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OzSpen
If I have in anyway insulted you or anyone else, please let me know and accept my apology. Just because I am the site owner and I have Administrator by my name does not make me perfect and it is certainly no excuse to be a dictator let alone insulting to others. I have my short comings and at times I need to keep myself in check. Other times I need folk like yourself to keep me in check and on the right path to keep me humble. At any given time the staff and I are spinning multiple plates and may be having multiple conversations. Sometimes life just throws you a lemon and the conversations get crossed. One sour conversation with a disgruntled member can bleed into an innocent conversation with another. We're human.

In reality, I would like to see more of your work on this board and I would like to see you mentor others and grow them in the faith. I would like to have a real Bible Study forum and a real Theology forum instead of a battle ground with the same old topics rehashed over and over again. Your not the only on the internet with a PHD and I'd like more "heavy hitters" like yourself with level heads to grace this site and share what you've learned.

It doesn't mean we will all agree, but we can have mutual respect for one another and create a site that truly gives God the glory. That's my intent and I don't always hit the mark and I don't always have the right answers, and I don't always make the right choices. But I try to stay open and listen to others, and make adjustments to move this site forward because in reality, it's not really my site, it's our site.
 
Haven't been following along.
Just came upon this.

ARE people born with inherited sin?
Or are we born with the effects of the first sin?
I was reminded of Romans 5:12-21. I highlighted some things in bold text.

Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned—(For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many. And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification. For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.) Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous. Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
 
I was reminded of Romans 5:12-21. I highlighted some things in bold text.

Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned—(For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many. And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification. For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.) Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous. Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Sure. But what does death mean?
The serpent told Eve to eat because she would surely not die.
And she didn't die.
Physically.
She died spiritually.
When we're born we're spiritually dead.
We're all born "dead" and in "death".
We also lost the preternatural gift of immortality and also die physcially.

Do you believe we're born IN SIN,
or born with the effects of sin?

I'd love to hear the opinion of the others too...
OzSpen
JLB
etc.....

P.S. I believe we're born with the EFFECT of sin.
 
ARE people born with inherited sin?
Or are we born with the effects of the first sin?...

If we're born with inherited sin, then yes, babies better get baptized as soon as possible because sin will not enter heaven.
Revelation 21:27
But it says no one that PRACTICES abomination shall enter.
Do babies practice abomination? No.
.

wondering,

It's good to see you joining the discussion.

I'd like to see your biblical basis for those with 'inherited sin' needing to be baptised as soon as possible so they can enter heaven.

Matt 19:14 (NLT) reads: 'But Jesus said, "Let the children come to me. Don't stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children"'.

I don't read any statement that says 'Let the children come to me.... The kingdom of heaven belongs to those who are like these children and have been baptized before going to heaven'.

I support the teaching on all human beings born with 'inherited sin'. Paul explained it in Rom 5:12 (NIV): 'Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned'.

In context of this verse, Paul taught about actual sins committed every day and explained this teaching in the whole paragraph of 5:12-21). He compares Adam and Christ. He states that all people sinned through the sin of one man, Adam.

In Rom 5:13-14, Paul's teaching is that from the time of Adam to Moses people didn't have God's written laws, so their sins were not regarded as breaking any law. They were people and 'death ruled even over those who did not sin as Adam did' (Rom 5:14 NIV).

How come? Even though there was no written law for these people to break, they died, nevertheless. Why? The people were guilty on the basis of Adam's sin - inherited sin.

This teaching is further emphasised in Rom 5:18-19 (NIV):

So one man’s sin brought guilt to all people. In the same way, one right act made people right with God. That one right act gave life to all people. Many people were made sinners because one man did not obey. But one man did obey. That is why many people will be made right with God.​

Here Paul states precisely that because 'one man (Adam) did not obey ... many people were made sinners'. 'Were made' is aorist tense of completed action. Even though you and I didn't exist at the time of the Fall, God regarded all future people as guilty - as well as Adam.

In theological circles a technical term is often used that as a result of Adam's sin, sin was imputed to the entire human race. i.e. Impute = to think of it (sin) as belonging to someone and to cause it to belong to that person. Here the imputation is to the whole human race.

Based on Romans 5, I conclude that Adam sinned and Adam's guilt belongs to all of humanity.

Some people regard the teaching on 'inherited sin' as 'original sin'. I prefer inherited sin as we all inherited it from Adam. There is no way to avoid it.

