THE MYTH OF ORIGINAL SIN Original Sin and Total Hereditary Inherited Depravity The purpose of this study is to examine the doctrine of "original sin" and the related doctrine of "total hereditary (inherited) inherited depravity" according to the Bible. Does the gospel of Jesus Christ teach inherited guilt or free moral agency and individual accountability and responsibility? (A Good Overview) TULIP Theology.. Total Hereditary Depravity Is Calvinism's doctrine of "Total Hereditary Depravity" a valid teaching in light of God's Word? Let's ask several important questions and answer them from the inspired Scriptures Original Sin and The Psalms The passages commonly appealed to in an attempt to justify the concept of original sin are Psalms 51:5 and 58:3-6, both of which are Hebrew poetry, which abounds with bold and imaginative figures of speech often departing from customary forms of expression. It is, therefore, a mistake of great magnitude to extract statements from poetical literature and thus employ them as a foundation for doctrinal schemes. That’s Not What It Says Bible Texts Calvinists Misuse In The Attempt to Prove "Inherited Sin" Filthy Rags Isaiah 64:6 has long been used as a ‘proof-text’ for two totally distinct yet equally unfounded beliefs. Calvinism uses it to establish the idea that everything the natural man does is wicked... even good deeds. This helps to set up the dogma of "total inability," the engine which drives the entire Calvinist soteriology. The Evangelical uses it to show that good works, obedience, virtue are all useless. This sets the stage for the doctrine of "accepting Christ" through a once-for-all act of faith. But No One every quotes the verse in context. None That Seeketh? Romans 3:11-18 is often quoted to bolster the claims of universal depravity / that no one ever seeks after God. However if one examines the source of Paul’s quotes a very different picture emerges. The Psalms in question do not show that no righteous person has ever lived but often spoke of God’s protection and favor towards the virtuous people of that day. What then could Paul have possibly meant? How could he possibly say that it is of no profit for men to live righteously when innumerable verses spoke of God’s protection and favor regarding the righteous. Why did he present one side of the coin and ignore the verses that speak of God’s support and favor for those who feared Him? The Myth Of Original Sin Sin is not a substance or a virus or anything physical. It does not live or have personality, therefore cannot be transmitted from person to person. Sin is a immoral choice made by the sinner, that transgresses God's law. (I John 3:4) Apart from the sinner who commits the act or makes the choice, sin does not exist. Most Christians who profess to believe in the doctrine of original sin are ignorant of exactly what its teachings really are. They are ignorant of the fact that the doctrine has not always existed. They are ignorant of the fact that it evolved, that it had its roots in a heathen philosophy, and that it was made a dogma of the Roman Catholic Church in the 5th century A.D. They are ignorant of the fact that it is only a theory, and that there is really not one but several differing theories that have evolved and come down to us in the church. They are also ignorant of the fact that the Bible passages used as proof-texts for this doctrine have been taken out of context and tortured into teaching a doctrine that is completely foreign to the Bible. (3 Page Online Booklet but Well Worth The Time)
WHO IS SAVED Pluralism, Relativism, Inclusivism, Exclusivism: In other words.. Will most of humanity be in Heaven or just those who ‘repent and believe’? How Will Those Who Never Learn the Gospel Be Judged? What will be the ultimate fate of those who never have the opportunity of hearing the gospel of Christ? This is a question with which every sensitive soul struggles. While Christians are not the “judges” of man’s final disposition, there are Bible principles that are worthy of serious consideration. (Includes Is “ignorance bliss” with regard to sin?.. Not according to the Scriptures)
WHAT ABOUT THE JEWS? "Two Covenant" Theory of the Atonement: A Biblical Analysis. Many Christian and Jewish groups accept a teaching today, first taught by Franz Rosenzweig earlier this century, that there are two separate but equal covenants or ways to God.
DID GOD DECIDE WHO WOULD BE SAVED?
