U-19. Luke 5:20-22. What does it TRULY mean?

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F-9. THE AGE OF ACCOUNTABILITY!

VERSUS

THE DOCTRINE of ORIGINAL SIN

              

The other day in a Bible study class at church, the question arose as to whether or not babies are saved? Someone asked if a baby dies seeing that babies do not have the ability to personally accept Jesus as their Savior then will they be saved or will they go to hell? Most everyone in our group agreed that the baby would be saved. However, no one could recall any scriptures at the moment to base our conclusion upon.  Almost all of us remembered being taught about the age of accountability that teaches babies are innocent before God until a certain age. But again, none of us could remember any verses in the Bible except for the love and mercy of God. For me I just could not leave this issue unsettled without at least some Scripture to support our conclusion. So I decided to search out the Scriptures for myself.

Now for the readers of this study who have never heard of this teaching on the age of accountability it simply states that there is a period of time in EVERY person's life beginning at birth or conception depending on when you believe life begins and ending age where each person BECOMES accountable for what they do. In that Bible study I was referring to, we all agreed that according to the character of the love of God then God would certainly have mercy on babies and young children to save them as being innocent until they reach a certain age. But when is this ENDING age where everyone BECOMES accountable to God?

Well, this is where those of us that believe that there is indeed an age of accountability cannot completely agree upon. That is to say, there is some disagreement as to what “age” a person BECOMES accountable to God. We talked about some children being quite the little “monsters”, so to speak, and that some of the things these very young children do would be considered sin as an adult. It seems that SOME kids learn to lie and even steal at a very young age while other kids do not have such behavior until they are much older. So all we could do was speculate and give our own opinion as to what the age of accountability to God would be.

Anyway, BEFORE a person reaches this age when one BECOMES accountable to God they are in an age of innocence before God. Again, this simply means that God does not hold them responsible or “accountable” for their actions during this period of time from conception to whatever this age of accountability a person reaches which is WHEN they BECOME held accountable to God for their sins. One of the things in this study that we will learn is the age of accountability or how OLD a person is that the word of TRUTH, the Holy Bible, teaches as the AGE of WHEN a person BECOMES accountable to God for their sins.

However, while there are some Christians that do in fact believe in this period of time that babies and children are NOT held accountable to God, there are ALSO other Christians who believe that all of mankind is BORN in original sin. And THEREFORE, to THEM, ALL of mankind are sinners from the very moment of birth. Now, from what I have researched, the Christians who hold to the extreme end of the doctrine of original sin are called Calvinist and their belief is based upon the teachings of John Calvin which many Christians call Calvinism. Please read the studies under the subject heading >>>Cc-0. Is Calvinism Biblical?<<<

But for now, let us continue with this study on the church doctrine of the age of accountability which does not agree with the church doctrine of original sin. The doctrine of original sin states that ALL of mankind are BORN with the GUILT of the original sin of Adam. And by guilt this church doctrine does not mean having a guilty conscience but rather it means that when a baby dies they go to hell. The doctrine of original sin in effect means that everyone who is NOT BAPTIZED in Jesus Christ goes to hell.

Also, this doctrine of original sin states that every human being inherits a sin “NATURE” as soon as they are born. Therefore, according to this doctrine of original sin, ALL of mankind are supposedly born as SINNERS with the verdict of being GUILTY of the lake of fire before God because of the sin of Adam. And not only is everyone born with the stain of sin and thus worthy of the sentence of DEATH but also all of mankind inherits a sin nature as well. And consequently since NO sinner shall enter the kingdom of heaven then ANY baby that DIES will be cast into the lake of fire on the day of judgment, according to this man-made church doctrine of original sin. Even though babies and toddlers have not yet learned right from wrong they shall NOT enter heaven according to the beliefs of some who teach this doctrine of original sin.

So in order to ease the minds of those Christians who were in fear of the babies going to hell another, doctrine or teaching was introduced by the Roman Catholic Church. And thus, it was needed to baptize infant babies to ease the fear of parents that their babies would go to hell if they died. And it was taught that this infant baptism would cleanse the baby of the guilt or the verdict “SPIRITUAL” death for this so-called inherited original sin from Adam. You can go to any Roman Catholic website to see what the Roman Catholic Church teaches on the doctrine of original sin and the doctrine of baptism. Later on the Roman Catholic Church invented a place called “Limbo” which they claim unsaved babies go to when they die.

Here are a couple of sources that I used so that I would be accurate in explaining the doctrine of original sin and the baptizing of babies which most Protestant Christians know full well that the Bible does not teach Christians to have their children baptized as babies. I say most Protestant Christians because some Protestant churches such as the Lutheran Church, the Greek Orthodox church and a few others also baptize babies but NOT always for the same reasons as the Roman Catholic Church. But rather, it is more of a sign of promise that the parents will raise their children in the Lutheran Church denominational beliefs or the other church denominational belief such as the Greek Orthodox belief. The Assemblies of God and other Protestant churches have what they call baby dedication services WITHOUT any form of baptizing in water, sprinkling, or anything else associated with water baptism.

Here is a quote from the Catholic Encyclopedia on Original Sin. The emphasis is mine.

“(3) The absence of sanctifying grace in the new-born child is also an effect of the first sin, for Adam, having received holiness and justice from God, lost it not only for himself but also for us (loc. cit., can. ii). If he has lost it for us we were to have received it from him at our birth with the other prerogatives of our race. Therefore the absence of sanctifying grace in a child is a real privation, it is the want of something that should have been in him according to the Divine plan. If this favour is not merely something physical but is something in the moral order, if it is holiness, its privation may be called a sin. But sanctifying grace is holiness and is so called by the Council of Trent, because holiness consists in union with God, and grace unites us intimately with God. Moral goodness consists in this, that our action is according to the moral law, but grace is a deification, as the Fathers say, a perfect conformity with God  who is the first rule of all morality. (See GRACE.) Sanctifying grace therefore enters into the moral order, not as an act that passes but as a permanent tendency which exists even when the subject who possesses it does not act; it is a turning towards God, conversio ad Deum. Consequently the privation of this grace, even without any other act, would be a stain, a moral deformity, a turning away from God, aversio a Deo, and this character is not found in any other effect of the fault of Adam. This privation, therefore, is the hereditary stain.”

And here is a quote from Wikipedia on Original Sin. Again the emphasis is mine.

“The concept of original sin was first alluded to in the 2nd century by Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyon in his controversy with certain dualist Gnostics.[4] Other church fathers such as Augustine also developed the doctrine,[2] seeing it as based on the New Testament teaching of Paul the Apostle (Romans 5:12–21 and 1 Corinthians 15:21-22) and the Old Testament verse of Psalms 51:5.[5][6][7][8][9] Tertullian, Cyprian, Ambrose and Ambrosiaster considered that humanity shares in Adam's sin, transmitted by human generation. Augustine's formulation of original sin was popular among Protestant reformers, such as Martin Luther and John Calvin, who equated original sin with concupiscence (or "hurtful desire"), affirming that it persisted even after baptism and completely destroyed freedom, although Augustine said that free will was weakened but not destroyed by original sin.[2] The Jansenist movement, which the Catholic Church declared to be heretical, also maintained that original sin destroyed freedom of will.[10] Instead the Catholic Church declares "Baptism, by imparting the life of Christ's grace, erases original sin and turns a man back towards God, but the consequences for nature, weakened and inclined to evil, persist in man and summon him to spiritual battle."[11] "Weakened and diminished by Adam's fall, free will is yet not destroyed in the race."[12]”

Now, in my own opinion, I believe that the Roman Catholic Church painted themselves into a corner, so to speak, with their “DEVELOPED” and “FORMULATED” doctrine of original sin over time. It was almost 200 years of time before the doctrine of original sin was fully formed. What I mean by the Roman Catholic Church painting themselves in a corner is that in order to hold on to their teaching of the official concluded doctrine of original sin then the Roman Catholic Church had to invent a new doctrine of baptizing infant babies, small toddlers, and young children who had not yet learned what it means to accept Jesus as their Savior. And this new doctrine of baptizing infants began to relieve the fear of Christian parents that IF a person is baptized as a baby and they were to die as a baby or young toddler then they would be saved because of the faith of the parents or the ones who had the faith to have their babies baptized by the priest. So instead of rethinking their doctrine of original sin to consider that they might be wrong they simple invented another false doctrine of baptizing infant babies that cannot make their own decision to believe in Jesus.

But yet nowhere in the Scriptures are we taught to baptize infant babies or even young children to erase the effects of original sin. Please see the study E-16. DOES BAPTISM in WATER SAVE us?  to learn what the Bible itself teaches concerning all the types of baptism. You will not find ANY babies being baptized in the Bible.

Now, whenever there are two or more sides that oppose each other concerning church teachings or church doctrines it is because certain scriptures have been misinterpreted in some way as to mislead us to the true meaning of these verses of scriptures. So in order to settle these controversies, at least in my own heart and prayerfully in your heart as well, I have searched for the truth by using God's word as being my foundation alone. In other words, in order to see what the Bible itself truly teaches we need to cast aside the traditions and doctrines of men so that we do NOT read into the scriptures what we have previously been taught to believe.

