2: A Theology of Sin

Introduction 

What stops humans from being conformed fully to the image of Christ?

One thing: our sin. 

To fully understand the biblical reality that all people will be images of the invisible God one day, it is first vital to have a biblical understanding of sin. What does the Bible say about sin? Many Christians believe that all people are corrupted by Adam’s sin simply by virtue of being born human, and therefore inherit a sinful, corrupt nature ultimately from Adam. This is called “original sin”. But is this true? Does the Bible ever say that? If humans are all created by God in God’s image, why would God create us with a sinful nature and then judge humanity for what we do, according to Augustine, Calvin, and many other theologians?  Would it be just of God to judge us based on what humans are hardwired to do “by nature”?

Before considering specific Scriptures concerning sin, it is also important to understand what the Bible says about how humans are created in God’s image. This will provide the foundation for considering human sin. 

For while all humans have sinned, they are nevertheless created in the image of God, fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:13-15). Humans have the capacity for great good as well as evil. Throughout the Bible, God expects people to choose what is right and holds us accountable when we do not. He would not expect something we are not capable of. People, including non-Christians, can and do choose the good.  David emphasizes this: 

“For you created my inmost being;

    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

    your works are wonderful,

    I know that full well.

15 My frame was not hidden from you

    when I was made in the secret place,

    when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.” (Psalm 139:13-15)

Therefore, Adam and Eve, and every person following the Fall has been created in God’s image, fearfully and wonderfully made, with the capacity to choose good - or evil. These foundational truths are necessary for having an accurate theology of human sin.

Note: this post is written with the understanding that reincarnation is biblical (see section 4 of this blog for my full biblical argument regarding reincarnation). 

What does the Bible say about sin?

Consider the following Scriptures: 

1) Romans 5:12 “Sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.” 

This is not saying that men die and sin because of Adam. This is saying that men all die because all men choose to sin. Every person is accountable for their own choices. No human is a robot hardwired to sin. Rather, humans are all created in God’s image. People can choose good or evil. 

2) 1 Kings 8:46, “They sin against thee, (for there is no man that sinneth not,) and thou be angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away captives unto the land of the enemy, far or near…” 

This does not mean humans are sinful by nature. This means that all men have chosen to sin instead of love God. It would be adding to the text to conclude that people are sinful by nature. Again, would it be just of God to create humans sinful by nature? How would humans be truly created in God’s image if they are sinful by nature from the moment of their beginning? Could this verse just be referring to the fact that all men sin as all humans are children of God and not yet mature and sinless? All children need to grow and mature to full adulthood. They are bound to make mistakes along the way. God knew Adam and Eve would fall, and He had a plan for their full restoration and redemption (as I discuss in section 4 of this blog, and in the remainder of this section, section 5).

3) Romans 3:23, “…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” 

According to this verse, all people have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. This is not proof of humans having sinful nature. This is proof that all people have chosen sin over loving God. This does not mean humans are hard wired to sin or have a natural inability to choose the good  - rather, they have chosen evil over good consistently. 

4) Psalm 58:3 “The wicked are estranged from the womb; they go astray from birth.” 

Why do the wicked go astray from birth? Psalm 58:3 phrases this as if some percentage of humanity are wicked, and some percentage are not. The wicked go astray from birth may imply reincarnation, as perhaps in a previous life “the wicked” became wicked, and so when born again into the world via reincarnation they go astray. This cannot mean God created people who are inherently wicked - people are not created corrupt; they become corrupt, as will be shown throughout this post. This verse is evidence of reincarnation. 

5) Romans 5:18 “Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men.” 

Adam’s sin led to condemnation for all men. Why? Is it because humans are sinful by nature? While I do not believe God created any humans sinful by nature (explained more fully in the next part of this post), humans do not live in a vacuum. Adam, as the father of the human race, impacted every person after him because of his sin. The word used in Romans is “led”. Adam “led”, as the leader of the human race, all men into sin given his bad example. Christ overcame sin and will “lead” men out.  In Christ, all men will be justified and given life. Everyone is impacted because of the fall; however, all people are still accountable for their own choices. Adam’s sin does not make other people sin. Every person is born with free will and the ability to choose good or evil regardless of Adam’s actions. 

6) 1 Corinthians 15:22 “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.” 

 These verses show that Adam’s and Christ’s actions in particular greatly impact the human race as Adam was the first human, and Jesus, I believe, was the reincarnation of Adam (see section 4 of my blog). Christ was uniquely able to rectify Adam’s sin and make a way for all to be made alive after his past sin as Adam resulted in death for all. I will repeat what I wrote in point 5: “Everyone is impacted because of the fall; however, all people are still accountable for their own choices. Adam’s sin does not make other people sin. Every person is born with free will and the ability to choose good or evil regardless of Adam’s actions.” These statements, I think, merit repeating given the prevalence of theology to the contrary. No person has anyone to blame but themselves for their own sin - not Adam.

Romans 5:12 is helpful to repeat here: “Sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.” All men die because all men choose sin, not because they are hardwired to sin because of Adam’s sin. Nevertheless, the Bible is clear that Adam’s sin had a great impact on all people after him. 

7) Romans 3:10-12 10 “As it is written:

‘None is righteous, no, not one;

11     no one understands;

    no one seeks for God.

12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;

    no one does good,

    not even one.’”

Something to think about: in Mark 10:18, Jesus says, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.” Romans 3:10-12 affirms this. If Jesus never sinned, how can all these verses be true?  Jesus only thinks God is, ultimately, good. If Jesus is not God, Jesus must be in the category of those who have sinned at some point. I explain this in section 4 of my blog, as I believe the Bible shows Jesus was sinless but had past lives as Adam and David. They both sinned. Again, to add onto Romans 3:10-12, Romans 3:23 says, “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” Jesus must have sinned (in a past life, as Jesus was sinless his whole life) and fallen short of the glory of God at some point if he is not God. Scripture is clear Jesus was not glorified till he went through his suffering and death.

Regarding understanding sin: these verses are not proof of a sin nature or original sin, rather, it states that everyone has chosen to sin. There is a difference. Humans do not lack the natural ability to not sin. All have chosen evil over the good. If humans lack the ability to not sin, how could God be just in punishing humanity for their sin?

8) Isaiah 64:6, “We have all become like one who is unclean,

    and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.

We all fade like a leaf,

    and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.” 

Notably, the state of uncleanness and our righteous deeds still being like a polluted garment is a state that humans have developed. Humans have “become” unclean. Humans were not always unclean. Other verses affirm this - humans are not born corrupt, we become corrupt because of our sin and turning away from God. Psalm 14:3, for example, says, “All have turned away, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.”   God did not make humanity unclean and sinful. How would that make sense? We are created in God’s image!  Further, the verse does not say “Adam became corrupt, so we are all corrupt.” The verse says “we have all become” [sinful]. It is because of personal, sinful choices that God justly judges each person, not because of any sin of our ancestors. 

9) Jeremiah 17:9 “The heart is deceitful above all things,

    and desperately sick;

    who can understand it?” 

Sin is compared to a sickness that makes our hearts deceitful above all things. Sin is something that deeply impacts our inmost being: our hearts. If sin is a sickness, how could we be created with it? Again, God did not create any human soul with a sinful nature. We become sinful and develop a corrupt nature because of our evil choices. God did not create us desperately sick. Of course, we are impacted by the choices of those around us, but we still are given free will by God to choose the evil or the good. 