Oz
 
wondering,

It's good to see you joining the discussion.

I'd like to see your biblical basis for those with 'inherited sin' needing to be baptised as soon as possible so they can enter heaven.

Matt 19:14 (NLT) reads: 'But Jesus said, "Let the children come to me. Don't stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children"'.

I don't read any statement that says 'Let the children come to me.... The kingdom of heaven belongs to those who are like these children and have been baptized before going to heaven'.

I support the teaching on all human beings born with 'inherited sin'. Paul explained it in Rom 5:12 (NIV): 'Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned'.

In context of this verse, Paul taught about actual sins committed every day and explained this teaching in the whole paragraph of 5:12-21). He compares Adam and Christ. He states that all people sinned through the sin of one man, Adam.

In Rom 5:13-14, Paul's teaching is that from the time of Adam to Moses people didn't have God's written laws, so their sins were not regarded as breaking any law. They were people and 'death ruled even over those who did not sin as Adam did' (Rom 5:14 NIV).

How come? Even though there was no written law for these people to break, they died, nevertheless. Why? The people were guilty on the basis of Adam's sin - inherited sin.

This teaching is further emphasised in Rom 5:18-19 (NIV):

So one man’s sin brought guilt to all people. In the same way, one right act made people right with God. That one right act gave life to all people. Many people were made sinners because one man did not obey. But one man did obey. That is why many people will be made right with God.​

Here Paul states precisely that because 'one man (Adam) did not obey ... many people were made sinners'. 'Were made' is aorist tense of completed action. Even though you and I didn't exist at the time of the Fall, God regarded all future people as guilty - as well as Adam.

In theological circles a technical term is often used that as a result of Adam's sin, sin was imputed to the entire human race. i.e. Impute = to think of it (sin) as belonging to someone and to cause it to belong to that person. Here the imputation is to the whole human race.

Based on Romans 5, I conclude that Adam sinned and Adam's guilt belongs to all of humanity.

Some people regard the teaching on 'inherited sin' as 'original sin'. I prefer inherited sin as we all inherited it from Adam. There is no way to avoid it.

Oz
Oz,
I'm not sure I can explain it any better.
I'll look for scriptural support in the morning...late here now.

It's my understanding that we are not imputed the sins of another person and that we are held responsible only for sins we commit.

What you posted re Jesus saying the Kingdom is for children as these, would uphold my belief.

IOW, these children are going to heaven if they died because they have no personal sin, but have only inherited the effects of sin....one being the sin nature...but with no sin until the age of reason.

If babies were born with sin imputed to them, and baptism washes away sin, then, yes, they should be baptized right away.

I've read your article and it seemed you agreed with this.

I don't believe sin is imputed, so I don't believe babies have to be baptized. But I also have no problem with it.
 
Sure. But what does death mean?
The serpent told Eve to eat because she would surely not die.
And she didn't die.
Physically.
She died spiritually.
When we're born we're spiritually dead.
We're all born "dead" and in "death".
We also lost the preternatural gift of immortality and also die physcially.

Do you believe we're born IN SIN,
or born with the effects of sin?

I'd love to hear the opinion of the others too...
OzSpen
JLB
etc.....

P.S. I believe we're born with the EFFECT of sin.

wondering,

God is absolutely immortal according to 1 Tim 6:15-16 (NIV),

... God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.
In regard to God, what does immortal mean? It means absolute deathlessness; he can never die; it is endless life.

However, that does not take away limited immortality for human beings. Their immortality is derived from God's immortality. We see this in a verse such as, 'Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life' (Matt 25:46).

As you probably understand, the same Greek word, 'eternal' is used for punishment and life. So, it's clear both unbelievers and believers have an eternal / immortal soul.

With the same Greek word used as an adjective, 'eternal' to refer to both “punishment” and “life,” it is clear that both the wicked and the righteous have an eternal / immortal soul. We didn't lose it when Adam sinned.

The unmistakable teaching of the Bible is that all people, whether they are saved or lost, will exist eternally, in either heaven or hell. Immortality of the soul refers to continuous existence after physical death.

Both OT and NT teach the immortality of the soul. See: Psalm 22:26; 23:6; 49:7-9; Ecclesiastes 12:7; Daniel 12:2-3; Matthew 25:46; and 1 Corinthians 15:12-19.

Is that not your understanding of Scripture?

