The question of original sin produces fodder for some of the most intense theological arguments and discussions among people who call themselves Christians and authentic believers. Some folks believe everyone is born as pure as the driven snow, then learns to sin from their environment, their family and their experiences. In other words, sin is superficial, born of the external, with no spiritual connection.
“How can a babe in a cradle be sinful?” they pose. “Surely a baby doesn’t have the capacity to sin.” As a helpless child, no, of course not. But God’s word says that since all mankind are descendants of Adam, mankind was born with his nature.
“Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world
(into every human who has ever been born--my note)Â and
death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because
all sinned” Romans 5:8
In my view many who don’t believe in original sin, fail to search for God’s word on it. Instead, it seems to me that they choose to rely on their own beliefs, reasoning, or worse, what some preacher teaches. Not God’s word.
I don’t believe you can pluck a few verses out of the Bible on any subject and arrive at God’s truth. I can extract a hand full of verses that validate being born in original sin.
“Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother
conceived me.” (Psalm 51:5) NASBSurely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my
mother conceived me. Psalm 51:5 NIVBehold, I was shapen (born) in iniquity; and in sin did my
mother conceive me. Psalm 51:5 KJVFor I was guilty from the day I was born, a sinner from the
time my mother became pregnant with me.
Psalm 51:5Â The VoiceÂ
But, those verses, help validate for me that we were all born with Adam’s sin nature, since every human descended from Adam. When we accepted Christ, as the Bible says, that sinful nature of ours died on the cross with Christ as well. We became born again with a new incorruptible spirit to live forever with Almighty God in His kingdom.
As far as I’m concerned, there’s no room for any speculation or feelings or opinions or human reasoning about any beliefs other than the way we were born in sin. And rescued from damnation and born again into an eternal life as unconditionally loved children of God.
For His Glory 
I think we are not born with sin, but with the potential to do evil. Religious texts often make more sense to the modern sensibility if they are taken metaphorically, rather than literally.
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Good points, Steven. I don’t believe the doctrine of original sin is biblical. Without getting too theologically technical here, it originally came from Augustine who couldn’t read Greek, only Latin. And he used the Latin Vulgate for Romans 5:8 that translated it “in whom all sinned” instead of the modern translations that corrected this mistake (based on the Greek), “BECAUSE all sinned.” In other words, we are sinner because we sin, not because we’re born sinners. And, you’re right, Christ brought “Adam” to the grave with Him on the cross. So, now, as the old hymn says, “He breaks the power of canceled sin” in our lives!
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Great explanation of a truth that many find confusing.
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