@EmSw Adam earned us death and eternity of suffering, a spiritual attribute not physical (except the death part). We are born into the world spiritually broken and sinful: “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me.” [Psalms 51:5] We know that those who are not in Christ are “sons of disobedience.” [Ephesians 2:2].
Doug, Adam earned death for himself. No one bears the guilt of another's sins. We have an interesting question in Ezekiel 18:19.
‘Why should the son not bear the guilt of the father?’ This is the question Israel asked God. Israel, like you, thought the son 'earned' death and suffering through the father. Strong's says this about guilt -
perversity, depravity, iniquity, guilt or punishment of iniquity
- iniquity
- guilt of iniquity, guilt (as great), guilt (of condition)
- consequence of or punishment for iniquity
God said the son will NOT bear the consequence of or punishment for iniquity! Yet, we have a multitude of people who believe the son does bear the consequence of Adam's iniquity, including you. You think man is guilty because of Adam, that man is depraved because of Adam.
However, God says otherwise, yet many will not believe God. Why do you not believe God? Why must you follow man-made doctrines? Don't blame Adam for your own depravity and disobedience. Take responsibility for your sin.
As far as the Psalms 51 is concerned, learn what conception is. Conception is to become pregnant. You are not around when your mother conceived you. You cannot be guilty of any sin, because you are non-existent. It is your mother's sin in which you are conceived.
Ephesians 2:3 also states that we are all “by nature children of wrath.” If ALL people are “by nature children of wrath,” it can only be because we are ALL, by our given nature, sinners — for God does not direct His wrath towards those who are not guilty. Also, God did not create the human race sinful and give us this sinful nature. This was the curse of man earned by Adam's disobedience.
Again, Ezekiel disputes this thought. I can't believe you think God created man with the devil's nature. Please read the Genesis account of what God cursed because of Adam and Eve. You will NOT find God cursing mankind because of Adam's sin. God cursed the serpent and the ground...that's it!
What do we bear because of their sin? We do bear something, but not death. The ground was cursed with thorns and thistles, and bear the consequences of this. Have you ever planted a garden, Doug? You are bearing the consequences of Adam's sin with thorns and thistles.
Women bear the sorrow in childbirth because of Eve. Ask any woman, and most will tell you of the pain and sorrow in childbirth. That is the consequence of Eve's sin.
However, we are not told man bears death because of their sin.
Unrighteousness is often spoken of in Scripture as something belonging to the human race as a whole. This implies that it is the property of our species, and none other. Also it is only mentioned as a property of human nature after the fall. Thus, it must be concluded that we are all born sinners after Adam's sin, since we are all human and sin is regarded as a property of humanity.
Unrighteousness is a result of man choosing the pleasures of lust from temptations. This is the free-will man has, which you deny. Here again, you reject God's very word that man does not bear the consequences of Adam's sin.
Some people want to believe that something 'activates' their sinful nature at a certain age, and then they begin to sin. If this is true, as soon as they know good from evil, they will find themselves sinners. And if all people, as soon as they are capable of moral decisions of right or wrong, find themselves as sinners, then this proves that they are that way because of their nature.
James that 'something' is temptation and lusting after temptation. A newborn is not a murderer by nature. As Strong's says about nature,
'a mode of feeling and acting which by long habit has become nature'. A man's nature of action comes from a long habit of feeling and acting, which becomes his/her nature.
If we are born innocent and good, why aren’t there at least some people in the history of mankind who have continued in this state and remained sinless? The fact that everybody sins needs some explanation. If you want to blame society, how did society get sinful in the first place? If people are born morally good, then how did it come about that they congregated into societies that influence all people to sin? The best explanation is that we are sinners by nature.
Why do born again believers still choose to sin? Of all people, these are the ones with a 'new nature' and should be immune to sin. However, their lusts still long for the pleasures of temptations. Same with anyone, when they desire the pleasures of sin over God's word, they will fall to temptations and get pleasure from sin.
ALL people, until and unless they are converted, are sinners. Paul states in Ephesians 2 that all Christians came from this state of inequity and trespass. Jeremiah states that the heart is deceitful, all humans possess a heart, therefore all humans are sinful. [Jeremiah 17:9]
Then why do so many of the converted continue in this state of inequity and trespass?
In Jeremiah 17:5 tells us why the heart is deceitful.
Thus saith the Lord; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord.
It is those whose hearts have departed from the Lord who have a deceitful heart. Do you have a deceitful heart, Doug?
