C ONFESIÓN DE FE DE W ESTMINSTER

CAPÍTULO VI
De la caída del hombre, del pecado y de su castigo

I. Nuestros primeros padres, siendo seducidos por la astucia y tentación de Satanás, pecaron, al comer del fruto prohibido.[1]     Dios se complació en permitir este pecado de ellos, de acuerdo con su sabio y santo consejo, teniendo el propósito de ordenarlo para su propia gloria.[2]

[1] Génesis 3:13. Y Jehová Dios dijo a la mujer: ¿Qué es esto que has hecho? Y la mujer dijo: La serpiente me engañó, y comí. 2 Corintios 11:3. Pero temo que, como la serpiente con su astucia engañó a Eva, vuestros sentidos sean de alguna manera extraviados de la sinceridad que es en Cristo.

[2] Romanos 11:32. Porque Dios los ha concluido a todos en incredulidad, para tener misericordia de todos.

II. Por este pecado cayeron de su justicia original y comunión con Dios,[3]     y así quedó muerto en el pecado,[4]     y totalmente contaminado en todas las partes y facultades del alma y del cuerpo.[5]

[3] Génesis 3:6-8. Y viendo la mujer que el árbol era bueno para comer, y que era agradable a los ojos, y árbol codiciado para alcanzar la sabiduría, tomó de su fruto, y comió, y dio también a su marido con ella; y él comió. Y los ojos de ambos fueron abiertos, y conocieron que estaban desnudos; y cosieron hojas de higuera, y se hicieron delantales. Y oyeron la voz de Jehová Dios que andaba en el jardín al aire del día: y Adán y su mujer se escondieron de la presencia de Jehová Dios entre los árboles del jardín. Eclesiastés 7:29. He aquí, sólo esto he hallado, que Dios ha hecho al hombre recto; pero han buscado muchos inventos. Romanos 3:23.Por cuanto todos pecaron, y están destituidos de la gloria de Dios.

[4] Génesis 2:17. Mas del árbol de la ciencia del bien y del mal no comerás, porque el día que de él comieres, ciertamente morirás. Efesios 2:1. Y os dio vida a vosotros, que estabais muertos en vuestros delitos y pecados.

[5] Tito 1:15. Para los puros todas las cosas son puras: mas para los corrompidos e incrédulos nada es puro; pero incluso su mente y su conciencia están contaminadas. Génesis 6:5. Y vio Dios que la maldad de los hombres era mucha en la tierra, y que todo designio de los pensamientos del corazón de ellos era de continuo solamente el mal. Jeremías 17:9. Engañoso es el corazón sobre todas las cosas, y desesperadamente perverso: ¿quién podrá saberlo? Romanos 3:10-18.Como está escrito: No hay justo, ni aun uno; No hay quien entienda, No hay quien busque a Dios. Todos se han desviado, a una se han vuelto inútiles; no hay quien haga el bien, ni aun uno. Sepulcro abierto es su garganta; con su lengua han usado engaño; veneno de áspides hay debajo de sus labios, cuya boca está llena de maldición y de amargura, sus pies se apresuran para derramar sangre, destrucción y miseria hay en sus caminos, y camino de paz no conocieron, no hay temor de Dios. ante sus ojos.

tercero Siendo ellos la raíz de toda la humanidad, la culpa de este pecado fue imputada;[6]     y la misma muerte en pecado, y naturaleza corrompida, transmitida a toda su posteridad descendiendo de ellos por generación ordinaria.[7]

[6] Genesis 1:27-28. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. Genesis 2:16-17. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. Acts 17:26. And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation. Romans 5:12, 15-19. Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.... But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification. For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. 1 Corinthians 15:21-22, 45, 49. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.... And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.... And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.

[7] Psalm 51:5. Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. Genesis 5:3. And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth. Job 14:4. Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one. Job 15:14. What is man, that he should be clean? and he which is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?

IV. From this original corruption, whereby we are utterly indisposed, disabled, and made opposite to all good,[8]    and wholly inclined to all evil,[9]    do proceed all actual transgressions.[10]

[8] Romans 5:6. For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. Romans 8:7. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. Romans 7:18. For I know that in me(that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. Colossians 1:21. And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled.

[9] Genesis 6:5. And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. Genesis 8:21. And the Lord smelled a sweet savour; and the Lord said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake; for the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done. Romans 3:10-12. As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

[10] James 1:14-15. But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. Ephesians 2:2-3. Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. Matthew 15:19. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.

V. This corruption of nature, during this life, doth remain in those that are regenerated;[11]    and although it be, through Christ, pardoned, and mortified; yet both itself, and all the motions thereof, are truly and properly sin.[12]

[11] 1 John 1:8, 10. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.... If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. Romans 7:14, 17-18, 23. For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.... Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me(that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.... But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. James 3:2. For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body. Proverbs 20:9. Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin? Ecclesiastes 7:20. For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.

[12] Romans 7:5, 7-8, 25. For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.... What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.... I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin. Galatians 5:17. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

VI. Every sin, both original and actual, being a transgression of the righteous law of God, and contrary thereunto,[13]    doth, in its own nature, bring guilt upon the sinner,[14]    whereby he is bound over to the wrath of God,[15]    and curse of the law,[16]    and so made subject to death,[17]    with all miseries spiritual,[18]    temporal,[19]    and eternal.[20]

[13] 1 John 3:4. Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.

[14] Romans 2:15. Which show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another. Romans 3:9, 19. What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin.... Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.

[15] Ephesians 2:3. Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

[16] Galatians 3:10. For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.

[17] Romans 6:23. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

[18] Ephesians 4:18. Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart.

[19] Romanos 8:20. Porque la criatura fue sujetada a vanidad, no voluntariamente, sino por causa de aquel que la sujetó en esperanza. Lamentaciones 3:39. ¿Por qué se queja el hombre que vive, el hombre por el castigo de sus pecados?

[20] Mateo 25:41. Entonces dirá también a los de la izquierda: Apartaos de mí, malditos, al fuego eterno preparado para el diablo y sus ángeles. 2 Tesalonicenses 1:9. los cuales serán castigados con eterna perdición por la presencia del Señor y por la gloria de su poder.


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