Oz
 
wondering,

God is absolutely immortal according to 1 Tim 6:15-16 (NIV),

... God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.​
In regard to God, what does immortal mean? It means absolute deathlessness; he can never die; it is endless life.

However, that does not take away limited immortality for human beings. Their immortality is derived from God's immortality. We see this in a verse such as, 'Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life' (Matt 25:46).

As you probably understand, the same Greek word, 'eternal' is used for punishment and life. So, it's clear both unbelievers and believers have an eternal / immortal soul.

With the same Greek word used as an adjective, 'eternal' to refer to both “punishment” and “life,” it is clear that both the wicked and the righteous have an eternal / immortal soul. We didn't lose it when Adam sinned.

The unmistakable teaching of the Bible is that all people, whether they are saved or lost, will exist eternally, in either heaven or hell. Immortality of the soul refers to continuous existence after physical death.

Both OT and NT teach the immortality of the soul. See: Psalm 22:26; 23:6; 49:7-9; Ecclesiastes 12:7; Daniel 12:2-3; Matthew 25:46; and 1 Corinthians 15:12-19.

Is that not your understanding of Scripture?

Oz
Absolutely yes!
I was referring to our physical body which was meant to live forever in the Garden before the fall.

God is immortal and created us in His image.
We lost this preternatural gift after the fall, and we now face physical death. Our soul and spirit live eternally.

Genesis 3:22 (?) states that God said A and E might eat of the Tree of Life and live forever. A real tragedy since they now allowed sin to enter the world separating them from God, nature, and each other.
 
God is immortal and created us in His image.
We lost this preternatural gift after the fall, and we now face physical death. Our soul and spirit live eternally.

wondering,

I note you use the word 'preternatural' which means 'beyond what is normal or natural' (Oxford Dictionaries Online 2019. s.v. preternatural).

Would you be able to help me to understand why you use this not so common word?

Do you mean that after the Fall people lost the image of God?

Oz
 
wondering,

I note you use the word 'preternatural' which means 'beyond what is normal or natural' (Oxford Dictionaries Online 2019. s.v. preternatural).

Would you be able to help me to understand why you use this not so common word?

Do you mean that after the Fall people lost the image of God?

Oz
Unlike many that say they learn from the Holy Spirit, I happen to have learned from two different churches.
One is the Catholic Church....they do have a lot right!
They use the word preternatural for the gifts, or possessions they had received from God when they were created. Gifts that were lost after the fall.
Immortality
Well-being
Happiness
Painless childbirth
Etc.

We still retain much of how Good made us in His image....the natural gifts.
Love
Family
Creativity
Morality
Etc.
 
OzSpen
If I have in anyway insulted you or anyone else, please let me know and accept my apology. Just because I am the site owner and I have Administrator by my name does not make me perfect and it is certainly no excuse to be a dictator let alone insulting to others. I have my short comings and at times I need to keep myself in check. Other times I need folk like yourself to keep me in check and on the right path to keep me humble. At any given time the staff and I are spinning multiple plates and may be having multiple conversations. Sometimes life just throws you a lemon and the conversations get crossed. One sour conversation with a disgruntled member can bleed into an innocent conversation with another. We're human.

SB,

I do not believe you have insulted me in any way. The one person who did that to me recently, I've addressed.

I also need you to keep me humble, gentle and kind in how I say things. Because I touch-type and my mind goes at a million km per hr, it is easy for me to say things based on my academic background.

Please, please if I need to break down the language, I'd appreciate it if you'd tell me directly, giving specific examples.

In reality, I would like to see more of your work on this board and I would like to see you mentor others and grow them in the faith. I would like to have a real Bible Study forum and a real Theology forum instead of a battle ground with the same old topics rehashed over and over again. Your not the only on the internet with a PHD and I'd like more "heavy hitters" like yourself with level heads to grace this site and share what you've learned.

That's going to be nigh impossible in 2019 as I'm writing an 80 lesson curriculum for teaching RI (religious instruction) in high school for grades 7 and 8. I'm only up to #30 and I need 40 for the year of 2019. Then I write a student workbook.

We are still blessed to be able to teach RI during curriculum time in Aust state schools (except in Victoria where it is after school). We are not allowed to proselytise (evangelise) but can present the core teachings of Christianity, as long as it is with the emphasis, 'You don't have to believe this, but this is what Christianity teaches'. Currently we are running into a group here in Qld that wants RI to be multi-faith. See: Faiths unite to review religious instruction in Queensland schools.

