Thoughts on the
Second London Baptist Confession
Chapter 6: Of The Fall of Man, of Sin, and of the Punishment Thereof
By Brian Pendleton
“But I fear that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness,
your minds will be corrupted from the simplicity
and purity of devotion to Christ.”
— 2 Corinthians 11:3 (LSB)
Chapter six begins with reminding us how God created man, before the writer speaks of man’s fall and its impact upon the human race. God created man “upright and perfect,” and gave him a “righteous law”, a positive precept to not eat of the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil”. Adam’s obedience equaled life; disobedience equaled death. In the later half of paragraph one, the particular description of the Fall is laid out. First we are given the occasion of the Fall, “Satan using the subtlety of the serpent to subdue Eve, then by her seducing Adam...” Secondly we are given the manner of the Fall. It is our tendency to blame others for our sin, but our first parents sinned “without any compulsion”. They sinned freely and were not compelled by circumstances. Thirdly we are given the substance of the Fall. They ate from the tree which God commanded them not to, “so she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.” (Genesis 3:6). Fourthly we are given the permission of the Fall. The fall of man did not happen outside of God’s control. It didn’t take God by surprise. He permitted the Fall “according to His wise and holy counsel” and ordered it to His glory.
Adam was a public figure. He was our representative by virtue of the Covenant God made with him. Sometimes theologians will speak about Adam as our Federal Head. “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin. . ." (Romans 5:12). The truth of Adam as our representative used to be taught in the colonies through the New England Primer: “In Adam’s Fall We Sinned All”. When our first parents sinned, the impact of their actions went beyond the personal punishment they received. Their actions plunged all of us into sin. Because of the Fall, sin has now been imputed to us and its corrupt nature conveyed. This is original sin. Thornwell speaks about original sin as, “The phrase includes both the imputation of the guilt of Adam's first sin, and the inherent depravity which is consequent upon it.” We are now born in sin, born as children of wrath, and born as servants of sin. We are subject to death and all other miseries.
There is an important phrase in paragraph three: “ordinary generation” Here is the context: “. . .the guilt of the sin was imputed, and corrupted nature conveyed, to all their posterity descending from them by ordinary generation. . .” By using this phrase who would be excluded? Who is the one person we know who wasn’t born by ordinary generation? Jesus! “But Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God.” (Luke 1:34–35).
From original sin proceeds actual sin. One is not only born in sin, he (or she) does actually sin. Their sinful acts come from a corrupt nature: “But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is fully matured, it brings forth death.” (James 1:14-15). For the one who is in Christ, while they are no longer enslaved to sin, the corruptions of sin remains, “but I see a different law in my members, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a captive to the law of sin which is in my members.” (Romans 7:23). Remember: sin has no dominion over the godly, instead the godly battle with sin. Sin has no dominion when there is a union with Christ. This union, among other things, brings forth internal opposition and hatred towards all that is sin (by virtue of its very nature) whether it be great or small, “I hate every false way.” (Psalm 119:128b). And this union results in a delight, a love for, and a desire to do whatever pleases the Lord. “O how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day.”(Psalm 119:97).