People who believe in the dreadful doctrine of Original Sin claim that they can't help but sin because they are born sinners, which the Scriptures never teach. One of the passages most often quoted is Jer. 13:23.
"Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil."
Note first that it says "accustomed to do evil," not that they were born that way. And if a person can't make any effort to stop sinning, why would Jesus give the command to "go and sin no more?"
Secondly, God does not hold a leopard accountable for not being able to change its spots. But we will be held accountable if we don't change our life direction.
Ezek. 33:13-16 teaches that all man has a free will to do good or evil and will be judge concerning his conduct. One cannot escape judgment with the excuse, "I was born that way."
It’s interesting that a drug addict can stop his dependence on drugs without Christ, a drunkard can stop drinking himself drunk without Christ, a thief can stop stealing without Christ, a person addicted to pornography can stop without Christ, etc., but yet people who profess to be Christians have to sit back and wait for God to “clean up their life,” as though they have no free will to make the right choices.
A person who is in bondage to indulgence is not a person incapable of choice, but rather a person who has made a series of choices resulting in surrender of his will to his lusts.
As with the drug addict, the drunkard, the thief, the liar, the person addicted to pornography, etc., who say they can’t resist these temptations, often find new strength to do what they previously said they could not do. For instance, tell the man addicted to pornography that if someone were to hold a gun to his head and threaten to shoot him if he were to look at the pornographic magazine, he will not look. This could be said of any sins. If the drunkard were told by his doctor that he only has six months to live if he keeps drinking, the drunkard suddenly has been empowered to overcome his bodily addiction.
What the unsave person teaches us is that when they make a successful choice not to yield to their temptation, he has not only confirmed that one can cease from his wrong choices, but also the power of free will. However, people who profess to be Christians excuse their sins by saying they have not yet been delivered from their “sinful nature.” They are constantly fighting this “mysterious other self,” waiting for God to deliver them, but of course this won’t happen until they die!
It is true that the influence of the holy spirit draws us to Christ and conviction of sin, but God is not going clean up anyone. He wants us to do the cleaning, make the first move – the forsaking of sins, and believe the Gospel. Some people may give up certain sins for selfish reasons, but only those whose hearts are turned to Jesus the Messiah, and walk faithfully, are pardoned and declared righteous in the eyes of God. Isa. 55:7; 1 John 3:7
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