Inherited Nature and Original Sin in SDA Theology

Romans 5:19

19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

Every person is born with a fallen, sinful nature inherited from Adam, which creates an immediate and constant struggle against evil from the very beginning of lifeST December 16, 1886, par. 2+1. This hereditary depravity means that while individuals are not held legally guilty for Adam’s specific act of disobedience, they are born into a "preternatural" or unnatural state where the natural heart is in constant enmity against God and His law Romans 8:78T 291.3+2.

The Inheritance of a Fallen Nature

All descendants of Adam and Eve partake in a fallen human nature that is diseased, depraved, and naturally inclined toward sinST June 27, 1900, par. 3+1. From birth, children inherit the inclinations and evil tendencies of their parents, creating a "succession of falls" that has continued since the loss of EdenEP 43.1+2. This condition is so pervasive that no one is naturally righteous; rather, all possess a carnal mind that is not subject to the law of God and cannot be without a supernatural transformation Romans 3:10+1FW 116.3+1.

• The Struggle from Birth: Human nature is ever struggling for expression and is ready for contest against the Spirit17MR 177.2+1.

• A "Lazar-House" Condition: The world has become like a hospital for the sick because man’s persistent violation of physical and moral laws has aggravated the original ruin of Eden2MCP 567.3+1.

• The Definition of Sinfulness: While the first death is a result of Adam's sin passed to all, the second death is the penalty for personal, voluntary sin; however, the "old man" of our inherited nature must be crucified for anyone to be free from the service of sin Romans 6:64SP 364.2+2.

Understanding Romans 5:19

The core of the human predicament and its solution is found in the truth that by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous Romans 5:19. This means that through Adam’s fall, the entire race was involved in his sin and ruin, receiving a nature that dwells in "universal darkness and corruption"BHOTV1 13.2+1. However, Christ, as the "last Adam," took this same fallen nature upon His divine soul—though without participating in its sin—to demonstrate that humanity united with divinity can be entirely obedient to God’s lawCon 18.1+2.

The Necessity of the New Birth

Because the natural tendencies of the human heart have the "seeds of moral death" within them, every individual must experience a thorough renovation and reorganization of character10MR 288.1+1. We are "by nature the children of wrath" because we are partakers of this fallen state, and we cannot, by our own human power, leave off sinning a little at a time Ephesians 2:3ST August 8, 1892, par. 2+1. Genuine conversion does not merely provide a theory of truth but brings a "new man" into existence, created in righteousness and true holiness Ephesians 4:24SITI April 22, 1889, page 231.33+1.

The Victory Through Christ

Our only safety lies in a constant distrust of self and a total dependence on the power of Jesus ChristNL 42.2+1. Christ stepped down to the level of fallen humanity to reach the very depth of human woe, making it possible for us to become partakers of the divine nature and overcomers of the flesh7BC 930.1+2. This victory is not a "magical change" but requires a determined, daily effort to crucify the old nature with its affections and lusts, allowing the Holy Spirit to transform the heart of stone into a heart of flesh Galatians 5:241SM 336.2+2.

Yes, every human being is born into a lost condition as a result of Adam's transgression, receiving from him a legacy of guilt and the sentence of deathCG 475.3+1. Because of this inheritance, it is a spiritual necessity for every individual to accept Christ’s perfect righteousness and live a life of active obedience through His grace to be restored to God’s favor9MR 236.1+1.

The Legacy of the First Adam

• Inherited Guilt and Death: As relatives of the first Adam, all men receive nothing from him but guilt and the judicial sentence of death14LtMs, Lt 68, 1899, par. 15+1.

• Separation from God: The inheritance of every child is that of sin, which creates a fearful separation between the soul and its CreatorCG 475.3+1.

• Transmitted Tendencies: Children are born with natural and hereditary tendencies to evil, which include animal passions and lustful propensities passed down from parentsCG 442.1+1.

• Physical and Mental Decay: This fallen state includes a transmitted "imbecility" or weakness of the mind and body that can only be removed by divine graceLDE 293.4+1.

The Vantage Ground of Christ

• Christ as the Substitute: Jesus stepped in and traveled the same ground where Adam fell, enduring every test and redeeming Adam’s disgraceful failure6BC 1074.7+1.

• Restoration of the Link: Through His death, Christ united the broken links between God and man, placing humanity on "vantage ground" where we can become partakers of the divine nature9MR 236.1+1.

