Are Humans Guilty of Original Sin?

Summary

Summary prepared by Acts 2:38 Life from the transcript below — the preacher’s words follow in full.

The question — and the answer: nature yes, guilt no

• The question posed (in the host's frame): some Christian groups teach a doctrine known as original sin. The doctrine of original sin holds that humans are sinful from the moment of conception. So, one of the verses that's often cited to back this claim up is the psalm verse the host reads at the top — the one about sin from birth (its designation stands in the host layer and is priced in this record's refs note). It's also been frequently pointed out that nobody has to teach a child to sin — we just naturally sin, it seems like from the birth. It feels like nobody has to teach a child to lie; nobody has to teach a child to be selfish; they just naturally pick these things up on their own. Is the doctrine of original sin, then, biblical? And how does it impact Christian practices like baptism? His answer: the doctrine of original sin means different things to different people. So I would say: yes, we inherit a sinful nature, going all the way back to Adam and Eve. But no, we're not held accountable for specific sins that we did not commit. So we're not going to be judged and sent to hell because of the sin of Adam and Eve. Now, I'll give you Scripture for this — but let me flesh out the implications. So I do believe that every one of us has a sinful nature. So therefore — and there's no question — the Bible says repeatedly, Romans 3:23, but also passages of the Old Testament: all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. There's no human being who has not sinned. So this would account for our proclivity to sin, from childhood.
• So I don't think that we're held — we're not going to be sent to hell because of a sinful nature. But we are going to be judged for sinful acts. Now, you might say: well, if I have a sinful nature, well then, how can I be held accountable? Well, there's something about it, though: we do have a will. And even though our will has been distorted by sin, it hasn't been destroyed. And moreover, through the grace of God, our will can be restored, so that we can choose what is right. And when we receive the Holy Ghost — God's Spirit — we have power to overcome the sinful nature. So it's no excuse to say: well, I was born in sin; I can't help it. That's true, to a point — but God's grace has an answer. Now, it may offend our sense of justice: well, how would God let me inherit a sinful nature? But all I can say is that, in Scripture, families are seen in solidarity; families are seen as — and the human race is seen in solidarity. If you think it's unfair and unjust, well, God has a solution that's equally, quote, unfair. But I do think, you know: GK Chesterton, who was a British philosopher and theologian, said: the one doctrine of the Bible that can be empirically proven is that all have sinned. So we can actually prove that; everything else you have to accept by faith — but you don't have to accept that by faith. And I think it's true: every human being — even if you don't believe in the Bible, or don't know the Bible — every human being has sinned against their own conscience. In other words, every human being has done something that they believed themselves, and knew themselves, to be wrong — and they did it anyway. So that's a practical fact. Now, as you said: children need to be taught how to cooperate, and how to play fair, and how to be patient, how to be loving, how to be kind. You don't have to teach them to be selfish, to be full of pride, to lie, to steal. It seems to come, quote, naturally.
• So regardless of how you describe that — you know, another thing about GK Chesterton, which is very interesting: I think it was the London Times — they wanted to do a prize, and so they advertised: write an article on what is wrong with the world, and whoever had the best essay on what is wrong with the world gets the prize. Well, GK Chesterton won the prize. He just said something — I may not get it exactly right — was something like this: 'Dear sir: I am. Sincerely yours, GK Chesterton' (the delivered text garbles the retelling). And so, of course, on the surface it's just a greeting — but it's actually the answer: what's wrong with the world? I am. Every human being is the problem; every human being is sin. Alexander Solan niton (as the name is heard), the famous Russian dissident, he said: you know, it's not easy — you could say, well, some people are good, some people are evil; so, you know, the Communists are evil, you know, the West is good. But he said it's not so simple, because the line between good and evil is drawn through every human heart. There's good and evil in every human being. Well, I think that's empirically true — but I think it's biblically true as well.

Scriptures: Romans 3:23

Romans 3:9 — not just sinned, but under sin

• So let me give you a Scripture: Romans chapter 3, talking about Jews and Gentiles — New King James, Romans 3:9: what then? Are we (Jews) better than they (the Gentiles)? Not at all. For we have previously charged both Jews and Greeks, that they are all under sin. So it's a little different, saying 'all have sinned': they're all under sin; they're all dominated, or controlled, by sin.