So then, it is necessary to put aside any preconceived ideas that we may have because they will hinder us in arriving at the TRUTH, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth based SOLELY upon God’s word, the Holy Bible. Therefore, it is the purpose of this study to find if the Bible truly teaches that there is in fact an age of accountability. OR to see if this teaching on this age spanning from conception to a certain age where a person then BECOMES accountable to God is just another man-made doctrine as well? And if the doctrine of accountability is, in fact, a sound BIBLICAL teaching then WHAT is this age that mankind becomes accountable to God to be held responsible for their own sin?

You see dear children of God, only one of these teachings of the church can be the TRUTH because they are directly opposite in what they teach. Therefore, one of these teachings must be rejected and the other embraced. In other words, either we are BORN SINNERS and therefore GUILTY of Adam's original sin at birth the very moment we are conceived in the womb or brought forth as a newborn infant baby. OR we are all born INNOCENT before God the very moment we are conceived in the womb or brought forth as a newborn infant baby and we remain innocent before God until a certain age that God holds us accountable for sin. And thus, we only become held accountable before God at a certain age when we sin. In other words, we all have fallen short of the glory of God because we all have SINNED at some point in our life. And thus, it is our OWN sin that makes us guilty before God and NOT some so-called “inherited” sin from Adam called the “original” sin. The original sin was committed by Lucifer and the fallen angels when they declared WAR against Almighty God. Please read the studies in the subject heading called >>>Q-0. WHY are we HERE?-Is God at WAR?<<< For you see, it was the angels who sinned as to WHY God created mankind in the first place to JUDGE Satan and the fallen angels. 

Let now get to the Scripture to begin this study in God's word by quoting two verses that SEEM to directly oppose and contradict each other.

Psalms 51:5.

“Behold, I was shaped in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.”

In other words, David was influenced to become a sinning after he was born in the sin of his mother’s sin.

Deuteronomy 1:39.

“Moreover your little ones, (Which would definitely include babies and toddlers) which you said should be 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.”

So then, what can we learn from these two verses of Scripture? On the surface, Psalms 51:5 seems to be teaching us that we all are born in sin. And if that INTERPRETATION of this verse is true, then that would mean that if a baby or young child dies, then they would die in a sinful state. And since no sinner will enter into the kingdom of heaven then babies and small children who die will not enter the kingdom of heaven either because they are supposedly BORN IN SIN, according to the “interpretation” of Psalm 51:5 made by SOME Christians.

Now, in truth, the word translated as SHAPED in inquiry means CONFORMED. And we are being CONFORMED in the image of Jesus. And, according to many Bible scholars, David being born in sin means that his mother was living in sin when David was born. Here is a quote from another website which teaches us that Psalm 51:5 is a Hebrew “idiom”. This means that the last part of the verse is saying the same thing as the first part of the verse but in different words. In other words, we are all born in a “FALLEN” world and we are CONFORMED to commit iniquity. This other writer goes on to say that David’s mother was divorced and her former husband was still living when David was born. And that was considered living in sin, according to the Scriptures. The emphasis is mine.

“This is a Hebrew poetic parallelism, with the second line of the verse saying the same thing as the first line in a slightly different way.

The subject of this verse is NOT the state or constitution of David's nature as a sinner at, or before, his birth. The subject is, as the verse clearly states, the `circumstances' of his conception- the sexual union which produced him was an act of sin, and addresses the unrighteousness of his mother's act, not anything (such as a sin nature) inherent within himself.”

BUT what about Deuteronomy 1:39? What does this verse of Scripture teach us? This verse seems to declare that our little ones, that is to say, our babies and toddlers AND our children which means our older children that have no knowledge between good and evil will go into the promised land which is a type or figure of heaven. So then, the interpretation of this verse is that because God says that they have no knowledge of good and evil, then God does not hold them responsible or accountable to the disobedience that they have in OUR eyes as God does with those that are were older and know better and yet still disobey him.

Therefore, in the eyes of God, the Almighty who will judge us by the man Jesus Christ, views these babies, toddlers, and young children as being INNOCENT and lets them pass on over into the promised land. So then, in God's eyes they were NOT being disobedient. But to us, some children certainly seem to be disobedient to God. The word of God says that WE look on the OUTWARD appearance of man whereas God looks upon the HEART of these little ones and the young children. Jesus even said except you are converted and become as little children you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven. Now, WHY would Jesus teach us to be converted to become as little children IF the doctrine of original sin were true? Jesus knew that children are INNOCENT before God until they reach an age of accountability, and that is why Jesus said, EXCEPT we be converted to be like the little children we cannot enter the kingdom of heaven.

Please read Matthew 13:8.

“And said, Verily I say unto you, Except you be converted, and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.”

So again, if so be that all of mankind is BORN with Adam’s sin and we inherit a sinful nature then why did Jesus himself say that we must become like little children?

So then, which INTERPRETATION is CORRECT? Is the Calvinistic interpretation of Psalm 51:5 correct? Or is Deuteronomy 1:39 correct? Well it APPEARS that we have a contradiction between man’s “interpretation” of Psalm 51:5 and the word of God that does not need to be interpreted to know what it means. In other words, do we actually have a contradiction within Scripture or is it just a DIFFERENCE of HOW we have come to INTERPRET certain verses in the word of God?

Now again, when verses of Scriptures seem to directly oppose each other it is not that the Bible is contradicting itself. But rather, it is the INTERPRETATION of those verses that causes the contradiction. And this difference of opinion between Christians on what certain verses mean to them causes controversy to arise between believers depending upon which verse or verses each one of us focuses our attention upon. Most Christians sit in church or under the teaching of others who read selected verses of scripture to support or in some cases ATTEMPT to support their point of view or their church denominational doctrine. And they just take it all in as being the truth of God's word simply because a verse of Scripture is quoted to them to try and back up what they are being taught by the pastor or Sunday school teacher or the priest of that particular church denomination.

Again, some Christians seldom, if ever, go to the Bible and search the word of God diligently to find out for themselves to see if what they are being taught is the truth of God's word. Now this is not to say that we are INTENTIONALLY being taught false doctrine and are thereby deceived on purpose, because many Christians who teach the word of God simply REPEAT what they themselves have been taught by others believing it to be the truth, even though it may not be the truth of the whole word of God.

So then, do these two scriptures actually contradict each other? Well, when they are taken out of their “context” they certainly SEEM to oppose each other. But if we examine each verse of Scripture more closely when they are kept in the CONTEXT from which they are found then we will find that one interpretation is the truth of God's word and the other verse is being viewed or is interpreted incorrectly.

Let us take a closer look at each verse of Scripture to determine the truth. For it is the TRUTH that we seek and not just simply to prove our OWN interpretation of God's word. So let us try and not read into either of these verses of Scripture our own interpretation based upon what we have previously been taught by our church denominations.

Psalms 51 is a prayer of David TO God when David is full of remorse. And thus, David is baring his soul TO God of his sin. First of all, we should take into consideration that these words in Psalm 51, is David speaking TO God and NOT that God speaking to us. In other words, verse 5 is NOT a thus says the LORD verse, as in, the INTERPRETATION of this verse by those who teach the doctrine of original sin seems to be demanding by declaring that ALL of mankind are shaped in iniquity. And thus, they wrongly conclude that Almighty God Himself has ordained every mother to conceive their children in sin. And, therefore to them, every human being is born in SIN as a SINNER with a sinful NATURE.

You see dear children of God, just because there is a verse in the Bible that SEEMS to make a clear statement does NOT always mean what it SEEMS to be saying. Let me explain what I mean by this. For example, there is a verse in the Bible that PLAINLY states that Jesus has a DEVIL but we know from context and the rest of the Bible that this is NOT the TRUTH. However, IF you did not know these other verses you may be deceived by false teaching. I know that this example is far to the side of being extreme but nonetheless there is indeed a VERSE in the Bible that PLAINLY states that Jesus has a DEVIL so why listen to him. Please read John 10:19,20, which plainly states that Jesus has a devil and is mad.

John 10:19,20.

       

“There was a division therefore again among the Jews for these sayings.

20. And many of them said, He has a devil, and is mad; why hear you him?”

Again, some of you may think that this is an extreme example and that no one would ever teach that Jesus has a devil. But the point that I am trying to make is that some preachers and teachers of the Bible will quote a verse or two of Scripture that are taken OUT of the context where they are found and say something like, “Here is what the BIBLE plainly teaches.” And then they add their OWN INTERPRETATION to what they themselves have been falsely taught by others or what they themselves have incorrectly concluded that verse to mean.

Here is another example that is indeed being taught by several different groups of seventh day of the week Sabbath-keeping Christians. These particular Christians do not have any church denominational name as far as I am aware, so I myself call them “Salvation for Israel ONLY Christians”. For you see, they use a few isolated verses to teach that Jesus died on the cross for the children of Israel ONLY. And therefore, to THEM, the only race of people that can be saved is the Hebrew race. And one of the verses that they use is Matthew 15:24 where Jesus tells his disciples that he is sent to the lost sheep of Israel only.

Matthew 15:24.