10) John 3:3 “Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 

Humans, all who have “become corrupt” (Psalm 14:3),  need to literally be born again before we can see God’s kingdom. We need a new birth and a new life – not a small, band-aid fix. And how are Christians born again? By the power of the Holy Spirit, who gives new birth (John 3:3). This verse shows that while humans do not have the natural inability not to sin, they cannot will not to sin on their own - they need God’s help. They need the Spirit of God. By relying on God and choosing obedience, perhaps humans can become sinless. All things are possible with God.

11) Proverbs 22:15 “Folly is bound up in the heart of a child,

    but the rod of discipline drives it far from him.” 

Folly is not the same thing as sin. The rest of this paragraph is a summary of Chat GPT’s comparison of folly versus sin, which I found very helpful and consistent with what the Bible says: folly concerns a lack of wisdom and discernment. In contrast, sin is moral failure or wrongdoing where a moral law or command is violated. Sin is rebellion against God  and disobedience. Sin means there is some level of moral responsibility (though ignorance may be involved). Folly is a defect of understanding, and sin is a defect of the will or action. So, folly can lead to sin, and sin can cause folly to increase as sin clouds understanding, but folly can be morally neutral. Folly can lead someone to misjudge a situation because they do not understand it, while sin means you know something is wrong and choose to do it anyway. Folly is considered spiritual blindness, while sin is turning away from what is right. Wisdom is the cure for folly, while repentance is the cure for sin. So, someone can be foolish but not sin. Folly is about understanding, whereas sin is about the moral choices we make. The two overlap, but they are not identical. Folly is not always sin.

This verse is acknowledging what everyone knows: children lack wisdom and need to grow in wisdom. The rod of discipline drives them to become wise. Sin may be involved - or not. Discipline is not always a result of someone sinning. For example, children learn discipline in doing household chores, going to school and working hard, and participating  in sports. These disciplines could involve the child sinning, or not. But all these disciplines will involve a child growing in wisdom. 

12) Genesis 8:21, “And when the LORD smelled the pleasing aroma, the LORD said in his heart, ‘I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man's heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done.’” 

The intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth, according to God. Notably, the intentions of a man’s heart is not evil from the moment of his birth. Again, while God does not create any human corrupt, we are naturally very impacted by our environment and other people’s choices. Genesis 8 was written during the time of Noah, when the world was so evil that God sent a flood to destroy everyone but Noah’s family. In such an environment, it is not at all surprising that the intention of a man’s heart was evil from his youth at that time. However, this generalization did not pass to Noah and his family, as they were righteous and spared. Why is that, if not proof of their own personal choices before God to choose the good? This verse is not proof of original sin or a sin nature that corrupts everyone automatically, or how would Noah and his family have been righteous and justly spared by God? Doesn’t God creating every human with a sin nature contradict God’s justice in punishing us for our sin? This is discussed more later. 

13) Ecclesiastes 9:3 “…the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil, and insanity is in their hearts throughout their lives.” 

Truly, sin is like a sickness, infecting the human heart to the core. But why is that? Because God made us evil and insane? Or because we became evil and insane due to our own choices? Only one option lines up with God’s justice and the truth that humans are made in God’s image: it is our choices that make us evil, we are not automatically born that way. 

14) 1 Corinthians 15:45049, “Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46 But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual. 47 The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. 48 As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. 49 Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.” 

All people bear the image of Adam, but now because of Jesus all people will bear the image of the man of heaven. The human race is directly impacted by their oldest father, and this father’s overcoming in the person of Jesus (see section 4 of my blog), as Jesus was the reincarnation of Adam. Certainly, all humans are impacted by those around them - the sin of those around them and the righteousness of those around them. As humanity was impacted by Adam’s sin, so is humanity impacted by Jesus’ righteousness. 

This does not mean humans have a sinful nature. God does not create people to be sinful “by nature”. Instead, the Bible paints a picture of humanity being greatly impacted by the sin of our parents and ancestors. This does not mean humans naturally lack the capacity and ability to choose the good. We are not robots. Humans can choose the good. Overcoming sin is difficult to do, but it is not impossible. God’s help is needed, but God is ready to provide help to all who desire not to sin so that they will not. Consider 1 Corinthians 10:13, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” God is just. He would not judge humans for sin they can’t “help” but commit.

15)  Paul talks about how sin resides in our flesh. Romans 7:16-25 says, “Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. 17 So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. 18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.

21 So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. 22 For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, 23 but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.”

So, sin dwells within each of us, and even when we have the desire to do what is right, we struggle to carry it out. He affirms in verse 23 that the law of sin “dwells” in him. Sin is inside of him! Humans are obviously, according to Paul, corrupted by sin within, which is why humans need Christ and the Holy Spirit. Paul’s hope is found, per verse 25, in being delivered from his sin through Jesus Christ our Lord, who because of his sacrifice, death, and resurrection has made a way for people to have new birth and the gift of the Holy Spirit to fight this indwelling sin.

But did God create us with this indwelling sin? Scripture witnesses to humanity becoming corrupt, as some verses cited above witness to.  God did not create anyone with sin. But once “sick”, as sin is described as a sickness, humanity needs a cure. The gospel gives the cure: faith in Jesus, who lived a sinless life and gave himself for us, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, who will sanctify us and make us like Jesus.

Peter also talks about the indwelling sin within every person in 1 Peter 2:11, “Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.” All people have the passions of the flesh – sin – that wage war against us in all Christians’ fight to choose to do good, not evil. Paul speaks to this battle in Romans 12:1-2, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Christians need to be transformed by the renewal of our minds. Sin does not only impact our hearts (Jeremiah 17:9), it impacts our minds. Our minds need to be transformed too.

In summary, humans have sin because all have chosen sin over God’s way, and all humans have the opportunity to become sinless by following Jesus, the man who became sinless himself. By faith in Jesus, obedience to God in loving Him and our neighbor, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, every human can become like Christ, fully conformed to the image. 

So, humans are not sinful by nature. Sin is like a sickness. It is not how we were created. Sin is unnatural for humans, not natural. We were created to choose the good and be like God in His nature, which is the divine nature of love. We are by nature made in God’s image with free will and can choose good or evil. It is against human nature and the way God created us for humans to sin. So, the correct, Biblical way to describe sin is not that humans are sinful by nature but that humans have a virus called “sin” that they have because of their own evil choices. Humans need to be healed and return to their natural state, the way humans were created by God to be: the state of choosing the good. Jews consider falling into sin to be equivalent to momentary insanity on the part of persons choosing sin, certainly not something that humans choose by their sinful nature (Sin: Chet (חֵטְא) - missing the mark - chabad.org).

