CONTENDING FOR THE FAITH
In this regular feature Dave and Tom respond to questions from listeners and readers of The Berean Call, here’s this week’s question. Dear Dave and Tom, Here is my question: Do we die because of Adam’s sin, or do we die, unless we are saved, because of our own sin or sins? Or is it that condemnation is imputed to us when we first sin because of Adam’s sin? If we die because of Adam’s sin, then what is the meaning of the verses that seem to indicate that our own sin separates us from God, such as Romans 6:24, For the wages of sin is death, and Ezekiel 18:17, The soul that sinneth, it shall die.
Tom:
It’s a good question, I know some people that really wrestle with that, not just this person that wrote to us.
Dave:
Well, when we read the Bible, of course we need to know the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, although that’s a tall order and I certainly haven’t accomplished that yet, but we can learn enough out of the Bible. We need to compare scripture with scripture. We also need to use some common sense. So let me quote a verse that, apparently this person didn’t quote in the e-mail, Romans 5, I think it’s verse 10, 11, 12, somewhere around there, As by one man sin entered into the world and death by sin, so death passed upon all men for all have sinned. Okay, now that could be a little confusing. First of all, we know that death passed upon all men because Adam died, and it’s in his genes, it’s in, you know, scientists don’t know in fact. Medical science cannot tell you why we die. We begin to die the moment we are born, because that was the judgment God pronounced upon sin. Now, so then, is it confusing we’re dying because of Adam’s sin? Yes, it passed upon all of us. I mean, it’s inevitable, you can’t escape it because it’s in our genes. On the other hand it says, For all have sinned. That seems to be the reason we die, also, not just Adam’s sin but because of our own sin. I would take that to mean that is there were a person, even thought they were a child of Adam, if they never sinned they would not die because the wages of sin is death, okay. And it would not be just, even though they were children of Adam. The fact is, to answer the lady’s question, not only do we die because of Adam’s sin, but we also die because we are sinners. Now we can’t blame that on Adam. We could say, Well, if it hadn’t been for Adam and he hadn’t sinned in the garden then I wouldn’t die because he brought death in and now it’s in my genes. Yeah, but you sin too. So, all have sinned, the scripture says, and come short of the glory of God. So, we die, yes, because that’s what Adam passed on to us, it’s in our genes, but we also die because of our own sins, so none of us can complain.
Tom:
Dave, let me shift a little gears here. As we mentioned earlier, I have a Roman Catholic background, and my view as a Roman Catholic was that Mary was conceived without sin, that is, that’s what the immaculate conception is all about.
Dave:
Yeah, explain that, Tom. It doesn’t mean the virgin birth of Jesus.
Tom:
No.
Dave:
It means Mary’s immaculate conception, that she was conceived without sin.
Tom:
Amazingly, because obviously, it doesn’t go back to her father and mother, doesn’t go back before them, but it started right with her. Somehow, she was, according to the teachings of the church. Now, without sin---
Dave:
That was a dogma that was not taught in the church for many centuries.
Tom:
Well, it came through in an apparition, an apparition being an appearance of Mary, yes. Now, but the question is, the belief in the church is that Mary was sinless, not only in terms of her conception but throughout her life. So, she should not have died.
Dave:
Well, that’s why I say she didn’t, she was taken bodily into heaven, that’s the assumption.
Tom:
Dave, that didn’t come along until 1950. So, you’ve had from 1850---a hundred years of them deciding, well, wait a minute, we’ve got to work something out here or else Mary should be around somewhere.
Dave:
Right. Tom, we’ve got to stick to the Bible because the Bible doesn’t contradict itself, but when you stray from it you’re going to fall into all kinds of contradictions. Now I think we talked about it not too long ago. The reason for the immaculate conception which, as you say, they came up with it the first Vatican counsel there in 1850, or thereabouts, was because, Well, how could Jesus be sinless, how could Mary give birth to a sinless being if she was a sinner? Therefore, she had to be sinless in order to give birth to a sinless Savior. But wait a minute, then how does she become sinless? If she became sinless without being born, as you intimated, well, wait a minute, what about---then she must have had sinless parents and they must have had sinless parents all the way back to Adam. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be necessary for her to be sinless in order to give birth to a sinless person, would it? Because her parents gave birth to a sinless person if they gave birth to Mary and she is sinless, okay. Now the Catholic church is going to have to work that one out too. Now, another little problem they have, Tom, is Revelation Chapter 12, remember?---saw a woman clothed with the sun and the moon under her feet---
Tom:
We always thought that was Mary, we were taught that that was Mary, we have statues.
Dave:
Absolutely, and apparitions of Mary appeared looking like that. Now we’ve got a problem, Tom, because it says she cries out, travailing in birth, to be delivered of a child. And Genesis Chapter 3 very clearly says that the pain of childbirth is because of sin. How could this woman, who they say is Mary, and we don’t know, the Bible doesn’t tell us about Mary’s pain as she gave birth to Jesus, but this woman is in labor, in pain. She couldn’t possibly be having pain if she were sinless. So now, it’s another one, Tom, maybe you can take it up with---you probably still have some Catholic relatives, or some insight into the Catholic church, inside contacts and maybe they can work that one out as well.
Tom:
Well, I just like to ask the questions, Dave. I had trouble when I was a Roman Catholic and nobody liked me asking questions, but now I ask questions of them all the time.
If you have a question for Dave and Tom to respond to in a future Contending for the Faith, stay with us we’ll have our contact information at the end of the program. You are listening to Search the Scriptures Daily, a radio ministry of The Berean Call. Now our final segment.
