The Shepherds Way (TSW) ~ Eric W. King: Original Sin

Original Sin

By Eric William King

First let us define sin. We could define “sin” as anything that one does which does not express the holy character of God…all the bad stuff. All humans have been given an innate comprehension of sin – a basic understanding of “right and wrong” behavior. All humans are born with the inclination to sin. You don’t have to teach a child how to be rude or wrongfully angry…it comes as a package deal.

The Bible teaches that all humans have inherited sin from our first parents. Birth into the human race is birth into distortion [a distorted or Fallen Matrix] with proclivity to behave badly and ignore God (Psalm 51:5: Romans 5:12-21). Thus the existential situation of humanities sinfulness is “original”.

St Augustine taught that mans nature was basically that which he called “concupiscence” which is to say wholly corrupt including mans free will to choose...it’s all distorted. The Bible depicts man as helpless and having total inability to save himself due to his inherent sinful nature.

God does allow His common grace to help man in his sinful condition. All unbelievers continue to live on this planet because of God’s undeserved grace, His common grace. “…For He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” (Matthew 5:44-45) God allows much beauty to remain in the natural world. Most humans are not entirely given over to evil or wrong doing but they are still collecting sin through bad behavior and wrongful thoughts unrepented of.

Saving grace is given to those who hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ and accept it. This is also called “saving faith”. Those who become truly regenerated, “born from above” or “born again”, comprise the elect and predestined children of God. As humans we cannot understand this rule of sovereignty but because God is sovereign He is in control and understands the depth of eternity where as mere man cannot and never will.

The Curse of Sin

In the “reformed” churches original sin is called “total inability”. Mans inability to save himself from sin does not mean that all people are equally bad. Also, most people are not as “bad” as they could be. What all humans have in common is that they are born “under the curse of sin”. This is why true Christianity teaches that we all need a Savior and that Savor must be God Himself. (Isaiah 43:10-11) This was accomplished through the incarnation of the Word of God who became flesh for us in the person of Jesus Christ. (Titus 2:13)

So the result of original sin means that humans are not in and of themselves able to properly believe in God nor truly fear or love God. This is why saving grace must be accomplished in the heart of the true believer through the power of the Holy Spirit for true regeneration to occur. In ending this article which is expressing what this ministry (“The Shepherds Way”) believes in regarding original sin I would like to quote part of Martin Luther’s statement regarding the Third Article of the Apostles creed, of which we are in full agreement of:

“I believe that I cannot by my own thinking or choosing believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him. But the Holy Spirit has called me by the gospel, enlightened me with his gifts, sanctified and kept me in the True Faith. In the same way he calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith.”

Eric W. King (Founder of “The Shepherds Way” &“Nugget of Truth”) – April 7^th 2020