THE MYTH OF ORIGINAL SIN Original Sin... Fact or Fable Personal guilt and innocence are the warp and weft of the fabric of our justice system, based as it is on the fundamental concept of fairness and impartiality. Since a person cannot be condemned and punished except for his own intentional, reckless or negligent wrong doing (or aiding and abetting a crime), we consider it a "miscarriage of justice" when an innocent person is sentenced for an illegal act he had no part in. There are many who do everything in their power to free innocent people from jail, or even Death Row. Yet we are expected to believe that God Himself, who we consistently refer to as a "loving God", would indulge in the greatest miscarriage of justice, involving billions of people, that this world has ever seen. We are expected to believe that God is less fair and less willing to do right than any honest judge in the judicial system. That His moral sense/sense of justice is inferior to ours. This doctrine makes God a worse offender than the over zealous district attorney or the witness lying in their teeth in court. It makes a hash of the justice of God which is the cornerstone of our faith. Luckily the Bible knows nothing of this travesty, which came solely from man’s skewed ideas. Original Sin Or Epigenetics Since there are innumerable passages of Scripture that clearly and unambiguously tell us that no person can bear the guilt (or innocence) of another, but will answer for their own sins and misdeeds and that our eternal destiny is determined by our conduct, not by inheritance, ...we can not simply accept that we are sinners because Adam sinned. But, on the other hand, what we can not ignore is that Paul does make a direct connection between the sin of Adam and the fallen condition of the entire race. In Romans 5 Paul seems to be saying that something happened to all humanity because of Adam’s sin. Which begs the question… What exactly was it that Adam passed down to his descendants? 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 righteous people have never lived but, on the contrary, often spoke of God’s protection and favor towards the virtuous people of that day. What then could Paul have meant? How could he possibly say that it is of no profit for men to live righteously when innumerable verses say just the opposite? 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? Actually he didn’t...
HOW MANY WILL BE 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) 
DID GOD DECIDE WHO WOULD BE SAVED?
Doctrines of Grace or Calvinism If, as claimed, Calvinism is a very "high view" of Scripture, then it is no wonder that God first proclaimed his message of salvation to peasants tending their sheep. Once the highly 'educated' got a hold of the extremely straightforward and uncomplicated message of salvation, they turned it into a highly philosophical ideology tainted by bits and pieces of other religions and philosophies, to say nothing of man's assumptions and presumptions. The resulting concoction bearing little resemblance to the original message. In view of the fact that God 'wrote' one book that not only detailed His plan of salvation, but threw in the entire spiritual history of man from beginning to end, how could anyone in their right mind believe that the volumes of writings that John Calvin devoted to various facets of this one topic could possibly have anything to do with the simplicity of the Bible's message. Although Calvinism is all too often characterized by narrow-mindedness and doctrinal superiority, it is nothing more than a system of baffling, almost mystical theological complexities and contradictions piled one on top of the other. It flies in the face of everything we know about our God and every ounce of common sense we have been given as individuals, but seem to ignore so much of the time. If we do not wish to abide by the old acronym K.I.S.S. "keep it simple and straightforward" or, if you prefer, "Keep it simple, Stupid!" Let us at least endeavor to not get so carried away that we ascribe "logical clearness" where there is none. Let us not assign "keen intellect and systematizing genius" to influences that were wrong about almost everything else. And finally let us not attribute "deep knowledge of Scripture" to a new convert. Let us not attempt to replace the fluff that all too commonly emanates from modern pulpits with complex bewildering ideas that, equally, find no basis in Scripture for all that they are presented with a deluge of words, intricate arguments and endless repetition. 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.
 The Question We should Be Asking Is NOT Can We Lose Our Salvation, But ...
IS ANY LIVING CHRISTIAN COMPLETELY SAVED?
The Two Phase Atonement The New Testament sometimes says that salvation is an accomplished reality, and at other times says it is still in the future, a seeming contradiction that is not limited to salvation alone. So what is the answer? Can we be assured we have salvation now, or is it something we have to strive and hope for. Have we already been adopted as sons, or are we eagerly waiting for this adoption? Are we righteous now, or is it yet a distant hope? For those who are actually interested in what the Bible says on the subject… as opposed to what parents, pastors, friends, or denomination may have taught, the answer to all of the above questions is .. BOTH. Christ’s sacrifice on Calvary was but the first half of the process, with the second phase still in the future. But to properly understand that concept requires a more complete understanding of the atonement, for which we have to turn to the Old Testament. The shedding of the blood outside the tabernacle on Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) was not an end in itself, but the blood had to be brought into the Holy of Holies and sprinkled on the Mercy Seat before the atonement was complete. Similarly complete deliverance will not be realized until Christ puts away sin at the end of the ages, when He (Jesus) will appear “before the face of God for us”. [Hebrews 9:26]. Eternal Life: Personal Possession or Promise? All too many churches and preachers promote the false doctrine of unconditional eternal security, some going as far as teaching that conduct does not matter after one is saved. Whether it is directly taught or not, too many of those that believe this ridiculous doctrine come to the conclusion that if they cannot fall away from the faith and there is no fear of losing their salvation, they may as well go ahead and live just as they want to.... They can do anything they wish since there will be no repercussions other than losing a reward or two. What a terribly tragic state we have talked ourselves into. Scripture is not only replete with warnings about persevering in the faith and not falling from Grace, but is also clear that NO LIVING CHRISTIAN can claim to be finally saved... [See Article Above] 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. A “Deposit” “Guaranteeing” Our Inheritance? Sadly, the Calvinistic bent, and clear bias, of the NIV and several other popular translations is nowhere more clear than their rendering of three verses in which the Hebrew arrhabōn has been translated deposit or guarantee when it actually means earnest. This obviously done to convey their interpretation of the text that the Holy Spirit will never leave a believer and a believer can never be lost. However, what is even worse is that, in some cases, they translated arrhabōn into the English deposit, then added the word guarantee. Unknowingly, countless people have relied on these translations, believing that Scripture actually speaks of a guarantee when, in fact, it does no such thing. There is a world of difference between guarantee and earnest. The Assurance of Salvation Any one who read 1 John 5:13 as a stand-alone, completely misses the whole point that John was trying to make. Reading the entire book of 1 John, or at least the last chapter, will bring a person to a very different conclusion… Assurance of Salvation is very different from 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. The confusion arises because Paul calls the Corinthians carnal, yet still addresses them as saints and speaks to them of the resurrection and spiritual gifts, etc. However a close examination of the context shows the Corinthians were not guilty of sins that would keep them out of Heaven, but were selfishly not displaying any love for one another. This Epistle was largely written to deal with practical problems in a young church. They were being warned about the slippery slope to unrighteousness.
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."
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. | 
