Why We Left Lutheranism--Inherited Damnation
Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned. (Romans 5:12)
I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. (Romans 7:18)
As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins. (Ephesians 2:1)
Thus we see in these passages that we are indeed sinful not only from childhood, not only from birth, but sinful at our conceptions. We are born "dead in sin." And being dead in sin, we cannot "by our own reason or strength come to Jesus Christ."
This topic is intertwined with the last topic on infant baptism. If we believe we begin life as sinners, we seek baptism for our babies and children. But if we believe sin begins only when you can tell right from wrong, then baptism is another choice one makes in life.
Let us look at Romans 5. Paul writes: Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned. We see that death is a result of sin. People die because of sin. If, then, we die because of sin, then why do babies die? If as Mr. Guild and the Reformed teach that babies have no sin, then they wouldn't die. Imagine, we wouldn't have to worry about abortion or child abuse or infant illness if indeed babies and children had no sin.
But babies do die. Several of my friends had miscarriages, that is a baby dies in utero. I would have more siblings if my mother didn’t have several miscarriages. Just in the last few weeks here in Milwaukee babies have died or were severally injured because of child abuse. A set of parents is pursuing redress in the courts because their young daughter died of e coli. Babies and children die. Death is the wages of sin. Either babies and children sin or they have a sinful nature or both. But they die because of sin.
Because babies and children die
Latest Articles