You've been previously invited to explain these verses in agreement with their words and with their context.
No explanation has yet been forthcoming from you.
Yet Elin will always evade anything related to...
1. Heart purity as it pertains to salvation.
Mat 5:8
Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
...Mat 5:20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 5:21 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:
Mat 5:22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
...
Mat 5:27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:
Mat 5:28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
...
Mat 5:43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
Mat 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
Mat 5:45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
...
Mat 5:48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
2. The cessation of the service of sin as it pertains to salvation.
Rom 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Rom 6:5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
Rom 6:6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that
henceforth we should not serve sin.
Rom 6:7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.
...
Rom 6:16 Know ye not, that
to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
Rom 6:17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
Rom 6:18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
3. The escaping of the corruption that is in the world through lust.
2Pe 1:3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
2Pe 1:4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature,
having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
...
1Pe 4:1 Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for
he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;
1Pe 4:2
That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.
As for the verses Elin references (Luk 11:50-51, Rom 3:10, 4:5, 5:18, 8:7-8, Eph 2:3)...
Luk 11:50
That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation;
Luk 11:51
From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation.
The context is clearly about judgement and condemnation upon the NATION of Israel. Yet people like Elin ignore that context in order to isolate the passage and use it as a proof text that an individual is guilty of the sin of another, a notion that both defies justice and logic.
Rom 3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
The context of this verse is in the comparison of the Gentile PEOPLE to the Israelite PEOPLE that both PEOPLE fall under sin as a whole. Paul is quoting the sentiment in both Psalm 14 and Psalm 53 where there is "none who seek after God, none who understand" among the FOOLS who deny God. The Old Testament is replete with examples of righteous people like Abel, Job and Daniel. Even in the New Testament the parents of John the Baptist are called righteous and blameless before God.
In Romans 3 Paul is contending that the Jews need a saviour just as much as the Gentiles. He is not contending for Original Sin and that all people are "born evil" as Elin asserts. A simple reading of the text bears witness that Paul is not even close to such a subject as the "birth nature" of a human being.
Rom 4:5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
A very true verse. Yet this verse is not to be understood in isolation where it is very easy to put a false meaning upon it. Paul also describes faith as "working by love" (Gal 5:6) and that love "works no ill" (Rom 13:10) and that therefore faith establishes the law (Rom 3:31). Those who "walk in the steps of faith" are reckoned as righteous by God (Rom 4:12) thus deeds are connected to faith just as James teaches (Jam 2:17-24) because a working faith necessitates fruit be born of that faith. Unrighteousness is the fruit of unfaithfulness whilst righteousness is the fruit of genuine faith.
People like Elin snip Rom 4:5 from its context and use it to teach that God justifies an individual whose heart is still wicked.
Rom 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.
The context of this verse is by way of example. We know this because in Rom 5:12 is speaks of death passing upon all men because all sinned and then connects that death reigning even over those who sinned in a different way to Adam (Rom 5:14). Death is the result of sin (Jam 1:14-15, Rom 6:32) and everyone sinning results in their death (Rom 5:12-14).
It is death that is passed on, not sin that is passed on. If it is death that is passed on because all sinned and if some of those who died sinned in a different way to Adam (Rom 5:14) then it is simply IMPOSSIBLE to conclude that the actual "sin of Adam" is itself what automatically brought death to everyone who was born after.
Simple logic which many throw completely out the window.
The death spoken of in Romans chapter 5 is SPIRITUAL DEATH not physical death as many appear to think. Many babies die without sinning. A baby cannot sin in the same way as Adam (disobey a command) and a baby cannot sin in a different way to Adam (disobey the light of conscience). A baby can only do wrong ignorantly which is not a sin unto death.
Judgement came by the offense of one man on to all people by way of example because this judgement came upon who sinned in the same was as Adam as well as those who sinned in a different way. This clearly demonstrates that we are PERSONALLY RESPONSIBLE for our own sin, not Adam.
Eze 18:20 The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.
Rom 8:7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
Rom 8:8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
Romans 8:7-8 is not a proof text for inability. It is evidence that a human being remaining carnally minded (in service of the flesh) is an enemy of God because they are not subject or yielded to the law of God and simply cannot be whilst in that state.
That is why Paul taught that those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the passions and desires (Gal 5:24) through the Baptism of Repentance when the old man is crucified (Rom 6:4-7). It is through this process that the carnal mind is destroyed and the spiritual mind is birthed. It is then that the implanted word can save the soul.
Jas 1:21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
Jas 1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
Eph 2:3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
This verse is simply speaking about a PAST HISTORY not a "birth state." The natural disposition to sin is something that develops through long practiced habit and it is actually unnatural because God has given us the light of conscience where we can "by nature" choose to do the right thing (Rom 2:14).
Sin is against nature. It is not natural.
See folks how every single verse that Elin referenced in order to contend for the notion that all human beings are "born evil" and "born guilty" are all ripped from their context and teach no such thing.
The bottom line is that the teachings of people like Elin give an EXCUSE to keep sinning because an individual can claim "I cannot help it" and thus the burden of responsibility is put on God to "make them" stop sinning.
The truth though is that the grace of God is already present for all men to guide and empower us if we would but submit to it by faith and in doing so the sin stops. The grace of God that brings salvation teaches us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, to live soberly, uprightly, in the present age. That is the grace of God that abounds when sin abounds, God has not pulled back his guidance and influence from the hearts of men, for He wishes none to perish but ALL to come to repentance.
It is through repentance where we turn from our wicked ways and stop rebelling to God and yield to His whole counsel. This yielding to God brings with it transformation because we no longer resist the word of God in our heart thus we are saved by grace THROUGH faith and not of any works we do apart from such a dynamic.
People like Elin are wolves. There are many wolves on this forum who deny the simple teachings of Jesus and instead contend for a false gospel built upon a foundation of human rhetoric which deceptively uses isolated Bible verses and passages as proof texts.
Wake up folks to the real danger here and wholeheartedly abide in the truth. Jesus warned that only a FEW will be saved in comparison to the the MANY who would be deceived and rejected.
