Born in Sin?

Many denominations teach that man is born in sin with a corrupt nature and unable to do any good on his own. This idea is commonly called “Total Hereditary Depravity.” But is that true?

The Bible says “God made man upright” (Ecclesiastes 7:29). It also says that children have “no knowledge of good or evil” (Deuteronomy 1:39), which is parallel to the condition of Adam and Eve before sin entered the world (Genesis 3:5, 22). Hence, children are in the same innocent state as the first humans were at the very beginning.

Paul spoke of a time in his own life when he was “alive” spiritually without the law (Romans 7:9). That could only be a reference to the innocence of his childhood. Moreover, Paul urged the brethren at Corinth to be “infants in evil” (1 Corinthians 14:20), something he would have never said if he believed infants were totally depraved. Think about it. If Paul thought that babies were corrupt little creatures with no capacity to do good, would he have urged Christians to be like them in evil? Of course not. Paul told the Corinthians to be like infants in evil because they have no experience with evil. This passage is a deathblow to the notion that man is born in sin.

Some argue that man is evil “by nature” (Ephesians 2:3). However, nowhere in scripture does it say “inherited” nature. While some in scripture “by nature” did evil, others “by nature” did good (Romans 2:14). An argument that proves too much proves nothing at all. Jesus said that lost sheep “go” astray (Matthew 18:12) and described little children as having a “heavenly” nature (Matthew 19:14).

While man does bear some of the consequences of Adam’s sin, he does not bear the guilt of Adam’s sin (Ezekiel 18:20). We are not born sinful, we become sinful!