“But he answered and said, I am not sent BUT UNTO the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

And they INTERPRET these words of Jesus apart from the rest of the Bible to mean that the ONLY race of people who can be saved is the Hebrew race of people of the twelve tribes of Israel. Please read the study Dd-80. Is SALVATION FOR ISRAEL ONLY? That study shows that this false teaching is yet another form of Calvinism or Predeterminism.

And yet another example is when Trinitarian Christians take the verses of Scripture OUT of their CONTEXT where the Jews falsely ACCUSE Jesus of making himself equal with Almighty God the Father simply because Jesus says that God is his Father. Please read ALL of  the studies under the subject heading >>>U-0. VERSES used for the TRINITY<<<

Now getting back to the verse in question found in Psalm 51:5. When we read the CONTEXT, we find that David is simply relating his innermost being to how he FEELS inside. In my own words, David is saying,

“Against you only Oh' God have I sinned. I just seem to keep messing up my life. It seems as if I have been sinning against you even from the womb.”

Now I know these are not the exact words that David uses but if you will bear with me you will see that this is what David is relating to God from his heart.

Many of these verses in Psalm 51 are FIGURATIVE in speech and are NOT to be taken literally. Even Biblical scholars teach us that many of the Psalms are written in a POETIC language. In other words, many parts of the Psalms are in some ways like PARABLES where not every word and phrase can be interpreted in a literal sense. This should become quite clear as we continue this study in God's word to learn the TRUTH of the whole word of Almighty God. For example, look at verse number 8 in Psalm 51 that speaks about David asking God to make his “bones” to rejoice which God has broken.

Psalm 51:8.

“Make me hear joy and gladness; that the BONES which YOU have broken may REJOICE.”

We all know that bones, broken or not, cannot in and of themselves rejoice. This is simply a FIGURE of SPEECH just like verse 5 is a figure of speech. You see, in verse 8, David felt as if God had broken his bones. David did not literally mean that God broke his bones and that David wants God to LITERALLY make his BONES rejoice. This is POETIC language. One interpretation of verse 8 may be that David ached deep within his innermost being and he was praying to God to restore his joy that he once had before his OWN transgression against God.

Likewise, in verse 5, David did not literally mean that he was shaped or conformed in iniquity in the womb of his mother and therefore conceived in sin. But rather, it just felt to David as if he was conceived in sin. You see, both of these verses in Psalms 51 are just figures of speech. They are POETIC language.

Now some of you, even though you will agree that verse 8 of this same Psalm may be a figure of speech, you will still not accept that verse 5 is a figure of speech. But rather, some of you will yet insist that this verse says what it says and it means what it means. And to some of you it means that we are all born in sin BECAUSE of what you have previously been taught for so many years concerning the doctrine of original sin.

Again, I say to you, who are holding fast to Calvinism, that before we can arrive at the TRUTH of God's word we must all lay aside our PRECONCEIVED ideas or views that we have been taught, whatever they may be.

And one interpretation of Psalm 51:5 is that David is relating to us a prayer or petition that he has spoken TO God and NOT that God is speaking to us. And at this point or time in David's life he himself had sinned and was under great condemnation of his OWN sin. And if we take a look at Psalms 139 which is another Psalm that is ALSO written by David we will find something quite different. Let us begin with seeing what David says in verse number 4 of Psalm 139.

Psalm 139:4.

“For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, you know it altogether.”

From this verse we can see that God remembers and knows what David said in Psalms 51 about being shaped in iniquity and conceived in sin. Then God hears David going on to say in this Psalm to God in verses 13 and 14 of Psalm 139 something that is the very OPPOSITE of what some have INTERPRETED Psalm 51:5 to mean.

Psalm 139:13,14.

“For you have possessed my reins; you have covered me in my mothers WOMB. I will PRAISE you;

14. FOR (Or BECAUSE) I am FEARFULLY and WONDERFULLY made. MARVELOUS are your works; and THAT, my soul knows right well.”

Now at this point or time in David's life he is in better spirits of a joyous heart and NOT under the condemnation of his OWN sin. In other words, David is more in his “right mind”, so to speak. And thus David sees more clearly that all of God's creation and works are MARVELOUS and that he himself is fearfully and WONDERFULLY made FROM his mother's WOMB. David no longer sees himself as being formed in iniquity and conceived in sin. But RATHER David joyously proclaims to God that he is FEARFULLY and WONDERFULLY MADE by God even from his Mother womb.

And THAT FACT that David said to God that he was WONDERFULLY MADE from his mother's WOMB and that God COVERED him in his mother's WOMB proves beyond any shadow of a doubt that the Calvinistic INTERPRETATION of Psalm 51:1 is in error. David proclaims that he KNOWS RIGHT WELL that he was fearfully and wonderfully made!

So then, WHICH passage of scripture is CORRECT? Either David and ALL of mankind are MADE SINNERS by God from the WOMB as some have INTERPRETED Psalms 51:5 to mean. OR as David proclaimed in Psalm 139 that he KNOWS RIGHT WELL that David and ALL of mankind are fearfully and WONDERFULLY MADE by God and that ALL of God’s works are MARVELOUS.

Is the Bible contradicting itself or is it just an INCORRECT interpretation of Psalms 51:5 that CONTRADICTS the more clear passage of Scripture found in Psalm 139? The Jews were wrong when they FALSELY ACCUSED Jesus of having a DEVIL. So in the same way, IF SO BE, that David was TRULY accusing God that he was BORN in sin, and later on PLAINLY states that he is FEARFUL and WONDERFULLY made, then WHICH of these testimonies of David are we to view as being the TRUTH of the whole word of God?

Let us take a look at James 3:8,9.

“But the tongue can no man tame, it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. (Which to ME, means that at times we may say things that we do NOT truly MEAN. Sometimes we wrongly BLAME God for things when we are not in our right mind feeling depressed and angry but later we understand that we should not have said those things)

9. Therewith we bless God, even the Father; and therewith we curse MEN, which are made after the SIMILITUDE of God.”

Sometimes we speak things in ignorance and curse other men including ourselves just as David did in Psalms 51:5 when he spoke of himself as being shaped in iniquity. AT that TIME in David’s life he was speaking contrary to what GOD says about us. In other words, sometimes we can be really hard on ourselves and in God's eyes curse ourselves by saying things such as, I am nothing but a no good sinner, I have been sinning from birth and no matter what I try to do I always end up sinning. It is just the way I am. So I must have been born a sinner so I have to accept that I am only human and it is my very nature to sin. This is what the preacher keeps telling me so it must be true.

Now, some of you may think that what I just said is again to the side of being extreme but the truth of the matter is that I and many of you as well know that we all have heard those who are gay or homosexual say that they are BORN that way as homosexuals. They sincerely believe that being gay is who they are so why fight it any longer. They simple believe the lie of the devil and accept that they were BORN with the NATURE of being a homosexual.

But I assure you that God's word of TRUTH teaches us that we are fearfully and wonderfully made after the SIMILITUDE of God. We were created in the image of God and we all know that God is NOT a SINNER. So a thousand times NO! We are NOT BORN with a SINFUL NATURE! Nor are we born with the GUILT of Adam's original sin as the doctrine of original sin falsely teaches.

There have been times that I have heard Christians confess or profess that they are sinners. And to me, they themselves are unknowingly cursing themselves by continually confessing that they are SINNERS saved by grace. Or that they are sinners just like the rest of the world only forgiven when all the time GOD himself says that we are made in the righteousness of him through his Son Jesus. The word of truth teaches us that we, as Christians, are NEW creatures created in Jesus Christ unto good works.

So then, another purpose of this study and in all of my studies in God’s word is to get my readers to see that if only we would just BELIEVE the TRUTH and WALK in this RIGHTEOUSNESS then the truth would makes us free from the dominion of sin. The TRUTH of the matter is that we are no longer sinners but we ARE in fact NEW CREATURES in Christ Jesus and the old sinful man is past away and all things have become new. Well, that is another study in and of itself. For a deeper understanding in this area of overcoming sin please read the study entitled F-12. How YOU can live YOUR LIFE FREE from SIN!

But for now, let us continue with this study on the age of accountability. In the latter part of this verse in James chapter 3 where the word of God tells us that we are all made in the SIMILITUDE of God this verse means that we are created, made, formed, SHAPED, fashioned, and born in the likeness and image of God in which there is no sin.

Look at Genesis 1:27.

“So God created man in his OWN IMAGE, in the IMAGE of God created he him; male and female created he them.”

And in verse 31 the word of God goes on to say that everything he makes is GOOD. And not just good but VERY GOOD.

Genesis 1:31.

“And God saw EVERYTHING that he made, and behold, it was VERY GOOD...”

Then in Genesis 9:6 we read.

“...for in the IMAGE of God made he man.”

And it should go without saying that God himself is GOOD. So since we are created in God's very own image then how can anyone conclude that all of mankind is born in sin? What I mean by this is that after clearly seeing that God saw that everything that he made was VERY GOOD, not just good, but VERY GOOD. And that we reproduce after its kind. And God created Adam and Eve VERY GOOD then how could anyone conclude that just because of the ONE man Adam sinned that we INHERIT his sin?

