In an age-old theological debate, the question is asked if we are born with a sinful nature or do we learn a sinful nature? Today we are going to unpack these statements and look at what Scripture says about mankind and sin. Are we really born with sinful desires running through our veins? Do we have choices about the particular struggles in which we face?
What Is the Meaning of a Sinful Nature?
Sinful nature traces all the way back to the original sin in the garden of Eden. Before Eve and Adam ate from the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil, they were perfect. However, when they chose disobedience to God and sinned, they took on a sinful nature. Genesis 3:7 says, “Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.”Instantly Adam and Eve felt shame and wanted to hide from the Lord. God graciously walked toward them and gently asked about what they had done. He loved them even in their sin, but their decisions did not come without consequences. God clothed them and banished them from the garden in His presence because they might eat from the tree of life (Genesis 3:21-24).
Christianity Editorial Staff shares, “Original sin can be explained as “that sin and its guilt that we all possess in God’s eyes as a direct result of Adam’s sin in the Garden of Eden.” There is a well-known Bible verse in Romans 3:23 which says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” When the Lord says all, He means all. There is not one person on this earth who is not in need of the saving grace of Jesus Christ.
Are We Born with a Sinful Nature?
I have had the privilege of working with young children over the course of many years. No matter what home the kids grew up in or how different each child was from the other, they all showed sinful decisions. It could have been one baby getting angry and hitting another, stealing a toy, or simply being defiant to authority shouting, “No!” There is no doubt that every person is a sinner. Otherwise, we would have perfectly kind and obedient children who never fight with their siblings and never make mistakes. This is not realistic. Anyone who spends an hour with a kid knows that they are not perfect. However, is this learned, or is this nature?
There is a psychological study that we talked about when I was in college called Nature Versus Nurture. In essence, it is the study of whether a person is influenced more by his nature or how he was cared for when he was growing up.
According to Mick Serpell from the National Library of Medicine, “The phrase 'nature versus nurture' was first coined in the mid-1800s by the English Victorian polymath Francis Galton in a discussion about the influence of heredity and environment on social advancement.”
In a similar way, we are essentially asking the question are we born with a nature of sin, or do we learn how to sin by the influence of others? I believe that the answer is yes, we are born into a sinful nature because of the consequences of original sin. However, I also believe that some sins are learned or modeled because of others. For instance, if two children are both born into different homes, both babies are born sinners. However, one might be exposed to parents who struggle with hate, where the other might be exposed to parents who struggle with gossip. The child in the hateful home might have a tendency to struggle with hate because it was modeled to him. Where the child in the gossiping home might wrestle with gossip because the family created that environment.
The very first human being born after Adam and Eve sinned was their son Cain. If you know anything about Cain, you remember the story of him and his brother Abel. Cain became jealous of Abel’s pleasing sacrifices to the Lord and instead of taking his frustrations to God and seeing his own potential, he murdered his brother. This was the very first death in all of Scripture. Abel’s blood cried out to God (Genesis 4:10). Did Adam and Eve ever teach Cain how to kill someone? No, Cain did not learn how to murder, but his sinful nature enabled him to murder. He had a choice, but he chose to sin.
Do Believers Have a Sinful Nature?
When I say that every person is born with a sinful nature, it means that we all have the desires of the flesh. However, when we accept Jesus as our Savior, we have the gift of the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 1:13 says, “In Him you also were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and when you believed.”
The Bible shares that we battle between living by the Spirit or by the flesh (Romans 8:6, Galatians 5:16). This is why Jesus had to come in the form of a man. He was the only human to ever be perfect. Hebrews 2:14-15 says, “Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.”
Yes, believers have a sinful nature. We are all capable of sinning even after our salvation. However, we have the power of the Holy Spirit living inside of us who can help us choose to live holy lives that honor the Lord and bless others. We might have a lifetime of struggle with particular sins, but we have God’s grace and strength on the journey. This is why a believer should never define himself by his sin, but rather be defined as a child of God. It is ok to admit to a struggle, but our identity as believers is not our sinful nature, it is our purpose in Christ.
Ephesians 2:3 says, “All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath.”
We need to be on our guard and know that we are always likely to fail since we have a sinful nature. Joe McKeever from Crosswalk shares, “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts. (Romans 13:14) The battle does not ease up as you grow older, but merely changes the nature of the attacks. The temptation is always there and the possibilities for major disaster always present.”
Why Is This Such an Important Concept in Christianity?
This is an important concept in Christianity because it reminds us of our total depravity apart from Jesus. There is none righteous (Romans 3:10). It is by grace that we are saved (Ephesians 2:8-9). Remembering that we were once under the consequence of death and eternal punishment brings a greater appreciation for the sacrifice of Jesus and the hope that we have in Him. We no longer have to be afraid that our mistakes are too big for forgiveness. We can live free from the chains of sin by the power of the Holy Spirit. We can have grace for ourselves and others when we fall short, knowing that Jesus did what we could not do. Even though we have a sinful nature, we have a Christ-like nature through the Spirit and can have true victory in Jesus.
Further Reading
Are We Born with a Sinful Nature, or Do We Earn It?
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