What Is the Doctrine of Original Sin — Meaning Explained

When Adam disobeyed God in the garden, he did not sin merely as a private person but as the representative head of the human race. As a result, his guilt and corruption have passed to every one of his descendants. 'By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned' (Romans 5:12). Every person comes into the world spiritually dead, with a nature inclined toward sin and away from God. This is why even infants die, why no one needs to teach a child to lie, and why salvation must be a new birth, not mere reform. The doctrine of original sin explains the universal reality of human sinfulness and underscores our absolute need for Christ.