But what about verse 18? Doesn’t Paul say he has the inability to choose the good over sin, even when he wants to? Does that not prove that humans sin by nature? While Paul does say he has the inability to not sin, the question is: why? Is it because we are sinful by nature? Or is it because humans are sick and need a cure?  God did not create us with a sinful nature - He created us with free will to choose good or evil. Humans need help to return to their true humanity - true humanness is always choosing the good, not falling into sin. Humanity was not created bad. Humanity was created, per God’s words, as “very good” (see Genesis 1-2). Humans are sick and have become evil not by nature or God’s design but by their personal choices. Is this perspective semantics? NO. Without this perspective, all humans - even Christians - will never think they have the ability to conquer sin truly - and this is a lie from Satan. This is fully addressed later in this article. Many Scriptures point to the ability of Christians to overcome sin by the power of the Holy Spirit. 

Nevertheless, Paul still expresses that he has an inability to do the good in his current state. Thankfully, he does not end with that statement. He says in verse 24-25 that he will be delivered from his sin by Jesus. So, 1) humans are not created with a sinful nature, yet all have become corrupt through evil choices and have sin, and 2) apart from faith in Jesus and the gift of the Holy Spirit, deliverance from sin is not possible. We do not have the ability to become sinless without faith in Jesus and the gift of the Holy Spirit, who promises to sanctify us completely. But, Paul’s inability to do good still does not mean God created humans with a sinful nature. 

In the midst of the dire reality of sin, there is great hope. Consider the following quote, keeping in mind that God works all things for our good and His glory:

“But why did God not prevent the first man from sinning? St. Leo the Great responds, "Christ's inexpressible grace gave us blessings better than those the demon's envy had taken away."307 and St. Thomas Aquinas wrote, "There is nothing to prevent human nature's being raised up to something greater, even after sin; God permits evil in order to draw forth some greater good. Thus St. Paul says, 'Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more'; and the Exsultet sings, 'O happy fault,. . . which gained for us so great a Redeemer!'"308 God, in creating the world, of course knew that Adam and Eve would fall, and we can rest assured that He allowed that for a greater good that one day, I believe, we will see and understand.

What does the Bible say about Jesus and sin?

Note: See section 4 of my blog for the biblical evidence that Jesus was Adam and David. Reading that section is a necessary prerequisite to fully understanding what I write here.

1. Jesus was tempted. 

Hebrews 4:15 says, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.”  Jesus was made like humanity in every respect (Hebrews 2:17) and was tempted by sin just as the rest of the humanity was.  He was tempted in all points as we are, yet, he was without sin (Hebrews 4:15).

2. Jesus was supernaturally born of a virgin and was born without any sinful corruption from his past lives as Adam and David. 

Consider Philippians 2:5-8, “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” 

Many have explained these verses as meaning Jesus is God. I discuss this passage in section 1 of my blog to prove this is not saying he is God. But what are these verses saying about Jesus? Romans 8:3-4 is also helpful in understanding this passage. Paul writes, “For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”  So is 1 Corinthians 15:45, which says Jesus was the “last Adam.” So, Jesus was born in the “form of God”,  in the “likeness” of sinful flesh but not actual sinful flesh, in the “likeness of men”, in “human form”, and he was the “last Adam”. Putting all this together: Jesus was born pure and sinless, just like Adam in the garden. He was born as if he had never sinned, even though he did as Adam and David. God gave him a completely clean slate. This was the purpose of the virgin birth. God has purpose in all He does. It is not unorthodox to say that the purpose of the virgin birth was for Jesus to avoid human corruption and  sin - many people think that - but what I am proposing is that Jesus was born of a virgin not to avoid his parents’ sin or original sin, but to avoid his own corruption given his sins as Adam and David. 

So, he was in the “form of God”. What is the “form of God”? Humanity without sin. He was born, like Adam and Eve were, in the form of God, without sin. This is how every person has been born before becoming corrupt by sinful choices, which all humans have made. He was born in the “likeness” of sinful flesh because although Jesus looked like everyone else, he was born without any sin, in the likeness of men. Human form and the form of God are meant to mean the same thing, but because of sin humanity has fallen into a state where they are not in the form of God, as God is sinless, and all humanity has been corrupted by sin.

The virgin birth was absolutely essential to Jesus' life and mission, as his miraculous birth enabled Jesus to be born sinless and pure without the sinful corruption because of Adam’s and David’s sin (who he was).  Given Jesus’ mission to atone for the sin of the whole world, God graciously made a way for Jesus to accomplish this via the virgin birth. In order for Jesus' sacrifice to be pure, spotless, and blameless, he could not have any sin. If he had had sin, his sacrifice could not have saved the world.

So, Jesus was formed in Mary’s womb by the Holy Spirit so he did not possess any corruption from his past sin. He was quite literally the “last Adam” as he was formed, like Adam was, by God without human parents. Mary was essentially a surrogate mother. Luke 1:30-35 says, “And the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” 

35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.” Jesus was born of God, just as Adam was - he was born of the Father, the Most High, and the Mother, the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit came upon Mary, and the Most High, God the Father, overshadowed Mary, and Jesus was born holy and pure, the Son of God. If he is called “holy”, how could he possibly have inherited the sinful corruption of his past lives as Adam and David? God miraculously formed Jesus in her womb, just as God miraculously formed the first Adam and Eve in Genesis. Jesus then, again, is fittingly called the last Adam (1 Corinthians 15:45) and was formed by God directly so that he was born completely pure.

Jesus is amazing in his love and obedience to God. Jesus became perfect because of his great love for God and people, fully learning obedience. He never sinned. He accomplished what he did because of his amazing love for God and people and obedience to God, and God’s miraculous enablement of him being born without sin via the virgin birth. While the virgin birth shielded Jesus from the sinful corruption he would have inherited given his past lives as Adam and David, it was all Jesus who made the amazing choices he did out of his incredible heart for God and others. Jesus is incredible. Even with these advantages, I cannot imagine how difficult, and isolating, it must have been to live the life he did. Jesus loved God and people and became perfect, courageously laying down his life for the world. He did this probably with full knowledge of who he was as Adam, as he expressed in John 17:5 when he asked God to glorify him with the glory he had with God before civilization began. Who had glory with God in the beginning? Adam, before he fell. The amount of pressure he courageously endured was astronomical – a man with the weight of the world literally on his shoulders, and yet he persevered. 

The true Jesus of the Bible and history, not the fake “God the Son” proclaiming Jesus to be God Almighty, has truly shown humanity the way. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6) in the truest sense, as he overcame sin and offered his life fully to God. All Christians, all followers of God, are called to do the same. Jesus shows us that overcoming sin is possible for humans. While Jesus did have an advantage given the virgin birth as he was born without corruption, he still, a fully human person, lived a completely sinless life. If Jesus could do it, so can we, by the power of the Holy Spirit. All things are possible with God. May we follow Jesus in his obedience, love, and courage and be transformed to His image - the image of the invisible God. God is faithful. He will complete the good work He has begun in us and make us exactly like Jesus (Philippians 1:6). 

Is original sin biblical?

While I have already addressed this to some extent given the evidence shown that humans are not born with the sin nature, I now address this question head on as the doctrine of original sin has, I believe, handicapped the Church. As has been shown, God used reincarnation to sanctify Jesus - He may use reincarnation to sanctify us all in His grace and love. So: is original sin biblical? What does the Bible say?

