THE NATURE OF ORIGINAL SIN

ROMANS 5:12–14

Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned

(Romans 5:12).

This is a crucial passage for Christian theology, and a difficult one, because it deals with the troublesome question of original sin. What do we mean by original sin?

Original Sin Is Not the Sin of Adam

A widespread misconception about original sin is that the term itself refers to the transgression that was committed by Adam and Eve, that is, the first sin. But that is not the case. Rather, original sin refers to the result of the first sin, not the first sin itself.

Original sin has to do with man’s sin-nature. The Bible tells us that we have a fallen, corrupt nature. We not only suffer from sins, we are also pervaded by sin. Jesus put it this way: A good tree brings forth good fruit, while a bad tree brings forth corrupt fruit (Matthew 7:17). We are not sinful because we sin, but we sin because we are sinful. Actual sins flow out of our sinful nature, a heart that is out of synch with God.

Original Sin Is Punishment for Adam’s Sin

Adam was not created with original sin. Adam was created with no disposition toward evil, but in some mysterious way, Adam himself committed a sin. The punishment for that sin included God’s giving Adam and his posterity over to sin. It is as if God said, “So you want to sin? All right, then, be a sinner.” In short, sin is its own punishment, and God allowed Adam to deteriorate into a fallen nature.

Jesus, however, took upon Himself not only the punishment due our sins, but also the punishment due for our sin-natures—our original sin. He died for the corruption at the very heart of our being.

CORAM DEO

It is important that we as Christians confess sin, not just our sins. When we confess sin, our confession is not based on a complete awareness of our evil, but is a confession that God’s Word is true regarding the depravity of our hearts. How regularly and specifically do you confess your sins to God? The Lord’s Prayer suggests that even as we thank Him for our daily bread so we ought to likewise acknowledge our sin.

For further study: John 8:31–47; 1 Timothy 3:1–16

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