ARE WE BORN WITH A SIN NATURE?

ARE WE BORN WITH A SIN NATURE?

For more great blogs as this one go to Daniel’s blog site at:

www.Mannsword.blogspot.com

I don't find any explicit evidence of this in Scripture. Certainly, Adam and Eve did not need a sin nature in order to sin. Rather, they willingly sinned.

Besides, the account of the Fall doesn't mention being given a sin nature. Even after the Fall, God informed the sinner Cain:

* "Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it." (Genesis 4:6-7 ESV)

According to God, Cain was fully responsible for his behavior. Nor did Cain respond:

* God, you really can't blame because it was you who imposed on me a sin nature.

In fact, James warns us against using such an excuse to justify our sin:

* Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God," for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his OWN desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. (James 1:13--15)

God doesn't give us our evil desires. Instead, we have to take responsibility and flee from them. Nor were we born dead in sin. Instead, James claimed that death only occurs once our desire gives birth to sin.

Therefore, we should not rationalize our sin, thinking "Adam or my upbringing made me do it." Instead, we have to confess our responsibility.