Is there original sin passed down from Adam? Are babies/infants inheriting sin?
誰倚靠耶和華的靈? 嬰兒? 年齡最小的人?
(Romans 5v12, 8)
The wages of sin is death.
There was no human death before Adam disobeyed God. (Romans 5v12, 14)
Obedience to God does not result/deserve death? Christ died for sinners (Romans 5vv6, 8, 12; Heb 10vv10,12); the righteous for the unrighteous. Babies are not mentioned by God and in the bible to be dying for the unrighteous (Heb 10v12), while they being righteous and free from sin. Only Christ is said to be free from sin. Not even John the Baptist, Enoch, Elijah and Mary (the mother of Jesus). [Being justified by faith some believers have been spared of physical death and entering heaven before they see death, and do not suffer physical decay. None of these who live on claim that they are free of sin and escaped the wrath of God from the very beginning/infancy.]
沒有耶和華﹐誰能做得對?
So, who is born sinless? (Eph 2vv8,9; Rom 5v14) John the Baptist? Enoch? Cain? Abraham? Noah?
If Adam did not pass down sin/disobedience of himself(Rom 5v14), how come all after him were kept outside Paradise? Shouldn't his children be allowed into Paradise immediately after childbirth?
Generally all of Adam's off-springs die physical death. (Romans 5v12, 14) Shouldn't babies survive death, if they indeed have no sin?
Death is the consequence of sin. -Gen3v3; Rom 5v12, 14. The wages of sin is death. Adam started dying after he ate the forbidden fruit, committing sin. Mankind did not start dying they sinned, going against the law of God. So it is a sure sign of sin when babies die. For the righteous shall live by faith. The righteous ones do not die; apart from Christ who were made (in the likeness of) sin, so that He may die for mankind as the Righteous for the Unrighteous.
Babies will be dying as righteous ones, if they die sinless.
Did Herod kill babies? they surely died. The righteous for the unrighteous?
When did you start sinning if you were born sinless?
Were you repeating the sin Adam committed? (Rom 5v14) Where do scriptures mention that?
Were you, like all babies, born in Paradise?
Why were you seen staying on earth/this world after you came out of your mother's womb?
How can sin give birth to sinlessness? (Rom 5v14) Was the Holy Spirit at work, like the case of Christ?
How come it is not mentioned in scriptures?Judas Iscariot was mentioned to be a devil, son of perdition, not given to The Son by The Father. Was he righteous and sinless in the beginning? So sinless that he was never a son of righteousness, having his name written in the book of life?
Are you sinless, just because there is no opportunity for you to act out evil in you?
Christ was born like sin. So being born into the world is being sin (part of sin) unless you are God Himself, conceived by the Holy Spirit/God Himself, rather than via normal human agents of father and mother.
Sin is imputed by law. - Rom 5 vv12, 13, 14.
Sin entered the world through one man (Adam). - Rom 5 v12.
...by the transgression of the one the many died,.. -Rom 5 v15. Babies are not spared of death because of the transgression of the one (Adam).
Also, the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification. - Rom 5 v16. One offering of Christ settles the sins of many. - Rom 5 v18.
If the sin of one does not cause many to be regarded as sin, how come the sacrifice of one causes many to be free from sin? Shouldn't there be many sacrifice, one for each responsible of personal sins? This idea is not scriptural...Through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men,... - Rom 5 v18. Babies are not spared from condemnation. They are part of "all men".
... many were made sinners,.. - Rom 5 v19. Babies were made/imputed sinners; not that they became sinners. ...so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. - Rom 5 v19. Sinners are made/imputed righteous; not that they work themselves to righteousness. This is the manifestation of grace.
We only died to sin after accepting Christ. - Rom 6 v2. That means we were in sin (are sin) before then.
for he who has died is free from sin. - Rom 6 v7. Babies/infants haven't done that (died to sin through accepting Christ), and are by definition: slaves of sin. No children of slaves are born free. Like father like son. No scripture considers babies to be dead to sin. No baby (except Christ) can master over sin and stay innocent. So they do not have absolute innocence. Being slaves of sin, they are under their master until redemption. To his own master he stands or falls,... - Rom 14 v4. Slaves cannot escape their own masters.
If we say we have no sin, we deceived ourselves, and the truth is not in us. - 1Jn 2 v1.
If babies/infants say they have no sin; or if any adult proclaimed that babies have no sin, it is indeed because of the deceitfulness of sin. - Heb 3 v13.No baby can enter the Holy of Holies. No baby is exempted from atonement in the Old and New Covenant/Testament. No baby can see God face to face.
Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh,..." - John 3 vv 5,6. Which child/baby was born of water and the Spirit? Which baby can come to water baptism by its own free-will/choice? Which baby can repent before being baptised? Christ did not tell of anyone which is born of the flesh is spirit.
..whatever is not of faith is sin - Rom 14 v23. Are babies faithful believers of God/Christ? They cannot even come to such decision, how then, can they exhibit faith to be counted sinless?
Can children receive inheritance from their father? Yes? Then, why not guilt and dishonour as well? Why not sin?
Are children named after their father/parents? Is your sur-name your family name? Is BarJonah the son of Jonah? Why not sin and punishment when it come to inheritance?
When the son decided to leave such inheritance (from his parents), he will be cut off from such burden of inheritance. So, when you decided to leave sin, the sins of your fore-fathers and come to accept God (receive Christ), you also, will be born of the spirit and become a child of the Most High. For God is faithful, and patient - longsuffering.It is a bit hard for babies to make such decision. But you can. So would you?
There is the story of David committing adultery and murder (2Sam11).
Even David thought it right to repay 4 times for such sin (2Sam12vv5,6).
David had 4 sons died (including the first born from Bathsheba/adultery and Absalom, his beloved son.
Je had decreed that the first born of Bathsheba should die because of the sin of David (2Sam12v14). There is indeed inherited sin.
Can anyone accuse Je/God for injustice.
In the cases of the other 3 sons we see the justice of God expounded.
These 3 sons grew up to commit sin worthy of death. The root of sin is there. it only takes time to sprout and mature. A plant is known by its seed.
Sin deserves death/punishment no matter when the punishment should be executed.
The Lord God executes judgment righteously before kingdoms and mankind (2Sam12v12). he can name the reason for such punishment/misfortune.
Vengeance is His, He will repay.
2 Chron 6v36
(for there is no man who does not sin.)A sure probability for men to sin. There is no exception.
Do babies/infants belong to mankind? Mankind sins with no exception.
Isaiah 6v5
Then I said, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips;The prophet Isaiah did not tell us that he once was clean, a man of clean lips. The passage does not mention that he has become a man of unclean lips.
The prophet did not look back to a time when he would have been alright/sinless.
He told of his living with a people of unclean lips. No exception. Not a matter of majority. He could not stay away from unclean lips by getting near to any group of people who have clean lips (alleged babies who has not yet sinned), for all have sinned.
Anyone who might be (as if it were possible of decendants of Adam) clean would be counted or made unclean by dwelling in the midst of a people of unclean lips. Sin has tinting power/property, and sin spreads. Sin covers.
Galatians 2v16 tells us that no body can be righteous by following the law personally. Self-reliance does not justify any man. Mankind is required to fear God and trust in His righteousness.
Babies cannot follow the law though it is there to follow, cannot trust and fear in God, cannot live without self-reliance. Sin or not?
Even Christ our Lord set us an example of repentance by coming to the baptism of John, witnessing that He set His heart toward God. The Son obeys the Father, and does what is told and given. This is sinless life. Babies simply do not just obey and do according to what is told and given. Try telling any baby to act according to your command or according to the Word and see whether they would follow, immediately. How can they follow God, when they do not even follow you, and the Word you speak to them?
An example would by a 286 trying to pretend it is the Super Computer. Only when the appropiate software is installed does it just behave as a true 286. Sin reveals itself when the law comes. Try to install software of more powerful versions and the 286 would fail even before it starts functioning like a 486 or P3. Super computer? What a joke!
Sentiment is not Faith, and does not readily justify anyone before the Righteous God.
Feeling sorry or righteous for babies simply does not turn them righteous.
Christians should believe that man(Adam and Eve) was created in the image of God, but that by voluntary disobedience he(Adam And Eve) fell from perfection.
(Romans 5:12)
"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."
Zechariah 4
v6. Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of Jehovah unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit,(.方能成事.) saith Jehovah of hosts.Not by power, not by might.
Psalm 22
9. But thou art he that took me out of the womb; Thou didst make me trust when I was upon my mother's breasts.God makes the initiation. Mankind does not come out of the womb by self-will and ones own effort.
It is God who makes His people trust Him even when they were upon their mothers' breasts as infants. Again, God takes the initiation. He caused things/events to happen.
No body with his own initiation, without the intervention of God, chose what is right (God) first.
Psalm 22
10. I was cast upon thee from the womb; Thou art my God since my mother bare me.The inspired writer expressed that he was casted upon God. He did not take initiation. God made it so. God's everything is beyond his and has become his God since his conception in his mother.
