Original sin says we were born bad to the bone. From the moment we drew our first breath, we were inclined towards sin, utterly depraved, and hostile towards God.
Since beginning this series, I've received messages from readers who defend original sin by quoting Romans 3, 5, and other scriptures that say we are all sinners who have gone astray. This shows the confusion that some have about the doctrine of original sin.
There is no question that we were born under the condemnation of sin and death. But the doctrine of original sin, which was invented by Tertullian and popularized by Augustine, Calvin and others, says something different, namely that we inherited Adam's sinful nature.
If original sin is true, your children are natural born sinners and dead babies go to hell.
But it's not true.
You may have heard original sin mentioned a thousand times, and I can understand your shock when I say original sin is unbiblical. But as sure as the night is dark, the doctrine of original sin is an invention of religion. It is not from the Holy Spirit.
The doctrine of original sin has brought nothing but pain and guilt to the world. A good tree bears good fruit, but manmade doctrines release suffering and death.
Here are six more reasons why you should have nothing to do with this unbiblical teaching:
1. Adam sinned without a sinful nature
Original sin says we inherited a sinful nature from Adam, but when Adam fell into sin he didn't have one. How could Adam pass along something he didn't have?
Adam's sin had catastrophic consequences for the human race, but his sin did not lead to a redesign of the original prototype. Men did not start growing horns or tails as a result of the Fall, and God's workmanship remains as good as ever (Ps. 139:14).
2. God never said original sin was part of the curse
After Adam fell, God outlined the consequences of his sin (see Gen. 3:14–19). God told Adam all the bad things that what would happen, but he said nothing about passing on a bad gene or a sinful predisposition.
3. If we are born corrupt, we can't become corrupt
Original sin says you were born corrupt, defiled and lost, but the Bible says we become corrupt and go astray and turn aside. "All have turned aside and become corrupt" (Ps. 14:3). There are many scriptures that describe how this happens (e.g., Ps. 14:3, Gal. 5:4, 6:8, 1 Tim. 6:10, 21, etc.).
4. You cannot pass on a righteous nature
Original sin came to you from Adam by way of your parents, but what if your parents were spirit-filled believers? They would no longer have a sinful nature. One with the Lord, they had a righteous nature.
Did you inherit your parents' righteous nature? Were you a natural born saint? No one believes you can inherit your parents' righteousness, so why do we think we inherited their sinfulness?
5. Original sin cannot account for Old Testament saints
If anyone was going to inherit Adam's wicked gene, surely it was his son. Yet Jesus said Abel was righteous (Matt. 23:35). So were Noah, Lot, and Daniel (Gen. 6:9, Eze. 14:20, 2 Pet. 2:7).
The related doctrines of original sin and total depravity say that none of us can reach out to God, but Abel and the other Old Testament saints prove that the unsaved can operate in faith. God is not far from any of us (Acts 17:27).
6. Original sin says you have no choice
Original sin says it's not your fault that you are wicked and incapable of living by faith. You are a hapless victim. Unless God happens to grace you – and who can say if he will? – you are eternally lost.
The devil would love for you to believe this because such a message will leave you unmoved and unchanged. It will become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
The good news declares you have a choice. "What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin?" (Rom. 6:1). Do you see? You don't have to continue in sin.
In Adam, we had no choice, but Christ was "raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life" (Rom. 6:4). You have a choice. You can choose to walk in the old way of Adam or the new way of Jesus. Choose life.
The end of the matter
Here are three ways to tell if a teaching is unscriptural: (1) it's not in the Bible, (2) it contradicts the Bible, and (3) it leads to illogical conclusions. The doctrine of original sin fails all three tests. There is not one scripture that says we inherited Adam's sinful nature and plenty that say otherwise.
Original sin is unbiblical and illogical, but its greatest flaw is the way it portrays God as harsh and unjust. Original sin says the sons are judged for the sins of the father, but this is contrary to the heart of God. Not even under the law-keeping covenant were children judged for their parents' sins (Deu. 24:16, Eze. 18:20).
Original sin says humanity was created good but became bad. "You can be made good again but no matter how good you are, your children will always be born bad." Huh?
The Bible tells a simpler story and offers a better remedy:
Original sin is bad news from start to finish, but there is no bad news in the good news. Contrary to what you may have heard, God is good, he loves you, and he doesn't hold your sins or your parents' sin against you (2 Cor. 5:19).
Believe the good news and be free!
(And stop telling your kids they are sinners.)
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Full sources can be found found in my Original Sin ebook on Patreon.
Other articles on original sin:
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