Lon
Well-known member
Sin is not passed down from Adam. Babies die before they can commit sin. If man was totally depraved, none would seek God, but we see from the Word that men do.
What all men do inherit is a body of flesh that is prone to sin via lusts of the flesh and the pride of life. Christ, alone, was able to not sin while living in this body of flesh.
I'll have to start a thread. Pelagianism: man is born innocent and in no need of a Savior from birth. Under their theology, if we eliminated all children, there is no need for the cross by their doctrinal belief. They believe only those who eventually sin, need Christ. They may agree that all indeed do eventually sin, but until that day, there is no need for a Savior. In a nutshell, why it is a heresy is because The only completely pelagian group, are Mormons. If such were true, we'd expect at least some children to never choose sin, because they would be trained from the beginning by godly parents, not to lie, cheat, or hurt others. We'd also see children born, already thinking of others. Not only that, but we sin by neglect as much as by commission. We are thus, already born not thinking of other's first, already not giving the Father praise and glory. Grace has God connected to us, at birth, but we know Romans 8 says all of creation is subject to futility now. If a child never 'committed' a sin, they still grew up with sins of omission, unable to do the will of God such as John 15:5 discusses. They would yet need a Savior, through no fault of their own, due to being born without Christ in the world. Ephesians 2:3,12 Psalm 51:5 Romans 7:14
Because the Bible is so clear on this matter, every group: Catholics, Martin Luther, and the Reformed have completely rejected it as heresy, not just heterodoxy. Every one of them.
Semi-pelagianism is a bit different: It suggests that man is born with good left intact. Catholics, who believe this to some degree, eschew semi-pelagianism lest again, there is no need for a Savior, that we can seek God, thus Judaism should have worked and there is no need for a further intervention from God and man could overcome sin even if he/she didn't start that way. It is actually a form of 'works' salvation but worse, where the Lord Jesus Christ is unnecessary except as the completely last measure of our Salvation. Logically, it is against the Son crucified from the foundation of the world. Because of this and many other scriptures it tramples, it too is rejected by Catholics, who do believe in works.
Tenants of Pelagianism (they all logically tie together):
1) Man was created with a shelf-life. He would have died in the garden, regardless of sin, that is the way God made him/her.
2) Adam's sin (and Eve's) did not affect anyone other than himself. His children could have re-entered the Garden.
3) Infants do not need a Savior. They are in a state of disconnect from God 'naturally.'
4) Man therefore inherited nothing from Adam. The knowledge of Good and Evil only applied to Adam. Children do not intuitively know when they are good or bad but must be taught and told both.
5) Judaism works and there is no need of a Savior. Men can be taught to achieve holiness. There is no need, whatsoever to be a new creation in Christ. It literally has man earning his/her own eternal life.
Semi-pelagianism is as follows:
1) Man can turn to God without God's intervention - man can be holy with God's 'help' rather than Only through Christ.
2) Man can seek God and thus can be saved, with God's help, by on his/her own merit as long as he/she has aid from the Lord Jesus Christ (works salvation).
3) Man, after salvation (God's help) no longer will functionally sin and he/she never needs ongoing Grace. In a sense, this 'can' be espoused by OSAS doctrine. It too, takes God out of the picture as necessary other than for his/her initially being forgiven.
In this sense, it would be an OSAS doctrine with no need for further anything. The person we are now, is who we will be forever and there is no need for tear wiping or further work. We are simply forgiven and have no need to change or be changed.
There isn't a need for encouragement from 1 John 3:3 Revelation 21:4 etc.
In a nutshell, every Christian denomination believes we need a Savior, thus there is no room for Pelagianism because the Lord Jesus Christ is eschewed/rejected/unneeded. Semi-pelgianism, also has limited need of God and Savior, only to 'get started in the right direction' as it were. If one doesn't buy into either of these, then they do not logically believe we are born without sin, but born needing a Savior. Some are worried about the fate of the infant, and so turn to 'sinless' doctrine, but it simply does not leave this question in God's hands. Jesus must be their savior and He insists that they should all come to Him.