A Brief Catechism for Adults - Lesson 13: Original Sin

OLRL ^ | Fr. William J. Cogan

[NYer]

Lesson 13: Original Sin

"Wherefore as by one man sin entered into this world, and by sin death; and so death passed upon all men, in whom all have sinned...  For as by the disobedience of one man, many were made sinners; so also by the obedience of one, many shall be made just."  (Romans 5:12, 19)

Read the first three chapters of Genesis.

1. What is Original Sin?
       The sin committed by Adam, the father of the human race.  By Original Sin, Adam lost Sanctifying Grace.

• Who were Adam and Eve?
      The first man and woman, from whom every human being on this earth is descended.

• How did the sin of Adam affect the human race?
      Because of Adam's sin, every human being is created with Original Sin on his soul and without Sanctifying Grace, since Adam was the father of the human race.

  Adam's nature became "fallen" through Original Sin, and we his descendants inherit his fallen nature.
  
  

  "By the disobedience of one man, many were made sinners."    (Romans 5:19)

• What else did Adam's sin do?
     The gates of Heaven were closed; disease, pain and death came into the world; the mind of man was darkened and his will was weakened.

  "For the imagination and thought of man's heart are prone to evil from his youth."    (Genesis 8:21)

• Is Heaven still closed to the human race?
     No, because of Christ's death on the Cross, God reopened Heaven and made Sanctifying Grace available to man.

  "As in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive."    (1 Corinthians 15:22)

• What happened to the good people who died before Christ?
     They went to Limbo, a place of natural happiness in the next world, and stayed there until Jesus ascended into heaven.

  "And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom.  And the rich man also died:  and he was buried in Hell."    (Luke 16:22)

• How do you get rid of Original Sin and obtain Sanctifying Grace?
     Baptism takes away Original Sin and put Sanctifying grace in your soul.

  "Unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.    (John 3:5)

• Was any human being preserved from Original Sin?
     Yes, the Blessed Virgin Mary, whose soul was created with Sanctifying Grace in it.  This is called the Immaculate Conception.

  "And the angel being come in, said unto her:  Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee:  blessed art thou among women.    (Luke 1:28)

PRACTICAL POINTS

1. From the way God punished the sin of Adam, it is clear that the sin was a serious one.  If Adam had not committed it, there would have been no disease, pain or death.  So, you can see what a terrible thing sin is in the eyes of God.

2. Only unbaptized babies and unbaptized persons who never had the use of their minds go to Limbo now.

3. Baptism does not restore the other gifts lost by Adam's sin, that is, freedom from pain, disease and death, and the perfect control over the lower nature.

4. The Church teaches that the human race began with one man and one woman.  Any scientific theory of man's biological origin must agree with this fact.

[NYer]

Lesson 13 of 43.

[visually_augmented]

From Article: “How do you get rid of Original Sin and obtain Sanctifying Grace?
Baptism takes away Original Sin and put Sanctifying grace in your soul.
“Unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. (John 3:5)”

So does the Roman Catholic church teach that Baptism is effacacious? In other words, is someone who is baptized GUARANTEED to be saved? If the act of Baptism takes away Original Sin, I would suppose that is the case...

Makes me wonder why I have seen many people baptized in many different churches (including Roman Catholics) who now show no evidence of salvation in their lives!

[NYer]

So does the Roman Catholic church teach that Baptism is effacacious? In other words, is someone who is baptized GUARANTEED to be saved?

Baptism removes the blot of original sin. We are not guaranteed salvation; we hope for salvation.

Heb. 9:12 - Christ's sacrifice secured our redemption, but redemption is not the same thing as salvation. We participate in and hope for salvation. Our hope in salvation is a guarantee if we are faithful to Christ to the end. But if we lose hope and fail to persevere, we can lose our salvation. Thus, by our own choosing (not by God's doing), salvation is not a certainty. While many Protestant churches believe in the theology of "once saved, always saved," such a novel theory is not found in Scripture and has never been taught by the Church.

[pacelvi]

The various things cited here is why I, as a Christian, cannot accept the theory of evolution.