I will be running a country mile from this accommodation to all faiths.

It doesn't mean we will all agree, but we can have mutual respect for one another and create a site that truly gives God the glory. That's my intent and I don't always hit the mark and I don't always have the right answers, and I don't always make the right choices. But I try to stay open and listen to others, and make adjustments to move this site forward because in reality, it's not really my site, it's our site.

I will join you in that goal whenever I can.

Blessings,
Oz
 
Unlike many that say they learn from the Holy Spirit, I happen to have learned from two different churches.
One is the Catholic Church....they do have a lot right!
They use the word preternatural for the gifts, or possessions they had received from God when they were created. Gifts that were lost after the fall.
Immortality
Well-being
Happiness
Painless childbirth
Etc.

We still retain much of how Good made us in His image....the natural gifts.
Love
Family
Creativity
Morality
Etc.

wondering,

In my post #46 above, I presented biblical evidence to demonstrate that believers and non-believers did not lose immortality of the soul after the Fall.

Oz
 
Sure. But what does death mean?
The serpent told Eve to eat because she would surely not die.
And she didn't die.
Physically.
She died spiritually.
When we're born we're spiritually dead.
We're all born "dead" and in "death".
We also lost the preternatural gift of immortality and also die physcially.

Do you believe we're born IN SIN,
or born with the effects of sin?

I'd love to hear the opinion of the others too...
OzSpen
JLB
etc.....

P.S. I believe we're born with the EFFECT of sin.
I believe we are born with a sin nature. What that means to me is that we have a tendency to sin. It shows up very early. I've seen it rear its ugly head with children that haven't yet learned to walk.
 
wondering,

In my post #46 above, I presented biblical evidence to demonstrate that believers and non-believers did not lose immortality of the soul after the Fall.

Oz
And I agreed with you.
What time is it there?
Here it's almost midnight.
I wish you a good new year Oz.
Good health and happiness never hurts.
 
I believe we are born with a sin nature. What that means to me is that we have a tendency to sin. It shows up very early. I've seen it rear its ugly head with children that haven't yet learned to walk.
I agree ....
It's the imputed sin part I find important.
Is Adams sin imputed to us? Are we held responsible for it? Or do we only suffer from it's effects?
I believe we only suffer from it's effects.
One of them is the sin nature....
But what if we haven't sinned yet?
Do children sin?
No. We only sin when we're aware of it.
 
And I agreed with you.
What time is it there?
Here it's almost midnight.
I wish you a good new year Oz.
Good health and happiness never hurts.
And I agreed with you.
What time is it there?
Here it's almost midnight.
I wish you a good new year Oz.
Good health and happiness never hurts.

wondering,

May you also have a blessed New Year. It's into day 2 of the New Year for me, 10:20am as I write. I have lunch with a few Christian friends and some others at a local tavern every Wed.

When you wrote this post, it was 8.38am Wednesday in Brisbane but nearly midnight for you. So Brisbane could be about 9 hours ahead of you.

This timezone calculator confirms that:

Brisbane, Australia TimeItaly Time Conversion Chart
( Reverse the chart below )
0:00 AM (0:00) Brisbane Time =
3:00 PM (15:00) Previous Day Italy Time
0:30 AM (0:30) Brisbane Time =
3:30 PM (15:30) Previous Day Italy Time
1:00 AM (1:00) Brisbane Time =
4:00 PM (16:00) Previous Day Italy Time
1:30 AM (1:30) Brisbane Time =
4:30 PM (16:30) Previous Day Italy Time
2:00 AM (2:00) Brisbane Time =
5:00 PM (17:00) Previous Day Italy Time

Oz
 
It's my understanding that we are not imputed the sins of another person and that we are held responsible only for sins we commit.

True, however we inherited “sin” from our father going back to Adam. This inherited sin dwells in our flesh and desires to express itself constantly until a person receives a new nature in Christ empowered by the Spirit, enabling us to live from the desires of the Spirit, rather than the sinful desires that remain in our flesh that we inherited.



JLB
 
I believe we are born with a sin nature. What that means to me is that we have a tendency to sin. It shows up very early. I've seen it rear its ugly head with children that haven't yet learned to walk.

