Did I really choose to sin, or was it Adam's fault?

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Sharp

Senior Member
May 5, 2009
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12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— 13 for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. 14 Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.


15 But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. 16 And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. 17 For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.


18 Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. 19 For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. 20 Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21 so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.​
 
I'm having trouble with this passage as it seems to imply that the reason I am sinful is because Adam sinned.

If that is the case, maybe I didn't have a choice as to whether to sin, and so how can my sin be held against me?

What if I was in Adam's position? Maybe I would not have sinned?

I'm finding myself blaming Adam for man's sinfulness.
 
I'm having trouble with this passage as it seems to imply that the reason I am sinful is because Adam sinned.

If that is the case, maybe I didn't have a choice as to whether to sin, and so how can my sin be held against me?

What if I was in Adam's position? Maybe I would not have sinned?

I'm finding myself blaming Adam for man's sinfulness.

The very fact that you are feeling the urge to blame others for your sin reveals your sinful nature. Adam and Eve never repented for their sins, instead they blamed each other and the serpent.

Original sin is not disobedience, it is failure to repent - this is also what blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is.

If Adam and Eve repented of their sin, God would have forgiven them immediately and life would have continued on in the Garden.

Instead, Adam and Eve choose to pass the buck and that habit has been pasted on through the generations.

God had to send his Son to die (I think of it as His heart breaking) for us, in order to communicate the impact our lack of remorse has had on Him - and for us to truly understand what it means for Him to forgive us.
 
But I didn't even have a choice whether I would sin. I was destined to be sinful from the day I was born.
 
But I didn't even have a choice whether I would sin. I was destined to be sinful from the day I was born.

You were born with a lot of limitations. Did you have a choice where you were born? Your health? Your genetic make up? Your intelligence?

This is life. We are called to love and forgive our way through the limitations and roadblocks, with Jesus' help (the sanctification of our hearts)
 
well how about you ppl explain it to him since you saints know the answer...yea we are sinners man..we would have messed up either way...i dont know everthing man...i just tell you what i can...gosh was that so hard to tell him that...no..just mock him instead of teaching him..
 
How can I not sympathise with a person who never asked to be created, never asked Jesus to die for them, and spends eternity in hell?

This peron would say, thanks alot Adam.

But, do we know, theologically, whether, if any given person was in Adam's place, they would have sinned? Was mankind destined to sin, with Adam just being the poor fella who came first?
 
well how about you ppl explain it to him since you saints know the answer...yea we are sinners man..we would have messed up either way...i dont know everthing man...i just tell you what i can...gosh was that so hard to tell him that...no..just mock him instead of teaching him..

Who was mocking me?

And thanks for your post :)
 
How can I not sympathise with a person who never asked to be created, never asked Jesus to die for them, and spends eternity in hell?

This peron would say, thanks alot Adam.

But, do we know, theologically, whether, if any given person was in Adam's place, they would have sinned? Was mankind destined to sin, with Adam just being the poor fella who came first?

1. I hope you empathize with Adam - I do. Who knows what Adam did when Jesus preached to the people in prison during the two days in the tomb?

2. I do not believe any of us would have sinned - that implies that sin was supposed to be apart of Creation - I do not believe it was. You should read Palandra, by CS Lewis - it is a different take on the story of Adam and Eve - I really enjoyed it.
 
Another thing I don't understand is why and how Adam's sin automatically made the entire human race sinful.

So Adam sinned. Why did that have to mean that when I was born I would automatically be sinful?

Why wasn't everyone given the opportunity that Adam had to be born into sinlessness, and why did his sinfulness have to spread through his offspring?
 
Do you guys think you would have sinned if you were the first person on the earth?

Does it say anywhere in the bible that anyone would have, had they been in his position...?
 
Adam has been dead for God knows how long. It's foolish to blame him for your sins.

Well

Romans 5:19 says

"For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners"

We sin because Adam sinned.

Maybe if he didn't sin, I wouldn't have?
 
I agree with Sharp. The bible makes it very clear that we are born sinners because of the fall.

I doubt we would do any better than Adam if we started sinfree, but I do find it unfair that we are born into sin... that's kinda like if you blidfolded someone from birth, even if they could see