Page 94 - Bible Doctrine Survey I - Student Textbook (3)

The nature of Sin
There are a number of definitions of sin. Sin is any violation of the perfect holiness of God. Sin is
putting yourself above others. Sin is doing what you want rather than what God wants. Sin is
disobedience against our Creator. It is doing what He says not to do, and not doing what He says to do.
Sin is falling short of the mark.

According to 1 John 3:4 Sin is lawlessness. Romans 3:23 – “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of
God.”

The nature to sin was passed to all mankind when Adam sinned. Inherited sin is simply “the sinful state
into which all people are born” (Ryrie). We have a constant bent toward sin. Inherited sin is also called
the “sin nature” (it affected our entire being), and it is called “original sin” (emphasizing that Adam’s sin
caused the corrupted nature we each inherit).

The Bible teaches that all men have sinned and that man is totally depraved. Extreme Calvinists teach
that when Adam sinned, all mankind was subject to a nature that is in rebellion against God. Rather
than sin corrupting what is good, they believe that all good was destroyed; that man could no longer do
any good thing. They believe every man is born with a necessity to sin rather than a propensity to sin.
They believe that the human will was destroyed with Adam, and that no man, apart from God giving
Him the faith to believe, can be saved by an act of free will.

Scripture teaches, however, that all men have sinned because all men are sinners. Psalm 51:5 “…in sin
my mother conceived me.” Ephesians 2:3 “…by nature children (objects) of wrath.” Our emotions
(Romans 1:26), our intellect (Romans 1:28) and our will (Romans 7:20) are all enslaved to sin and
opposed to God. However, Scripture also teaches that man can freely, by an act obedience, chose not
to sin and accept salvation by faith. Sin is a choice for which every man will be responsible. Some
people say, “The Devil made me do it.” No, according to God’s Word, every man chooses to sin by an
act of free will. With that same will he has the opportunity to put His faith in Christ.

With the coming of sin, a huge result passed to all men. The penalty of inherited sin is spiritual death.
Man is born spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:3) and will be eternally separated from God in hell if his sinful
condition is not remedied (Revelation 20:11-15).

Imputed Sin
“Imputation” means putting to someone else’s account that which may or may not be his (Robert
Lightner, Sin, The Savior and Salvation, p.33) The “imputation of Adam’s sin to mankind” means that
Adam’s first sin was rightfully charged to the account of every other person. Someone may protest that
it doesn’t seem fair that others are charged with what Adam did. But the Bible teaches that since all
were “in Adam” we all unconsciously participated in Adam’s sin (Romans 5:12; cf. Hebrews 7:9,10).

Romans 5:12 – “Therefore just as through one man (Adam) sin entered into the world, and death
through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned.”

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