On Original Sin & Choosing

[Kokavkrystallos]

I finally got my own copy of The Canons of Dort, which previously I only had online. There are times I prefer to sit down with an actual hard copy book than try to read on a screen, which I do plenty of already!

In this First Article I'm very surprised they did not include several passages from Romans 5 in refuting Pelagianism, which denied original sin, and that Adam passed the sin nature to all men through his offspring.

The First Main Point of Doctrine: Divine Election and Reprobation​

The Judgment Concerning Divine Predestination Which the Synod Declares to Be in Agreement with the Word of God and Accepted Till Now in the Reformed Churches, Set Forth in Several Articles

Article 1: God’s Right to Condemn All People​

As all men have sinned in Adam, lie under the curse, and are deserving of eternal death, God would have done no injustice by leaving them all to perish and delivering them over to condemnation on account of sin, according to the words of the apostle: That every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. (Rom 3:19). And: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23). And: For the wages of sin is death (Rom 6:23).

(Here are the verses from Romans 5 I feel go well with this Article)

Romans 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

5:15b For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.

5:17 For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.

5:18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.

5:19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

Article 9 is another where I immediately thought "Why didn't they include 1 Corinthians 1:26-28?"
Here's article 9

​

Article 9: Election Not Based on Foreseen Faith​

This election was not founded upon foreseen faith and the obedience of faith, holiness, or any other good quality or disposition in man, as the prerequisite, cause, or condition on which it depended; but men are chosen to faith and to the obedience of faith, holiness, etc. Therefore election is the fountain of every saving good, from which proceed faith, holiness, and the other gifts of salvation, and finally eternal life itself, as its fruits and effects, according to the testimony of the apostle: he hath chosen us (not because we were, but) that we should be holy and without blame before him in love (Eph 1:4).

(1 Corinthians 1:26-28 would go perfectly here, as this absolutely shows the election is not for any good or righteousness of our own that we have done):
"For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:
But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are -"

 

[fhansen]

The choice of man is to answer when He comes knocking at our door, to realize that Adam was wrong and that we need Him after all. Grace comes first. We must not reject it. We must not say "no". The state of original sin consists primarily of the very alienation from God that Adam initiated for man. God's been patiently working in this world down through time since Eden to bring man back to a "yes".