The Christian doctrine of original sin first took center-stage in the fifth century, mainly with the controversy involving Pelagius and Augustine. Three positions on original sin eventually emerged from the fifth-century debates:
- Pelagianism – this view claims that there is no real “sin” passed down to human beings from Adam. Rather, all that Adam’s sin did was to leave humanity with a bad example.
- Augustinian-Reformed – this view teaches that all human beings inherit from Adam both a sinful nature and the guilt that comes with this sin. This was later expressed by Protestant Reformers as “imputed” sin and guilt.
- A Middle-Ground – this view holds that all human beings did inherit a sinful tendency from Adam. But it rejects the claim that this therefore means we are born personally guilty. Rather, a person only becomes guilty for sin once they personally ratify Adam’s rebellion in their own life by willfully choosing sin for themselves.
Woodland Hills holds a version of the Middle-Ground view. We believe that the Bible teaches that all human beings have been affected by the rebellion (“fall”) of Adam and Eve (Romans 5:12-15; Ephesians 2:1-3). In simplest terms, the original sin of Adam placed all of creation – humanity included – under the power of the kingdom of darkness (Genesis 3:1-24 ); Romans 8:19-22; 1 John 5:19). It is within this context that the Apostle Paul’s use of sin as a noun makes sense (Romans 6-8). Sin can be seen as a cosmic, evil power that holds humanity in its grip. Its chief work within human beings is an inclination toward self-orientation and, this, sin. Both the atoning work of Jesus Christ and the indwelling empowerment of the Holy Spirit serve to liberate human beings from the power of sin, freeing us to grow in other-oriented agape-love.
All of this raises the question of the relationship between original sin and human free will. Because of the original sin of Adam, all humanity is born under the power of sin and its influence toward self-orientation. Apart from the saving work of Jesus and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, humanity remains in bondage to this powerful influence of sin. And the more that a human being chooses to personally ratify Adam’s choice of sinful rebellion, the stronger the habitual bondage of sin becomes. This doesn’t mean that libertarian freedom is entirely eradicated. Within the parameters of sin’s bondage, humans can still exercise free will. However, this does mean that – apart from the work of God – human beings will inevitably sin. Here, it is important to distinguish between the concepts of “inevitability” and “necessity.” Something can be “inevitable” without it being deterministically “necessary.” And so, although sin is inevitable for fallen human beings, it is still freely chosen, and is not in any way a preordained necessity.
