I don’t believe this. Sin separates us from God and a newborn is without sin. If you say a newborn is a sinner, then using Gods laws, you must show me which law a newborn has committed. Without a law to convict, there are no trespasses.
Romans 5:12-21 (NASB)
12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned—
Paul here explains that through the sin of Adam, death entered the world, spreading to all human beings who, like Adam, also sin. Sin and death are directly linked by Paul in this verse, though he doesn't go so far as to say that the "one man" through whom sin and death entered the world had "infected" all his offspring with a sin-curse, making them all guilty of sin before they even departed the womb.
13 for until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law.
I read this verse and wonder immediately about the Great Flood of
Genesis 6-8. Long before the Law of Moses was given, the Great Flood was a judgment of God upon the evil deeds of human beings. This verse, though, seems to indicate that without the Law the sins of mankind would not have been imputed to it. Why, then, were they judged?
14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.
Here, again, Paul emphasizes that death is the result of the Fall in Eden; and "death" throughout Scripture is indicative of
separation, the soul from the body, the living from the deceased, the loving Father from his Prodigal Son, the believer from the power of the "old man" and sin, and the unrepentant sinner eternally from their holy Maker. The sin of Adam separated all of humanity from the divine fellowship of Eden, the first couple ejected from the Garden forever and no human thereafter walking in communion with God in it, as they did.
15 But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many.
16 The gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification.
Now things get a bit...murky. Speaking of Adam's sin, Paul writes, "...the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation...", offering this in direct, contrasting, parallel to Christ's justifying gift of salvation, obtained through his atonement, once for all, for the sin of humanity (
Hebrews 10:1-18; Romans 6:10). The Savior's justification extends to all who will receive it; does this mean, then, that Adam's sin (not just it's effect, which is death) extends to all in some way, too? This is what seems to be implied in the parallel...
17 For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.
18 So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men.
Here, Paul indicates that, not only does the separation of death (spiritual and physical) come out of Adam's sin upon all of humanity, but divine
condemnation, also. Is Paul saying that
Adam's sin, all by itself, brings us under that condemnation? This is what seems evident in his words, "through one transgression there resulted condemnation to
all men."
19 For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.
Paul appears to pin our sinfulness upon Adam pretty directly in this verse, don't you think? By "one man's disobedience the many were made sinners." Apparently, not only did Adam's sin separate us from God, and bring us under His condemnation, but Adam's disobedience has made sinners of us all, in some way, too.
20 The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more,
21 so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
What a wonderfully encouraging pair of verses! Despite Adam's destructive sin, God's grace has abounded to sinners, reigning over sin, and freeing us all from the spiritual separation, condemnation and sin that Adam laid upon us.
Romans 5:8-10 (NASB)
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.
10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
An infant does not inherit Adams sin. However, an infant does experience the ripple from Adams consequences.
Yes, I don't think I've said otherwise.
