Children are a blessing from the Lord.  When a child is born there is great joy because the Lord has now entrusted new parents with someone pure and innocent. A young child does not worry about the ways of evil like so many adults do.  An infant certainly cannot express much to the world except hunger, tiredness, and discomfort. Nevertheless many in the realm of religion place guilt even on innocent children. Occasionally someone will try to make the point that infants are born in sin by going to Ephesians 2:3. For Ephesians 2:3, uses the phrase, “by nature, children of wrath, even as the rest”.

But in context it states: those who fulfilled the desires of the flesh and mind were children of wrath.  For the passage says, “you once walked according to the course of this world...vs 3...among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of the flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath.”

Therefore the Ephesians “adults” were called children of wrath by an act of choosing to do something sinful. So one can see this Ephesian passage is clearly not talking about people being born in sin.  We are innocent when we come into the world.  Choosing to do something sinful is always a choice.

Another passage that some use to say little babies are born in sin is Psalm 51:5.  This Psalm says, “behold I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me. Behold you desire truth in the  parts, and in the hidden you will make me to know wisdom. This passage does not say children are sinful though.

For the passage states sin was committed before David existed. It relates in context to his mother, and not him. Grammatically, whoever the sin refers to, puts the burden of sin on the parents of David,and not on David himself, for it says, “in sin did my mother conceive me”.

We know David was the son of Jesse, but aside from that, we do not know much more. The context could also imply he was brought forth into a world of iniquity and when He was born he was brought forth into a “sin corrupted” world to which His mother brought Him forth.  But no where in the text does it say,“the moment David was born, he was a sinful infant”. Why, not? David was born pure and only fell out of favor when he was led astray by his own sins as a person of maturity.

There is really an ideal plan for freedom from sin. One must begin to mature. Once one begins to mature, he or she must decide if  he or she has engaged in sinful behavior. If sin is there, a person must have a broken spirit and a contrite heart. Then a person, according to Jesus’ teaching in Mark 16:16, must through the waters of baptism, be born again, to gain salvation, from the sins that are committed. In all the texts of the New testament about salvation, people are being saved, once they are old enough to repent of sins.

That’s the ideal plan for freedom: acknowledging sin, accepting guilt, and then become saved by putting ones allegiance to the Lord through the waters of baptism.

King David has a son that became ill, and died in his youth. (2 Samuel 12:15).  This was the son that was born through an adulterous relationship with Uriah’s wife Bathsheba.  David knew he’d made some mistakes, and the sickness of his newborn son was not helping him feel any better. Yet, David could find positive comfort  once His very son died. How might one find an inkling of joy in a circumstance like that?! It was because he knew when His son was born he was born innocent. in 2 Samuel 12:23 king David said about his very child, “I shall go to him, but He will not return to me”  He did not believe His child was born with a nature that as soon as he was born sent him to a state of doom.  Rather with confidence he implies, “when I die I will go and be with him, in paradise.”

In many ways, this is the ideal plan for freedom from sin.  Once he was confronted by Nathan the prophet, and truly had a broken spirit and a contrite heart, (Psalm 51) David turned his life to righteousness (2 Samuel 12:13). He began to see how by his repentance from sin, the Lord would save him and grant him a place in heaven one day (2 Samuel 12:23). Even though his illegitimate son would die, he knew he’d one day see his innocent son. So it is with us if we are truly converted the Biblical way and become like a little child.  For if we are pure and innocent in heart we can be saved from our sins. So when faced with those who state a person is born in sin, let’s direct those who teach this to the passages like 2 Samuel 12. For in that passage David is clearly affirming the biblical truth that children are not brought into this world in a condition bound for hell. Be comforted today. For if your child is has passed away today, or if they are sick, or if they are well: know confidently that if they are an infant they are certainly innocent of sin. By: J.R. Rosado