SINFUL NATURE 1: ONE POPULAR VIEW
(Message by Tanny Keng)
1. What is the ‘Sinful Nature’?
a) Why do we sin? What is it that oftentimes urges us to do what we know is wrong? Did humanity inherit a ‘sinful nature’ when Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden? Did God curse humankind by giving them a tendency to sin; a tendency that has been the cause of hurt and heartache for untold multitudes to this day?
2. One Popular View of the ‘Sinful Nature”
a) Many Christians believe that the ‘sinful nature’ is something that was added to human beings when Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden. It is also claimed that this ‘sinful nature’ is something for which each of us is guilty and for which we deserve God’s wrath. The following statements illustrate this concept:
“So, although we often blame Adam, the life we have was in Adam when he sinned, and the sin nature we received was because we were in Adam when he sinned. We share in the blame and the sin as well as the punishment.”
“Due to the sin nature received from Adam, death is coming for all since all have sinned (Romans 3:23).”
“…why would God permit sin nature to pass along to Adam’s descendants?”
“In a sense, we were all in Adam when he sinned! This explains why we inherit a sin nature. When Adam sinned, a sin nature came over them and since we were in them and our life came from them, we inherit this nature as well.”
b) These statements represent the idea that, not only is the ‘sinful nature’ something we received from Adam because of his sin, but this ‘sinful nature’ also makes us guilty. We have often wrestled with the idea that this view seemed to present the ‘sinful nature’ as a ‘thing’ that corrupts us and is to be fought against. However, we believe there is a better, and thoroughly biblical, way to explain what is meant by this ‘sinful nature’ which we all exhibit (Romans 3:23).
The End ...
1. What is the ‘Sinful Nature’? a) Why do we sin? What is it that oftentimes urges us to do what we know is wrong? Did humanity inherit a ‘sinful nature’ when Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden? Did God curse humankind by giving them a tendency to sin; a tendency that has been the cause of hurt and heartache for untold multitudes to this day?
2. One Popular View of the ‘Sinful Nature”
a) Many Christians believe that the ‘sinful nature’ is something that was added to human beings when Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden. It is also claimed that this ‘sinful nature’ is something for which each of us is guilty and for which we deserve God’s wrath. The following statements illustrate this concept:
“So, although we often blame Adam, the life we have was in Adam when he sinned, and the sin nature we received was because we were in Adam when he sinned. We share in the blame and the sin as well as the punishment.”
“Due to the sin nature received from Adam, death is coming for all since all have sinned (Romans 3:23).”
“…why would God permit sin nature to pass along to Adam’s descendants?”
“In a sense, we were all in Adam when he sinned! This explains why we inherit a sin nature. When Adam sinned, a sin nature came over them and since we were in them and our life came from them, we inherit this nature as well.”
b) These statements represent the idea that, not only is the ‘sinful nature’ something we received from Adam because of his sin, but this ‘sinful nature’ also makes us guilty. We have often wrestled with the idea that this view seemed to present the ‘sinful nature’ as a ‘thing’ that corrupts us and is to be fought against. However, we believe there is a better, and thoroughly biblical, way to explain what is meant by this ‘sinful nature’ which we all exhibit (Romans 3:23).
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