Again, what is original sin? Original sin is the teaching that humankind is inherently evil: we are sinful by nature. It is our nature to sin - we have a sinful nature. This is never stated explicitly (or, I would say, implicitly) in the Bible. The Bible says we are created in the image of God and have the ability to choose, as image bearers of God, good or evil. We do not inherently have the divine or sinful nature according to the Bible - but we have the ability to choose the good (divine) or evil (sin). There are many, many issues with the idea that God created humanity with a sinful nature. 

Some Christians take this concept even farther. Christians like Calvin, for example, would say that from the moment of our conception, we are “utterly depraved” and “hostile” towards God. While people are certainly born under the condemnation of sin and death, people did not inherit Adam’s sinful nature. While Augustine wrote about this centuries after Christ, this is not in Scripture.  It was  written about by Augustine, Calvin, and others. Of course, humans have an immature tendency toward sin and a need to be saved from sin and deceit, but the Bible never says humanity is born corrupt because of inheriting any sin from Adam nor that humans are sinful by nature. This doctrine is not from the Holy Spirit and is not biblical. There is much bad fruit from this doctrine, as set forth below. 

Original sin is not biblical for the following reasons: 

The following is a combination of my thoughts and ideas regarding original sin and the ideas of Alfred T. Overstreet from his article, “Are men sinners?” and Paul Ellis from his blog “Escape to Reality.” I am very grateful for their insight regarding this important question.

1. The Jewish Perspective on Sin

   
   

Jews do not believe in original sin, which is significant as Christianity comes from Judaism. This means Jesus and his followers did not believe in original sin either, as they grew up Jewish and believing in what the Old Testament teaches – which is not original sin. Jews believe people have a tendency (immaturity essentially) to sin and that when people sin, people are acting out of temporary insanity – not out of their true nature (Sin: Chet (חֵטְא) - missing the mark - chabad.org).

2. Adam sinned without a sinful nature (Ellis, 2024). 

   
   

Original sin’s foundation is that humanity inherited a sinful nature, but Adam sinned without a “sinful nature”. So, he cannot pass on something he does not have (Ellis, 2024). While Adam’s sin had serious consequences for the human race, humans still remained God’s image and were called God’s image after the fall (consider Psalm 139 about humans being made in God’s image, fearfully and wonderfully made, verses 13-14). 

Adam was not born with a sinful nature, and no other person is. We sin when we choose to disobey and rebel against God, not because God hardwired it in our nature to do so. Naturally, God has created humans in His image, and we can choose good or evil. We have no excuse for our sin. The idea of possessing a “sinful nature” opens up room for excuses for our sin. The Bible never excuses our sin. When humans choose to sin and are not deceived, they are making the exact same choice Adam did in the garden. In our immaturity, as children of God not fully trusting that His way is best and good, all humanity has chosen to sin. This is not because of our inherent bad and sinful nature. This is because we are children who have not yet learned it is best to choose the good. But, often people do choose the good as well - because humans are not inherently bad - they are children of God, created in His image with the ability to choose good or bad.

3.            God never said original sin was part of the curse (Ellis, 2024). 

God gave Adam serious consequences for his sin (Genesis 3:14-19), including death, but He said nothing about an “original sin” that would pass to the rest of humanity from Adam. If God did, how would that be just? How is it just of God to judge us because of a way we are inherently created - bad to the bone with a sinful nature? It is only just of God to judge us if we have the ability to choose good or evil and we choose evil (Ellis, 2024). 

4.           If we are born corrupt, we can’t become corrupt (Ellis, 2024). 

“Original sin says humans are born corrupt, defiled, and lost, but the Bible says we become corrupt and go astray,” writes Ellis  (Ellis, 2024). Psalm 14:3 says, “All have turned aside and become corrupt”. Additional Scriptures show this. Galatians 6:8 says, “For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.” Corruption comes from the choices we make; corruption is not inherent in our nature as humans. 1 Timothy 6:10 says, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.” By making wrong choices, people become corrupt. Love of money leads to many other corruptions, which lead to people “piercing themselves with many pangs”. If we are created in God’s image, we cannot be corrupt by nature. God would never create a person corrupt and sinful by nature. Scripture shows again and again - logic and experience reveals this too - that it is our choices that lead us to be corrupt. We are fully responsible. God did not just “make us” that way. Again, how would this be just of God - to judge us and discipline us for something inherent to our nature, if our very nature is sinful?

5.         You cannot pass on a righteous nature (Ellis, 2024). 

Children of Spirit-filled believers do not receive their parents’ righteous nature. We do not inherit our parents’ righteousness or their sinfulness (Ellis, 2024). A person is righteous or unrighteous because of their personal choices. God is just. 

6.              Original sin cannot account for Old Testament saints (Ellis, 2024). 

Abel, Adam’s son, was called righteous (Matthew 23:35). Why did he not inherit Adam’s “wicked gene”? Others were called righteous: Noah, Lot, and Daniel (Genesis 6:9, Ezekiel 14:20, 2 Peter 2:7). The “unsaved” can operate in faith and God is not far from any of us (Acts 17:27) (Ellis, 2024).  Humans do not have original sin nor are they totally depraved as Calvin says. 

7. Original sin says you have no choice (Ellis, 2024). 

Original sin paints a picture of humanity being a victim corrupted with wickedness from conception and incapable of living by faith. This can easily become a self-fulfilling prophecy. The good news of the gospel is that every person has a choice.  Romans 6:1 says, “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin?” Paul seems to think Christians can freely make the choice not to sin. Romans 6:4 says Christ was “raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we might walk in the newness of life”. Christians can walk in the newness of life by the power of the Holy Spirit. Why would Paul say we can walk in the newness of life if we cannot by nature? 

8.  There are no verses that say humanity inherited Adam’s supposed “sinful nature” and many that say otherwise (Ellis, 2024). 

9.  Original sin is unbiblical and illogical, portraying God as harsh and unjust (Ellis, 2024). 

Original sin says the children are judged for the sins of the father, but that is not the heart of God! The Bible teaches children are not judged for their parents’ sins. Deuteronomy 24:16 says, “Fathers shall not be put to death because of their children, nor shall children be put to death because of their fathers. Each one shall be put to death for his own sin.” Ezekiel 18:20 says, “The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.” God is just. Humanity is not put to death because of Adam’s sin! This truth is explicit in these verses. Further, 2 Corinthians 5:19 says, “...God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them….” Because of Christ, now God does not count our sins or our parents’ sin against us.

10. Original sin makes sin a misfortune and a calamity rather than a crime (Overstreet).

Overstreet writes, “How could a sinful nature be a crime for the persons on whom it was entailed with their knowledge or consent? To blame or call someone a criminal for his sins would be absurd, and to punish him for his sins a cruel injustice. He would not deserve punishment for his sins, but instead pity and compassion for the hard circumstances of being born into the world with a sinful nature.” But the Bible never speaks of the sinner as unfortunate but rather of the sinner’s guilt.

11. It excuses the sinner (Overstreet).

Sinners cannot be blamed for their sins if they are born a sinner and sin unavoidably because of the nature with which they are born. A sinner is compelled to excuse himself, at least in part, if he or she really believes that he or she sins because of an inborn sin nature. But God does not excuse sin. In the Bible, sin is always denounced in the strongest language possible with serious penalties. The whole Bible is against any doctrine that would permit men to excuse themselves for their sins.

