After viewing the poll stats this morning, I was very disappointed to see how many people believed in the lie that a baby is born sinful. I was happy, of course, to see at least a few people vote against the idea. For those of you who believe all babies are born sinners, consider just for a moment all the little children you would have to believe are going to hell. Including every single little child that is aborted..
We all know that only the pure and godly shall have part in the kingdom of heaven, so if you believe babies are born sinners, then they would have to be sent to hell.
Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.
As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.
Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate. [Psalms 127:3-5 KJV]
Would the Lord give us a sinful heritage and reward?? Would it even be a reward, if it was born sinful?
Jesus says:
Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth. [Luke 15:10 KJV]
So, we’re supposed to be ‘happy’ to have our quiver full of ’sinners’, but the angels are only happy when one repents? Hmmm… something doesn’t add up here.
Jesus is our example that we should all strive to follow, correct? Okay.
Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good.
For before the child shall know to refuse the evil, and choose the good, the land that thou abhorrest shall be forsaken of both her kings. [Isaiah 7:14-16 KJV]
Does this say he is born sinful, or does it say he was born not knowing to refuse the evil and choose the good? If Jesus was born in the flesh as a human, and HE was born innocent, and HE is our example, then it only makes sense that since he wasn’t born sinful, he wouldn’t make an innocent baby, who has done nothing, be born sinful.
Sin is a willful transgression of the law….
What I want to know is this: What did that baby do on the way out that transgressed the law?!
If you say he’s born sinful, then there must be something this baby chose to do on the way out. What was it? Sin is a choice, not something you inherit.
I’m gonna use Mom’s words here, but this just completely describes it:
This is anti-God, anti-Bible, anti-truth, and anti-common sense!
Now, I ask you again, and please think very carefully before you say they are born sinful… What does the Bible really say?
For further reading, please see part 2 in this study:
Born A Sinner? Part 2
And
Are We Born Sinners? by Brother Mike Miller
And to think… I wrote all that before breakfast!!
Filed under: Articles, Born A Sinner? | Tagged: aborted, abortion, Adam's nature, Adam's sin, anti-Bible, anti-common sense, anti-God, anti-truth, baby, born innocent, born sinful, born sinners, heritage, innocent baby, quiverfull, repentence, reward, sin, sin nature, Sinful, sinful nature, sinner, trangression of the law, virgin
Hi Lacy
Sorry you are disappointed about the poll – perhaps this will help: Psalms 51:5 says ‘Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.’
We are all born sinners because of the fall in the Garden of Eden. The Lord Jesus came to earth through a virgin birth (that’s why He was born innocent) and died to take away the sins of the world. Our sins are forgiven when we accept His pardon for us.
Of course, little babies cannot accept that pardon, they no nothing of it yet and have done nothing wrong yet so they absolutely freely go to Heaven. God is not unjust. I think maybe that’s probably why most people voted ’sinners’?
Amen!
Nobody is born a sinner. Sin is not a substance that can be transmitted from one individual to another. Sin must be committed, it’s not something you are born with.”Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.”
Nowhere in that verse, ‘Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me’ is David speaking of his constitution at or before birth. This verse is frequently used to try to prove we are all born sinners, but it fails to do that. The word shapen(#2342) means to “writhe in pain.” Iniquity(#5771) means “perversity or evil.” David was in mental torment over his sin with Bathsheba.
The second part of that verse is dealing with the penalty of sin for a woman…which is childbearing. “In sin did my mother conceive me,”
Very important note here…sin(#2399) here means “a crime or its penalty – punishment of sin” not perversity or evil!
So a proper interpretation would be that David was tore up over his sin with Bathsheba, and he was conceived under a curse of childbearing…
It in no way says that babies are born sinners! Remember, sin is a willful act, not part of our physical makeup.
The Bible says that sins are committed and people transgress.
Let me leave this verse for you to meditate on. . .
And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 18:3 KJV)
Romans 3:23 says “All have sinned” and that includes ALL people.
Sarah Ann ~ Thank you for taking the time to comment! I appreciate it.
