The Fall of Man into Sin
According to the Bible, when God created the world, He made man in His own image and likeness. God Himself is good, and everything He created was also good: “And God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good” (Gen. 1:31).
This was the state in the beginning. However, there was one thing in Paradise that man was not allowed to do: “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (Gen. 2:17). The Bible further tells us that Adam and Eve acted against God’s will. They listened to and believed the words of the serpent, the enemy of souls. As a result, the first human pair fell into sin and were separated from God.
Human Nature Is Corrupted by Original Sin
Sin is the falling away of the heart from God, the breaking of God’s will and His law. People are guilty before their Creator and responsible for their sins. In the fall into sin, the first humans lost their original innocence. Everything that was good in the world became corrupted. The results of their fall have been inherited by all their descendants (Gen. 2:17; 3:6–7,16–19; Rom. 5:12). If sin is not atoned for, it results in punishment (Ps. 51:4–5; Jer. 3:25; Rom. 6:23).
The Bible reveals the depth of corruption caused by original sin in every person: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one. Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.; The venom of asps is under their lips: Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood; in their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes.” (Rom. 3:10-18).
Sin is not merely individual, outwardly visible acts; its source is deeper. Human nature is from birth completely corrupted by sin. All people are full of evil desires and inclinations (Rom. 7:15-18). The effects of original sin are felt in the lives of all people.
Thus, all people are by nature under the power of sin. All have turned away, together they have become worthless. God has revealed His will to people in His law. One function of the law is to show a person his or her sinfulness. Through the law comes the knowledge of sin, which drives a distressed person to Christ and thus makes it possible to be justified and become acceptable to God (Rom. 3:9–12; 7:7–9).
Actual Sins Are a Result of Original Sin
The origin of actual sins is human nature and its lusts, corrupted by original sin: “Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each one is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desires. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.” (James 1:13–15). Actual sins are fruits brought forth by human nature defiled by original sin.
The Bible warns us especially against loving the world: “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever” (1.John 2: 15–17).
Loving the world means that a person is living in unbelief without faith and doing everything after his or her corrupted and selfish will, which is a result of original sin. It does not mean that we should isolate ourselves from this world in which we are living, working and carrying out our everyday responsibilities. As Jesus teaches: “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?” (Matt.16:24–26).
Results of Sin
The Bible rejects the teaching that God would systematically punish sinners in this life. The unrighteous may prosper, and the righteous may suffer: “But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here and you are in anguish’”(Luke 16:25). However, living in sin is a fruit of unbelief and separation from God, resulting in eternal punishment. This means losing eternal life and entering into eternal suffering (2 Thess. 1:6–9).
All people are responsible for their actions before God. No one can atone for their sins by doing good works and thereby avoid eternal punishment. However, God did not want to leave His creation without the possibility of salvation. Immediately after the fall, while pronouncing a curse upon the serpent, He declared the promise of Christ: “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel” (Gen. 3:15). According to Luther, this was the very first proclamation of the gospel which Adam and Eve received by faith.
This promise applies to all humankind. Because He loved sin-fallen humankind, God Himself prepared atonement and redemption through His Son, Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 5:19). Due to it, every person born into this world under original sin is at the same time a partaker of faith and Christ’s gift of righteousness (1. John 2:2; Eph. 1:4–5). However, this received gift can be lost. Living in permissiveness of sin leads to losing faith and to spiritual death (Rom. 6:16). According to Luther, unbelief is a sin unto death.
Sin Today and the Gospel of God’s kingdom
The Bible’s teaching on sin and on right and wrong is always timely. We live in a time when our eyes and ears are flooded every day with global problems caused largely by humans, such as wars, violence, and greed. Underlying these problems is the lifestyle of people living under original sin. The fruits of original sin cause suffering to millions of people every day (1. John 5:19).
However, there is no reason to live in despair even today, the call from God’s congregation, formed by the Holy Spirit, invites people into God’s kingdom. According to the gospel of John, Jesus sent his own disciples to preach forgiveness of sins: “Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.’”(John 20: 21–23). Remaining faithful to the mission given by Jesus, we proclaim: “the kingdom of God is at hand—repent and believe the gospel” (Mark 1:15).
If God has awakened your conscience to recognize that you are a sinner and you feel fear and distress because of sin, God also gives you the strength to seek His kingdom and His righteousness. From God’s congregation, you can personally hear that your sins are forgiven because of Jesus’ atonement and redemption work—by faith alone and by grace alone.
The keys of the Kingdom were given to the believing disciples when Jesus left the earth. The keys are powered by the Holy Spirit, the same spirit from Him who raised Christ from the dead. This spirit dwells within those who have received it (Rom. 8:11). This spirit is not an earthy power but the power of God! Thus, this proclamation of the forgiveness of sins can be declared to you by someone who has first heard the gospel of the forgiveness of sins for himself. As it is written: “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith.”(Rom. 1:17) By believing the gospel they have heard, a sinful person becomes righteous, that is, acceptable to God—a child of God. And thus, “The righteous shall live by faith” (Rom. 1:16–17).
Author: Jani Saarenranta