Introduction:
Over the last six posts, we have explored the doctrine of original sin. We began by noting four fall-like events in the Bible (Satan's Fall, Adam's Fall, The Flood, Tower of Babel). We noted how understanding those four events, especially Adam's Fall, brings about a greater understanding of the state of the world, the human condition, and the glory of salvation in Jesus Christ.
As we delved into Adam's Fall, we proposed that the doctrine of original sin explains what took place and why it affected us all. The following is a summary outline that has ran its course through the last six posts.
1. Defining and
illustrating original sin. 1 Cor 15:22;
Rom 5:18-19.
B. Original sin illustrated.
2. Adam
initiated original sin. Gen 3:1-3, 6; James 4:17.
A. Disobedience in subduing the Serpent. Gen 3:1-3,6.
B. Deception of changing God’s Word. Gen 3:2-4.
C. Deliberate choice to do what
was forbidden. Gen 3:5-7.
D. Darkness of separation from
God. Gen 3:8-10
E.
Devastation of the curse. Gen 3:11-14, 16-19.
3. Guilt was imputed by original sin. Job 31:33; Hosea 6:7
4. What good is there in knowing about original sin?
A. To grasp the greatness of God’s love in saving faith.
B. To grasp Christ’s imputed
righteousness in saving faith.
As we pressed through the posts, we explored further truths.
5. Original sin
led to inherited corruption. Romans 5:12-14.
A. The representative head’s practice transferred the corruption. Romans 5:12
B. The representative head’s pattern repeated the corruption. Romans 5:13-14
6. Original sin brings an inward bent away from God. Rom 3:10-18
7. Again, why should we know about original sin?
A. To desire God who call us to salvation. Romans 5:6-8.
B. To depend on Christ’s righteousness for salvation. Romans 5:17.
C. To delight in the new nature promised in salvation. John 1:12-13.
We defined the doctrine of original sin as follows: original sin is that willful act of Adam that transferred to the human race imputed guilt, inherited corruption, and an inward bent away from God.
Overall, I put forth four points
or truths that follow from this definition, offering Scriptural evidence. As the reader can tell from the above outline followed by the whole series, I attempted to expound four major tenets of the doctrine.
(1). Original
sin initiated with Adam.
(2). Original
sin imputed guilt.
(3). Original
sin led to inherited corruption
(4). Inward
bent away from God.
As we conclude this series, let us remind ourselves about the doctrine of imputation, representative headship, and the value of studying the doctrine of original sin.
The above slide is taken from one of the sermons I had preached on the doctrine of original sin. The reader will notice two circles. There is Adam, our representative or covenant head, the first circle. All humanity, born in Adam, contract his characteristics from the fall (inherited corruption, imputed guilt, inward bent from God).
But then notice the second circle - the New Adam, Christ. To get into each circle, the members must be "born". All of us are born naturally into Adam's race, he as our representative in the Garden of Eden. Those from Adam's race must be born again in saving faith to be transferred from "Old Adam" into "The Second Adam". In Adam, all died. In Christ, the New Adam, all are made alive as a consequence of His resurrection from the dead and upon reception of Him in saving faith.
Notice that second circle. My imputed guilt is exchanged for Christ's imputed righteousness. My inherited corruption in Adam is exchanged for a new nature (at least in my heart/spirit), resulting in an instant new nature and a progressive change in sanctification in Christ.
On this point of corruption, I still bear the left-overs of the corruption of original sin in my body, my flesh, which is why I have that inward conflict of "spirit" and "flesh". Then, unlike the first circle of having that inward bent away from God, the Holy Spirit comes, awakens my innermost man, and "rips away the veil" from my eyes to desire Christ in faith and repentance (2 Corinthians 3:16-18; 4:1-6).
The point of my giving you, the reader, those two circles, is to highlight the doctrine of imputation. Without the doctrine of imputation, or "crediting of one person's work to another", we would not understand why all humanity is guilty before God because of Adam's imputed sin and guilt (as well as each individual's actual sins).
Further, we would not grasp what Christ bore in the cross with respect of having our sin and "sins" imputed so as to have Christ treated as a vile sinner (2 Corinthians 5:21), as the cursed one (Galatians 3:10-13), and as the object of wrath on the cross (Romans 5:6-10).
Finally, without the doctrine of original sin and the related concept of "imputation", we could not appreciate the doctrine of justification by faith, whereupon by reception of Christ by faith apart from works, I have imputed to my account His perfect life, substitutionary death, and victorious resurrection.
It is the awfully bad news of original sin that brings out the glorious good news of our salvation - the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Although I did not get into the historical development of the doctrine of original sin, as a final remark on that score, most of church history (not just Augustine onward, but earlier church fathers such as Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian) have expressed the awfulness of human sin along the lines of the doctrine of original sin.
The indictment of Scripture, time and again, is that we sin because we are sinners, and we are sinners because of the original sinner - Adam. The Biblical authors, and even Jesus Himself, described the human condition as crooked, corrupt, and in need of an inward change from the Holy Spirit in the New Birth (Matthew 7:21-23; Matthew 15:18-19; Mark 7:21; Luke 6:45; John 1:12-13). This is why everyone born into this world, in Adam, is commanded to believe, repent, and be saved from their fallen condition and from God's wrath upon the whole of humanity.
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