However, the verse you have provided does not prove that babies are born sinners. Sin is a voluntary action, and the word “have” indicates an activity on every individual’s part.
All that have sinned are the ones who have sinned, all who have broken God’s law. What law does a baby break?
Jessica Rebekah ~ So if little babies cannot accept that pardon, and have done nothing wrong, what does that make them? It makes them innocent!!
Lacy,
Good question to get people thinking. You’ve stirred up a lot of long-smoldering disagreement on this one. Perhaps we’re born with a sinful nature (as in a tendency toward committing sin). This is different from being born already a sinner. You need to know what sin is to willfully sin. I see this a bit like the infant vs. believers baptism divide in Christianity. A baby is ignorant to both.
As kids grow up and become aware of what they are doing, this changes. We are to teach kids about sin and how to avoid committing it. “Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he shall not part from it.” Proberbs 22:6 Also, “Therefore to him that KNOWETH to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” James 4:17 [emphasis mine]
Romans 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
The penalty of sin is death, without sin there is no death. The faithful angels will live eternally, Christ and the Redeemed will live eternally, satan and his angels must suffer death. Our beloved babies, before the age of accountability whatever that may be, are under the curse of death but in the protective hands of God. I believe this because of what David said at the loss of his child. “2Sa 12:22 And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who can tell whether GOD will be gracious to me, that the child may live?
2Sa 12:23 But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.” Either God is unjust in allowing them to die or they have rightly taken the curse of sin upon them.
I will need to really think about this, but right now I don’t believe babies are born sinners. I believe they are born into sin, they have a sin nature, and will sin at a very young age, though they don’t know what they are doing. You have to commit an act of sin before you can be a sinner. A newborn has done nothing and therefore is not a sinner, though born into a sinful world.
Again still thinking on this.
I don’t believe that babies are born sinners. When Romans 3:23 says that all have sinned, I believe it means that we will all sin in our lifetime, but when we haven’t been born yet we haven’t actually commited sin. Also I believe that God knows that a baby is innocent because if a baby is born a sinner where are all the aborted babies who never got a chance to breathe. When we know the difference between right and wrong, then we are accountable.
I don’t believe babies are born into sin. However, I have a feeling that if I start posting in Greek and Hebrew to explain myself, that’s not going to get anywhere.
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I think most of the misunderstanding you are having stems from a lack of common definition for the term “sin.”
If, as I think you mean, you define sin as “an act of disobedience to God,” then no, babies are not sinners.
If, however, you define it as “being contrary to God’s nature, which is only good” then yes, babies are sinful. We, as humans can be nothing but contrary to God’s nature until we repent and become believers.
Dear SaraBeth,
Thank you for commenting and giving us your thoughts on this issue! I appreciate it.
There is no lack of a common definition for sin, as 1 John 3:4 plainly gives us the definition of sin. Sin is the transgression of the law, not being contrary to God’s nature. Let’s keep it simple. If babies have not transgressed the law, have not sinned, then therefore they cannot be born sinners.
~ Lacy
Lacy, I am going to have to disagree with you here as well. The Bible clearly states that man is fallen and depraved, because we all sinned in Adam. So let me ask you a few questions.
1.In your argument you stated that since we strive to be like Jesus, we are born perfect as well. But you and I were created by a man and a woman. Jesus was conceived of a virgin. That alone tells us that we can not even begin to be like Him. And are we to be crucified with Him? We were crucified in Him. But that does not tell us that we were perfect like him. I don’t think that your argument here was valid. Are we born perfect and holy as our Savior? Because if we are, what sets him apart from us? What exactly makes Him holy and above us if we are as perfect as Him?
2.The Bible states that“ but all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” You refuted this verse by telling us it says HAVE sinned, so that means you have committed some foul deed, so that deed labels you a sinner. I think we need to focus on the word ALL. When Jesus tells us ALL have sinned, He does not mean “ all (Not including the people that have not been born yet, of course. Because they didn’t do anything wrong!) have sinned” So does all really mean all?
