When Adam sinned, the entire created order fell under the curse of sin. Romans 5:12 says,
“Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned.”
The passage is clear—sin entered through one man, but it spread because all sinned. The verse does not say death spread to all men because of Adam’s guilt imputed to them, but “because all sinned.” The consequence of Adam’s fall is that all are now born into a fallen state—bodies subject to death and hearts inclined toward sin. But we are condemned for our own sin, not his. Ezekiel 18:20 settles this plainly:
“The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son.”
That is not a philosophical argument—it is divine law. The soul that sins is the one who will be held accountable.
The Sin Nature Inherited, Not Guilt
Psalm 51:5 is often cited to prove original guilt:
“Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me.”
But David is not claiming he was condemned at birth; he is lamenting that from the very beginning he was shaped by a world marred by sin. There is no forensic guilt assigned to the newborn here—only an acknowledgment of human frailty. David sinned grievously, and he knew it was because of his sin, not Adam’s.
Job 14:4 asks,
“Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? No one!”
This speaks to the corrupting effect of Adam’s fall. But again, it describes nature, not guilt. Our sin nature is inherited—it influences us, it inclines us—but it does not condemn us apart from our own actions. James 1:14-15 explains this clearly:
“But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.”
Sin begins in the heart of the individual. The will to sin is ours. Adam may have passed down death, but the guilt of sin belongs to each person alone.
Reformed Misreadings of Romans 5
Romans 5:18 is often used to support the idea of original guilt:
“Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation…”
But verse 18 is not isolated from its context. The second half of the verse says,
“even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life.”
If we claim that Adam’s guilt was automatically imputed to all, then logically Christ’s righteousness would be imputed to all universally. But we know justification comes by faith (Romans 5:1). The “condemnation” mentioned here is the general state of mankind under sin and death. The context from Romans 5:12-21 does not teach imputed guilt, but rather the reign of death over all because of Adam’s transgression, and the reign of life through Christ for all who believe. The death Adam brought is physical and natural—it set the stage for the dominion of sin (Romans 5:21), but it is through individual transgressions that condemnation is sealed.
Children and Accountability
This also helps us understand why young children, though born into a fallen world, are not under guilt until they knowingly sin. Isaiah 7:16 speaks of a child,
“before the Child shall know to refuse the evil and choose the good.”
There is a moral awareness that comes with age. Deuteronomy 1:39 echoes this:
“your little ones… who today have no knowledge of good and evil, they shall go in there; to them I will give it, and they shall possess it.”
Children are not damned for Adam’s sin or even their nature—they are innocent until they choose sin. Jesus affirmed this when He said,
“Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 19:14).
He did not need to cleanse them of Adam’s guilt—they were already pure before Him.
My Final Thoughts
The doctrine of original sin, as taught by Catholicism and Reformed theology, goes beyond what Scripture plainly teaches. We inherited a fallen nature from Adam, but not his guilt. We are not born damned—we are born in a world that is cursed, with bodies that will die and hearts that will stray. But it is not until we sin by our own will that we become accountable.
This is the justice of God. He holds each man and woman responsible only for what they themselves have done. And it is also His mercy—because through Christ, all who turn from their sin and believe in Him are justified by faith and made righteous by His blood. There’s freedom in knowing that God does not count us guilty for another’s fall. But there’s also responsibility—we must choose whom we will serve.
