| The existence of sin is certain. The evidence for the existence
of sin is written everywhere upon time and timely things. The devastating
results of sin are entwined with the history of man. The heinous crimes
committed daily as reported by the news media tell the ghastly story of
sin, as also do the penal institutions wherein millions of men and women
in this nation alone are incarcerated.
Sin has been defined variously as "disobedience to a personal
God," "rebellion against the omnipotent Creator," "an unethical act," "missing
the mark or aim," "over-passing or transgressing of a line," and transgression
of the law of God." The so-called deadly or capital sins are listed as
pride, covetousness, lust, anger, gluttony, envy and sloth. Further, the
sins that are said to cry out to heaven for vengeance are willful murder
(Gen. 4:10), sodomy (Gen. 18:20-21), the oppression of the poor (Ex. 2:23),
and defrauding a laborer of his wages (Jas. 5:4).
When faced with the horrors of sin, men project searching questions.
Some person will ask, "If there is a good, righteous and all-powerful God,
why did He not create man so that he could not sin?" The question, on its
face, seems to be a pertinent one. The answer, however, to that seemingly
unsurmountable question is quite simple when contemplated.
God created man in His own image-that is, He created man with
intellect and the freedom of will or choice. He created man for His own
association, and man could qualify for such a society only if he were a
free moral agent. If God had created man otherwise, man would be unfit for
the society and association of the Godhead and the angelic host. Then too,
who is there who would desire to be divested of his freedom of will? Another
person will ask, "If there is a good, righteous and all-powerful God, why
did he not create man so that he would not sin?" The answer is that God
cannot do contradictory things or bring about contradictory results. He cannot
make a square circle. He cannot create two high mountains without a valley
between the two mountains. If God had created man so that he would not
sin, then he would have created man on a par with brute animals that are
controlled by brute instinct. Man so created would not be-could not be-
a free moral agent.
The point is that God, including the Godhead, is infinite.
Man, as well as the angels, are finite beings, and no finite being is,
or can be infinitely perfect. When God created man, He knew the possibility,
the probability and the certainty that man in time would sin. Thus God
made a plan of redemption for man before He made man-a plan delicately balanced
between justice and mercy (1 Pet. 1:17-20).
To illustrate the fact of such a plan of redemption, Paul wrote:
"For whom he [God] foreknew he also foreordained to be conformed to the
image of his son, that he might be the first born among many brethren: and
whom he foreordained, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also
justified [saved]: and whom he justified, them he also glorified" (Rom.
8:29, 30).
God foreknew that if He created man in His own image, or with
intelligence and the power of free will, that man would in time sin. Therefore,
God, before He created man, foreordained, foreplanned or foremade a plan
of salvation for man.
The plan was calculated to lead a man when he had so fallen
to become like His Son in righteousness; for God is just, and as a just
God, all demands of violated justice would have to be met; and His Son was
the only person who could qualify to meet the demands of violated justice.
Christ, God's Son, was the "firstborn" from the grave to ascend
into heaven to die no more. "Many brethren" would include the men of the
Patriarchal and Jewish ages who would, through faith in the promised redeemer,
offer animal sacrifices as a means of temporary cleansing from sin. This
means of sacrificial cleansing would and did continue until the time when
Christ shed His blood.
Thus, that blood so shed did reach back and cleanse those who
had received the temporary blood cleansings. Further, that blood would reach
forward to the permanent blood cleansing for all who can be admonished to
come under the cleansing power of the blood of Christ.
God foreordained or planned a scheme of redemption for man
when man fell. God "called" them through the gospel. So certain was the
glorification of all the saints throughout the ages that God spoke through
Paul as if they all had already been glorified.
A third person will ask, "Why did God not content Himself with
the spreading forth of planets and stars, the bringing forth of mountains
of rocks and diamonds, the springing forth of forests of trees and flowers?
In short, why create man whom He knew would sin?" The answer lies in the
fact that God is a social being. He desires to have the company of His
own offspring with whom He can share His love, righteousness and glory.
Why do a husband and wife desire offspring?
The fact that a good and righteous God would desire to have
offspring is really no wonder. Further, God so strongly desired to have
offspring that He was prepared to sacrifice His own Son in order to have
myriads of righteous souls in His great family.
The origin of evil has been a problem for man throughout the
ages. The case is, however, that sin stemmed from the principle of free
moral agency of angels and men. Sin first entered heaven through the disobedience
of Satan, an archangel and guard, so to speak, of the throne of God. Apparently
Michael, an archangel, had been at one time under an angel of higher
rank who later came to be known as the devil and bore the name of Satan
or Lucifer (Jude 9; Job 1:7; Isaiah 14:12).
(from the Gospel Advocate, August, 1988)
HEREDITARY TOTAL DEPRAVITY
Mark Lindley
|
| The doctrine of Hereditary Total Depravity renders the Gospel
of Christ powerless to save. Yet, the Scriptures teach the Gospel is the
means God uses to save men from their sins (Rom. 1:16; Jas. 1:21; et. al.).
But another biblical reason the depravity doctrine is false
is that God creates and gives human spirits. This is important to consider
because Calvinists believe that babies are born corrupt in spirit and wholly
inclined to do evil. But the question must be raised, "Who is the creator
and giver of spirits?" Zechariah 12:1 reveals the answer: "The burden
of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth
the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit
of man within him." Since the Lord "forms the spirit of man within him,"
He (the Lord) is responsible for the nature of the spirit formed. Therefore
if babies are born with corrupt spirits, they receive those corrupt spirits
from God. The Scriptures also teach that God is the "father of spirits"
(Heb. 12:9), and that "we are the offspring of God" (Acts 17:29). Since
God is the "father of spirits" and we are his "offspring," if our spirits
are depraved at birth, God is the author of our depravity. Are those who
teach the depravity doctrine ready to accuse God of creating and giving
depraved spirits? (Ecc. 12:7).
Hereditary Total Depravity also makes God a respecter of persons.
Inherent in this doctrine is the idea that unregenerate sinners cannot
even understand, much less respond to, conditions such as faith, repentance,
confession, and baptism without a direct operation of the Holy Spirit. The
1689 London Confession of Faith states: "Man, by his fall into a state of
sin, hath wholly lost all ability of will to any spiritual good accompanying
salvation; so as a natural man, being altogether averse from that good,
and dead in sin, is not able by his own strength to convert himself, or to
prepare himself thereunto." So, according to the doctrine, man cannot move
himself in the direction of salvation and therefore must wait for God to
make the first move. Until God acts, man is helplessly lost. Those who are
lost will remain in their condition until God enables them to respond to
the conditions of the Gospel. Proponents of this doctrine affirm that God
gives some the power to respond to conditions but refuses to give it to
others. This makes God a respecter of persons! The Bible, however, teaches
that God is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34; Eph. 6:9; 1 Pet. 1:17),
loves all (John 3:16), and wants all to be saved (1 Tim. 2:4; 2 Pet 3:9).
Additionally, that God gives commands to man presupposes that
he can and is expected to meet such conditions for salvation. For example,
God commands "all men everywhere to repent" (Acts 17:30). The presupposition
of the command is that all men everywhere have the free will to repent.
Who can believe in and serve a God who gives commands He knows cannot
be obeyed, and then punishes man for not obeying the commands? No, God
is not a respecter of persons! He knows man has the ability to respond to
conditions, and He has commanded him to do so in order to be saved (Heb.
5:8-9; Matt. 7:21). Babies are not born totally depraved!
BAPTISM: THE DIVIDING LINE
Author Unknown
|