12. It makes God responsible for sin (Overstreet).

If men are born with a sinful nature, who is to blame for them sinning? The sinner had no choice to be born with a sinful nature. The sinner is no more to blame for being born with this nature than being born with a certain height. But God is the author of our nature and our Creator. If men are born with a sinful nature, then has not God sinned by giving humanity a sinful nature? (Overstreet)

13. It dishonors God and makes His government tyrannical, cruel, and unjust (Overstreet).

Under the doctrine of original sin, innocent little babies are born with a sinful nature and are objects of God’s wrath. How is that reasonable? It is not just for God to be wrathful over humanity for a nature that He gave them, that they did not choose, and that they could not avoid (Overstreet). 

14. It is a stumbling-block to non-Christians (Overstreet).

Non-Christians notice that this doctrine of original sin is cruel and unjust. Original sin says God created us under such physical laws that causes us all to be born sinners, and then He condemns us for being born sinners. God, then, is cruel and unjust. This also keeps people from full repentance. If a person thinks that their situation, of being born into sin with a sin nature, is unjust on some level, they will not fully repent of their sin. Real repentance means a sinner blames himself for his sins and turns to God (Overstreet).

15. It begets complacency and a low standard for living among Christians (Overstreet).

God and Jesus desire the salvation of the lost and the perfection of the Church. The doctrine of original sin hinders both these causes, as it stops completely genuine repentance as outlined in point 13. If the Christian believes his very nature is sinful and that it is not possible for him to live without sinning, he will not aim for Christian perfection or feel much disturbed about sin and worldliness in his life. This doctrine begets an indulgent spirit toward sin and low standards among Christians.

16. It soothes the conscience of sinning Christians, causing them to stumble (Overstreet).

Christians sometimes make the excuse that they cannot help but sin because of a sinful nature inherited from Adam. This doctrine stops them from taking full responsibility for their own sins.

17. It causes Christian leaders to wink at and excuse sin in their churches (Overstreet).

Christian leaders who believe in original sin may wink at and excuse sin in their churches. The whole tendency of this doctrine to beget an indulgent spirit toward sin with low, unscriptural standards of behavior. Phrases such as “Nobody’s perfect”, “Even Paul struggled with sin”, “Christians are not perfect, just forgiven”, and other phrases of a similar spirit abound. Christians may have the perspective that the “old Adamic sin nature” dwells in them and they will have original sin until they die and go to heaven – so sin can’t really be conquered much in this life.

18. It contradicts all the great doctrines of the Bible (Overstreet).

The letter and spirit of the whole Bible is against any doctrine that permits the sinner to excuse him or herself from their sins. Sin is not a misfortune or calamity in the Bible. It is a crime. God never pities but always blames the sinner for his or her sins.

Original sin contradicts mercy, grace, guilt, pardon, and repentance. How can a man really be guilty for possessing the nature with which he is born? Can God show him mercy, and pardon his guilt if it is true that he has suffered the misfortune of being born into this world a sinner? Grace would not save him but justice. How can someone sincerely repent and condemn himself for sin if they believed they were born a sinner and could not avoid sin because of an inborn sin nature? These fundamental doctrines of the Bible are emptied of their meaning and are contradictory and confusing if original sin is accepted.

The Bible says that God will judge the world in righteousness (Psalm 9:8). How could God judge the world and be righteous if original sin were true? If original sin is true, people are born sinners and will live in sin because of an inherited sin. Where is the justice in that? Humans are authors of their own sin. Humans are not born with a sinful nature. They can help sinning if they choose to do so. Sin is not an essential or inseparable part of the human nature. The doctrine of original sin, and of necessary sinful actions, makes the plan of salvation and every doctrine of the gospel a farce. The gospel is essentially an insult to the unfortunate. The idea that the sinner is not really to blame for being a sinner, any more than the sinner is to blame for being a human being, is completely contrary to the Bible.

This doctrine of original sin also advocates, however secretly, to ascribe the atonement of Christ to justice rather than grace as it relieves the unfortunate sinners, it does not offer forgiveness to the inexcusable sinners. If original sin is true, God is unreasonable and cruel unless He provides for the sinners’ escape.

However, the Bible says that Jesus died for all sin and sinners, showing that God thinks sinners are not unfortunates but criminals and without excuse. His death was to atone for guilt, not for their misfortune. People are without excuse for sin. This means they do not have a sinful nature that renders sin unavoidable. If people are without excuse for sin, which the whole law and gospel assume and teach, it is not possible for humans’ nature to be sinful, as this would be an excuse for sin.

This doctrine is a stumbling-block to the church and the world and infinitely dishonorable to God.

19. It questions how Jesus could be sinless if he was truly human.

Christ was fully human and made like humanity in every respect, according to Hebrews 2:17. Hebrews 2:14 says that Jesus shared in the humanity of all other people, and Hebrews 4:15 says he was tempted in all ways like us. How could Jesus have been tempted in all points like us if he did not have the same human nature as us? Hebrews 2:18 also says that Jesus suffered when he was tempted. How would that be possible if he did not share the same humanity as everyone else? Jesus is proof humans can be sinless, by the power of the Holy Spirit and by us learning obedience, which Hebrews says Jesus learned (Hebrews 5:8). Further, Jesus’ incredible character, courage, and loving sacrifice is diminished in believing he was God - he accomplished what he did as a human fully dependent on God and an amazing heart for God - he was not deity in any way. Jesus' ability to live a sinless life speaks wonders to the amazing truth that humans are created in God’s image.

20. It begets other false doctrines (Overstreet).

Many doctrines have come from the false doctrine of original sin. First, the doctrine of the “immaculate conception” that Mary was conceived free from original sin so that she could be pure enough to be the mother of Christ. This is not in the Bible. Second, the doctrine of infant baptism for the remission of original sin. Third, the doctrine that men have lost the image of God since the fall of Adam. The Westminster Confession says humans come into the world “dead in sin, and wholly defiled in all the faculties and parts of soul and body”. If this is true, they have not been created in the image of God. But this is unbiblical. In Genesis 9:16, God told Noah that humans are made in the image of God. The New Testament states this too (James 3:9 and Acts 17:29). Fourth, the doctrine of physical, passive regeneration, meaning: regeneration is a change in the constitutional nature of man by the power of the Holy Spirit. The Bible teaches that the work of the Holy Spirit in a sinner is moral, not physical. The Bible teaches that the sinner cannot be passive in regeneration but must respond to God’s voice, repent, and make himself “a new heart and a new spirit” (Ezekiel 18:30-32). Ezekiel 18:30-32 says, “Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, declares the Lord God. Repent and turn from all your transgressions, lest iniquity be your ruin. 31 Cast away from you all the transgressions that you have committed, and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why will you die, O house of Israel? 32 For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord God; so turn, and live.” God counsels His people to make for themselves a new heart and a new spirit and to choose life, not death! He puts the responsibility on them. Humans are fully capable, according to God, of choosing the good over the evil and life over death. God did not create us with a sinful nature. He gave us free will and responsibility.

The Bible teaches that regeneration is the work of both God and man: God (Titus 3:5, James 1:18, 1 John 3:9, John 3:5, and John 6:44-45) and sinners (Ezekiel 18:31, 1 Peter 1:22, James 4:7-8, Acts 3:19, James 1:21, Jeremiah 4:14). There is no physical change when a sinner becomes a saint. Regeneration is an active, cooperative, moral change – not at all a physical change. People are already created in the image of God without a sinful nature.

