Many people ask what’s this "original sin"? Are we all born with sin because of Adam? Why are we all considered sinful because of one man? Many years back I too asked these same questions. It all became clear as time went by, and recently I read a great explanation on the subject by N.W. Hutchings, in his book "Romance of Romans". I am taking the liberty of citing part of his explanation, in the hopes it may clear up these questions a lot of us have on sin.
First off, sin was not in the world at creation, it came into the world by one man, it caused death to enter the human race, and both sin and death came by Adam's transgression. Now then let us consider the statement that by one man, Adam, sin entered the human race, and every man and woman born into the world from Adam's seed are born with a sinful nature; and because of sin, the death penalty has been passed on all of us. How can we understand that just because the first man sinned, all who came from his loins, are born with a sinful nature?
I would like to cite a modern example of sin to perhaps make this basic doctrine of God easier for you to comprehend in a more literal sense. Today, literally millions of young people are taking hard narcotics and becoming drug addicts. It’s been reported in the medical journals and in the newspapers that when a mother is addicted to drugs, her baby is also born a drug addict. The hospital has to give the baby the same type of drugs to which the mother is addicted until they can affect a drug cure for the infant. The innocent little baby, while even yet in its mothers womb, had nothing at all to do with bringing about its own unfortunate condition, but that in no way alters the fact that it is born with a loathsome habit.
In the same manner, because the forefather of the human race became a sin addict through willful disobedience to God, all men and women are born into the world addicted to sin. Even though we did not of our own selves have anything to do with contracting this terrible spiritual disease, this does not change the fact that we are born with it and its ultimate consequence is death. We suffer from its symptoms all through life just as a man dying of a deadly disease might experience fever, chills, and various aches and pains before the end comes. Jesus Christ came as the Great Physician to offer men a cure for sin, and He is the only Man in history of the world who was qualified to do this because He was both Man and God. We read in Luke 5:31-32, "And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."
Hopefully this explanation will show you why we are all sinful by nature, and why with this inherent nature, we would have all been lost, if it were not for the second Adam, Jesus Christ, who removed our sin by taking it to the Cross.
By George Konig
May 16, 2004
www.georgekonig.org
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