Blemished
The concept of original sin is a foundational Christian doctrine that describes the fallen state of human nature inherited from humanity’s first act of disobedience. It’s not about personal guilt for a specific act that we committed, but rather a condition that we are born into.
The Original Act was as you know the disobedience of Adam and Eve described in Genesis 3. This is when they ate the forbidden fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and where it all went wrong!
Genesis 3:6-7a
When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked,
The immediate consequence was a rupture in their relationship with God, symbolised by their shame, fear, and expulsion from paradise. From this spiritual and physical death became part of the human experience.
The nature of Adam & Eve’s sin is an inherited condition, because ‘original sin’ is fundamentally understood as the "absence of original holiness and justice”. It’s basically a lack of the grace that humanity originally had!
The doctrine holds that our fallen state is passed down through the generations, and it’s not ‘sin’ learnt by copying the bad example of others. It’s simply there, part of what we are, part of the human condition from our conception.
Because of it, the human will is weakened, the intellect is darkened, and residing within us, is a powerful inclination toward sin. The name for this is "concupiscence".
Now the good news is, this inclination itself is not sin, but it’s the fertile ground from which personal sins arise, which means, innocence remains intact until the point in time when we sin.
Theological Interpretations
Augustinian/Reformed View:
This perspective emphasises the total depravity of humanity. It holds that Adam’s guilt is directly imputed (credited) to all his descendants, and the human will is in complete bondage to sin, unable to turn to God without divine grace.
The Catholic Church teaches that original sin is the loss of original holiness, not a personal fault but a state of being. Baptism cleanses the 'stain of original sin', but the temporal consequences, like suffering and concupiscence, remain.
The Eastern Orthodox Church call it "ancestral sin," This tradition focuses less on inherited guilt and more on the inheritance of mortality and the consequences of a broken communion with God. Humans are born into a world where sin is powerful, but they do not bear the personal guilt of Adam’s transgression.
Q. Are we dammed or is there a remedy?
Yeah 😀, the New Adam.
Thankfully the entire doctrine is framed by its solution. Jesus Christ, is the "New Adam," who undoes the disobedience of the first Adam through his perfect obedience, culminating in his death and resurrection.
From the cross Grace is restored. Then through faith and baptism, a person becomes united with Christ and the stain of original sin is washed away. They are restored to a state of grace, becoming a "new creation" regaining the capacity for eternal life.
Have a great week, and God bless,
Trev.