Well, it is because some Christians very early in church history incorrectly INTERPRET Romans 5:12-21 and 1 Corinthians 15:21,22 which I cover in-depth in the study F-14. The FALSE DOCTRINE of ORIGINAL SIN! I will also cover these passages of Scripture toward the end of this study but for now let us continue with this study on the age of accountability by looking at many other verses in the Bible that do NOT teach us that we are BORN in SIN or that we are born with a sin nature.

We are barely started in this study, only looking at a few verses of scripture, and it is already clear to me that those that teach ORIGINAL SIN have NOT considered and taken into account the WHOLE word of Almighty God. I cannot impress enough upon you, the reader, and seeker of the truth, to hear the WHOLE MATTER, before you form an opinion or make a judgment. We must always hear and weigh ALL the evidence before we can WISELY choose what we are to believe. So then, let us take a look at some more sound Biblical evidence that we are NOT born in sin by supposedly INHERITING Adam’s sin.

Ecclesiastes 7:29 says.

“Lo, this ONLY have I found, that God has made man UPRIGHT; but THEY have sought out inventions.”

If you are truly honest with yourselves and you are genuinely seeking to know the TRUTH, the WHOLE TRUTH, and NOTHING but the TRUTH then you CANNOT conclude from Psalm 51:5 that all men are born in sin and therefore are sinners from the time that they are born, IF you also consider the WHOLE word of God.

You see, the interpretation of Psalm 51:5 is a FORCED interpretation of this verse of scripture. For if this verse is to be taken “literally” then David would be contradicting himself even in this SAME passage of scripture.

Now, have you ever considered Psalm 51:5 to mean exactly what it says? It says that IN SIN his mother conceived him. In other words, IN the SIN of ADULTERY his mother conceived him. Here is a website you can read later. King David's Dark Secret.

Let us now take a close look at this Psalm 51 verse 5 in the whole context of the REST of God’s word. Again, in Psalm 51, we find that David is repenting before God. David knows in his heart that HE HIMSELF has sinned against God. But in verse 5, IF taken “literally”, then David would be BLAMING God for his OWN sin. In essence, David would be accusing God saying, you made me this way God, you formed me in iniquity from the womb, in sin did my mother conceive me. So it is not my fault. I cannot help but sin for I am just a sinner born into sin.

Surely anyone seeking the TRUTH can see that this is not the case when we truly consider other verses in the rest of the Bible. God did not form us in iniquity and all men are NOT born as sinners. According to Ecclesiastes 7:29, which we just read a moment ago, we are born UPRIGHT before God and then we are DECEIVED and led astray by the enemy Satan, called the devil, the DECEIVER of the whole world. Think this through for yourself. Why does the Bible even speak of a DECEIVER if so be that we are all born in sin and we inherit a sinful NATURE and thus we are sinners because of our so-called sinful NATURE? If this were true we would just naturally sin without ever being tempted by the Devil. But this is NOT true and the Bible teaches us of an age of innocence.

Look at what Paul says in Romans 7:9.

“For I was ALIVE without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.”

Paul was born under the law of Moses just the same as Jesus was born under the law. So then, what did Paul mean when he said that he was once ALIVE without the law? You see, Paul is saying that there is a time in our lives when sin is not imputed to us and thus we are alive spiritually to God. That is to say, that God does NOT hold us accountable for our ignorance of not yet knowing right from wrong with its eternal consequences with God. It is this “age of innocence” that Paul is telling us about in this verse in Romans 7:9.

Here is what Acts 17:30 says on the time of ignorance.

“And in the times of this ignorance God WINKED AT; but now commands all men everywhere to repent.”

Jesus has now been crucified on the cross to fulfill the Scriptures of becoming the Savior of the world. God has given the world the ONE name whereby we all MUST be saved. And NOW God is commanding all men to repent of their sins and believe in his Son Jesus for the atonement of their sins. God will not strive with mankind forever.

Now let us go back to Deuteronomy 1:39 and examine the TRUTH that NO man is born in sin and henceforth we are NOT all sinners from the moment of birth. And therefore, not one single human being is held accountable before God until they reach the age of accountability where they know full well to refuse evil and choose good. It is one thing to be taught right from wrong but it is another thing to truly know and understand fully the eternal consequences that a sinner will face on the day of judgment. And in truth, age has nothing to do with AUTOMATICALLY believing the full ramifications of God’s judgment. There are atheists in their 80s and 90s who still mock the judgment of God. But in God’s eyes there is an age that he himself decides whether or not a person is mature enough to fully GRASP the eternal consequence of rejecting God’s so great a salvation. Some people with mental immaturity may never be held accountable to God for their sins. Only God truly knows their heart.

Deuteronomy 1:39 says this concerning the age of accountability.

Deuteronomy 1:39.

“Moreover your little ones (Your babies and toddlers) which YOU SAID should be a prey, AND your children, (Your older offspring) which in that day  (The day that they were babies, toddlers and children when their parents disobeyed God) had NO KNOWLEDGE between GOOD and EVIL, they shall go in thither, and unto THEM will I give it, and THEY shall possess it.”

First of all, this passage of scripture, that is to say, the entire context of where this Scripture is found, is relating the account of the people of Israel coming out of the land of Egypt and going into the land of promise which many agree is a type, shadow, or figure of heaven.

Now, I myself do not disagree with this analogy of the promise land being heaven but to me, I also see the promise of possessing the land as a picture of the church overcoming sin. What I mean by this is that I do not see that there will be any enemies in heaven to overcome. It may be a picture of the Millennium for the mortals to overcome sin but we as Christians in this present world will be given eternal life at the coming of Jesus and the second death will not have any more power of us. In other words, we will have already overcome sin in this present world but there will be others who must overcome sin in the world to come, speaking of those who survive the wrath of God by calling on the name of the Lord to be saved alive.

Get out your Bible and read verses 21 through 39 in Deuteronomy chapter 1 for yourself. But in my own short condensed summary God promises the people of Israel a good land flowing with plenty and tells them to go and possess the land that God has given them. But instead of believing God and immediately obeying him by going in and possessing the land they sent spies into the land to see if they are able to possess the land. This shows doubt and unbelief. They spied out the land for forty days and only two of the Israelites returned with a good report.

These two men were Joshua and Caleb, who believed God that they could possess the land. And because they believed God’s words, then God allowed only these two men who were young adults at this time to go in thither and possess it along with all the little ones AND the children.

But for the rest of the ADULT people of Israel, who knew just the same as Joshua and Caleb knew how to CHOOSE between GOOD and EVIL were made to wander in the wilderness for forty years. It was one year for each day they spied out the land in fear because they CHOSE to doubt and NOT believe God. By the time that the forty years of wandering expired and it was time to enter into the promised land the little ones and the children had grown up to be adults. And Joshua and Caleb were now elder men. And probably more children may have been born during that forty years as well.

Now the EVIL was not solely that they sent spies into the land because Joshua and Caleb were among these spies as well. What the Bible calls EVIL is to say or do the opposite of what God has said or commanded to do. You see, God calls the report of the other spies an EVIL report because they said that they could NOT possess the land even though God told them to go and possess the land. So the EVIL is their UNBELIEF and DISOBEDIENCE to God's word.

So we see a principle here. Those who BELIEVE God's word, RECEIVE from God. And those who choose UNBELIEF do not receive from God. For more understanding of this principle please read the study entitled E-13. SAVED by GRACE THROUGH FAITH!

However, God made an EXCEPTION for the babies, toddlers, and children. God did not require these little ones to have faith.

God said in Deuteronomy 1:39.

“Moreover your little ones (Your babies and toddlers)...AND your children (Your older 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.”

The reason God made this exception to allow the little ones which we would say in our terminology of today, your babies and toddlers, was because they did not know any better. But the babies and toddlers were not the only exception. God also said AND or and also your CHILDREN meaning not ONLY your little ones but also your older children shall go in and possess the land. And again the reason God made this exception was BECAUSE they had no knowledge between good and evil. At least in that God knew their heart that they were not mature enough to know the consequences of disobeying God.

Also, keep in mind that those who went into the promised land, which again is a type of shadow of heaven, the church, or the Millennium, were no longer babies and children by the time they entered the promised land. Remember that they wandered in the wilderness with their parents for forty years. Some say one year for every day they spied out the land. And keep in mind that more children were probably born during those forty years.

Anyway, the point of this passage of Scripture shows us that God did NOT hold these little ones ACCOUNTABLE for the sins of their parents because they had no knowledge of good and evil. So then, what does the Bible say to be this “age of accountability”? In other words, how old are children still considered to be children without a good understanding between good and evil in the eyes of God? Remember God looks upon the heart and we are talking about in GOD'S EYES and not in our own eyes. In other words, one must understand that it is what God thinks and says and NOT what you or I think that it should be.

Numbers 32:11,12 says.

“Surely none of the men that came up out of Egypt, from TWENTY years and UPWARD, shall see the land which I swore unto Abraham, unto Issac, and unto Jacob; because they have not wholly followed me: save Caleb...and Joshua...”

