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Final Thoughts from Charles Hodge











"Original sin is the only rational solution of the undeniable fact of the deep, universal and early manifested sinfulness of men in all ages, of every class, and in every part of the world."
Many people think this concept is a Roman Catholic “thing”, but actually this doctrine is a biblical “thing”.

Here are some key passages:

Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned-

1 Corinthians 15:22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.

Psalm 51:5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.

Ephesians 2:3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

These verses made it clear that every human inherits not only the sin of Adam, but the guilt that comes with it. This fact, though mysterious (regarding the means of transmission), is nevertheless truth and the denial of it opens the door for a “salvation by works” or at least a “salvation by grace plus works”.

For Hodge, this truth helped explain why evil exists and naturally, exalted the necessity for Jesus Christ, the only hope for every human, no matter where they are or who they are.

"The Church is everywhere represented as one. It is one body, one family, one fold, one kingdom. It is one because pervaded by one Spirit. We are all baptized into one Spirit so as to become, says the apostle, one body."
As I wrote in a previous blog post, Hodge loved being a Presbyterian, but he loved being a Christian more. This quote reflects God’s desire (and Hodge’s) for a unified, Spirit-indwelt and Spirit-filled universal church. The reality of being “one body” begins and ends with what we believe


Please understand I am not speaking solely about the adherence to the orthodox doctrines of Christianity, but more fully to the adherence to an unadjusted gospel and the subsequent proclamation of that gospel, which can and should blur denominational boundaries.

"The ultimate ground of faith and knowledge is confidence in God."
I am begging you to not miss the implications of the word confidence in this quote. Now would the above quote be theologically correct without the word confidence? Absolutely. But the inclusion and placement of the word forces the reader to ask the simple question, “Do I really place my trust in this truth?”

See, if the reader is being honest and this quote is true, then mere assent is not enough. And if assent is all that depraved humanity can accomplish without the help of God, it is more damming than healing.

Oh, how we need our eyes opened to accept this wonderful, but often offensive truth, which is this: We are helpless and deserve eternal separation from God because of our inherited sin and willful rebellion against God. This is why we must repent and believe that Jesus is the only answer to our hopeless problem.

It is in that state where salvation is found, where the gift of faith opens our eyes to the beauty of God and it is where (through the Holy Spirit) we finally see what God created us for, which is to eternally worship Him, as those whom He created to be the pinnacle of His magnificent creation.  

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