Another false doctrine is that original sin teaches a person’s inability to repent. If a person’s very nature is sinful, then it is naturally impossible for a person to genuinely and fully repent. This has led some to believe that God first changes a sinner’s nature in regeneration and then the sinner repents. A sinner cannot obey God’s command to repent and be converted until he or she has been regenerated. This is not found in the Bible.

If humans have the sinful nature, “constitutional sinfulness”, then many false doctrines follow. Augustine, who fathered the doctrine of original sin, taught that salvation depends on God’s election and predestination regardless of any human agency. Humans are born with a corrupt and depraved nature and are not free (except to do evil) (Overstreet). Man by nature cannot love God or do anything good. This drove some in history to despair in considering Augustine’s teachings (Overstreet). While free will, grace, predestination, and election are biblical doctrines, extreme views of these doctrines taught by people who believe people are inherently sinful is unscriptural.

Another false doctrine is the natural inability to obey God. This is at the heart of the doctrine of original sin. All people have a corrupt, sinful nature and cannot obey God as they are in this life. This corruption of the nature remains in those that are regenerated. No man can keep the commandments of God but will daily break them in thought, word, and deed. How could God judge us for sin when He knows that we are by nature unable to obey Him? There is not one verse in the entire Bible that says men have a sinful nature which make them unable to obey God. While sinners morally struggle to obey God, they are not naturally unable to obey God. There is a great difference between a natural inability and a moral inability to obey God.

Consider this example: your friend gets a brand new Cadillac. You ask, “Can you lift your car off the ground?” “No,” he replies. This is because of natural inability – it is not possible for him to lift so much weight. Then, you ask, “Can you sell me your new car for a dollar?” “No,” he replies. This is a moral inability. He could do it, but he is not willing to (Overstreet).

The Bible NEVER says people have a natural inability to obey God. When it speaks of the sinner’s inability to obey God, it speaks of a moral inability. A person cannot obey because they are selfish, and they are unwilling to obey. All men can obey if they will. Here are some verses that teach that the Christian has been freed from sins by the grace of Christ and has the power to live a victorious sin-free life:

“For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin…” Romans 6:6

“For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.” Romans 6:14

“But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.” Romans 6:17-18

“But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.” Romans 6:22

“Jesus replied, ‘Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.’” John 8:34-36

“Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.” 1 John 2:6

What incredible verses pointing to the power we have to choose the good and live like Christ did in obedience and holiness before God! God can free us from all sin if we rely on Him and choose obedience. The Bible never says we have a natural inability to obey God. The doctrine of a natural inability to be free from sin contradicts Galatians 1:4, Titus 2:14, Acts 3:26, Ephesians 5:25-27, and many others. What a low view of the grace and power of God to believe people cannot live without sin by the grace of God. This doctrine of the inability to choose the good makes God a liar, as He promises to keep Christians from being tempted above our ability to obey and liberate us from all sin, and preserve us in righteousness and holiness. God would not command us to do something He knows we cannot do. Jesus says, “Be ye perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:48) and Peter writes, “But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do,” (1 Peter 1:15). Why would God give us these commandments if it is impossible for us to obey them? Then, God is insincere and deceitful. The doctrine of inability turns the whole Bible upside-down, mocking the promises and commandments of God and blackening God’s character, demeaning grace, and excusing sinners in their sin. This doctrine is from the devil, muffling the voice of conscience, and teaching Christians they should never expect to be saved from sin in this life. This is not found in the Bible.

21. The doctrine of original sin distorts humanity’s view of Adam and humans being made in God’s image.

When Adam disobeyed, Adam disobeyed – not all of humanity. God holds people accountable for the sins they commit, not the sin of Adam. The sin of humanity is not Adam’s fault. He is responsible for his own sin.

Humans are created upright, in the image and likeness of God, with free will and the ability to choose good or evil. Humans are not created with a sinful, fallen nature. Humans are created as children of God, who need to learn to choose the good over the bad just like all children. Again, humans become corrupt, they are not born corrupt.

21. The doctrine of original sin is ridiculous, absurd, and unreasonable (Overstreet).

God-given reason should be trusted. If a doctrine is unreasonable, it is wise for us to question it. Man’s reason and conscious are in harmony with the Bible and confirm its teachings.  Reason rejects the original sin dogma.

It is completely unreasonable, for example, that the entire human race would be condemned for the sin of one man. Moral character is non-transferable. Sin cannot be imputed where it does not exist without injustice – so, humans are not born corrupt. Perfect justice cannot punish the innocent for the guilt of another. Sin is personal and non-transferable.

 Objections:

1. “There is no man who does not sin…” 1 Kings 8:46, 2 Chronicles 6:36 (Ellis, 2023)

This agrees with Romans 3:23, “All have sinned”. Over and over, Scripture says that humans have gone astray and fallen short of the glory of God. Humans have a propensity for sin. This is a Jewish teaching. Again, Judaism, which the Christian faith originates from, notably does not believe in original sin. They believe humans enter the world pure, with the ability to choose either good or evil via their free will. The Jewish perspective fits with a just God who creates all humans in God’s image and justly disciplines humanity for their sin. 

These verses do not mean there is a sin gene nor that humanity inherited Adam’s sin in any way, as that contradicts Scripture and justice. Just because all people do sin does not mean it is not possible for a man or woman to choose not to sin if they will to do so, by God’s grace. Humans are not helpless. They have the ability to choose the good - choosing sin is not because of a natural inability to choose good - it is because all people would rather be selfish, sin, and not obey God. This is human choice and not the result of a sinful nature given us by God. God is the One who tells us to choose Him, not sin. We choose not to listen. We are fully responsible for our evil actions.

2. “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me.” Psalm 51:5 (Ellis, 2023)

   
   

David may have been referring to the fact that his mother had sin: “in sin my mother conceived me”. He may be referring to the fact that he already had sin when he was born into the world. But why is that? Because he had a past life as Adam, as already proven - and Adam sinned. It was not because of any sinful nature that God gave him. David never makes any excuses for his sin but prays, “Be gracious to me, O God, according to your loving-kindness” (Psalm 51:1). In Psalm 71:6 David says, “From birth I have relied on you; you brought me forth from my mother’s womb. I will ever praise you.”  David relies on God for help with the sin he knows he has, he does not blame his sin on anyone but himself. David declares in Psalm 139 that he and the rest of humanity are created in God’s image - and God certainly did not create His children with a sinful nature! 

3. “Those who speak lies go astray from birth.” Psalm 58:3 (Ellis, 2023)

   
   

Going astray is different than being born astray. God does not create us as already “astray”. As humans with free will, we choose to go astray or we choose to obey God.

4. “Every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit.” Matthew 7:17 (Ellis, 2022)

   
   

Jesus is talking about how to recognize false prophets - by their fruit. How does a tree become good or bad in the first place? While original sin says that all trees are born bad, Jesus would say some trees are made bad. A child, for example, becomes good or bad as a result of the choices they make.

