Enduring our Corruption: Understanding Original Sin

Have you ever been in a movie theater excited to see the next summer blockbuster, but before you are transported away to a movie paradise of fun and excitement, a commercial is shown of children struggling with cancer?  What a tragic reality of what those children must endure with their cancer battle.  It makes me sad to see those children enduring the pain and suffering of cancer and its effects.  I am especially saddened when I see a mother asking, “Why does my child have cancer?”  Unfortunately, we all must endure the reality of sin and death.  Maybe we won’t have to face a cancer battle, or maybe we will, but the stark truth is we sinners all face and endure challenges, trials, pain, suffering, and even death because of sin.

Sin and death are something most people would like to dismiss or ignore, but to dismiss or ignore sin and death is to dismiss and ignore not only reality, but also God’s Word.  God’s Word tells us the truth: “For the wages of sin is death…”(Romans 6:23a, ESV).

Yet how many people in this world could tell you that the reason why we die and endure different types of challenges and struggles is because of sin?  I would say not many.  In fact, I would imagine that when people think of sin, they think of what is referred to as actual sin.  An example of actual sin would be when somebody steals something.  The act of stealing is a violation of the seventh commandment.  However, in my opinion, there is another classification of sin that doesn’t get discussed or explained enough and that is original sin.

This article is intended to provide a simple explanation of what original sin is and discuss the different things we as humans now have to endure because of original sin, while keeping our focusing on what Christ has endured for us. This understanding can be helpful when youth (or adults) are confronted with pain, suffering, struggles and trials. When we ask “why me?” having an understanding of original sin can help people to understand and process with a Biblical lens.

In understanding original sin, one must always start with Adam and Eve.  When Adam and Eve fell into temptation and sinned against God, they not only affected themselves, but all of their descendants, except Jesus, and brought forth the painful consequences and experiences that we now all must endure, including death.  This fall of Adam and Eve is called original sin.  Simply put original sin is the deep corruption of our human nature in body and soul.  In other words, we are broken and do not properly function the way God intended for us to function.

In fact, left to ourselves, we choose to follow our own desires and act contrary to God’s will.  “…We all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind” (Ephesians 2:3, ESV).  These passions of the flesh include such desires of sexual encounters outside of marriage, the desire to practice homosexuality, and the desire to play God by determining what gender we want to be.  Just to name a few.

As mentioned earlier, sickness and worldly death is something that humanity now must endure because of original sin.  One day we will all die (unless Jesus returns first).  Some of us will die of old age.  Others will die of hunger.  While one person’s death might come unexpectedly, like in a car accident, others will die slowly because of a sickness, such as cancer.  Death is horrible and tragic, and it is important to remember that death was not part of God’s original plan. 

The impact of original sin is not limited to bodies, hearts, and minds; it also affects our relationships with others.  Just look at all the broken families of this world.  Look at the numerous divorces that are common among couples.  Turn on the news and see the hatred that we have for our fellow man or woman.  All this stems from our corrupted sinful condition.  But the foremost impact of original sin is the separation it caused between humanity and God, a separation which leads to eternal condemnation in hell. “…Your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear” (Isaiah 59:2, ESV).

Though we humans endure many tragic challenges, trials, and sufferings because of sin, there is one walking with us while we endure our suffering and trails.  One whose own suffering brings comfort and peace to us in the midst of our suffering, and He is Jesus, the Lamb of God!

Just like us poor sinners, Jesus endured His own pain and suffering, but unlike us where our pain and suffering is ultimately caused by our own sinful condition and disobedience to God, the pain and suffering that Jesus endured was not because He had sinned.  It was because of His love for us sinners so that we would have the forgiveness of sins by Him.

The tribulation that Jesus endured to obtain humanity’s forgiveness of sins is a tribulation of great pain and suffering.  He was abandoned by some of His closest followers, like Peter, for example.  He was mocked and disrespected by the ones He came to save.  He went through physical trauma that many in today’s world will not face.  But the worst pain and suffering that Jesus endured was being forsaken by God.  “And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?’ that is, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’” (Matthew 27:46, ESV).  Jesus endured forsakenness from God to achieve humanity’s salvation so that we do not have to endure the greatest punishment for our sins, including original sin: eternal torment in hell.

Original sin and its consequences might not be something that many people want to face, but an understanding of our original sin and our corrupt human nature is something that must be taught to all people, including youth.  Original sin explains the ultimate cause of all our pain and suffering that we endure in this world.  Original sin reminds us that we must be cautious with trusting our corrupt feelings and desires in this world because they can lead us to act contrary to God’s Word.  And lastly, original sin reminds us just how sinful we are and how great and merciful God is toward humanity by sending Jesus to be our Redeemer from all our sins.  As Scripture puts it: “…Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:1b-2, ESV).

About the author

Josh is the Director of Christian Education at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Yankton, SD. He received his DCE Certification and Master’s Degree in Theology from Concordia-Irvine. He is married to his wonderful wife, Ellen, and they’ve been blessed with amazing children.
View more from Joshua

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