The Beginning

The Past

The Present

The Future

The End

Home

Site Map

Lay it to Heart

Original Sin

There are two parts to the doctrine of original sin today. One teaches that as result of the sin of Adam death has come into the world and we are all subject to sin. The second falsely teaches that we are all born with the guilt of sin; that we are all sinners at birth. The second is not true and is it is a sin to teach this doctrine.

Jesus Was Born Like Us

Hebrews 2:
17	Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.
18	For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.

Philippians 2:
5	Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
6	Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
7	But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
8	And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

How could Jesus be made like us in all things if we were born with the guilt of sin but he wasn't? Jesus was made in the likeness of men. How could he do that if men are born sinners and Jesus was not?

Romans 7:9 says, "For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died." How could Paul be alive once if he were born lost or spiritually dead? He couldn't. Romans 7:10 says "And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death. Paul found it to be death. This is something that happened during his lifetime, not before. Romans 7:11 says "For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me." He was alive, and when Paul sinned, then sin slew him. He was not born dead.

The Birth of Jesus

Some people try to say Jesus was born of a virgin so he would not inherit sins from his father. This is not true. What does God say? In Isaiah 7:14 he says, "Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." Jesus was born of a virgin in order to show a sign not so that sin wouldn't be passed on. Jesus, as a man, was the seed of Adam. Galatians 3:16 says, "Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ." Jesus was the son of David. Jesus said he was the "Son of man" (John 3:14). Matthew chapter 1 lists forty men who were Jesus' ancestors. He had DNA from all these men. Abraham, David and these men were sinners. If sin could be passed on, Jesus would be a sinner.

The Sin of Adam

Proponents of original sin cite Romans 5:
12	Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
13	(For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.
14	Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.
15	But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.
16	And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.
17	For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)
18	Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.
19	For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
20	Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
21	That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

They also look at 1 Corinthians 15:
20	But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
21	For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead
22	For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
23	But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.

The way you interpret the first part of the verse is the way use you must interpret the second part. If Adam made everybody a sinner then Jesus made everybody saved. You know not all will be saved but only those who accept the free gift of salvation. Likewise, only those who accept the sin are made sinners. That is everybody except Jesus but people are not sinners until they choose to sin. If you could sin before you were born then you could likewise get saved before you were born. If you were born guilty of sin because of something that happened before you were created then you would also be born saved because of something that happened before you were created. Those who teach original sin look at the first half of the verses but ignore the second half. Follow through to verse 23. It says every man in his own order. This tells us that we are not sinners until our time or order. We are not sinners until we sin. We are not saved until we accept Jesus as our saviour. Sin may have entered the world through one man but that does not mean that you sinned before you were born.

Jacob and Esau

Romans 9 speaks of Jacob and Esau before they were born.

6	Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:
7	Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.
8	That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.
9	For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sara shall have a son.
10	And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac;
11	(For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)
12	It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.

How can children who have not done any evil be guilty of sin? They can't.

What About King David?

Psalm 51:5 says, "Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me." David's mother was a sinner but that doesn't mean David sinned in the womb. What sin do people think King David committed in the womb? If he was too young to know the difference between right and wrong, how could he sin? Psalm 139:14 says, "I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well." How could David be wonderfully made if he were a sinner? He couldn't. Who does David give praise for being made? He gives praise to God. Also, Jeremiah 1:5 says, "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations." God forms us. Would God form sin?

John the Baptist

In Luke 1:13-15 we find "But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth. For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb." John the Baptist was filled with the Spirit in his mother's womb. The Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit does not fill spiritually dead people. John the Baptist was born spiritually alive, not dead. Spiritual death does not occur until someone sins. When John was born he had a sinful nature but he was not guilty of sin.

Everyone Sins of Their Own Accord

Deuteronomy 24:16 says, "The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers: every man shall be put to death for his own sin." Children are not responsible for the sins of their parents. God did not make us sinners. Original sin is a doctrine made up by men.

Ezekiel 18:
1	The word of the LORD came unto me again, saying,
2	What mean ye, that ye use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge?
3	As I live, saith the Lord GOD, ye shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb in Israel.
4	Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.

Jeremiah 31:
29	In those days they shall say no more, The fathers have eaten a sour grape, and the children's teeth are set on edge.
30	But every one shall die for his own iniquity: every man that eateth the sour grape, his teeth shall be set on edge.

The Jews tried to blame their problems on their fathers. The same is true today. We are not sinners because our fathers were. We are sinners because we made the choice to sin. We have the opportunity because of Adam but not the guilt. Adam tried to shift the blame, too. In Genesis 3:12, when Adam was confronted with his sin he said, "The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat." He blamed the woman and pointed out that it was God who gave him the woman. Don't blame someone else for your sin.

James 1:
13	Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:
14	But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
15	Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

How Does Sin Happen?

It started when Adam and Eve disobeyed God.
Over time, the opportunity spread to all men but that did not make them sinners.
As men are tempted, they are drawn away of their own lust, not Adam's.
When lust has conceived, it brings forth sin:

So What Does This Mean?

People are born subject to the consequences of sin.
People are not born with the guilt of sin. They are not born sinners.
Sin is not inherited.
Jesus was not born of a virgin because of sin.
Jesus was made like us.
Like Paul, we are born alive.
The time someone chooses to sin is the time when that person becomes spiritually dead.

Don't blame Adam or God for your sin. You need to realize that you sinned of your own doing, not someone else's.