So then, in GOD'S eyes and NOT in MAN'S eyes, but rather in God's eyes everyone UNDER the age of TWENTY years old, as in, up to the day that they turned twenty years of age, they were NOT held ACCOUNTABLE for the sins of the people of Israel and were allowed to enter into the promise land because they had NO KNOWLEDGE between good and evil. So likewise, we can conclude that all children under the age of twenty years are considered children in God's eyes. And being children and not mature adults in God’s eyes they are INNOCENT before Almighty God where they are NOT held accountable to God himself for their deeds.

Now here is where we sometimes get a little heated, because of what we have been taught previously. We tend to rationalize beyond the word of God and say things like, “You are not going to tell me that a teenager does not know right from wrong.”

No, I am not. But this is what the word of God says. Yes, I agree, that IF the parents are Christians and those Christian parents teach their children all along the way of their children's development of growing up then these particular children who have been TAUGHT right from wrong and what the will of God is for their lives will indeed know right from wrong. And depending upon what they have been TAUGHT it may be that even SOME of these children may even fully grasp the true eternal consequences if they choose the wrong instead of choosing the good. But ultimately ONLY God knows the heart of each individual person. So for me, personally, I am not going to dogmatically tell any parent whose teenage child died that they did not go to heaven just because the parents are not absolutely sure that he or she truly was born-again. I would rather give the parents HOPE.

It is Almighty God who has chosen to extend mercy and grace to all who are under the age of twenty years old and NOT us. After all, ONLY God knows the heart of each individual person because he searches the heart of every person. So then, as for ME, I am NOT going to JUDGE whether or not a person who DIES under the age of twenty to be LOST, unless I personally KNOW that this person has made Jesus to be the Lord and savior of their life and then they have went back into their SINFUL lifestyle and DIED in their state of living IN SIN. But even then they could have REPENTED at the very moment before they drew their last breath. ONLY Almighty God knows their heart.

So then, for the SAKE of comforting those who have lost a child I am going to side with the WHOLE word of God that leads me to believe that Almighty God has made the CHOICE to NOT HOLD these little ones AND the children ACCOUNTABLE for their deeds.

Now again, it may be that if some accept Jesus at a young age and have been TAUGHT sound Biblical knowledge on how to refuse evil and to choose good, because they have good Christian parents who have taught them the word of God from when they became old enough to learn. Then perhaps these particular children MAY be held accountable for the knowledge that they possess.

Clearly, the Bible teaches us that we are to walk in the light that we have. Therefore, I myself lean to believe that God does not honor this verse IF a person were to intentionally use this verse out of context as a license to sin.

So therefore, if you are a teenager and you are reading this study, then I IMPLORE you to NOT get any wrong ideas that you can do what ever you want to do and God will not hold you accountable. He that KNOWS to do RIGHT and does it NOT to THAT person it IS SIN! Do NOT be DECEIVED!

The word of God says in James 4:17

“Therefore, to him that KNOWS to do good, and does it not, to HIM  (Or HER) it is sin.”

Only God truly knows the heart. But it seems for certain in the case of those who do NOT have Christian parents and have no knowledge of God that they will only be held accountable for what they know. They may not meet OUR standard of RIGHTEOUSNESS but the word of God teaches us that those that do RIGHTEOUSNESS are RIGHTEOUS even as he is righteous.

Please read 1 John 3:7 which says.

“Little children, let no man deceive you: he that does righteousness is righteous, even as he (Speaking of Jesus) is righteous.”

There is a verse in Revelation 3:24 where Jesus seems to be “cutting some slack”, so to speak, to some in the church of Thyatira.

Revelation 3:24.

“But unto you I say, and unto the REST in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have NOT KNOWN the depths of Satan, as they speak, I will PUT upon you NONE OTHER BURDEN.”

In other words, I will not hold you responsible, for you have not known the depths of Satan. Now obviously, these were true born-again Christians that Jesus is speaking to but yet they were being deceived by doctrines of devils or the depths of Satan which they were not aware of being deceived.

Also, I might add that if someone is exposed to the gospel of Jesus and hears the word of God concerning salvation then they are held responsible for this knowledge that they HEARD and then they rejected it. So then, if a person HEARS the Gospel of Jesus Christ and they do not accept it and believe it, then they are condemned already, because God has CONCLUDED all of mankind who have read the age of accountability to be under sin AFTER the cross. And God is calling men everywhere to REPENT and receive His great salvation.

Look at John 3:17 and 18 which says.

“For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believes in him is NOT condemned: BUT he that BELIEVES NOT is condemned already, BECAUSE he has NOT believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”

Now, before the cross there was no great salvation in which to believe in to receive God’s GIFT of righteousness by FAITH. And thus, righteousness came by WORKS. But AFTER the cross God CONCLUDED all of mankind to be under sin including all the children of Israel. So then, after the cross one must hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ before one can believe in the only begotten Son of God.

Look at Romans 10:13,14.

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

14. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have NOT HEARD? And how shall they hear without a preacher?”

So what about all the people that do not have a chance to hear the Gospel of Jesus concerning salvation? Well, this is a rather lengthy answer in and of itself which I will deal with in another study. For now, let us return to the controversy between those that believe in the age of accountability and those that believe that all men are born in sin and therefore are held accountable at birth for the so-called INHERITED sin of Adam.

Those that believe in original sin also use Psalms 58:3 to support their point of view.

Psalm 58:3.

“The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they are born, speaking lies.”

Just as we could not take Psalms 51:5 “literally”, likewise, we cannot take this verse literally. It should be obvious to everyone that a newborn baby cannot speak either the truth or lies when they are first born. They simply cannot speak anything “coherently” at birth. So again, this language is figurative and in essence says that we SEEM to go ASTRAY from the moment we are born and soon begin to speak lies at a very young age.

Also, please notice this verse says that we go astray. You see, in order for someone to GO ASTRAY then one must FIRST be in an UPRIGHT state in the eyes of God. And this is exactly what the Bible teaches. We are BORN upright before God. Then we LEARN to refuse evil and choose the good. And sadly many people believe the lies of Satan and they go ASTRAY. But this does NOT mean that God ordained and predestined them to go astray.

Can you not see my dear brothers and sisters in our Lord Jesus Christ, that IF the doctrine of original sin were true and we all were BORN with the GUILT of Adam's sin, then we would ALREADY be ASTRAY from God the very moment that we are born. One cannot GO astray from God if they were never in an upright and innocent state before God from the very start of their life. The Bible teaches us that we must first LEARN to refuse the evil and to choose the good before we are held accountable for our actions.

Some may disagree and argue that when their child does something bad the parent may say, “Now I know for a fact that I did not TEACH my child to do that!”. Then they FALSELY conclude that children are just born with this so-called sinful nature to do bad things. I have heard people say, “I have never had to teach my child to do something bad. They just seem to know it already”. And they may also falsely draw the wrong conclusion and say something like, “So then, if they were not born with this nature to do wrong then how did they get it?”. And these wrong conclusions may leave those that hear such reasoning with the wrong idea that the only other choice is to conclude that they must have been BORN with a SINFUL NATURE.

Now I agree that this is a good question. So HOW then did you yourself LEARN to do things that are wrong? Exactly, the enemy came along and WHISPERED in your ear and you listened to him. But as you got older you grew wiser. Well, supposedly you grew wiser. And if you do grow wiser you do not keep making the same mistakes over and over. Anyway, most of us have LEARNED not to listen to this voice because we found that this voice in our head or thoughts is the voice of the enemy that always lies to us. Well, this is the way that the Bible teaches us that the enemy Satan the devil works.

But some of us, even as adults, have not FULLY learned all the wiles and trickery of the devil. Yes, I agree that no GOOD parent will teach their child KNOWINGLY to do wrong. But this does NOT mean that the child did NOT LEARN his or her behavior from watching another child. So it is just plain poor theology to reason and conclude that we must have been BORN with a SINFUL behavior just because we did not TEACH our children to do bad things.

I remember going to the store one day and my little two year old daughter saw a tantrum being displayed by a much older child around the age of 7 or 8 throwing herself on the floor and kicking and screaming until her mom gave into her fit and gave her what she wanted. Soon after this incident my little two year old threw herself on the floor kicking and screaming and I promptly snatched her up into my arm and said I know where you LEARNED to do that and this kind of behavior is NOT acceptable. Do this again and you will never get what you want from me by acting this way. She never again threw another tantrum because she was properly TAUGHT that this kind of behavior would not be tolerated.

Now, I myself am persuaded that the enemy brought to her remembrance of what she saw this other girl doing and that voice of the enemy that we all hear in our minds told her that if she did this then she would get what she wanted as well. So I ask you, what two year old would question a voice or idea coming to his or her head that he or she could have anything they want if they just scream loud and long enough in front of their parents and even more so when other people are around?

The truth of the matter is that our behavior is LEARNED and the enemy of our souls plays a very key role to make sure that our learned behavior is SINFUL. So again, I say a thousand times NO! We are NOT BORN with a SINFUL NATURE that compels us to sin. But rather it is Satan the devil that is the INFLUENCE in the world that compels mankind to sin. Please read the study F-14. The FALSE DOCTRINE of ORIGINAL SIN! for an in-depth study exposing this doctrine of devils.

