The term original sin refers to Adam’s sin of disobedience in eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and its effects upon the rest of the human race. Original sin can be defined as the moral corruption we possess as a consequence of Adam’s sin, resulting in a sinful disposition that manifests itself in habitual sinful behavior. The doctrine of original sin focuses particularly on its effect on our internal nature and our standing before God.
The Bible teaches that we are all born sinners with sinful, selfish natures. Unless we are born again by the Spirit of God, we will never see the kingdom of God (John 3:3). Humanity is deeply affected by sin, meaning every part of us is touched by our fallen nature (Isaiah 53:6, Romans 7:14). The question is, where did that sinful nature come from? Were we born sinners, or did we simply choose to become sinners sometime after birth?
According to Scripture, we are born with a sinful nature, inherited from Adam. “Sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people” (Romans 5:12). Every one of us is affected by Adam’s sin. “One trespass resulted in condemnation for all people” (Romans 5:18). We are all sinners, and we all share the same condition, because we are all children of Adam.
Even children show evidence of a sin nature. “Folly is bound up in the heart of a child” (Proverbs 22:15). David declared, “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me” (Psalm 51:5). And again, “Even from birth the wicked go astray, from the womb they are wayward, spreading lies” (Psalm 58:3).
Before coming to faith in Christ, “we were by nature deserving of wrath” (Ephesians 2:3). That wrath was not merely due to our actions, but also to our fallen nature. Because of this, we are unable to please God in our natural state. “Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God” (Romans 8:8). We were spiritually dead before Christ raised us to life (Ephesians 2:1). We lack any inherent spiritual goodness that would commend us to God.
No one has to teach a child to lie, yet we labor to teach children to tell the truth. Even toddlers demonstrate selfish behavior, driven by the sense that everything is “mine.” Sinful behavior comes naturally to us because we are born with a sinful nature.
Because of this condition, we must experience a second birth, a spiritual rebirth. We are born once into Adam’s family and thus inherit a sinful nature. But when we are born again, we are born into God’s family and are given the nature of Christ. As John 1:12–13 says, “To all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.”
Original sin means we cannot please God on our own. No matter how many good deeds we do, we still sin, and we still carry a fallen nature. That is why we must have Christ, and why we must be born again (John 3:3). The solution to our inward corruption and sinful habits comes through God’s work in us, by the Holy Spirit, who purifies and sanctifies those who believe.
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