[soc.religion.christian] A compatible Free Will and Original Sin

ccs013@castor.ucdavis.edu (Jason Gabler) (06/24/89)

In article <Jun.20.23.18.30.1989.28013@athos.rutgers.edu> 
Charles Hedrick writes
>Now that the vicious arguments have died down, I think most Christians
>recognize that grace is a paradox, and both sides of the paradox must
>be maintained. Thus ultimately it may be that we should use concepts
                ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>of original sin and free will that are compatible with each other.
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>However I don't think that's not the sense in which they have been
>used historically.
>
>--clh]

The way I have put Free Will and Original Sin in my mind, so that they work
together is this basically a combination of what many have already said.

1) Original Sin:  I do not believe that the sins of our fathers (Dad,
Grand-dad...--->....Adam)  our on our shoulders.  Sorry that I am at work and
do not have my Bible with  me today, but I believe in Samuel or Chronicles,
there is a passage that speaks of this.  Also, God is just.  [The usual
citation is Ezek. 18 --clh]
	So, what do I see as original sin?  It is that desire,
or tendency that has been installed with in us to do evil, as a result of the
Fall.

2) Free Will:  The right to choose to serve God or (often unknowingly) Satan.


So, we have been cursed (?) with an evil nature, otherwise known in my
personal dictionary as "original sin".  How do we kill that sinfulness in us
that has caused us to unceasing hurt our Lord? Ans: Choose to serve God and do
away with the old self.  That washes us CLEAN of original sin and enables us to
recieve God's love.


Jason Gabler  jygabler@ucdavis