5. “That which proceeds out of the man, that is what defiles the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man.” Mark 7:20-23 (Ellis, 2022)

   
   

Jesus is talking about hearts becoming corrupt. Jesus is talking about men and women, not babies born corrupt. These are sins committed by grown-ups who are raised in a world of sin. 

6. “No one is good except God alone.” Mark 10:18 (Ellis, 2022)

   
   

While everyone falls short of God’s glory and needs His grace, this does not mean everyone is born corrupt and “bad to the bone”. To the contrary, humans are made in God’s image and destined to become like Christ, pure and holy.

7. “This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.” John 3:19 (Ellis, 2022)

   
   

People who prefer the darkness are those whose deeds are evil - this does not have to do with original sin. Adam and Eve hid in the garden, for example, because they had done an evil deed, not because they had a sinful nature.

8. “As it is written, ‘There is none righteous, not even one; there is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God; all have turned aside, together they have become worthless. There is no one who does good, not even one.” Romans 3:10-12 (Ellis, 2022)

   
   

Just because no one is righteous does not mean everyone is a hell-bound rebel. Adam when he drew his first breath was not righteous or sinful - and neither are we. We all choose the path we will follow. 

Further, in context, this is referring to Jews who sought to be righteous through the law (Romans 2:17). Our righteousness falls short of the Lord’s righteousness (Romans 3:21-23). Of course compared to God, “there is none righteous”. We all need the righteousness that comes through faith to those who believe. 

What is more, Paul says we have all “become” worthless (in terms of living in the kingdom of God and choosing the good). We are not born worthless, people become worthless. People are not born astray but go astray. 

9. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23

   
   

The fact that all have sinned is no evidence of original sin. “All of us, like sheep, have gone astray”. Humanity is lost and needs God - they were not born with Adam’s “corrupt nature”, unable to choose the good. Humanity, across the board, in one way or another, sinned and fell short of God’s glory. This does not mean they do not have the ability to choose the right path. This means they did not choose the right path. How is God just to punish humanity in their sin otherwise?

10. “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned.” Romans 5:12 (Ellis, 2022)

    
    

Paul never says we were born with a sinful nature. Everyone dies for their own sin, not Adam and Eve’s sin. Death spread to all men because everyone sins. God is just. 

11. “For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.” Romans 5:19 (Ellis, 2022)

    
    

While it is true that humans do not have a sinful nature as already shown, our individual actions do impact the rest of humanity. We do not sin in a vacuum. Adam was the head of the human race. His disobedience certainly had an impact on all who followed him. But with the example of Jesus, who became perfect and offered his life, humanity has an example to follow. Jesus has shown us the Way (John 14:6) and given all who put their faith in him the gift of the Holy Spirit to empower humanity to walk in righteousness. 

Further, the Bible says people are slaves of sin (Romans 6:17). Original sin says we were born rebels, but the Bible says we were born slaves. Galatians 3:22 says, “The whole world is a prisoner because of sin”. Other passages concerning this view include John 8:34, Romans 6:6, 16-20, 22, 7:4, 14, Galatians 4:7, 2 Peter 2:9. 

Original sin says our greatest need is to be forgiven for the crime of being born, but the greatest need is for humans to be free. “I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin… Who will set me free?” (Romans 7:14, 24). Jesus came to set the captives free (Luke 4:18). 

Some say, “You’re not a sinner because you sin, you sin because you’re a sinner.” Is that biblical? What makes us sinners in the first place? It is not a sinful gene. We become sinners when we make the choice to sin. We are responsible for our own sin. It is true that the world teaches people to sin, but God still holds us responsible. His law of love is written on our hearts. 

12. Our flesh is evil. 

    
    

Our flesh is not evil. Our bodies can be used for righteousness or unrighteousness. Romans 6:13 says, “Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness.”  We are beautifully, fearfully, and wonderfully created by God - all of us, including our bodies.

Further, Romans 8:3 says, “For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh.” The phrase “sinful flesh”  only appears ONCE in the Bible - in this verse. Flesh is a good gift of God. This just means Jesus came like everyone else in human form - dressed in flesh like any other person. 

13. “The carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.” Romans 8:7 (Ellis, 2022)

    
    

This is not proof of the “sin gene”. We have the ability to set our mind on carnal concerns or the things of the Spirit. The “sin gene” is not necessary to explain why humans sin. Both Eve and Adam were sinless without “original sin” but fell into sin by choosing the wrong path and going astray. 

14. “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins.” Ephesians 2:1 (Ellis, 2022)

    
    

We are dead in our trespasses and sins. These trespasses and sins we choose to commit. As children of God made in His image, we can also choose to do what is right and not sin.

15. “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the flesh and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:1-10

    
    

Is Ephesians 2:3 clear evidence that humanity has the sinful nature? Paul is saying that mankind is “by nature children of wrath”. Did God create humanity with a sinful nature after all? These verses must be understood in the context of the entire Bible. Certainly, God did not create Adam and Eve with a sinful nature, and yet they sinned and fell. Over and over, the Bible says humanity became corrupt - God did not create humanity that way. Paul is saying humanity is like this because humanity chose sin over God, carrying out the desires of the flesh and the mind. It is because of the way humanity lives in the passions of their flesh that humanity is “by nature” children of wrath. Notice the structure of Paul’s sentence: the nature follows the evil choices made, not the other way around. God created humanity pure; humanity chose evil and became corrupt such that “by nature”, sinful humanity because of the wrong choices made were children of wrath. This is different than the idea of original sin: that all humanity is born with a sinful nature, unable to choose the good. Humanity has no excuse for their sin. We are able to choose the good, and we have not. We have become by nature children of wrath because of corruption from our evil choices, not because God created us as children of wrath by nature with the inability to do anything but sin. Our sinful choices negatively impact us to the degree it even impacts our nature - but the evil choices come first, not the sinful nature. If this is not true, God is not just in judging us for our sin, neither is it reasonable for God to command Christians, as God said through Jesus, to “be perfect as the Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48), or to say, “Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did” in 1 John 2:6 as God said through John, which means Christians are to become perfect and sinless like Christ. Again, God would not give us commands that are not possible to obey.

Believing Jesus is God Creates a False Gospel

Satan is very crafty. In feeding the Church the lie that Jesus is God, he caused and is causing so much damage both in and outside the Church that is beyond the scope of this post. In this post on sin, I will address the damage caused to the gospel of Jesus Christ. If Jesus is God, where is the hope of ever truly becoming like Christ, fully conformed to his image? It does not exist, as Christians will never become God. I have heard many times in my life – and perhaps said it myself – “Well, I am not Jesus, so…,” essentially making an excuse for not acting like Christ. This is deadly theology to have. God intends us to be fully like Christ (1 John 2:6). Original sin, along with the belief that Jesus was God, makes the Church comfortable with not being like Christ – comfortable with not being fully holy and killing all sin in our life – after all, it’s not possible anyways… many think and believe (myself included).

We have been seriously deceived. It is possible to be exactly like Christ, and God says so in His Word, as explained above and is shown throughout the Scriptures. We need to grow up (myself included) and choose the good, and believe in our hearts that we can – we can be perfect as the Father is perfect, which Jesus commanded his followers to do (Matthew 5:48). Jesus is literally the Way, as he did what he commanded others to do.

