2nd. Semipelagian.-(a.) Man’s nature has been so far weakened by the fall that it cannot act aright in spiritual matters without divine assistance. (b.) This weakened moral state which infants inherit from their parents is the cause of sin, but not itself sin in the sense of deserving the wrath of God. (c.) Man must strive to do his whole duty, when God meets him with co-operative grace, and renders his efforts successful. (d.) Man is not responsible for the sins he commits until after he has enjoyed and abused the influences of grace.
In this BLOG we will try to think through the “b” of the Semi-Pelagian position. This states that infants inherit from their parents a weakened moral state which is the cause of sin but is not sin in the sense of deserving the wrath of God. This is not what Scripture says or the Augustinian confessions which rely on Scripture. For example, “Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest” (Eph 2:3). This verse tells us with simple clarity that we are by nature children of wrath. It is not that we became that way because of a weakened will that chose sin at some point, but a person is a child of wrath because s/he is that way because of his or her nature.
While this is a startling teaching to many in the modern day, it is a simple teaching of Scripture that, when watered down, wreaks havoc in other biblical teachings. Let us look at a few of those. If human beings are not truly worthy of the wrath of God by nature, then why do infants die and so many of them if they are not worthy of wrath? Scripture tells us that Adam was told before his fall into sin that “for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.” Adam died spiritually when he ate of the fruit. All of humanity fell in Adam because he was the covenantal or federal head. This is what Romans 5 teaches us as seen below:
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. 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. 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.
The Semi-Pelagian position cannot handle the teaching of Romans 5 and of why infants die if they are not guilty. Following that position, there are other teachings that follow in being cast aside. If infants are not guilty of sin, then how are they saved? Do they go to heaven based on the fact that they have never sinned? If so, they don’t need the cross of Christ. If they are judged to be innocent based on the fact that they have never sinned, how do they obtain a perfect righteousness to enter heaven? If it is unjust of God to impute sin to them, then it is not just to impute the righteousness of Christ to them. If it is unjust of God to impute sin to infants and also righteousness to them, then it is unjust to impute them to any human being as well. Salvation is by Christ alone regardless of age.
We also have the issue of regeneration and the new birth. If the problem with infants is not a sinful nature, then the same is true of adults. If the problem is not of the sinful nature, it is of behavior. The reason that a person must be born from above is because each person needs a spiritual nature of a new heart given to them. If the issue is only behavior, then some simple counseling is all that is needed. However, Scripture teaches us that each person must be born from above. That teaches us that we all need a new nature and infants do too. Semi-Pelagianism starts off with incorrect teachings about the nature of infants and goes from there to other errors. It has a lot in common with Pelagianism at this point. This teaching does go to the very heart of the Gospel and is not a minor point.
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