What is it?
It is the lie that people are born spiritually dead in sin.
If indeed people are born spiritually dead in sin, then they are born NOT in Christ, because Christ is our life (Col 3:4). And to be NOT in Christ is to be apart from Christ. And apart from Christ, man can do NOTHING (John 15:5): he cannot place his faith in Christ; he cannot accept His gift of salvation; he cannot repent and overcome evil with good. IOW, he is doomed.
But Scriptures teach otherwise.
Adam could have, by his own death that day he sinned, paid the penalty for his sin, but that would be his eternal end. He could have paid for his sin God hates, but God would have eternally lost the sinner He loves. So right on that same day Adam fell into sin, God implemented the plan of redemption He devised before the foundation of the world (2 Tim 1:8-10). God's plan made it possible for man to not only pay for the penalty of his own sin, but also at the same time, give him another shot at eternal life. That plan found fulfillment in the life, death and resurrection of our Lord. No wonder Christ is called the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world!!! Rev 13:8
God through Christ fashioned humanity into the Body of Christ on the cross thereby creating the One New Man: Christ the Head, humanity (Jews and Gentiles) the Body (Eph 2:11-19). When the Head died, the Body died with Him (2 Cor 5:14, 15; Heb 2:9); when the Head resurrected, the Body was made alive TOGETHER with Him (Eph 2: 4-6; Col 2:13), born again into a living hope of life eternal (1 Pet 1:3).
Now that people are alive, God commands all to repent (Acts 17:30) and given faith (Rom 12:3) so they can please God (Heb 11:6) and gain victory over the world (1 John 5:4), they have His Power (Phil 4:13) to overcome evil with good (Rom 12:21). Overcomers will NOT be blotted out from the book of life (Rev 3:5) and will be seated with Christ on His throne, Who Himself is an overcomer.
KJV Revelation 3:21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. |
Scriptures warn against persistence in believing a lie.
2 Thessalonians 2:10-11 . . . because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie |
Knowing the truth yet persisting to believe a lie is siding with the father of lies. John 8:44