By Dr. Anne Davis

What is the doctrine of original sin?

This doctrine claims that all humans are born in a sinful condition and therefore must strive to overcome sin in their lives to please God.
 

Is original sin in the Bible?

Theologians, who promote the doctrine of original sin, point to Adam and Eve eating the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. They argue that all Adam’s descendants will inherit this sinful condition at the time of their birth. However, many have begun to dispute this conclusion. Now I will ask a very interesting question.
 

When did the concept of original sin begin?

The doctrine of original sin did not appear in Christian theology until Augustine in the 5th century after the death of Jesus (354-480 A.D.). Augustine insisted that everyone is born sinful and therefore has a built-in urge to do bad things and disobey God. Leaders of the Protestant Reformation, including Martin Luther and John Calvin, continued to promote this doctrine of original sin.
 

How does the doctrine of original sin affect Christian teaching?

God’s nature is love, and He draws us to Him through our increasing love for Him. “I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore, I have drawn you [to me] with lovingkindness” (Jer 31:3). Unfortunately, emphasis on the sinful nature of mankind overshadows God’s love and detracts from God’s desire to have us grow closer to Him through our growing love for God.

Disputing the Doctrine of Original Sin

During the 20th century, academic studies have increasingly disputed the doctrine of original sin. Their argument derives from three things:

1. The late historical development of the doctrine.
2. Jewish tradition dating back to the time of Yeshua.
3. And the Word of God

We have already seen that the concept of original sin was not promoted until Augustine in the 5th century A.D. and was adopted by Protestant leaders during the Protestant Reformation. So, historically there is no support for the doctrine of original sin. Then, our curiosity is drawn to the 400 years before Augustine where we can look at Jewish writings and traditions to see if there is any discussion of original sin there. There is none in Jewish writings. So, that leaves us with Scripture to see if original sin appears there.
 

Is original sin in the Bible?

Many theologians, especially evangelical scholars, are answering “no” to this question, and I agree with them. I find three compelling arguments.

1. Perhaps the greatest biblical evidence can be found in the creation account before sin made its appearance.

God created man [meaning all of mankind] in His own image.

In the image of God, He created him.

Male and female He created them. Gen 1:27
 

The image of God is holy and perfect without sin, and Scripture is clear that God created mankind in His image. I think the easiest way to perceive this understanding is to visualize a newborn baby who is perfect. There is no sin in that baby. I have concluded that Jews belong to God because He declares He is their Father [Deut. 32:6; Isaiah 63:16] and they are His firstborn son [Exodus 4:4]. After all God is not a man who lies [Numbers 23:19]. Gentiles who are not Jews are “born” into God’s family when they believe in God’s son, Yeshua the Messiah. Therefore, Scripture tells us that God’s children, both Jew and Gentile, are born without sin in God’s holy image.

1. The purpose of sin, which enters after the birth into God’s family, is not to burden God’s people with a cruel power that dominates their lives but to give them an opportunity to mature in righteousness, which is the only way we can come into God’s Holy Presence. Yes, God’s people have the promise of future eternal life with God, but the timing of getting there requires humble submission to the ways of God by learning how to walk in His ways. I have explained the timing of eternal life i in a sequence of 4 books on the Remnant that you can find on Amazon.
2. We overcome sin in our lives by following God’s loving instruction that He has given to us in three ways.

• First, although God has placed us in a sinful world where we will be influenced by many kinds of sin, He instructed the people of Israel how to walk in righteousness in the words He gave to Moses that are recorded in the Torah.
• Second, God then promoted a process of testing, which is again a form of loving instruction. When we sin, God allows negative consequences,which encourages us to turn to God.
• Finally, for those with faith in God’s son, Yeshua the Messiah, they have received the gift of the Holy Spirit through their faith in the Messiah. God’s Holy Spirit has metaphorically written the Law on their hearts (2 Cor 3:3). Nevertheless, this gift of God’s Spirit lies dormant until we activate its power through our love and faith in our Lord Yeshua. When we walk by the Spirit, we carry out the Law.

Conclusion

I suggest that much harm has permeated Christianity by the doctrine of original sin, which directs our attention to our negative sinful behavior and tends to promote its removal by worldly means.

Here is what I suggest. God wants us to come to Him in love, not because of guilt or worldly pressure. How do we do that? The first principal is to view everything in a positive light, so get rid of all those negative and critical thoughts and do what Jesus did. The Apostle Paul tells us that “the Son of God, Jesus Christ, was not yea and nay, but in him was yea” (2 Co 1:19 KJV). That is the King James Version which I Iearned when I was young.
 

Then, of course, we must submit in humble, even eager, obedience to our Lord Yeshua because he will lead us toward a new, exciting, and positive life.
 

I must caution you, however, that we can only correct others (including children) when we ourselves are walking in the way that we are promoting. Then we can use positive, encouraging words to explain how to please God. If correction is necessary, and sometimes it is, I suggest that correction can be applied in a positive and instructive way without condemning and judgmental criticism. Remember, God wants us to come to Him in love.

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