I am guessing that you have never read the Doctrine of Total Depravity, and if you have the time and inclination, please check it out on LazarusUnbound.com. My father is Michael Bunker and wrote this article on the subject. I am asking you as a friend to reconsider your understanding of this topic.
Thank you.
Tracy Bunker
Tracy, those who can sin, have sinned. That’s what “all” means. Infants are incapable of sinning! The LORD Jesus spoke of sin as a voluntary act of the human will. “Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin” Only after we sin, is it proper to say that we have a sinful nature. Babies are not born sinners, but as they grow up and learn right from wrong, they will sin. . . hence, all have sinned.
They don’t sin because Adam sinned. You need to read Ezekiel 18:18-22. Blaming sin upon one’s nature and not upon one’s will, takes away all personal responsibility for sin and says God made you a sinner. That’s blasphemy!
God said to Jeremiah, “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.” (Jeremiah 1:5 KJV)
Of John the Baptist the Bible says, “For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb.” (Luke 1:15 KJV)
The only thing mankind inhereted from Adam was “Physical Death.” “So death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:”(Romans 5:12 KJV) Notice the only thing passed upon “all” men was “DEATH.”
Sin is a criminal act against God. It Simply CANNOT be proven ANYWHERE in Scripture that human nature can be handed down, imputed or inherited as though sin was lodged in our flesh like some kind of disease.
The doctrine of total depravity is a lie from Satan. Sure, Satan wants you to believe that “God made you this way,” so you will not turn from your sin, because you think you can’t do anything BUT SIN!
Homosexual, drunks, adulterers, thieves and murderers have used this excuse throughout history also.
Christians are called to perfection (Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. Matthew 5:48 KJV) and if total depravity were true, this would be impossible!
Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame. (1 Corinthians 15:34 KJV) How can we be commanded to “sin not” if we don’t have the ability to obey??
The early Christians and Anabaptists knew infants were innocent. Why do you think all the protests went on about infant baptisms against the Catholics?? Baptisms weren’t necessary as infants couldn’t choose to do good or evil. Sin is all about “choice” not physical makeup. Just ask Satan! He didn’t have Adam’s nature and he still sinned!
This disagreement is mainly why there will never be reconciliation to one whole Church again. That and that end of times thing. And Zwingli completely destroying the Eucharist doctrine. Okay, there are many things.
Like Jocelyn, I am still thinking on this. I have always been taught that children inherit a sinful nature from their parents. But whether that sinful nature means that newborns are sinners or not, I will have to research myself.
However, I do know that I will trust in the goodness of the Will of God.
But you have not mentioned baptism at all. I do believe it is related to this issue.
Hello again Lacy! I’ve looked around your site a bit after I found your custom wallpaper page (I’m the one who requested Isaiah 41:10), and it’s great to see someone your age who cares about modesty and living a Godly life. (That makes me sound really old to say “someone your age”, but I’m only in my 20s!) I just wanted to tell you that I’m so glad that you wrote this post. This doctrine is so clear from the Bible – babies are born innocent! But for some reason the Christian world is confused about it. You explain it simply and clearly, and I hope that people find this and read this so that they will understand that little babies are innocent and pure.
Hi, Lacy. I like your blog.
I think that so many people think babies are sinful because they haven’t really thought about the proposition–and what it says about God–for themselves; they just listen to what people tell them to think.
Infants have no decision-making capacity; they are not moral actors and cannot possibly commit an immoral act (or a moral act). It’s not possible for them to have committed a sin. To say they’re guilty of anything is as silly as having the cops show up in the delivery room to met your new infant with a ticket for speeding or a toddler being indicted by the Hague for committing war crimes.
Since you bring up the topic of the salvific status of the unborn, consider this: due to purely natural processes, only 40% of fertilized eggs result in a live birth (this is excluding all abortions). So if all fertilized eggs are persons for purposes of salvation it would imply that, at a bare minimum, 60% of heaven’s denizens will be people who were never even born. If, that is, one considers personhood to be gained at the moment of fertlization. Things are less worse if you push that back to when the egg implants in the uterus, but it still produces odd results.
I enjoy the backgrounds you’ve made.
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~ Lacy