So then, temptation comes or this voice comes from the enemy Satan and places these thoughts in our mind. Then we either make our own choice to go astray and choose evil, or we choose to resist the temptation to obey God's commands and remain faithful to God by our obedience to his word. It is a learning process, so hang in there. The more you learn, then the less you will be DECEIVED by the enemy. For more understanding on this subject please read the study entitled G-9. Satan can HINDER our PRAYERS!

Even Jesus needed to LEARN to refuse evil and to choose the good.

Isaiah 7:16 says.

“For BEFORE the child shall KNOW to REFUSE the evil and CHOOSE the good, the land that you abhor shall be forsaken of both her kings.”

Now, while this verse of Scripture is a prophecy referring to Jesus as a child, BEFORE he knew to refuse the evil and choose the good where the “he” is referring to Jesus, this verse also includes every child. You see, even Jesus was TAUGHT by his heavenly Father through the Holy Spirit of his God and he had to LEARN obedience and how to refuse evil and to choose the good. We know from God's word that Jesus read the Scriptures to learn the ways of God.

God did not simply “zap” His Son Jesus with the Holy Spirit, so to speak, whereby Jesus instantaneously became fluent in the knowledge of how to walk in the Spirit of God. Little by little Jesus grew stronger and stronger in the wisdom of the Holy Spirit BEFORE God anointed him at his baptism by John the Baptist. Please look at these following Scriptures.

John 8:28 says it like this.

“...I do nothing of MYSELF, but as my Father had TAUGHT me, I speak these things.”

Jesus was TAUGHT by the Father the same way God teaches us. And that teaching is through the Holy Spirit and the word of God.

Luke 4:18 says that Jesus was anointed or empowered to PREACH the Gospel the SAME way Jesus instructed the church to wait to be empowered BEFORE going out to try and preach the gospel in their own strength. And this empowerment comes through the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

Luke 4:18.

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, (Ask yourself why?) because he has ANOINTED me (Again, why was Jesus anointed?) to PREACH the gospel....”

Isaiah 50:5 tells us that God opened the ear of Jesus to hear. That is to say, God opened his spiritual ear to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit. And Jesus was not rebellious to the voice of the Holy Spirit but learned obedience, even obedience unto death on the cross.

Isaiah 50:5.

“The Lord has OPENED my ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back. I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and the spitting”

In verse 4 of this same chapter, we see that Almighty God the Father TAUGHT Jesus the wisdom of the Scriptures so that he may do his Father's will.

Isaiah 50:4.

“The Lord God has given me the tongue of the LEARNED, that I should know HOW to speak a word in SEASON to him that is weary: he awakened my ear morning by morning, he awakens my ear to HEAR as the LEARNED.”

You see, Jesus LEARNED little by little, day by day, and morning by morning. God TAUGHT Jesus by his Holy Spirit while he was growing up. And after Jesus was anointed with the Holy Spirit at his baptism Jesus was led by the Spirit to speak forth his word in due season to the weary, the broken hearted, the sick and the lame. Jesus' EMPOWERMENT of the Holy Spirit was ALSO a LEARNING process that came little by little over time, just like it does for us. Sometimes Jesus perceived things and sometimes he did not.

Hebrews 5:8 says it like this.

“Though he were the Son, YET LEARNED he obedience by the things he suffered.”

Even though Jesus was the Son of God he needed to LEARN to obey the Holy Spirit of God little by little through the trials and temptations that he went through his entire life. At age twelve Jesus did not keep up with his parents and they had to turn around and come back to look for him. He explained to his parents that he must be about his Father's business. Now, to me, Jesus was still learning WHEN to do the will of the Holy Spirit. I was told by the still small voice of the Holy Spirit that my dad was going to die and I THOUGHT that God meant that my dad was going to die very soon. But it was three years later that my dad actually died. God was warning me of my dad’s death so that I could make sure he was in a right relationship with God.

We know that Jesus was tempted in all points just as we are tempted.

Hebrews 2:18 says.

“For in that he HIMSELF has suffered (Ask yourself how did Jesus suffer?) being TEMPTED, he is able to succor them (Help or aid) them that are tempted.”

Yes, we all know Jesus suffered greatly the crucifixion and death on the cross but Jesus also suffered BEING TEMPTED. The Spirit of Christ is living within us to encourage us by saying, “Hey, I have been where you are now, and I know that it is tough but you can overcome this so do NOT give into this temptation or despair. You were not born with a so-called NATURE to sin. So do NOT be deceived by those who say that you are only human. Hey, I was human too. I went through the same type of things you are facing and the Holy Spirit strengthened me to overcome these things. The very SAME Holy Spirit who dwelt in me now lives within YOU. And GREATER is he that is dwelling in you than the enemy that is in the world. So resist the enemy as I did using God's written word and the enemy will flee from you.”

And if you would like to learn more on the humanity of Jesus please read the in-depth study entitled N-4. JESUS THE SON OF MAN!

I said all of this to drive home the TRUTH that Jesus, as well as ALL of mankind, were born UPRIGHT and are pure in God's eyes from the moment of birth. And to make it clear that Jesus had to LEARN to REFUSE evil and to CHOOSE the good just as all of mankind has to learn to refuse evil and to CHOOSE the good.

Look again at Isaiah 7:16,

“For BEFORE the child shall KNOW to REFUSE the evil and CHOOSE the good...”

You see, there was a time BEFORE Jesus, as well as we ourselves, knew or had the knowledge to refuse evil and to choose good. Therefore, during this time or period in the lives of those under the age of accountability, God does not hold them accountable in the same way that he holds us accountable when we become mature adults and have learned the true consequences of choosing evil.

Let us continue to defuse the controversy between those that believe in original sin that states that all men are born sinners and therefore we are sinners from birth, and those that believe that God does not hold babies and children accountable in the same way that he holds us as adults accountable. Those that teach the total depravity of mankind that we are born as sinners also use the following two scriptures in combination to try and add more support to their point of view.

Genesis 8:21.

“...for the imagination of a man's heart is evil from his youth.”

Proverbs 20:11.

 

“Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.”

Now when one sees the word “whether” they generally think that two OPPOSITES are being discussed. Such as, whether a child's works are good OR whether the child's works are evil, where good and evil are opposites.

However, if you look closely at this verse in Proverbs chapter 20:11 you will find that the doings or works are NOT opposites. But rather they are BOTH the same in nature. Also, I want you to notice that the doings of the child is KNOWN as BOTH PURE and RIGHT, and NOT as being known as evil and bad as some are falsely misleading us to believe.

The Hebrew word that is translated as “whether” here in this verse may also be translated as “though”, “surely”, “yet”, and “verily”, which means truly. So this verse may also read as follows.

Proverbs 20:11 the way it should have been translated.

“Even a child is known by his doings, SURELY or truly his work be PURE, and verily or truly it be RIGHT.”

Now, as for Genesis 8:21, this verse does not mean that man is born as a sinner. But rather, it simply means that from the time a man is young and NOT speaking of being an infant, then he or she is exposed to the temptations of the enemy. And thus, by being tempted constantly they are continually vexed with evil thoughts or imaginations, particularly when there is no instruction to do right.

The CONTEXT of where this verse in Genesis chapter 8 is found is talking about right after God destroyed the world by a great flood and only Noah and his family were saved. Evil grew worse and worse and man was sorely vexed, as in, the day of Sodom and Gomorrah. God looked and saw that man's heart had become evil and had now become evil EVEN from his youth. In other words, it was back then in the days of Noah like it is becoming more and more today where evil and crime that were once only committed by ADULTS are now being committed by younger and younger children each passing day. Jesus said that the end of days would be like the days of Noah.

You see, the word of God does not teach that man is born evil or totally depraved. But rather the CLEAR word of God teaches that man is born UPRIGHT. Then as the child grows his or her thoughts BECOME evil because they are deceived and led astray by the enemy speaking to them by that little voice that comes alongside and whispers in their ear to do evil. The surroundings of the children also greatly affect what the child LEARNS by his or her environment. Lot was VEXED by his SURROUNDINGS of Sodom and Gomorrah continually. And there is no doubt in my mind that many in Sodom and Gomorrah BECAME homosexuals BECAUSE of their SURROUNDINGS and NOT because they were supposedly BORN as homosexuals.

The Bible also says that a little leaven or false teaching will leaven or spread to the whole lump. In other words, if we entertain or we are exposed to sin long enough then we will become more complacent and acceptable to sin. And if we continue in this complacency to sin then we are more likely to be drawn into the sin that surrounds us.

Look at Genesis 6:12 right before the great flood.

“And God looked upon the earth, and behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had CORRUPTED his way upon the earth.”

The word “corrupt” means to pervert that which is GOOD and to change the ORIGINAL form of, to taint or infect. In other words, man is infected with sinful imaginations by the whispering voice of the enemy, Satan. We are in the world surrounded by sin. And thus all flesh corrupted themselves by obeying the voice of the enemy. Now a child's doings may seem or appear wrong or sinful in our eyes. But in God's eyes their work is both pure and right because they have not yet learned to refuse evil and choose the good.

You see, something has to FIRST be GOOD before it can be CORRUPTED. So IF what many of us have been TAUGHT is true by the Calvinist Christians that claim that all of mankind is born with the nature of sin, and that we are all are sinners from birth,  then mankind would have ALREADY been corrupt, and would not have needed to corrupt his OWN ways.