(A Look At Calvinism.. The Doctrine Of Predestination) "They have built also the high places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire for burnt offerings unto Baal, which I commanded not, nor spake it, neither come if into my mind:" (Jeremiah 19:5). The Early Church Fathers and Free Will. Unconditional predestination was not a doctrine for at least the first 400 years of the early church, that is until Augustine born in 354. In fact The Early Church Fathers believed that only heretics rejected free-will. Calvinism Critiqued Calvinism is one more illustration of the futility of systematic theology. God's truths are too lofty to be put into concise formulae. The Five Points of Calvinism oversimplify the profound truths of God. They derive their force from proof-texts rather than the general tenor of Scripture. The Five Points Of Calvinism Considered In summary, the Calvinist makes God a lying, deceiving, bigoted, malicious, unjust, confused hypocrite who is responsible for the world’s evil and who creates people for the expressed purpose of torturing them forever. If any man did the things Calvinists say God does, every person on the earth would rightly consider that man worthy of immediate execution, and certainly not worthy to be worshiped. Calvinism’s Proof Texts Calvinists always have an answer for everything and they always, always, always complain that the non-Calvinist does not understand Calvinism. One can study Calvinism deeply, can even read Calvin’s Institutes of Religion and can quote directly from their own writings, but if such a one remains a non-Calvinist he will always be charged with misunderstanding and misrepresenting Calvinism. This article is for the many believers today who are being newly subjected to Calvinism. Calvin’s Camels John Calvin swallowed plenty of camels when he followed Augustine, the “Doctor of the Roman Catholic Church,” into the error of “sovereign election” and when he reasoned that God would not be sovereign if man could reject Him and if salvation could be accepted or rejected by the sinner. A staunch Calvinist has an answer for everything. He can flee immediately into his stronghold of making clever and intricate man-made distinctions between electing grace and common grace, between degrees of the love of God, between desiderative vs. decretive will and antecedent hypothetical will, you name it. I am not writing the article for such a person. I am writing it for the simple believer who loves God’s Word and who has not been overawed by intellectual brilliance and brainwashed by human theology. Not Willing That Any Should Perish A critical (and in-depth) examination of the doctrine of Determinism as taught by Augustine, Calvin, Luther et al., but particularly as set forth by Calvinism's Five Points: Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement, Irresistible Grace, and the Perseverance of the Saints. What a Sovereign God Cannot Do It is a fallacy to imagine that for God to be in control of His universe He must therefore foreordain and initiate everything. Thus He causes sin, then punishes the sinner. There is neither logical nor biblical reason why a sovereign God by His own sovereign design could not allow creatures made in His image the freedom of genuine moral choice. There are compelling reasons why He would do so. When The Gospel Becomes A Lie Every time the Calvinist preaches the Gospel presents salvation to his listeners he is doing so "tongue in cheek." and should have his fingers crossed behind his back. .He must admit he is offering something that some hearing him cannot receive because God will not permit them to. Four Implications of Calvinism Preachers preach it, authors write of it, seminary students discuss it, and theologians pass it on to others. By all appearances, Calvinism, or its more popular name, the "Doctrines of Grace," looks and sounds biblical to many. . .but is it? Three Men and Calvinism No greater confusion exists in Christianity than that concerning Calvinism. There are many people who call themselves Calvinists who have little idea of what Calvinism teaches, or of its history. Many who claim to be Calvinists are not. To rightly understand Calvinism we must start at the beginning. The purpose of this article is to do so by looking at the lives of three men, John Calvin, Aurelius Augustine and James Arminius. [Includes What John Calvin Said.] Calvinism’s Surprising Catholic Connection As for Calvin’s theology, there is no question that rather than deriving it from a diligent study of the Bible, he imposed upon the Bible certain preconceived ideas from his Roman Catholic background which locked him into an erroneous interpretation. Many leading Calvinists agree that the writings of Augustine were the actual source of most of what is known as Calvinism today. [Includes The Sins of Augustine]
DOES A PERSON STAY SAVED?
Examining The Eternal Security or Once Saved Always Saved Doctrine.