Good, righteous choice depends on the Spirit of Jehovah倚靠我的靈 the Lord God(.方能成事.).
Babies who have not yet believed in the Lord have no Holy Spirit living with them, in them. No matter how they try with their little might and power, babies and infants cannot live up to the perfect standard of God. They still depend on sacrifice, atonement, sin offerings; and the Word of God.
Deut 24v16
14. Thou shalt not oppress a hired servant that is poor and needy, whether he be of thy brethren, or of thy sojourners that are in thy land within thy gates:
15. in his day thou shalt give him his hire, neither shall the sun go down upon it; for he is poor, and setteth his heart upon it: lest he cry against thee unto Jehovah, and it be sin unto thee.
16. The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers: every man shall be put to death for his own sin.
17. Thou shalt not wrest the justice due to the sojourner, or to the fatherless, nor take the widow's raiment to pledge;
18. but thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in Egypt, and Jehovah thy God redeemed thee thence: therefore I command thee to do this thing. -asvHere in Deut we are facing the Mosaic Law, the law of works.
v14 talks of oppression.
v15 talks of fair wage to workers. No mentioning of the spiritual righteousness of the workers. His righteousness is at setting his heart upon the work he is hired for.
v16 seems for a second to be speaking of something else. However, v17 is still referring to justice to the sojourner.
v16 speaks of justice a person does to be on his own account. Every man by his own sin will be judged worthy of death. This justice shall be so to all men (in v17) even to the sojourner and the fatherless. Justice is to be done to each generation, at their own time; and the sun shall not go down upon it. Give to the man what is due to him, what he has committed.
v18 reminds the followers of the law that Jehovah your God has redeemed His people while they were slaves in Egypt. There is always mercy and redemption apart from bondage(slavery) and sin.
v16 does not mention that babies/infants are sinless and deserves unity with God straight away. It mentions of due wages to be paid to those who set their hearts to the works. The heart of the slaves is set upon slavery. And v18 reminds us of the redemption of God. The sons were slaves in Egypt because of their fathers. In the justice and mercy of God, the people who would follow their God shall be redeemed out of oppression.
Original sin is the yolk of slavery and injustice. God reminds us from the Exodus that He has set redemption for those who are willing to follow Him.
So, when babies died, their spirit will go back to the giver of spirits, and their fate depends on their will to follow mercy and redemption or not. The law of works has the side of grace. Grace has always been there. It is for people to recognise it, claim it and take it for their salvation and redemption.
Ezek 18v20
19. Yet say ye, Wherefore doth not the son bear the iniquity of the father? when the son hath done that which is lawful and right, and hath kept all my statutes, and hath done them, he shall surely live.
20. The soul that sinneth, it shall die: the son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son; the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.
21. But if the wicked turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die.
22. None of his trangressions that he hath committed shall be remembered against him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live.v19 answers the question whether the son can be accounted for the sin/iniquity of the father. The understanding/sense is there. The conviction is there in the minds of the people.
Yet the word tells us whoever does that which is lawful and right and have kept all His statutes shall surely live.
Sound easy and fair.
But who can keep all His statutes and do them, so as to have committed no sin and deserves to live? By works shall no body be justified.
v20 speaks of personal justice. One is responsible for what one has done. However, all have become slaves of sin and could not continue to do good (doing what is right) for his whole life. Any man who offended at one part of it is an offender of all. So according to v19 all shall not live. Nobody is a slave of righteousness that he must live. His will cannot fix upon righteousness all the time.
Sin is not just a state of works. It is a spiritual state, a state of the mind. Although the body does not work sin of others, and each is responsible of his own deeds; the mind, the spirit is in bondage of sin, and cannot direct the body to act sinlessly throughout its existence/life.
v21 speaks of the way out in the law of works. It also speaks of grace and redemption of the law of works. The wicked (the sinner) can turn (repent) from all his sins he has committed. The righteousness of Christ for our unrighteousness.
Those who would claim the covering of sin, the redemption of Christ will be accounted as having perfected the law. And the consequence of Justice is that (v22) none of his trangressions that he has committed shall be remembered against him.
His trangressions/sin shall be remembered but not as a memory that would be against him. He did not do right since the beginning. He committed sins in the past. But in his righteousness of claiming the righteousness of Christ (the righteousness that Christ has done) he shall live. The old things have passed away, behold all things are new.
Ezek 33v20
18. When the righteous turneth from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, he shall even die therein.
19. And when the wicked turneth from his wickedness, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall live thereby.
20. Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. O house of Israel, I will judge you every one after his ways.v18 speaks of giving up the righteousness of Christ, leading to death, even after aparent repentance. He is no longer in absolute righteousness.
v19 speaks of repentance and coming into Christ, thereby shall a sinner/wicked person live. The sense of having offered a sacrifice cannot be disregarded in the law. It is not the law of the Bible that sinners can just walk away from iniquity.
v20 God judges motives, the ways of people; not just works. God judges the mind and the spirit. Many want to be judtified by works, and find the part of grace in the law unequal. The Lord justly speak of His judgement that is based on the ways of the people, what their hearts set out to do.
Rom 2v6
5. but after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up for thyself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;
6. who will render to every man according to his works:
7. to them that by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and incorruption, eternal life:
8. but unto them that are factious, and obey not the truth, but obey unrighteousness, shall be wrath and indignation,v5 talks of the wicked who are after the hardness and impenitent heart.
Works are consequence of the setting of the heart.
Judging the consequence/fruits of the heart is showing what the setting of the heart is like when action and order are being carried out to completion. No denial of what is hidden. All made known; brought to the light.
The sinners mentioned in v5 do not treasure up the grace of God through His propitiation. They have stored/treasured up things that are objects of Divine wrath.
For those who claimed the works of Christ over their sins, they will be forgiven by the merit of the works of Christ. For those who would rely on their own works as their own righteousness, they will be judged according to their works. You get what you chose/chooses.
v6 - You want to rely on your works? Your works will be judged and rewarded. You want to be covered by the works of Christ? You will be judged by His merit.
Can Christless babies, those youngsters who did not accept Christ be regarded as having sinless works so as to be counted righteous? Gaining eternal life without any works/deeds?
v7 tells us that eternal life is given to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and incorruption. They have accepted Christ in their patience. They seek incorruption which is in Christ.
Can babies/infants who are incapable of works (by definition) seek for glory and honor and incorruption in their well-doing? Did they obey the truth?
v8 tells us the wicked ones do the exact opposite. They disobey truth and righteousness.
These verses are revealing to us consequence of concious decisions and obedience. The discussion of babies/infants do not enter these verses if they are regarded as absolutely incapable of their own choice/decision/obedience.
As for me, babies do have their own pattern of obedience. They have set minds. They do not do things at random. They make choices.
Choice is behavior. Behavior is works. I would not justify babies by our lack of understanding of their own decision, their own choices. Let the Word search the heart.
Ezek 18v4
4. Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.
5. But if a man be just, and do that which is lawful and right,
6. and hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, neither hath defiled his neighbor's wife, neither hath come near to a woman in her impurity,
7. and hath not wronged any, but hath restored to the debtor his pledge, hath taken nought by robbery, hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment;
8. he that hath not given forth upon interest, neither hath taken any increase, that hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity, hath executed true justice between man and man,
9. hath walked in my statutes, and hath kept mine ordinances, to deal truly; he is just, he shall surely live, saith the Lord Jehovah.v4 tells of the consequence of sin. Do babies die? v4 gives us an indicator (a lipmus) of sin.
v4 does not tell us who is lacking original sin.
v5 tells us a person can be just to do what is lawful and right, that includes accepting the grace of the law.
v5-v9 speaks of the Mosaic law of works that anyone could be regarded as lawful, just and right by following all of them without a mistake. There is no justification without accepting the grace of God that is revealed in the law.
By fulfilling them all, Christ proved that God is just, and His law can be carried out. He deserves to live. His merit fulfills the law, and has given life through the law.
Without Christ, there is no hope, no life, no redemption.
What the father does does not come to the sons (Deut24v16, Ezek18v20, Rom2v6)except when claimed, imputed. And we need the imputed righteousness of Christ. We do not just work on our own. We do not just justify ourselves. We justify and glorify God through the acceptance of His provision and His grace. This is obedience to the law, to God the Father, by which and of which we are justified.
Is the undead a reality? The passage does not talk of spiritual living only. It only speaks of life and death. The OT talks of some who have never tasted death(eg:Enock, Elijah). The physical body can escape death/decay/corruption. Death of the human body is not a certain to each and every one.
However, no ascension of any baby is ever mentioned. No justification without fruits/deeds of righteousness.
* 撒迦利亞 04:06 他對我說, 這是耶和華指示所羅巴伯的. 萬軍之耶和華說,
不是倚靠勢力, 不是倚靠才能, 乃是倚靠我的靈, (.方能成事.).
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