If death entered the world via Adam, as God said it did, then the fossils cannot be from lifeforms that died earlier.

(This is my opinion, I’m not trolling. )

[NYer]

If death entered the world via Adam, as God said it did, then the fossils cannot be from lifeforms that died earlier.

Step back from your argument for just a minute and rethink it. Since God who created the Universe can do with it as He chooses, then there is nothing in the theory of evolution that prevents Him from allowing the creatures of this planet to evolve to the point at which He decided it was time to create man, imbue him with an immortal soul and place him over all the creatures that roam the earth. This fits biblically since God asked Adam to name the creatures. To do so presupposes that they already had been created, right?

[pacelvi]

Sure, God can do anything. But that doesn’t address what I said... if death entered the world at the time of Adam’s sin, then it neccessarily means that nothing was dying before hand. Thus no evolution. Evolution states genetic mutations were the mechanism, so therefore, for evolution to be true and also that there was no death before Adam, then where are all the half-wing/half-arm type creatures , etc...

of course no one REALLY knows the process by which life manifested itself on the planet, so i certainly believe that reasonable people can differ on this and respect one another’s opinion.

[tyke]

And millions of Christians around the world would go one step further and regard the story of Adam and Eve as an allegorical tale handed down to illustrate and inform on the nature of the relationship between Man and God.

[Iscool]

While many Protestant churches believe in the theology of "once saved, always saved," such a novel theory is not found in Scripture

This 'novel theory' is all over the scripture...Millions upon millions see it every day...The fact that you don't see it doesn't mean it isn't there...

The Apostle Paul talks about two kinds of salvation...He talks about those who trust in the finished work of Jesus Christ and their 100% faith in His complete atonement for their sins...Where no sin is imputed to them...

Paul also talks about another group of people who insist on living by the law...The people that will attempt to endure, trust in themselve to make it to the end...Paul goes on to say these people will be judged by the law...And this judgement is the White Throne Judgment of Revelation...

You guys are looking ahead to the White Throne Judgement to see if you make it into Heaven...

The other group won't be involved in the White Throne Judgement

So I see where you are coming from in your theology...It's in the bible...But so is a bunch of other stuff which appears to be beyond your vision...

[Salvation]

A Brief Catechism for Adults - Lesson 1: Religion
A Brief Catechism for Adults - Lesson 2: The Bible and Tradition
A Brief Catechism for Adults - Lesson 3: God and the Holy Trinity
A Brief Catechism for Adults - Lesson 4: Prayer
A Brief Catechism for Adults - Lesson 5: Public Worship of God

A Brief Catechism for Adults - Lesson 6: Angels and Devils
A Brief Catechism for Adults - Lesson 7: Human Beings and the Purpose of Life
A Brief Catechism for Adults - Lesson 8: Sanctifying Grace
A Brief Catechism for Adults - Lesson 9: Heaven
A Brief Catechism for Adults - Lesson 10: Mortal and Venial Sin

A Brief Catechism for Adults - Lesson 11: Hell
A Brief Catechism for Adults - Lesson 12: Purgatory
A Brief Catechism for Adults - Lesson 13: Original Sin

[Salvation]

But through Christ’s death and Resurrection He brought us new life, thus fulfilling the New Covenant which cancels the Old Covenant of the Old Testament.

[NYer]

This 'novel theory' is all over the scripture.

Cite it!

[Iscool]

Cite it!

It's been cited time and time again...

Eph 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise,

Eph 4:30 And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

It's a done deal...Signed, sealed and delivered...

[pacelvi]

That a vicious lie! The Abrahamic Covenant of God with His people Israel is “not cancelled”

Romans 11:25 For I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: A partial hardening has happened to Israel until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written:

“The Deliverer will come out of Zion;

he will remove ungodliness from Jacob.

And this is my covenant with them,

when I take away their sins.”

11:28 In regard to the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but in regard to election they are dearly loved for the sake of the fathers. For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable. Just as you were formerly disobedient to God, but have now received mercy due to their disobedience, 11:31 so they too have now been disobedient in order that, by the mercy shown to you, they too may now receive mercy. For God has consigned all people to disobedience so that he may show mercy to them all

Arrogance on your part, indeed.

