Post by Jesse Morrell on Jan 12, 2010 0:25:13 GMT -5
Do children inherit the the moral character of their parent? Is sin or righteousness transmittable?
Moral Character Is Not Hereditary
Some have taught that when Adam sinned, our human constitution became sinful and we have all inherited this sinful constitution through natural generation. The problem with this is that your constitution does not become “sinful” because you choose to sin. Neither does your constitution become “righteous” when you choose righteousness. Your constitution stays the same even when your choices change. It is your moral character, not your constitution, which changes as often as your choices change.
There are no moral qualities in our constitution itself, since it is completely involuntary and beyond the scope of the legislation of God’s law. There are only moral qualities in our choices, since they are determined by us and are under the legislation of God’s law. No being is holy or sinful by mere passive existence. Rather, all moral beings are holy or sinful by active choice. Sinfulness and holiness are moral attributes or moral qualities and therefore they must be voluntary. Sinfulness and holiness are descriptions of a person’s moral character and therefore must be caused by their will. No being is holy or sinful independent of their will. While your constitution is beyond the scope or limitation of your will power, your character is not. We do not choose what constitution we have, but we do choose what moral choices we make.
While your constitution is hereditary, your character is not. We are told that Job was a perfect man (Job 1:8) but his children were not (Job 1:5). Cain and Abel were both children of Adam but one was righteous and one was unrighteous (Matt. 23:35; Heb. 11:4; 1 Jn. 3:12). We are told that Cain’s “own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous” (1 Jn. 3:12). Moral character is not the result of heredity but personal choice. Sinful parents do not give birth to sinful children anymore than righteous parents give birth to righteous children. While children may imitate the moral character of their parents, children do not inherit the moral character of their parents.
The story of Amon illustrates that a son can imitate the evil moral character of their parent. Amon “did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, as his father Manasseh did” (2 Kings 21:20). The story of Jehoshaphat illustrates how a son can imitate the good moral character of their parent, as he “walked in the way of Asa his father, and departed not from it, doing that which was right in the sight of the Lord” (2 Chron. 20:31-32). We see other examples of moral imitation as well. “Nadab…. Did evil in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the way of his father” (1 Kings 15:25-26). “Ahaziah…. did evil in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the way of his father, and in the way of his mother…” (1 Kings 22:51-52). “Amon…. Did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, as his father Manasseh did. And walked in all the way that his father walked in, and served the idols that his father served, and worshipped them…” (2 Kings 21:19-21). But moral character is not determined by ancestry. We are told that “Ahaz…. did not that which was right in the sight of the Lord, like David his father” (2 Chron. 28:1). Moral character is not transmitted from parent to child, which is shown by “Solomon” who “did evil in the sight of the Lord, and went not fully after the Lord, as did David his father” (1 Kings 11:6). There were righteous kings who had sons who did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and there were evil kings who had sons who did what was right in the sight of the Lord. This shows that your moral character is not determined by the moral character of your parents, or by the nature that you inherit from them, but by your own personal use of your free will. Each person determines for themselves what their moral character will be. Jed Smock said, “A good or bad character is acquired, not innate.” Jed Smock (Article called Moral Character on Library of Theology.com)
Your moral character is either sinful or holy. Sinfulness and holiness is a state of the will and therefore is not hereditary and cannot be. Your inherited nature cannot be sinful or holy because your nature is not your choice. Your inherited nature cannot have any moral character and you cannot be responsible and accountable for it because it is not determined by your will. The nature that you inherit is within God’s control, not your own. Your moral character however is entirely within your own control because it is determined by your will. The reason that each individual is responsible and accountable for their moral character is because each individual is the author of their moral character.
Moral Character Is Not Hereditary
Some have taught that when Adam sinned, our human constitution became sinful and we have all inherited this sinful constitution through natural generation. The problem with this is that your constitution does not become “sinful” because you choose to sin. Neither does your constitution become “righteous” when you choose righteousness. Your constitution stays the same even when your choices change. It is your moral character, not your constitution, which changes as often as your choices change.
There are no moral qualities in our constitution itself, since it is completely involuntary and beyond the scope of the legislation of God’s law. There are only moral qualities in our choices, since they are determined by us and are under the legislation of God’s law. No being is holy or sinful by mere passive existence. Rather, all moral beings are holy or sinful by active choice. Sinfulness and holiness are moral attributes or moral qualities and therefore they must be voluntary. Sinfulness and holiness are descriptions of a person’s moral character and therefore must be caused by their will. No being is holy or sinful independent of their will. While your constitution is beyond the scope or limitation of your will power, your character is not. We do not choose what constitution we have, but we do choose what moral choices we make.
While your constitution is hereditary, your character is not. We are told that Job was a perfect man (Job 1:8) but his children were not (Job 1:5). Cain and Abel were both children of Adam but one was righteous and one was unrighteous (Matt. 23:35; Heb. 11:4; 1 Jn. 3:12). We are told that Cain’s “own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous” (1 Jn. 3:12). Moral character is not the result of heredity but personal choice. Sinful parents do not give birth to sinful children anymore than righteous parents give birth to righteous children. While children may imitate the moral character of their parents, children do not inherit the moral character of their parents.
The story of Amon illustrates that a son can imitate the evil moral character of their parent. Amon “did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, as his father Manasseh did” (2 Kings 21:20). The story of Jehoshaphat illustrates how a son can imitate the good moral character of their parent, as he “walked in the way of Asa his father, and departed not from it, doing that which was right in the sight of the Lord” (2 Chron. 20:31-32). We see other examples of moral imitation as well. “Nadab…. Did evil in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the way of his father” (1 Kings 15:25-26). “Ahaziah…. did evil in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the way of his father, and in the way of his mother…” (1 Kings 22:51-52). “Amon…. Did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, as his father Manasseh did. And walked in all the way that his father walked in, and served the idols that his father served, and worshipped them…” (2 Kings 21:19-21). But moral character is not determined by ancestry. We are told that “Ahaz…. did not that which was right in the sight of the Lord, like David his father” (2 Chron. 28:1). Moral character is not transmitted from parent to child, which is shown by “Solomon” who “did evil in the sight of the Lord, and went not fully after the Lord, as did David his father” (1 Kings 11:6). There were righteous kings who had sons who did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and there were evil kings who had sons who did what was right in the sight of the Lord. This shows that your moral character is not determined by the moral character of your parents, or by the nature that you inherit from them, but by your own personal use of your free will. Each person determines for themselves what their moral character will be. Jed Smock said, “A good or bad character is acquired, not innate.” Jed Smock (Article called Moral Character on Library of Theology.com)
Your moral character is either sinful or holy. Sinfulness and holiness is a state of the will and therefore is not hereditary and cannot be. Your inherited nature cannot be sinful or holy because your nature is not your choice. Your inherited nature cannot have any moral character and you cannot be responsible and accountable for it because it is not determined by your will. The nature that you inherit is within God’s control, not your own. Your moral character however is entirely within your own control because it is determined by your will. The reason that each individual is responsible and accountable for their moral character is because each individual is the author of their moral character.