The Old Man Died (And He's Dead!): Sin and Christian Responsiblity (Responsibility for Sin)

“It’s all Adam’s fault!”OK. Then you have just condemned yourself to a Christless eternity!Reflect carefully on the statement just made.In an earlier volume on the doctrine of original sin: Condemned Already, we noted, that if Adam is to be blamed for our condemnation, then we have to address the reason for his condemnation. Adam was innocent until he sinned in regard to the prohibition of the Tree of Life. At that point he “died”. Spiritually he was cut-off and alienated from God and out of fellowship, and God immediately announced His already-prepared plan of rescue. The Son of the descendant of the woman (Eve)—the Lord Jesus Christ—would bruise the serpent’s head (the serpent who was the vehicle for Adam’s sin and fall through the temptation orchestrated by Satan):15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”Genesis 3:15. The situation for Adam is clear enough. He was innocent, and then became a sinner, by sinning. We can easily identify the CAUSATIVE sin that was responsible for his demise—his default in regard to the Tree of Life. But if Adam’s sin is the CAUSATIVE sin that constitutes me a sinner—and that is the majority view—then I am condemned to a Christless eternity, all because of Adam’s sin.Supposedly in solidarity with the human race, every man woman and child of all time is condemned—not on his own account—but because of Alien Guilt inherited from Adam.Adam’s sin is thus my sin. The tragedy is, if Adam’s sin IS CAUSATIVE for me (but I don’t believe that it is) and for my condemnation (Condemned Already), then the only way that I can reverse that situation is to address the CAUSATIVE sin. But it is not my sin! And I can’t repent of another person’s sin. I can’t repent of Adam’s sin. I can’t address the foundational issue. So I can’t address the cause of my condemnation, and therefore I can’t be saved!The seriousness of this situation seems to escape most theologians. Why? This is serious.This critical issue was the basis of that first volume, and was the central issue that was addressed, demonstrating that we are each personally CULPABLE and responsible to God for our sin—the CAUSATIVE sin that constituted EACH of us as a sinner. And hence we are condemned JUSTLY and PERSONALLY.All people of all time are individually responsible for their own sin and hence of their condemnation. That being the case, they can—indeed MUST—repent of their own sin in order to be saved.Thus God is just in His demands and fair in his expectations based upon the finished work of Christ.As far as the Christian is concerned, “The Old Man died, never to rise again”. The Old Man is dead!And yet I repeatedly hear people excusing themselves for their sin, because, “The Old Man affected me and compelled me”. Or more commonly, they use the term “the sin nature”. “I was influenced by my sin nature/old nature”. See extra discussion on the Natures in Chapter 2.It’s not my fault!! •As a non-Christian, we could blame Adam for making me a sinner. •Now as a Christian, who do I blame for my daily sins? We just don’t want to accept responsibility for our actions.The first volume addressed our culpability for our CAUSATIVE sin. The sin that constituted me a sinner in the first place.This volume addresses our culpability for our sin as a Christian. We need to start our search here at precisely this point, a careful exegesis of the biblical teaching concerning the Old Man.

BACKGROUND, TRAINING Rev Dr David A Swincer is an ordained Baptist Minister, having served almost 40 years in pastoral ministry, including 13 years as a seminary professor. Raised on a sheep farm in South Australia, David developed a strong sense of the practicalities of life, and this experience has been invaluable in his pastoral and lecturing experience. He originally trained as a secondary school teacher, specializing in mathematics and science. He acquired a B.A. degree and Secondary Teaching Diploma. He taught for 4 years full-time. The unmistakable call to Pastoral Ministry led to training in the New South Wales Baptist Theological Seminary, where he did post-graduate study, gaining a B.D. and Dip. R.E. After 8 years of Pastoral Ministry, he moved to the Seminary Position, specializing in New Testament – especially Greek exegesis. Circumstances meant that he also lectured widely in other areas, undertaking some lecturing in OT exegesis, Modern Church History, overview of theology, and a special emphasis in pastoral subjects (including writing several papers on associated topics, notably a Pre-marriage Counseling Course; Marriage Enrichment; Conflict resolution). He pursued strong personal interest in the nature and practice of worship. A pastor at heart, Dr Swincer loved to see the practical side of careful exegesis and theological education. During this time he undertook M.A. and Doctoral studies. His whole ministry has been marked by a willingness to think laterally, and to challenge common presuppositions, in the search for the truth. His books strongly challenge traditional positions that seem to be held unthinkingly. That will be a challenge to the reader! Dr Swincer served in pastoral ministry for nine years before moving into seminary education for 13 years. During the latter part of that time he simultaneously pastored a church before returning to the full-time pastoral ministry – an extra 18 years. In addition, there have been several interim pastorates. Coupled with research and study, he had the opportunity to travel and to undertake several preaching/teaching/evangelistic tours. All these opportunities have provided a rich and diverse background of experience that equips him for the balance of theological and practical writing which has always been simmering in the background.