[Salvation]

I don’t believe I said it was cancelled.

I merely said that the New Covenant of Jesus Christ fulfills the Old Covenant. What I failed to emphasize was “Prophecies” of the Old Coenant.

[pacelvi]

You’re speaking too generally. There were several covenants that God made in the Old Testiment.

I’m assuming now that you meant the Mosiac convenent (or Law).. and yes , he did.

[Salvation]

I apologize. I went back to look at #11 and I did say “cancels”. This was a mistake on my part; the word I needed to use was fulfills.

[visually_augmented]

NYer: “Christ’s sacrifice secured our redemption, but redemption is not the same thing as salvation. We participate in and hope for salvation. Our hope in salvation is a guarantee if we are faithful to Christ to the end. But if we lose hope and fail to persevere, we can lose our salvation.”

Thanks for the explanation; I was not aware of the distinction between redemption and salvation. It then sounds like the Roman Catholic teaching is that redemption is God’s work (through Christ) and salvation is each individual Christian’s work.

The following is probably my favorite Biblical passage of all:

Rom 8:28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
Rom 8:29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
Rom 8:30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
Rom 8:31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

In these verses, I see no contingency on the actions of God’s children (those whom he foreknew) to secure glorification. All I see is predestined->called->justified(redeemed)->glorified(saved).

In other words, once God initiates, can we legitimately defy his will? Can we thwart the divine plan of God as identified in His Holy Scriptures?

If it is up to me to secure salvation, I am hopelessly lost! For I (like Paul) am the chief of sinners...

Rom 7:22 For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being,
Rom 7:23 but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.
Rom 7:24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?
Rom 7:25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.

[NYer]

Thanks for the explanation; I was not aware of the distinction between redemption and salvation. It then sounds like the Roman Catholic teaching is that redemption is God’s work (through Christ) and salvation is each individual Christian’s work.

You are more than welcome! By Christ's blood, we are saved but we can lose that salvation if we don't keep our eye focused on our eternal reward and work towards it.

This morning my pastor read the Gospel of Matthew on storing up our treasures in heaven. In his excellent homily, he spoke about how Jesus used parables to teach. Jesus told his disciples that not everyone would understand his parables. To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God; but for others they are in parables, so that seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not hear (Luke 8:10). Did Jesus mean to say that he was deliberately confusing his listeners? Very likely not. Jesus was speaking from experience. He was aware that some who heard his parables refused to understand them. It was not that they could not intellectually understand them, but rather, their hearts were closed to what Jesus was saying. They had already made up their minds to not believe. God can only reveal the secrets of his kingdom to the humble and trusting person who acknowledges the need for God and for his truth. The parables of Jesus will enlighten us if we approach them with an open mind and heart, ready to let them challenge us. If we approach them with the conviction that we already know the answer, then we, too, may look but not see, listen but not hear or understand.

In essence, Jesus knew his audience. He also knew that most of them were illiterate but could appreciate a good story and would understand the parallels drawn. Even today, though many of these parables were addressed to the peoples of that time, using examples common in the middle east, we too can gain great insight. For example:

19 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. 22 "The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is sound, your whole body will be full of light; 23 but if your eye is not sound, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
Matthew 6:19-23

In our illumined world of the 21st century, we can still grasp this Gospel from St. Matthew. If anything, it is especially more relative today than ever before, for those of us blessed to live in the United States. Our children are fed a constant stream of messages via television, the internet and radio that success hinges on how much they possess. How many teens are driven to own the fastest or coolest car, and dream of one day owning a large house. For them, these are the markers of success. But none of this will ever come with us when we die. There are no U-Hauls following the hearse to the cemetery. So how do we accumulate these treasures in heaven? Through our works on earth. (Mother Teresa immediately springs to mind). It's one thing to have faith and accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior but if we do nothing with that gift, then we too are lost. Each day we must witness to our faith through our actions. The more we give, the more we receive. It's such a simple premise but oftentimes lost on so many.