Who Said That?
Sunday, September 20, 2009 at 09:32PM 
"The Scriptural reason given . . . for the Christian not being able to sin is that God's seed remains or abides in him; that is, the one born again willfully refuses to transgress the commandments of God and cannot sin. As long as this consecration remains, he will be unable to sin simply because he refuses the advances of Satan that would cause him to commit sin."
Please leave your guess in the comments section below. No cheating or google searches. Although some of you can't help yourselves, don't ruin it for everyone else. The whole point is the guess! Answer to follow next week.
Kim Riddlebarger
This is just wrong on so many levels, especially when this Pelagian swill comes from Jimmy Swaggart, who had real problems with his own perishable seed and who apparently quit refusing the advances of Satan.
This comes from his book, Straight Answers to Tough Questions (1987), 76. One of the questions missing from this book is "why are T.V. preachers so attracted to prostitutes?"
Reader Comments (40)
Jesus came to heal the sick, those of us that need a physician. This is a very serious error, that can cost this person eternal life.
Luther says that we are 100% sinner and saint. This person is a sinner, but possibly not a saint.
It is 7:00 A.M. in Phoenix as I am writing this. I have probably commited at least 100 sins already, and I don't even know what they all are!
Thank you Jesus, for saving me, a lost sinner!
We baptize babies because they were born in sin (Romans 5, Psalm 51 etc.; original sin). Baptism washes away our sins; Acts 22:16.
Lets say that a baby gets baptized three days after birth; we baptize them for three days of sinning! I've mentioned this to people, and they cannot believe that a child of three days old has actually been sinning for three days. The doctrine of age of accountability for baptism is not taught in the Scriptures, and it denies the Biblical doctrine of original sin.
I'll always remember a great quote from Calvin: The babies may look cute, but they are really venomous snakes.
People just don't understand, that we were born in sin, and that we all sin 24:7. (We can't even drive two city blocks without breaking a law.)
I'll see your Calvinism and raise you some Augustinian-Calvinism: babies have been sinners since conception. So more like nine months and three days.
I might suggest the over-realizing of the sign and seal of baptism get applied to your under-Calvinism with regard to human nature.
The sign and seal argument does not wash away the babies sins, like the waters of baptism, combined with the Word of God. There is no age requirement for baptism mentioned in the Bible. Everyone needs to be baptized, because everyone -- even babies are sinners.
Peter, in Acts 2:38 & 39, says; Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the FORGIVENESS OF YOUR SINS, and you will RECEIVE THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, and the promise is for you and YOUR CHILDREN.
We see in this passage, that they are to "be" baptized, not "get" baptized. They are passive in baptism, not active. We see the promise of the forgiveness of sins in baptism, and the gift of the Holy Spirit in it. These promises are also for our children.
We also learn in Acts 22:16, that in baptism, our sins are washed away. "Be baptized and wash your sins away."
Since baptism is for all ages, we see that those that have been baptized have this promise from St. Paul in Gal. 3:27, "All of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ." All, would include babies. God creates faith in little babies, just like he does in us. (Please see Luke 18:14-17. And the unborn child, John the Baptist, leaped in his mother's womb when he heard the Word of God (Luke 1:41-44).
Children are included in the words "all nations" in Matt. 28:19. 1 Peter 3:20 & 21, "In it (Noah's ark) only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also."
We see demonstrated here, that baptism 1. creates faith, 2. washes away sins, 3. sustains faith (in adults). Baptism and the Word of God saves. The Word of God without baptism saves. Baptism without the Word of God doesn't save. Baptism is "a" means that God uses to save, not the only means. The Word can save without baptism -- such as in many adult cases.
How ironic, indeed, that Lutherans are accused of not getting too much into the work of the Holy Spirit, when, we really are the only ones that have the Holy Spirit actually working in the sacraments, not along side of them. We are knocking people out with the Word and the sacraments!
May I suggest a great read from former WELS director and professor of dogmatics, Adolf Hoenecke, in his Evangelical Lutheran Dogmatics I - IV.
P.S. Many of my Reformed friends will be stunned when they get to heaven and see just how many of their children were actually saved in baptism, when they thought that they were only being brought into the Covt. of Grace! God is actually applying all of Chirst and His benefits to those sinning little infants, in His sacrament of Grace!