Reformed Baptist Apologetics: Of the Fall of Man, of Sin, And the Punishment Thereof

Now that we have discussed the nature of God and how He has created everything, including mankind, we will now look at how the first humans, Adam and Eve, fell into sin and how this fall into sin resulted in every human thereafter being born with a sin nature such that every aspect of a human being's nature is corrupted by sin (sometimes referred to as the doctrine of total depravity). Having inherited Adam's sin nature, we are sinners by nature and by choice. As sinners we are accountable to a Holy God for our sin against Him and will be punished for our sin eternally in Hell by God unless we repent of our sin and place our faith in the Son of God, Jesus Christ who died on the cross to deliver sinners from their sin. I will post about the nature of Jesus Christ and His saving of sinners in the next few posts.

The 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith

Chapter 6: The Fall, Sin and its Punishment

6.1 God created Adam upright and perfect, and gave him a righteous law which secured life for him while he kept it, but threatened death if he broke it. Yet Adam did not live long in this position of honour. [1] Satan used the subtlety of the serpent to subdue Eve, she seduced Adam, and Adam (without any compulsion) wilfully transgressed the law of their creation and the command given to them by eating the forbidden fruit. [2] God was pleased to permit this act, according to his wise and holy counsel, as it was his purpose to direct it toward his own glory. [3]

6.2 By this sin our first parents fell from their original righteousness and communion with God. We fell in them, for by it death came upon all; [1] all became dead in sin and totally defiled in all the faculties and parts of soul and body. [2]

6.3 By God's appointment, they were the root, standing in the place of the whole human race. The guilt of this sin was imputed to, and their corrupted nature passed on to all their posterity by ordinary birth. Their descendants are therefore conceived in sin, and are by nature children of wrath, the servants of sin, the subjects of death and all other miseries—spiritual, temporal, and eternal—unless the Lord Jesus sets them free. [1]

Genesis 5:12ff 1 Corinthians 15:20-22 Psalms 51:4-5 Psalms 58:3 Ephesians 2:1-3 Genesis 8:21 Proverbs 22:15 Job 14:4 Job 15:14

6.4 All actual transgressions proceed from this original corruption. [1] By it we are completely incapacitated and disabled, antagonistic to all good and entirely biased towards evil. [2]

6.5 During this life, this corruption of nature remains in those who are regenerated. [1] Although it is pardoned and put to death through Christ, yet both this corrupt nature and all its actions are truly and actually sin. [2]

The 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith

Chapter 31: The State of People after Death and the Resurrection of the Dead

31.1 After death the bodies of people return to dust and undergo decomposition, [1] but their souls (which neither die nor sleep for they are immortal in essence) immediately return to God who gave them. [2] The souls of the righteous are then made perfect in holiness, they are received into paradise where they are with Christ and look on the face of God in light and glory, and wait for the full redemption of their bodies. [3] The souls of the wicked are cast into hell, where they remain in torment and utter darkness, reserved for judgement on the great day [of judgement]. [4] For souls separated from their bodies, the Scripture acknowledges no other place than these two.

31.2 On the last day, those believers who are still alive will not die, but will be changed. [1] All the dead will be raised up [2] with their own bodies [3] (although these will have different qualities) [4] that will be united again to their souls for ever. [5]

31.3 By the power of Christ the bodies of the unrighteous will be raised to dishonour. [1] By his Spirit [2] the bodies of the righteous will be raised to honour, [3] for they will be transformed to be like his own glorious body. [4]

The 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith

Chapter 32: The Last Judgement

32.1 God has appointed a day when he will judge the world in righteousness by Jesus Christ, to whom the Father has given all power and judgment. [1] On that day, not only the apostate angels will be judged, [2] but also all people who have lived on the earth. They will appear before Christ's judgement throne [3] to give an account of their thoughts, words, and deeds, and to receive [judgement] according to what they have done in the body, whether good or evil. [4]

32.2 God's purpose in appointing this day is to show forth the glory of his mercy in the eternal salvation of the elect, and his justice in the eternal damnation of the reprobate who are wicked and disobedient. [1] Then the righteous will inherit eternal life and receive fullness of joy and glory with eternal reward in the presence of the Lord. But the wicked, who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of Jesus Christ, will be banished to eternal torment, and be punished with eternal destruction, shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power. [2]

32.3 Christ wants us to be firmly persuaded that there will be a day of judgement, both to deter everyone from sin, [1] and to give greater comfort to the godly in their adversity. [2] But he has kept the date a secret, so that people may shake off all self-confidence and always be watchful, because they know not at what hour the Lord will come. [3] So they should always be prepared to say, 'Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!' [4] Amen.