WIP,

I'm having a hard time accepting that sin nature = tendency to sin, based on these verses:

  1. 'As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins' (Eph 2:1 NIV);
  2. 'But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved ' (Eph 2:5 NIV).
  3. 'You were spiritually dead because of your sins and because you were not free from the power of your sinful self. But God gave you new life together with Christ. He forgave all our sins' (Col 2:13 ERV).
Oz
 
I agree ....
It's the imputed sin part I find important.
Is Adams sin imputed to us? Are we held responsible for it? Or do we only suffer from it's effects?
I believe we only suffer from it's effects.
One of them is the sin nature....
But what if we haven't sinned yet?
Do children sin?
No. We only sin when we're aware of it.

wondering,

It would be good (for me) if you would provide biblical evidence for these statements, especially in light of the sinful condition of all of us before salvation that I've listed in post #57.

I find it difficult to make 'dead in your transgressions and sin' = effects of sin.

Do children sin? At one time we had 3 children who were aged 2 years (in different years). I can assure you that each one knew how to be selfish and scream when he or she didn't get his/her own way.

I'd tell one to not pull the cricket bat from the cupboard yet. What did he do? Went ahead and did it in spite of my instructions. He sure knew how to sin at age 2-3. I have his little cricket bat in one of my cupboards to remind me of that darling boy, Jeff, who knew how to sin and break the laws of our household.

Oz
 
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WIP,

I'm having a hard time accepting that sin nature = tendency to sin, based on these verses:

  1. 'As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins' (Eph 2:1 NIV);
  2. 'But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved ' (Eph 2:5 NIV).
  3. 'You were spiritually dead because of your sins and because you were not free from the power of your sinful self. But God gave you new life together with Christ. He forgave all our sins' (Col 2:13 ERV).
Oz
Timing can be amazing. Just this morning I was listening to an audio version of the Bible, something I have done every new year for the past few years, and this caught my attention from Genesis 8:20-21.

Then Noah built an altar to the Lord, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. And the Lord smelled a soothing aroma. Then the Lord said in His heart, “I will never again curse the ground for man’s sake, although the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; (NKJV)

Here it is from the ESV.
Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and took some of every clean animal and some of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. And when the Lord smelled the pleasing aroma, the Lord said in his heart, “I will never again curse[a] the ground because of man, for the intention of man's heart is evil from his youth.

Also, when I read Romans 7:15-25, it speaks volumes to me that even though we want to do what is righteous, we will fail because of our sin nature. We can't help it. It is what we do.
 
Timing can be amazing. Just this morning I was listening to an audio version of the Bible, something I have done every new year for the past few years, and this caught my attention from Genesis 8:20-21.

Then Noah built an altar to the Lord, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. And the Lord smelled a soothing aroma. Then the Lord said in His heart, “I will never again curse the ground for man’s sake, although the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; (NKJV)

Here it is from the ESV.
Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and took some of every clean animal and some of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. And when the Lord smelled the pleasing aroma, the Lord said in his heart, “I will never again curse[a] the ground because of man, for the intention of man's heart is evil from his youth.

Also, when I read Romans 7:15-25, it speaks volumes to me that even though we want to do what is righteous, we will fail because of our sin nature. We can't help it. It is what we do.

WIP,

I noted that you didn't deal with the examples I gave of being 'dead in trespasses and sin'. How can dead in sin = inclinations of man's heart?

Could 'inclination' have a different meaning in the Hebrew OT???

If we look at the context of Gen 8:20-21, it gives God's reasons for sending the worldwide flood that destroyed all but 8 people in Noah's time.

Two examples were given:

(1) Seth was a righteous man (Gen 4:26) but his later lineage (e.g. Gen 6:5) did not follow Seth's godly heritage.
(2) The Cainites perpetrated violence, starting with Cain (Gen 4).

When we examine Gen 6:5 (ESV) regarding why God sent the Flood, we read: 'The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually'.

So there was great wickedness by human beings on the earth and these came from the continually evil intentions of the thoughts of people's hearts.

Someone has called the thoughts of a person 'the thought-workshop'. What do these thoughts produce? 'Only evil continually'. This is one of the early examples of how total depravity or inherited sin manifests itself - people continually doing evil - and that evil is seated in the heart, based on intentions.

Remembering that progressive revelation means that we see more of God's activities in the NT than OT, we can understand that 'dead in trespasses and sin' (NT) gets to the core of the meaning of 'every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually' (OT).

Oz
 
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