I had been working at California Pizza Kitchen for a few weeks when I met David. He was a fellow server, a professing Christian, and a connoisseur of fine movies. We had plenty to talk about over the course of our shifts and during lulls in dining activity. Even so, given the hectic nature of serving tables, our conversations could never go too deep, especially when it came to spiritual things. We decided to get lunch on our day off.
Although David was a professing Christian, he hadn’t made church much of a priority over the last few years, and he told me he was struggling with this faith. One of the biggest obstacles for him was the doctrine of original sin. Specifically, he couldn’t accept the idea that all humans bore the guilt of Adam’s sin. Like most people, David considered this to be an unfair arrangement: how could we be held accountable for a sin he didn’t commit?
I explained that God had planned salvation so that in the same way that Adam stood as our representative, so did Jesus Christ. In other words, just like we bear the consequences of Adam’s sin, we bear the consequences of Jesus’ obedience. Our condemnation was established in an event that occurred prior to our existence and outside of our control. Likewise, our justification was also established in an event that occurred prior to our existence and outside our control. In the same way we had nothing to do with Adam’s sin, so we had nothing to do with Jesus’ act of righteousness that secured our right standing with God. In terms of salvation, God’s taken care of everything for us.
I’ll never forget his response: “Well, I like the sound of that.”
The Good News of Original Sin
The doctrine of original sin teaches that all humans stand guilty before God, not merely because of their own sin, but due to the sin of Adam, whom God designated as the representative of all humanity. Yes, we are also guilty because of the individual sins we commit, but foundationally and fundamentally, we are already guilty before we commit any actual sins because we bear the guilt of Adam’s sin.
Paul articulates these truths in Romans 5:12-21. Here we learn that sin came into the world through Adam (Rom 5:12) and that Adam’s one sin resulted in death and condemnation for all people (5:12a, 15, 18). But as he exposits these vital truths about our condemned status in Adam, the apostle Paul lays alongside every statement about Adam’s sin a corresponding statement about Christ’s saving work.
For example, Paul contrasts the results that came from Adam and Christ’s respective work, saying, “But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if. Many died through the one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for the many” (5:15). Later in the passage, Paul speaks directly to the issue of the condemned status we inherit through Adam: “Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one action of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men” (5:18). Jesus’ work of obedience parallels perfectly Adam’s work of disobedience so that where we once stood condemned due to the actions of another, so we now stand justified due to the actions of another, Jesus Christ.
Like David discovered during our lunch together, original sin is good news. In his infinite wisdom, God designated Adam as our representative so that we might be saved entirely by grace. Our condemnation was established by Adam’s actions, not our own. In the same way, our right standing with God was established by Jesus’ actions, not our own. We did nothing to bring about our condemnation, and we did nothing to secure our justification. All our righteousness is bound up in the life, death, and resurrection of the Son of God—a gift received by faith alone, apart from our works.
Helpful for Our Assurance
Practically, these wonderful truths should relieve much anxiety about our right standing with God. Neither original condemnation nor justification are in my hands. “For as by one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience, the many will be made righteous” (5:19). Just like there is nothing I can do to overturn what Adam has done on my behalf, there is nothing I can do to overturn what Christ has done on my behalf. When I walk in obedience, I do not add to my justification. But just as important: when I fall into sin, I do not endanger my justification. Why? Justification, like original condemnation, has no relation to my obedience or lack thereof.
Of course, some may hear this and warn me that such a view of our salvation will lead Christians to indulge in more sin because they don’t have to fear it undoing their justification. But that kind of objection is not new. Paul faced similar challenges, which is why he followed his discussion of original sin with a section on sanctification.
In his response to these objections, however, Paul does not walk back his bold statements on the nature of God’s grace in Christ. To the suggestions, “Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?” (6:1), and “Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace?” (6:15), Paul redirected the objector’s focus, not away from grace, but deeper into it. That is, Paul reminds us that those who have come to benefit from Christ’s obedience are those who have been united to Christ in his death and resurrection. Grace not only provides us with justification wholly on the basis of what Christ has done; it also brings about a fundamental change in us so that sin no longer enslaves us as it did prior to our conversion (6:6, 11, 14). Now, having our heart settled in the truth of our justification, we can genuinely obey God, put sin to death, and walk in practical righteousness (6:15-23).
So, original sin is good news—not good news in and of itself, for if taken alone, original sin simply leaves us in a condemned state without any recourse or remedy. But, when linked to the gospel, original sin is good news because it renders us helpless, unable to alleviate our condemnation, and ready to lean upon the complete work of Christ and the fullness of God’s grace.
