Author's Bias | Interpretation: conservative

Are Babies Born Without Sin?

While infants may not commit personal sins for which they may be held accountable, they appear to be held accountable for:

Imputed Sin

As Paul indicates, "Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned— " (Rom 5:12). The fact that infants die confirms the imputation of Adam's sin as Paul elaborates further, "Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come." (Rom 5:14)

Hereditary / Inherited Sin

The forbidden fruit corrupted Adam and Eve's human nature which was passed down to subsequent generations. Paul refers to his human nature and his natural inclinations as "sin which dwells in me."

"So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me." (Rom 7:17-20)

Next>
Series: The Doctrine on Hamartiology
Generational Sin?

<Back
Series: The Doctrine on Hamartiology
Common Questions

Copyright © 2019 Helpmewithbiblestudy.org. All rights to this material are reserved. We encourage you to print the material for personal and non-profit use or link to this site. If you find this article to be a blessing, please share the link so that it may rise in search engine rankings.