Thread by @ZachWLambert

Original Sin vs Chosen Sin

When I push back against “original sin,” many assume I’m claiming we are all sinless. That could not be further from the truth. As Paul says, “we all sin and fall short of God’s glory.”

So what’s the difference between original sin and chosen sin?

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There are many great resources that delve into the more academic arguments against original sin, and I am happy to point you to them if you’re interested, but that’s not what I’m doing here.

I want to take a moment to tell you how (1) original sin strips God-given agency away from individuals, (2) discourages us from following the Way of Jesus, and (3) portrays a picture of humanity wholly incompatible with being created in God’s image.

1. Original Sin strips God-given agency away from individuals.

If we are inherently sinful people who can only do sinful things, then we are without choice. This is simply not how “sin” is used throughout the biblical narrative. The first usage of sin is from Genesis 4:6-7…

Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”

Note that “sin” is not used to describe a state of being, it’s not an identity statement about Cain (or Adam and Eve), and it’s not making the claim that Cain or anyone else has been born into a sinful condition.

The first time “sin” is used in the Bible it is presented as a choice. God tells Cain that sin is crouching at his door and he has two choices - do what is right or do what is wrong.

If there was ever a human who should have had no choice but to sin, it was Cain. He was the firstborn son of the original sinners—the couple who introduced sin to humanity and broke God’s very good world.

If Original Sin was true, then these words from God in Genesis 4 would be a lie. Cain could never rule over sin because he was already consumed by it. But that’s not the case. Cain has a choice.

Pete Enns says it like this:

“We do not read that Adam’s disobedience is somehow causally linked to Cain’s act. God’s warning to Cain in 4:7 seems to imply that the choice—whether to give in to his anger or ‘master’ it—is entirely his own. The picture drawn for us is that Cain is fully capable of making a different choice, not that his sin is due to an inescapable sinful inheritance.”

2. Original Sin discourages us from following the Way of Jesus.

As a kid in church, I was made to believe everything I ever did was corrupted by sin. Even the “good” things were like “filthy rags” because I couldn’t fully remove my selfish and sinful heart from them.

If that’s true, then why would we ever pursue Christlikeness? If everything we do is sinful, what is the point of following the Way of Jesus?

Thankfully, it’s not true. Just like Adam, Eve, Cain, and every other person, we are given choices between doing what’s right and doing what’s wrong. We are given the choice between the Way of Cain and the Way of Christ.

Throughout Scripture, we’re exhorted to do good, seek justice, and love sacrificially. Paul famously encouraged the early church by saying…

“Let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.” Galatians 6:9

3. Original Sin portrays a picture of humanity wholly incompatible with being created in God’s image.

The entire purpose of the end of Gen. 1 and all of Gen. 2 is to proclaim the truth that God made humanity in God’s image, likeness, and to be God’s representatives on earth.

We are not predestined to always choose sin, our primary identity is “sinner,” and we are not loathsome spiders dangled over a fire by God as Jonathan Edwards famously claimed.

We are children of God (John 1:12, Galatians 3:26, 1 John 3:1, Matthew 5:9, etc.), made in God’s image (Genesis 1:26-27, Genesis 2:7, Genesis 9:6, Ephesians 2:10, etc.), and given the autonomy to make choices every single day.

Yes, we all sin. We all choose to hurt ourselves and others. We all choose to participate in sinful systems that hurt us and our neighbors. But we are not inherently sinful.

We all sin, but our identity is not defined by that sin.

Jesus is not just some get-out-of-hell-free card. Through his life, death, and resurrection, Jesus provides forgiveness of sins, restoration of brokenness, and fullness of life.

Jesus also shows us what it means to be truly human—people who are all about love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

We are not born into a sinful state handed down to us through Adam. That doctrine is not only short on Biblical support, it is incredibly damaging.

Sarah shares her story about that damage below:
x.com/bebravegrl119/…

While Sarah’s story is unique because it’s hers, it is far from uncommon. I hear stories like it almost every day.

“Original sin” hurts people and degrades the message of Jesus. We must push back on it by proclaiming the truth about who God says we are and how we are to live.