Are Men Born Sinners? - Library of Theology

Who will have all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth. I Tim. 2:4
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Chapter Nine: Original Sin Makes God Inconsistent and Imperfect
In Chapter 7 we saw thirteen reasons why the doctrine of original sin is false. In Chapter
8 we saw that the doctrine of original sin clashes with man's irresistible convictions of
justice. In this chapter we will see that if the doctrine of original sin were true, it would
destroy the very idea of a perfect and eternally unchanging God. It would make God
inconsistent with himself.
First, let's state three irrefutable facts about God:
1. God desires the salvation of all of humanity. 2. But he, in fact, has chosen to save only
a part of humanity. 3. God is consistent.
The variable that explains the difference between the all that God desires to save and the
some he decides to save must lie outside of God or he would be inconsistent and could
not be God. This fact is as certain as the three irrefutable facts stated above are certain.
God, who is consistent, cannot desire the salvation of all of humanity and allow any to be
lost unless the reason for this lies outside of his choice and his control. If the choice lies
with God alone, he most certainly will save all because he desires the salvation of all.
However, the fact is God does not save all because he cannot save all, or even some,
unless they of their own free will submit to the conditions he has laid down in his Word.
Therefore, the doctrine of original sin with its teaching that man is unable to repent of sin
and believe the Gospel because of natural depravity is false. For it would make God the
only variable in the salvation of man and therefore, make him inconsistent with himself
desiring to save all, while at the same time desiring not to save all; regenerating and
enabling some to believe and repent, while at the same time, contrary to his will, leaving
others in their state of depravity and inability to be lost. If the doctrine of original sin
were true, the salvation of all men would depend solely upon the arbitrary choice of God,
and God would be imperfect and inconsistent, desiring the salvation of all mankind but
arbitrarily choosing to damn myriads of the souls he did not will should perish.
The variable is and must be in man. And if the variable is in man, then man must be able
to respond to God, which means that men cannot be born with a nature that makes it
impossible for them to repent and believe the Gospel. Any interpretation of the Bible
which puts the variable in God alone is false. For if God were the only variable in man's
salvation, then God, who desires the salvation of all men, would certainly save all men!