly nature you see it’s
biased to fit the doctrine all right
here is question number three what would
it say about the justice of God if he
charged me with sin that someone else
committed you know even as human beings
we don’t do that our innate god-given
convictions irresistible tell us it is
not right to hold a man responsible for
a deed that he did not commit Psalm 89
and verse 14 says righteousness and
justice are the foundation of God’s
throne now what’s that mean it means God
is always just if he did anything other
than be just he would cease to be God
now consider this the phrase we started
with by nature the children of Wrath
from Ephesians chapter 2 and verse 3 if
that phrase means that we are born as
the objects of God’s wrath
as the advocates of this doctrine teach
then it means that we are born lost
before I could think before I could
reason or function in any way I was lost
friends that is an indictment against
the justice of God dear friend we do not
have a sinful nature Ecclesiastes 7 and
verse 29 god made man up right now it’s
true that many times sin is pleasurable
that’s hebrews 11:25 and because of that
we might be tempted to think that we
have a sin nature but you know there is
much good that is also pleasurable
pleasure is not in and of itself sinful
pleasure can be good pleasure can be bad
but the devil is working hard to
constantly keep the bad pleasures out in
front of us because he wants us to
engage in those things but the task of
the child of God is to resist the devil
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