• Imputed Righteousness: Because man is utterly unable to meet the demands of the law in his own strength, Christ lived a life of perfect obedience so that His righteousness might be imputed to the repentant sinner1888 128.3+1.

• Victory Over Heritage: The grace of God is specifically provided to change hereditary and cultivated tendencies to wrong, enabling the believer to crucify the old nature1MCP 145.3+1.

The Condition of Continued Obedience

• Faith and Works Hand in Hand: While we are saved by the merits of Christ, the condition of eternal life remains perfect obedience to the law of GodRH October 19, 1886, par. 6+1.

• A Living Connection: To remain in a saved state, one must maintain a living connection with Christ, as a careless disregard of His Word leads back to spiritual darkness and a "moral fall"10MR 46.2+1.

• Overcoming as Christ Overcame: It is the duty of every Christian to persevere in overcoming every fault, using the divine power provided to resist the temptations that Satan brings against our inherited weaknesses1MCP 145.3+1.

• The Final Reward: Heaven is the reward for those who, through the blood of the atonement, harmonize their wills with God's will and show their love through obedience to His commandsCCh 79.4+1.

As it is written, "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive" 1 Corinthians 15:22. The death of Christ did not abolish the law, but rather vindicated its eternal character, proving that through His strength, man can once again become an obedient child of GodFW 118.2+1.

Every individual is born into a state of spiritual ruin and is not in an innocent or neutral condition, as the entire human race was involved in Adam's sin and fallBHOTV1 13.2+1. Since the first transgression, the race has been sinking lower in the scale of moral worth and physical strength, inheriting a nature that is naturally at enmity with GodCon 32.3+2.

The Reality of Inherited Depravity

• A Legacy of Sin: Rather than a neutral start, children receive as a legacy from their parents tendencies to appetite and passion that make the work of training them in virtue more difficultTe 174.4+1.

• Transmitted Woes: Licentiousness, disease, and imbecility are transmitted as an inheritance of woe from generation to generation, which is essentially a repetition of the fall of manAH 173.1+1.

• Universal Darkness: The fall extinguished every virtuous tendency in the natural human mind, leaving nothing but universal darkness and corruptionECE 775.2.

• The Carnal Mind: Every person is born with a carnal mind that is not subject to the law of God and possesses a natural disinclination toward that which is good Romans 8:7SITI May 28, 1885, page 330.7+1.

The Condition of the "Old Man"

We are by nature the children of wrath because we are partakers of a fallen human nature that contains no good thing Ephesians 2:3+1PTUK May 9, 1895, page 291.4. This "old man" of sin is corrupt according to deceitful lusts and must be crucified because it cannot inherit the kingdom of God Ephesians 4:22ST May 18, 1904, par. 7+1. Even those born with feeble constitutions or imbecility suffer the effects of this hereditary transmission without personal fault, yet they still require the grace of God for restoration9MR 281.1+1. Because sin is in us and our nature is full of sin, we have a constant need for the forgiveness provided in the Lord's prayerMEDM August 12, 1908, page 646.3.

The Necessity of Divine Intervention

• No Neutrality in the Conflict: The great controversy between truth and error has continued since the fall, and there is no middle ground; one is either molded by the Spirit of God or by the attributes of SatanRH June 30, 1891, par. 13+1.

• The Power of Heredity: Natural propensities and hereditary tendencies to do wrong will continually strive for the mastery, requiring a lifelong conflict and the aid of the Holy Spirit to overcome7MR 392.1+2.

• Total Dependence: Our only safety is in a constant distrust of self and a total dependence on Christ, for without Him we can do nothing but evil3SM 196.2+1.

Restoration Through the Second Adam

God saw our hopeless misery and fallen condition and provided a way of escape through the infinite sacrifice of His Son3SG 46.2+1. Christ took upon Himself the nature of man in its fallen, degenerate state to reach us in the lowest depths of human woeCon 32.3+1. While Adam’s sin brought the wrath of God upon the whole race, Christ’s perfect obedience makes it possible for the image of God to be restored to the soul3SG 46.2+1. By one man's disobedience many were made sinners, but through the grace of Christ, we can become partakers of the divine nature and escape the corruption that is in the world Romans 5:19RH December 11, 1894, par. 3. Through faith, the "body of sin" is destroyed, and the believer is endowed with a new nature created in righteousness and true holiness Ephesians 4:24RH September 17, 1895, par. 7+1.