So – most amazingly – we are not following a God-man! We are following a MAN who practiced what he preached. He showed us it was POSSIBLE for a human to live a sinless life and become perfect. The Church has been deceived into thinking it is not actually possible to be like Christ – we are human, and he is God. No! He was a MAN, just like us! It IS possible – and he showed us it was! If he is not God, and he was Adam, of course the rest of us can be like him. It will take effort, sacrifice – it will take surrendering completely to God and loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength – but it is indeed possible – of course it is! Jesus showed us it was. This is part of the reason – perhaps the main reason – why he is the WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE (John 14:6)! He was a sinner as Adam and David, and he fully repented, lived a sinless life as Jesus, and became perfect. He calls all of us to do the same.

Satan wants us to believe we have a corrupt, fallen nature that could never be like Christ. He is wrong! We CAN be like Christ – we are children of God – made in His image! Of COURSE we can, by God’s grace, by the power of the Holy Spirit, and by us choosing to be obedient. God says so – and Christ proved so with his indestructible life.

Conclusion

The Church (myself included) has been very deceived. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6) because we must walk his way, believe the truth he shared, and live the life he lived. We must become sinless and perfect as our heavenly Father is – as Jesus is.  This is the good news of gospel – to truly become like Christ, perfect in love forever. Christians CAN overcome sin and become sinless – or God is lying, because that is what it says in the Bible. Christ did it. The Church can too. God would not command us to be holy if we could not do it. We are not by nature corrupt. We are children of God, made in His image – made to love Him and others. We have the ability to choose the good by the power of the Spirit, leaning on God for help. We simply need to choose to do so. 

If we do, the world may be transformed. What can stop a sinless Church? The Church was never meant to worship Jesus. The Church was meant to BE Jesus.  

Additional Quotes to Consider: 

 “It takes away those passages in the Bible that teach that men are created upright, with a good nature, and in the image and likeness of God, by teaching that since Adam's sin, men are no longer created in the image of God, but are born defiled in "all the faculties and parts of soul and body." It takes away those texts in the Bible that teach that Jesus had true human nature like other men, by teaching that Jesus could not have had the same human nature as other men without being a sinner.”

(Overstreet)

“It takes away the heart and soul of the Gospel, the biblical truth that God saves his people from their sins, by teaching that the Christian cannot live even for one day without sinning in thought, word, or deed. It contradicts and weakens the spirit of holiness that shines from every page of the Holy Bible, when it teaches that God's work of holiness in the church must wait until the church gets to heaven because of the "remaining corruptions of original sin." It destroys innumerable promises that God has given to the church, promises that the church can overcome sin, the world, the flesh, and the devil. And in doing this, it also limits the power of the Holy One of Israel, making sin infinitely more powerful than the power of his sanctifying grace through his indwelling Holy Spirit.”

(Overstreet)

“Every which way it turns, the doctrine of original sin either takes away some glorious truth from the Bible, or it adds some grotesque teaching that contradicts the Bible. It brings confusion to Gospel truth, making the doctrines of mercy, grace, guilt, pardon, and repentance unintelligible. It makes the holy, just, and loving God to be cruel and unjust, and it makes the wicked sinner to be the unfortunate recipient of a nature which he could not avoid. It is a stumbling-block to the church, encouraging many who call themselves Christians to live a life so far below the Bible standard of holiness and true Christianity that they will ultimately fall into a hypocrite's hell.”

(Overstreet) 

“But the doctrine of original sin does deny self-evident truths. It denies the self-evident truth that there can be no proxies in morals and teaches that Adam committed sin for us by proxy. It denies that moral character is non-transferable and teaches that Adam's sinful character was transferred to all his descendants! It denies that sin cannot be imputed where it does not exist without injustice and teaches that the infinitely holy and just God imputed the sin of Adam to all his descendants. It denies that perfect justice cannot punish the innocent for the guilt of another and teaches that God, who is perfect in truth and justice, condemned the whole human race for the sin of Adam.”

(Overstreet) 

Summary

All people were created pure and sinless. Humans are not sinful by nature. The term “sinful nature” is nowhere in the Bible. Sin is not part of human nature; rather, it is anti-human nature. God created humans as “very good” - the crown of God’s creation. All people have God’s law of love written on their hearts with the ability to choose the good - or to choose evil. Just because all of humanity has chosen evil does not mean they have a moral inability to choose good, which is what the doctrine of original sin says. 

Other people’s sin does impact every person. No one is born in a vacuum. But conversely, other people’s righteousness also impacts every person for good. Humans by nature can choose good or evil because they have free will. Sin is still a reality, but no one dies for their parents’ sin - they die for their sin. God is not unjust, and the doctrine of original sin is not just. Other people’s sin makes it harder to choose the good, but it does not make it impossible to choose the good. That being said, reliance on God, the Holy Spirit, is necessary to become fully righteous. This is not something that a human can accomplish on their own. But it can be accomplished - sinlessness - by the power of the Holy Spirit and a person’s obedience. Jesus himself did this by the power of the Holy Spirit - and he is our model. 

Regarding Jesus, Jesus did have an advantage in being born like Adam and Eve without any past (personal) sin in his lives as Adam and David to worry about. But he was still made in every way like us, because sin is not part of human nature or part of what it means to be human. Sin is anti-human. Sin is perhaps best understood as a disease that people need to be healed of. Having sin is like having a disease - it is not human nature.

Again, this is why in Philippians 2:6-8 Jesus is described as being in the “form of God”, the “form of a servant”, and “being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form…” Jesus was born in the form of God, like Adam and Eve, free of any sin. He came to serve the world. He was born in the likeness of men, in human form, but without “sinful flesh” (Romans 8:3) - i.e., without the sinful corruption from his past lives as Adam and David. Finally, being “found in human form” and being described as being in the “form of God” essentially communicate the same thing, as humans are all created in the form of the invisible God as we are created in God’s image. The difference with Jesus is that he was born without sin because of the virgin birth. He was just as much created in the “form of God” as Adam was before he sinned. Humanity and God are not the same species. God is a Spirit and is invisible, among many other attributes of God that make God distinct from humanity. Humans are created in God’s image - in the form of God. Notably, Paul does not say Jesus “being God”, he says, “Jesus, being in the form of God.” This is not unique to Jesus. All humans are born in the form of God, but all have fallen short of glory of the God by our own evil choices so that we can no longer be said to be in the form of God. As Scripture says, we have all fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).

Philippians 2:6 also says Jesus “did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped.” This verse has been wildly misunderstood. This does not mean Jesus is equal to God, nor does it mean he could be equal to God. It means Jesus was incredibly humble and never attempted to be equal with God - something that many people have attempted in their open rebellion against God and His ways. Paul is not saying Jesus is equal with God. Paul is saying Jesus became a humble servant, willing even to die for the sake of the world - he did not try to be God or be equal with God - he was humble, not proud. Understanding this as Jesus is equal to God is illogical (the Trinitarian view), as Jesus could not grasp at something that he already has.

The Bible shows that humanity, including Jesus, was not created with a sinful nature or original sin inherited from Adam. The Bible shows that humanity was created in God’s image and has the moral ability to choose good or evil. All who follow Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit and learning obedience, can become sinless and be images of the invisible God like Christ is.  All things are possible with God!