However, the CLEAR word of God says that mankind has corrupted his WAY. Therefore, man's WAY was GOOD before he himself CORRUPTED his own natural way with which he was born by listening to the voice of the enemy and disobeying God.

Another Scripture used by those that teach that all men are born in sin is Ephesians 2:3.

Ephesians 2:3. 

“...and were by nature the children of wrath.”

The Christians who believe Calvinism claim this verse means that all men by their very nature that they are BORN with are the children of wrath. In other words, some falsely teach that all men have a sinful nature and they go on to say that we all are born with this so-called sinful nature because of the sin of Adam..

Well, let us examine this verse more closely and see its true meaning. Again by keeping this verse in its context, we will start with Ephesians 2:2,3 which says.

Ephesians 2:2,3.

“Wherein in times past you walked according to the course of this world, ACCORDING to the PRINCE of the power of the air, the spirit that now works in the children of DISOBEDIENCE: (Now, even ANY true born-again Christian that backslides to live in sin has a DISOBEDIENT NATURE because they are DISOBEYING God and NOT because they were BORN with a sinful nature. Whether in the past before we became Christaisn or now after we became Christians this “spirit” is still working in both Christians and non-Christians to get us to BECOME children of DISOBEDIENCE or to have a disobedient nature)

3. Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath even as others.”

What Paul is saying here is that at some point in every person’s life they gave into that evil spirit that works in all the children of disobedience. That is to say, that at some point in our lives, each and every one of us, gave into the temptation that came from Satan to cause us to disobey God and become “children of disobedience”. First of all, you have to be at some point in your life in a state of either obedience or a state of innocence where you are not held accountable BEFORE you can BECOME disobedient. If you look up the word nature here in this verse in a Bible concordance you will find that it also means GROWTH by expansion. In other words, our nature developed by USAGE and GROWTH to expand. And thus, our nature can grow and expand to be RIGHTEOUS by our walking in righteousness or our EXERCISING righteousness. Or our nature can grow to be that of a disobedient nature by forming bad habits. It is OUR CHOICE.

Now the word “children” here does not literally mean a child, as in a youth, but rather, it means in essence “nature”. The word of God in 1 John 3:8, says that those who obey Satan to give into temptation to SIN are the “children” of the devil.

1 John 3:8.

“He that commits sin is of the devil;...”

Then in 1 John 3:10 we read.

“In this the children of God are manifest (That is to say, in this way of whether a person does NOT sin the children of God are made known) , and (if a person DOES SIN then they are) the children of the devil.”

This short passage is saying that those that do righteousness are righteous. And because of their righteous works they are clearly seen or known as the “children” of God. You shall know them by their FRUIT. That is to say, that they bare the fruit, the characteristics or the nature of God. In the same token, those that CHOOSE to sin of their own free will are known or shown to be the “children” of the devil because they bear the fruit or the “nature” of the devil as opposed to bearing the nature of Almighty God.

So when Ephesians 2:3 says,

“...and WERE by nature the children of wrath, even as others.”

It does NOT mean that when we were children, as in our youth, that we were born with the nature of sin and therefore were children of wrath. But rather, the true meaning of this verse says, that WHEN we allow the spirit that works against all of mankind to get men to corrupt themselves is WHEN we become by nature the children of wrath. So then, by obeying Satan we disobey God by being DECEIVED to take on the Devil's nature. And when we GIVE INTO these temptations we are found to be living in sin and following the course of this world whose god is Satan then we become the disobedient children of wrath even as others. And it is then  at this time in our lives while living in sin that we also BECOME the children of wrath even as others. NOT because we were BORN as the children of wrath. BUT rather, because we corrupted our behavior at that time WHILE we were living in sin, the NATURE of the devil even as others who have corrupted themselves by disobeying God. In truth, the nature of wrath GROWS in a person by their own choice of exercising unrighteous works.

Those that teach that all men are born with a sinful nature and are sinners from birth also use the following two scriptures to support their view of Calvinism.

1 Corinthians 15:21,22.

“For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.

22. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.”

Romans 5:12-14.

“Wherefore, as by one man sin entered the into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

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.”

Now, on the surface these two verses seem to be saying that death passed upon all men because of one man's sin and that all of mankind inherited involuntarily a sinful nature because of Adam's original sin.

But is this Scripture truly saying?

Now, if this statement were in fact true that we involuntarily INHERITED a sin nature BECAUSE of, or for the very reason of ONE man's sin and thus we are all AUTOMATICALLY made to be sinners at birth THEN the rest of this same verse must ALSO be true. For you see, how can the first part be true and the last part be false since they say in essence the same thing in comparison.

Let me explain. The first part says that by ONE man's sin death passed upon all men, which those that teach the original sin doctrine state or INTERPRET that this means that all men are born in sin. And therefore we have a sinful nature and are totally depraved sinners from birth BECAUSE of ONE man's sin, speaking of the sin of Adam. And consequently there is nothing we can do about this because supposedly we are all BORN with this sinful nature and have INHERITED this so-called sin nature AUTOMATICALLY by inheriting Adam's sin.

Now, the last part of this SAME passage of Scripture says in verse 15 the very next verse.

Romans 5:15.

“...so ALSO is the free gift, For if through the OFFENSE of ONE (Speaking of Adam's sin) many be dead, MUCH MORE the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by ONE man, Jesus Christ, has abounded to many.”

Then in Romans 5:18 we read.

“Therefore (Or for this very reason) as by the offense of ONE judgment came upon ALL men (Supposedly AUTOMATICALLY and immediate judgment of guilt of sin, according to the doctrine of original sin) unto condemnation, EVEN SO by the righteousness of ONE the free gift (Of Salvation) came UPON ALL MEN (AUTOMATICALLY if one is consistent in interpreting this verse) unto the justification of life.”

So again, if the first part of this passage that says, “for by ONE man's sin death passed or came upon all men”, as in, SPIRITUAL death passed upon all men at BIRTH is to to be interpreted as meaning that all men involuntarily and AUTOMATICALLY inherit not only Adam’s SIN to become spiritually dead to God but also all men inherit a sin nature by being BORN with a sinful NATURE. Then we must be consistent in interpreting this verse and thus the last part ALSO has to be interpreted in the same manner.

“EVEN SO (Or in the same manner of death AUTOMATICALLY passing upon all men) by the righteousness of ONE the free gift came (Or so also is the free gift of life is AUTOMATICALLY  passed) upon ALL MEN unto the justification of life.”

In other words, if one INTERPRETS the first part of this passage of scripture to mean that ALL of mankind are AUTOMATICALLY MADE to be SINNERS by the sin of the ONE man Adam. Then one must ALSO interpret the rest of this passage of Scripture to mean that ALL of mankind is AUTOMATICALLY MADE to be the RIGHTEOUSNESS of God by the ONE man Jesus Christ.

Can you not see my dear brothers and sisters in our lord Jesus Christ, that one cannot INTERPRET one part of this verse one way to fit their OWN theology and then interpret the other part another way because it would disagree with their OWN theology. So once again, if the first part of this verse is to be INTERPRETED as saying, because of Adam's sin then all men are born with the verdict of SPIRITUAL death and also a sin nature. And thereby all men are sinners from birth. Then the second part must also be interpreted as by the righteousness of the ONE man, Jesus Christ, then ALL of mankind are made righteous AUTOMATICALLY.

In other words, ALL men inherit involuntarily the righteousness of God and are AUTOMATICALLY saved because of the righteousness of one man, Jesus. You can not interpret the SAME verse in opposite ways.

Now, we know from the rest of the Bible, the WHOLE word of God, that this obviously cannot be true. And likewise from what I have shown you in this study of God's word that the first half of this verse of scripture we are looking at ALSO CANNOT be interpreted the way that those who teach original sin interpret it and their interpretation be the correct interpretation. This interpretation of Romans 5:12-21 of SIN passing upon all men in order to try and support the doctrine of ORIGINAL SIN goes against or is contrary to the WHOLE word of God.

To me, I see that the Bible plainly teaches us that it is death that is PASSED upon ALL men by the sin of the one man Adam. And in much the VERY SAME way the RESURRECTION from the dead is PASSED upon mankind by the righteousness of the one man Jesus Christ. So then, the word DEATH means PHYSICAL death and NOT SPIRITUAL death.

If it was spiritual death then not one single person from Adam to Moses could ever be saved. And yet we see RIGHTEOUS Abel and RIGHTEOUS Noah and many more righteous Old Testament saints.

The TRUTH of the matter is that we are given the CHOICE as to which INFLUENCE or which VOICE we will OBEY. The word of God clearly shows us this truth in many places.

Romans 6:16 plainly states.

“Know you not that to whom YOU YIELD yourselves servants to OBEY, his servants you are to WHOM you OBEY; whether of sin unto DEATH, or of OBEDIENCE unto righteousness?”

Now, here in this verse the word death is indeed speaking of spiritual death because the wages of SIN is spiritual death. And those who die living in sin will receive the judgment of the second death in the lake of fire. And righteousness leads to eternal life in the world to come. So then, SIN entered the world and death passed upon men BY their own SINNING. And those who CHOOSE to SIN then THEIR sin will LEAD them to death if they do not repent and CHOOSE righteousness which LEADS to eternal life.

