Theologians have debated the doctrine of “original sin” for centuries.
Is humanity born guilty before God?
Are people sinful from the beginning?
How can God be just and hold us responsible for Adam’s sin?
How can I be fallen due to Adam’s fall?
This doctrine ticks off those who don’t believe and is sometimes regarded as unfair by those who do believe.
As if, everything is supposed to be fair.
I’m 5’7”-what I could’ve done on the ball-court if only I was 6’3!” But I am who I am, at least physically, largely due to genetics. I have blue eyes, brown hair and a tongue that unconsciously comes out of my mouth whenever I am making a really sweet move on the hoops court. (All right, that last one may not be genetics, but my 8 year old’s tongue does the same thing, and I don’t think it’s from copying me!)
Here in Romans 5, Paul does not answer these philosophical questions about original sin. He merely assumes it to be true. But the point of Paul’s logic here is often lost in the heat of the argument. What I believe Paul is saying is this; just as I inherited physically from my parents (Dad-5’6”, Mom-5’0”), I inherited spiritually from my ancestor, Adam. I can complain about it, but it makes sense…and besides, it still leaves me 5’7,” complaining or no complaining. But what Paul is really after here in this section is not our inherited sin nature, but our inherited righteousness. The teaching on original sin is merely to make the point that, in the same manner, we have inherited a righteous nature in Christ. Has that truth ever crossed your mind?
The “spiritual DNA” that we inherit from Adam is fallen; the “spiritual DNA” that we inherit from Christ is righteous and holy (see also Ephesians 4:24). Death reigned (5:14) until the age of grace came. Now, that a new age is here, due to the resurrection of Christ, grace reigns (5:17). Just as Adam brought about a fallen humanity, Christ, through His death and resurrection, is creating a new humanity.
We are not the same.
The time will come when we realize more deeply than today what it means to be a new creation in Christ (see 2 Corinthians 5:17). I don't know about anyone else, but this truth is to profound for me to rush past. I need to just sit in this for a while.
12 Comments:
I think you nailed it here John! William Barkley argues that man was condemed to death because of Adams sin not ours. We were hopelessly dominated by the death brought on by Adam's sin, but Jesus came and saved all mankind from the death and all mankind now lives in the salvation of God. I have a real problem with that. Even though you draw the analogy of the DNA I believe we made the choice to sin and we make the choice to accept the salvation from that sin. Adam brought sin into the world and it has been a overall, crushing load for us to carry and God knew it would be too much for our weak and feeble constitution to create the antibodies to fight the sin. So, God gave us the opportunity to get out from under that load if we so desire. Ever how you slice it, we got it bad and there is only one way out. Jesus!!
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Christian Marks, at 9:50 PM
To be consistant, if it's unfair that I recieve condemnation because of what someone else did (Adam), then logically, I must conclude it's also unfair that I receive righteousness because of what someone else did (Jesus Christ). But if I don't struggle with the latter, then I must accept the former. The whole concept of "the spokesman", or "the champion" -- the man that represents the whole and what he does affects the whole -- is something you can't get away from if you read the scriptures.
And for what it's worth, I think Barkley's insight into the historical and cultural aspects of the biblical time period are incredibly helpful, but his theology is pretty scary, if not silly.
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kilts rock, at 7:55 AM
Kilt man you are right. Barkley is good for biblical history and such, but his theology is way off on some major points. Its fuuny when I read his stuff I learn a lot about the way things were at the time of the writing but I hit areas where he is blindingly cracked! I really like John McArther and J. Vernon McGee's approach to this issue and it fits with what John Hever writes. We are what seems to be hopelessly bound by sin, but we have a Gift from the one true God that brings that much needed rescue.
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Christian Marks, at 8:08 AM
Do we inherit nothing from Eve?
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Brian Lindvall, at 8:46 AM
Yes. A love for apples.
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kilts rock, at 9:46 AM
Speak for yourself, I prefer teh PC. :P
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Brian Lindvall, at 12:21 PM
Speak for yourself, I prefer the PC. :P
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Brian Lindvall, at 12:22 PM
A little word from a redeemed daughter of Eve...Because of Christ, I no longer want to give apples that lead to death, but the Word that gives Life. I'm definitely still in process "here" to becoming all that Christ has for me, but I have hope that He'll get me "there."
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Anonymous, at 2:55 PM
Kilts Rock - I love what you said in your first post about having to accept both propositions or neither one. Good thoughts.
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David M. Staples, at 5:12 PM
Brian,
Interesting to think about what we inherited from Eve.
As far as good things: joining with God in creating life (children), beauty, relationship, receptivity to love. All the stuff that scripture talks about us when it calls the church the bride of Christ points us back to Eve as she was created.
As for bad things we inherit, God's curse on Eve when she and Adam were thrown out of the garden (Genesis chapter 2) includes pain in childbirth and strife between the sexes.
The Bible has a lot to say about godly manhood and womanhood (as well as what ungodly man/womanhood look like). I think it's important for us to put to the side what our culture tells us we should be, and look to God and his Word to see who He created us to be originally and is remaking us to become.
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Scott Davis, at 6:47 PM
In my mind, my inheritance from Adam is not so unfair....
Had I been in The Garden instead of Adam, I would have eventually taken the bait, too.
So, I have no problem accepting the fairness of my death sentence.
I am blown away by the unfairness of my salvation - that my Judge suffered my justified death sentence in my place and pronounced me free by faith in Christ!
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journey-man, at 9:36 AM
anonymous that's encouraging to hear.
"I think it's important for us to put to the side what our culture tells us we should be".
I find that's where it gets difficult with the many mixed messages that we recieve daily.
By
Brian Lindvall, at 1:00 PM
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