Scriptures: Romans 3:9

Romans 5 — nature first, then act; and the strict view refused

• And then, if you go to Romans chapter 5, in verse 14 — well, let's go back to verse 12 (the fused token reads '512'): therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world — and he's speaking of Adam. Which, by the way: even though Eve sinned first, I think God was looking at Adam and Eve in solidarity, and looking at Adam as the leader. And so he didn't really place the primary responsibility on Eve, but on Adam — leading you to wonder: if Eve had sinned but Adam had refused, would the human race — could it have been somehow redeemed from sin? Would that sin have just been isolated to Eve, and maybe she could have repented? But since they entered in solidarity, and since Adam was seen as the leader, then it's really his fault; he takes the responsibility. Just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned. So notice: the sinful nature comes first, then the sinful act. So it's not just that all have sinned — it's that all have inherited this nature. For until the law, sin was in the world — but sin is not imputed; it's not reckoned to you, when there is no law. And so that's why I would say: even though we have a nature of sin, until we commit acts that we know are wrong, then we're not held personally accountable — or at least, until we commit acts that have been, under God's law, identified as wrong. So I don't think, as a matter of justice, God is not going to hold a person accountable for their nature. He's going to hold them accountable for their acts: what they knew, or should have known, and what they did, or did not do — not because of their birth.
• Now, people that believe in the strict original sin — like Augustine taught, they will say, and like the Catholic Church teaches — that children inherit not only the nature, but also the guilt of Adam and Eve. And so therefore, if a child is not baptized, they're not saved. Now, the logical implication is: that baby that dies goes to hell. But the Catholic Church has moderated this by a later tradition of a place called Limbo, where there is neither pleasure nor pain. And so, while the unbaptized infant who dies can't go to heaven, can't be saved, they go to this neutral zone. Technically they're lost, but it's a place where they don't experience anything. But that's their consequence of original sin. I don't believe that. I believe, somehow, that until there is this age of — maybe we consider it so the child knows — an age of accountability, then God has some plan for children who die. And no, they're not lost; they do not go to the lake of fire. But the grace of God, through the blood of Jesus Christ, has a provision for children below that age of accountability. They're not going to be held guilty of Adam and Eve's sin, or held guilty for their own nature. But the fact that they do have the nature is still true — so they need to still be saved, by the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. So verse 14: nevertheless, death reigned from Adam (heard as 'added') to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of him who was to come. So even if they didn't sin like Adam did, they still sin. But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by one man's offense many died, much more the grace of God, and the gift by the grace of one man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many. So if you feel like it's not fair that you are born into sin, because of something you didn't do — well, all I can say is: well, God has more than matched that, with not only equal, but surpassing unfairness — because Jesus Christ died for you, and now his righteousness can be put in your account. And actually, it's much more: because everything we lost from Adam and Eve, we gain much more in Christ. So, because of Adam and Eve's sin, we lost the Garden of Eden; we lost that fellowship with God. But God is not just going to restore us to mortal life on planet Earth: he actually fills us with the Holy Spirit, which is more than Adam and Eve had. And he's going to transform us to a glorified body, which is more than Adam and Eve had. And he's going to give us eternal life with him, which is more than Adam and Eve had. So if you think it's unfair that we suffer because of what Adam and Eve did — well, it's even more unfair, to our advantage, that we have the promise of eternal life through Jesus Christ. So whatever questions we have about God's justice and fairness is overwhelmed by God's grace and mercy. But the fact that we do have sin is clearly true.

Scriptures: Romans 5:12; Romans 5:14

Romans 7:14 — the law of sin that dominates

• One more passage, in Romans 7:14: for we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. So again, more than just: I've committed wrong acts. So some people believe that, okay, every child is born neutral, innocent — and theoretically, if they never committed a sinful act, they would be saved. But that's not the case. What it's saying is: we're born in sin. And Paul goes on to explain — now, he's talking as a Christian, but he's not talking about the victorious Christian life; he's talking about a person before their conversion, or even after their conversion if they depend on the flesh. And he goes on to explain: there's a law in my members; it's a law of sin that dominates me. I'm carnal, sold under sin (the delivered text once hears 'Soul under sin'). So even though I want to do right, many times I do wrong. Even though I know it's wrong, I do it anyway. It's like I'm compelled; it's like sin in me, controlling me. And then he goes on to say: but there's another law, the law of my mind, that knows what's right. So he's saying: even a sinner can know and desire good things, and can make some good choices. But in the end, he keeps losing the battle, because sin is stronger. So he says: there's also the law of God, which is good, which tells me what's right — but it doesn't give me power over sin. So Paul describes the human dilemma: there's a law of sin which dominates me, that — even though there's a law of God which tells me to do right, and even though I have a conscience, and a law of my mind, which can know and choose right — yet when I battle the law of sin, sin wins out. So that's why a sinner can be a good moral person, in many ways; an atheist can be a good moral person, in many ways. But in the end, nobody can overcome sin. Now, some people think that's just the normal Christian life; that's the end of the matter. But it's not.

Scriptures: Romans 7:14

Romans 8:2 and Galatians 5 — power over the law of sin

• Because, if you read all the way through chapter 8, verse 2: the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. And so the solution, ultimately, is: when you're filled with the Spirit, now, in this life, you have power over the law of sin. And then one day we'll be glorified, and the nature of sin will completely be eliminated — and we'll live in eternity with no temptation, no sin, no sinful nature; we'll simply have a glorified human body, and a righteous nature, like that of the Lord Jesus Christ. But in this life, we still battle. And so we have the law of sin, which is still in us — but we have the law of the Spirit, which gives us power over the law of sin. And that explains the Christian life. Galatians 5 explains: there's this struggle; there's this constant struggle of the lust of the flesh versus the lust of the Spirit. But it's an unequal struggle — for the Spirit gives us power over the law of sin.
• So the practical implication is: everyone needs to be saved; no one can be saved without Jesus Christ. And the second practical implication is that no one can live a holy life in their own flesh: we need the power of the Holy Spirit. So we cannot be saved, or justified, in our own sinful flesh — we need Jesus Christ. And we cannot be sanctified, or made holy, by our own flesh: we must have, again, Jesus Christ, in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Scriptures: Romans 8:2; Galatians 5

Scripture index: Romans 3:23; Romans 3:9; Romans 5:12; Romans 5:14; Romans 7:14; Romans 8:2; Galatians 5.