If you as a believer in OSAS are right, and I am wrong the worst that can happen is that I will find out that I was always eternally secure and didn't know it. On the other hand, if you are the type that leans on license, thinking you are totally secure in the Lord and come to find out that you were wrong, what then? [eternaldebate.daxxpc.com/readarticle.php?article_id=6] "But if a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits sin and does the same detestable things the wicked man does, will he live? None of the righteous things he has done will be remembered. Because of the unfaithfulness he is guilty of and because of the sins he has committed, he will die" (Ezekiel 18:24). The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked; but now he commandeth men that they should all everywhere repent: (Act 17:30)
The Eternal Security Teaching If eternal security is not a Biblical teaching --and we do not hesitate to say it is not--then the eternal security promoter will have a sad record to face in the judgment day because of the blood of lost back-sliders who were made to believe that their salvation was secure in sin and backsliding when it was not. Eternal Life: Personal Possession or Promise? When we are saved we receive eternal life. If that life could be lost, it wouldn't be eternal. Therefore, once saved, always saved... So the argument goes. The biggest flaws in this argument are the idea of tangible possession of eternal life and the assumption that eternal life is given as a commodity. Is The Believer Eternally Secure? This is a careful examination of the popular doctrine of unconditional eternal security (UES) with proofs of its falsity developed from many different approaches. Many who have reviewed this article have come to recognize the invidious evil associated with the doctrine. Proofs Of Conditional Salvation This is a comprehensive article that deals with many issues associated with the false doctrine of once saved, always saved. This article can give you many of the proofs you need to discuss this issue intelligently with others. The author, an attorney, proves beyond a reasonable doubt the falsity of the doctrine of unconditional eternal security. The Carnal Christian The church of Corinth is commonly cited as proof that even the most carnally-minded individuals are saved and on their way to heaven. This line of thinking comes from the fact that Paul called them "carnal" and yet still addresses them as saints and speaks of the resurrection and issues regarding spiritual gifts, etc.. I think some of the confusion comes from the fact that these teachers fail to make a distinction between the "carnal" and the "unrighteous." This might seem like a minute point to make, but it is well worth the effort to distinguish between the two. Can Sinning Cost Salvation? Though Scripture is replete with many descriptions of sins that will deny salvation to those committing them, men have concocted doctrines that attempt to circumvent and make worthless the warnings of Scripture. When Are Christians Finally Saved? This article deals with a watershed issue that pertains to the fundamental basis for the false doctrine of unconditional eternal security (UES). If UES were true, salvation would be obtained, never to be lost, at the time of conversion. This article shows that premise to be false. Over and over again, the theme of Scripture is to persevere in the faith, to test oneself to see if one is (still) in the faith, and to continue to be obedient to the will of God, as only those who do the will of God will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Can We Dare to Believe the Doctrine of Eternal Security? The truth or otherwise of the doctrine of eternal security has real consequences in the way we preach the gospel, the way we instruct new converts, and our attitude towards temptation and compromise in our own lives. It affects the way we read the Bible, the way we understand God’s character and a host of other issues. Eighteen Biblical Examples Of People Who Once Had Saving Faith. In disbelief to a conditional security, the author of a tract wrote: Show me one man in the Scriptures who was saved and then lost. (1) The following section will cite eighteen Scriptural examples of such—two from the Old Testament and sixteen from the New Testament. Once Saved.. Always Saved? There is not one scintilla of evidence in the lives of any New Testament example to the believers that might give even sparse covering for such an abuse of grace.. Once Saved.. Always Saved? Sign Me Up The fatal flaw of OSAS reasoning is that it deftly merges the “works” of the Old Covenant Law (“by which no man shall be justified”) along with the “works” of obedience to God’s Word which are inextricably bound to both the Old and the New Covenants (“faith without works is dead”). The obedience "baby", then, is ceremoniously tossed out along with the rest of the "works" bathwater! IS THE SINNER’S PRAYER ALL IT TAKES?
Our sense of safety can’t come from simply saying a prayer. Is The Sinner’s Prayer Effective? I fear we’ve inoculated a whole generation of people who got a partial injection of Christianity and are now resistant to the real thing. They prayed the sinner’s prayer, got their "fire insurance," and then disappeared, never to be seen again. When confronted with the Gospel anew they shrug, "Been there, done that. Now leave me alone. I have a life to live." | 
