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Are Men Born Sinners? - Library of Theology

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On the other hand, those who refuse to believe the Bible are irrational. They are rejecting<br />

the testimony <strong>of</strong> their rational, moral nature which affirms the truth <strong>of</strong> the Bible. The<br />

impenitent sinner is not impenitent because his reason does not testify to him <strong>of</strong> the truth<br />

<strong>of</strong> God's Word; he is impenitent because he refuses to listen to reason. He does not want<br />

to repent, submit himself to God, and obey his Word. Both sin and unbelief are a<br />

voluntary resistance and abuse <strong>of</strong> the dazzling moral light given to man in his moral<br />

nature.<br />

If the Bible were in manifest contradiction to reason, no man could believe it without<br />

being irrational. But when we look into the mirror <strong>of</strong> our nature and see the exact same<br />

image pictured there as is pictured for us in the Bible, we know that the Bible is the Word<br />

<strong>of</strong> God. If the image in the mirror <strong>of</strong> our nature were different than that pictured in the<br />

Bible, we would know that the Bible was false and not the Word <strong>of</strong> God. However, our<br />

nature agrees in every aspect with the revelation given to us in the Bible. This harmony<br />

between the Bible and our own moral nature is supernatural. The harmony is so complete,<br />

so exact, and so faithful--it mirrors man's nature and condition so faithfully--that such a<br />

harmony would be impossible upon any other supposition than that the Bible is indeed a<br />

supernatural book, inspired by God.<br />

Return to the Index<br />

Appendix E<br />

Temptation: The Occasion to All Sin<br />

The devil, who was originally one <strong>of</strong> the holy angels, was tempted and fell from his<br />

original perfection, without a sinful nature to make him sin. A third <strong>of</strong> the holy angels<br />

were tempted and fell from their original perfection, without a sinful nature to make them<br />

sin. Holy Adam and Eve were tempted and fell from their original perfection, without a<br />

sinful nature to make them sin. How absurd is the idea, then, that the universal sinfulness<br />

<strong>of</strong> Adam's descendants can only be explained by a sinful nature inherited from Adam.<br />

The Bible teaches that temptation is the occasion to all sin. Paul tells us that temptation is<br />

common to all men. "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to<br />

man..." I Cor. 10:13. James tells us that temptation is the occasion to sin. "But every man<br />

is tempted when he is drawn away <strong>of</strong> his own lust and enticed. Then when lust hath<br />

conceived it bringeth forth sin, and sin when it is finished bringeth forth death." James<br />

1:14, 15. The writer to the Hebrews tells us that our Lord was "tempted like as we are, yet<br />

without sin." Heb. 4:15. The following are only a few <strong>of</strong> the Scripture references which<br />

speak <strong>of</strong> the universality <strong>of</strong> temptation, <strong>of</strong> the fact that temptation is the occasion to sin,<br />

and <strong>of</strong> the agency <strong>of</strong> the devil in tempting men: James 1:14-15; I Cor. 10:13; Heb. 4:15;<br />

Luke 4:2-13; Matt. 26:41; Matt. 6:13; I Peter 1:6; II Peter 2:9; I Thess. 3:5; Luke 8:12;

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