You see, when Adam sinned then Satan became the god of this world. Because of Adam's disobedience, then Satan was allowed to bring death into the WORLD. Satan became the holder of the keys of death. The verse goes on to say that sin is NOT IMPUTED without the law, but nevertheless death REIGNED or ruled over in the world from Adam to MOSES.

So when the law came then mankind got some reprieve so to speak, but the law was just a type or shadow for the perfect solution that was yet to come. To me, if those that teach the doctrine of original sin use this verse to demand that death is PASSED upon all men to mean that we are BORN with Adam’s SIN and also with a sin NATURE. And thus all of mankind are SINNERS from the moment we are BORN, then they must ALSO use this same verse to teach that being born in sin with a sin nature ENDED with MOSES, because this verse says that death REIGNED or ruled from Adam TO MOSES.

No my dear brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ, the Bible clearly teaches that we are NOT born with a sin nature as some teach by the false doctrine of original sin. The verses used to support this false doctrine are misinterpreted, taken out of context, and sometimes even twisted by using only PART of the verse to fit the theology of those that teach the FALSE doctrine of original sin.

The Bible teaches that we are born upright, pure and right, and then we are drawn away by the adversary the devil and deceived into disobeying God.

The word of God teaches that any disobedience against God is sin. Therefore by disobeying God we ourselves henceforth CHANGE our natural nature that is pure and right IN TO a nature that is unnatural to us from birth.

As I said before, we are known by the fruit we bear. Therefore, we are sinners, because we willfully choose to sin. We are NOT born as sinners with a sin nature as some falsely teach. When we refuse to keep or retain God in our lives and willfully choose to sin, THEN it is at that time that we go against our nature and the NATURAL use of how God made us.

Look at Romans 1:25,26.

“Who CHANGED the truth of God into a lie, and worshiped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever.

26. For this cause God gave them up to vile affections; for even their women did CHANGE the NATURAL use into that which is AGAINST NATURE:”

In other words, they themselves CHANGED that which was their ORIGINAL NATURE in which they were BORN, and in which God created in them and THEN they themselves made their GOOD and PURE and UPRIGHT NATURE in with which they were BORN to BECOME UNNATURAL. That is to say, against the way they were BORN by NATURE. And again, the way God made them was pure and upright. In other words they THEMSELVES perverted and corrupted their original NATURE that they were born with to BECOME a sinful nature. People DEVELOP a sinful nature but no one is BORN with a sinful nature. Please read the studies listed under >>>Cc-0. Is Calvinism Biblical?<<<

Now, I know that it may seem easier to BLAME God for all our sins by saying that we are all born with a sin nature as opposed to enduring SOUND Biblical doctrine and place the blame where it belongs which is upon ourselves for obeying the lies of Satan. I have heard homosexuals say that they were BORN that way and there is nothing that they can do about it. But the WORD of God says that they are DECEIVED into believing a lie to leave the NATURAL use of their body, the way that they were BORN, BOTH PURE and UPRIGHT, because they did not want to retain God in their knowledge.

Please read Romans 1:27-32.

“And likewise also the men, LEAVING the NATURAL use of the women, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemingly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet.

28. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

29. Being filled with ALL unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity, whisperers,

30. Backbiters, haters of god, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,

31. Without understanding, covenant breakers, without NATURAL affection, implacable, unmerciful.

32. Who knowing the judgment of God, that they who COMMIT such things are worthy of death, not only do the same but have pleasure in them that do them.”

Most certainly God did not create us with a sinful NATURE nor did we inherit a sinful NATURE because of Adam's original sin. We are NOT born sinners. NOR are we born with a sinful nature. The Bible does not teach this. It is AGAINST our NATURE to sin. We only DEVELOP the lusts of the flesh by listening to the lies of the enemy.

So if you are wrestling with the lies of the enemy of your soul that is trying to convince you that you were BORN a homosexual, then I want to encourage you to fight and RESIST these lies of the devil and put your trust in God's word that teaches us that sin shall NOT have dominion over you. Please understand that I am not singling out those that are wrestling with the sin of homosexuality. I implore you to read the study called F-12. How YOU can live YOUR LIFE FREE from SIN!

But rather, I am speaking to all of mankind that is wrestling with sinful desires that the enemy is trying to convince you that this is just your NATURE and who you are so stop trying to fight it. The devil knows that if he can get you to stop RESISTING his lies then he can KEEP you under his yoke of bondage living in sin. You do NOT have a NATURE to SIN. This is a LIE of the enemy Satan the devil. In fact, that which is NATURAL for us, is to do good and work the works of righteousness. Everyone of us has inherited a CONSCIENCE to know right from wrong. If we inherited anything from Adam it would be our CONSCIENCE that WARNS us that we are about to do something wrong.

Please look at the next chapter in Romans 2:14,15 which says.

“For the Gentiles, which have NOT the law, do by NATURE the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:

15. which show the work of the law written in their hearts, their CONSCIENCE also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another.”

The Gentiles were considered by the Jews to be sinners. But this verse says that even without the written law that was given only to the Jews that the Gentiles by their very NATURE obeyed what was in the law of God. This fact that we by our very own nature try to obey God and that we have a CONSCIENCE that compels us to do good and refuse evil, clearly shows us that we are NOT born with the so-called  original sin of Adam. And we are NOT sinners at birth being BORN with a sinful nature as some falsely teach.

This false doctrine of original sin was not taught by the disciples and the early church of the first century. In fact this FALSE doctrine of original sin did not enter the picture until around the third century, and then it was NOT generally and widely accepted among church leaders until the fifth century, when it was made a dogma of the Catholic church. You can do your own research on this by studying the church councils of the Roman Catholic Church. Now, original sin was ALLUDED TO in the second century by Irenaeus but again one must INTERPRET his writings to come away with the idea that he was teaching a doctrine of original sin in the way it has DEVELOPED today.

And those of you who know a little of church history, know that the church leaders made the doctrines and the so-called common Christians blindly followed the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church. The general congregation back then did not have the opportunity to search out the TRUTH as we do today. It was the CLERGY that told the people what they were to believe and not to believe during that time in history when Catholicism seemed to dominate the church.

So I encourage you not to waste your freedom that you have been blessed with in today's world to search the word daily to see if what you are being taught is in fact the TRUTH of God's word by continuing to BLINDLY follow the doctrines and commandments of MEN. But rather I exhort you to be like the men at Berea that we read about in the book of Acts 17:11 who searched the word of God daily to see if what they were being taught was the TRUTH of God's word. May God bless you richly as you seek the TRUTH of his Holy word.

Thanks for reading, and may God bless you richly as you continue to seek the TRUTH of the WHOLE word of Almighty God. And to me, the truth concerning who Jesus TRULY is, according to the Bible ITSELF, is the Biblical Unitarian view of Jesus. So, for ALL of the studies on the Biblical Unitarian view of Jesus, please click on the subject heading >>>D-0. THE BIBLICAL UNITARIAN VIEW of JESUS!<<<

And for the SUBJECT on the true foundation of the church, please click on the subject heading >>>C-0. THE TRUE FOUNDATION OF THE CHURCH!<<< This way you can just send ONE link to those who you want to share the TRUE sound Biblical FOUNDATIONAL teachings of the church that Jesus and his Apostles taught in the first century church.

 

Your brother in our Lord Jesus Christ,

Brother Mark.

 

My heartfelt prayer is that all Christians RETURN to the TRUE FOUNDATION of the church that is taught by the very Apostles of Jesus in the first century. So let us all come into the UNITY of the faith and return to what Jesus and his Apostles taught us in SIMPLICITY in the New Testament. 

 

To learn more TRUTH, then please return to

AMatterOfTruth.com

 

VERSES USED TO TEACH THAT JESUS PREEXISTED!

 

To me, the best way to know the ONE true God in ONE person is to know who Jesus TRULY is according to the WHOLE word of Almighty God. So please read ALL of the studies under the heading >>>N-0. WHO is JESUS ACCORDING to the BIBLE?<<< and you will see that the Bible itself teaches us that Jesus was CREATED by his God and Father. And if you have any questions related to the correct meaning of certain verses of Scripture on this subject of who Jesus is please read all the studies under the two headings >>>U-0. VERSES used for THE TRINITY!<<< and >>>V-0. VERSES used to TEACH that Jesus PRE-EXISTED!<<< These two headings have ALL of the studies that I have on who Jesus truly is according to what the Bible itself teaches us in simplicity. I compiled these three headings to make it easy for my readers to send just one, two, or three links to those you desire to help understand what the Bible itself teaches concerning who Jesus is in the LIGHT of the WHOLE word of Almighty God. If you have any questions, please feel free to write to me. 

My contact email is MarkatAMatterOfTruth@Gmail .com.

Thanks again for reading and may God bless you richly as you continue to seek the truth of the whole word of Almighty God.

 

Your Brother in our Lord Jesus Christ,

Brother Mark.

 

RETURN to HOMEPAGE at

AMatterOfTruth.com

 

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Always be faithful to share, to preach, and to teach the whole gospel of Jesus Christ!