What is original sin?

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The doctrine of original sin came into the Christian church rather early. Augustine of Hippo (A.D. 354-430) is usually credited as the architect of the doctrine of original sin, which says that every human being is a condemned sinner at birth. Before Augustine, Christians generally believed that while physical corruption was inherited by all human beings from Adam, guilt was acquired only by the individual's choice to sin. Such a concept soon led to the belief that if babies died before baptism, without the chance to have original sin cleansed from their souls, they would go to hell. Ps. 51:5 “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me. This text probably added to this direction of thought. Adam could not give to his children what he did not have and therefore all of us inherited a fallen nature, but we then needed to choose to continue the rebellion and partake of the sins by doing it. In the Calvinistic and Roman Catholic influence area this original sin idea became the justification for infant baptism as the baby in his innocence was condemned and by the baptism the baby was protected from the condemnation according to their way of thinking. Despite their rejection of many Catholic teachings, the magisterial Protestant Reformers, especially John Calvin, adhered strongly to Augustine's view of human nature. For both Calvin and Augustine, the doctrine of involuntary sin made the necessary doctrine of involuntary salvation. Thus the theory of predestination was born. Certain ones would be predestined to be saved, while the others are predestined to be damned. Such a concept removes salvation entirely from the practical experience of humanity, since that experience is inevitably, even for the converted Christian, tainted by original sin. The salvation of men and women is therefore not freedom from sin accomplished in this present life, but only a promise of such freedom in the life to come. Sad but victory is not part of their theology and begs the question if the God of the universe is strong enough to be a better Saviour than Satan is an accuser? Not all Protestants accepted the theology of Augustine and the magisterial Reformers. Those of the Arminian/Anabaptist tradition took a very different view of sin and guilt. Rejecting original sin, these groups insisted on adult baptism, and from them arose the Wesleyan movement in England, with its stress on victory over sin in this present life and the idea to overcome. Oswald Chambers wrote, "If I am forgiven without being altered, forgiveness is not only damaging to me but also a sign of unmitigated weakness in God. Unless it is possible for God's forgiveness to establish an order of holiness and rectitude, forgiveness is a mean and abominable thing." (Baffled to Fight Better, p. 58) This supports the idea that if I am forgiven(justification) without the chance that if I want to be an overcomer of sin(sanctification) it forces me to remain a partaker of sin with no growth as a Christian and it nullifies: 2 Cor. 3:18 “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” We serve a God who will forgive us but also allow the power of the Holy Spirit to change us into His image as we daily behold Him. He also confirms that He will complete the work and that means He will supply the power by His indwelling Spirit to give complete victory as we form the last generation so filled by the Spirit that they are Elijah’s so transformed as to make choices as if it is Jesus self and therefore will have stopped the rebellion by not sinning and by being obedient. Phil. 1:6 “being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;” There was a morning and evening sacrifice, an ongoing availabilty to be forgiven and we should realize it includes victory over sin by being obedient as we behold Him who died for us. We are all in need of a Saviour but we inherited the lost state from Adam but there was no original sin as we had to choose to also be part of the rebellion by also choosing to sin. The good news is: Rom. 5:8 “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.” Rom. 8:1 “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 2For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. 3For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, 4that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. 8So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 9But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. 10And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. 12Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” We never need to loose the battle, we only loose sight of the Power available to be victorious. 1 Cor. 10:13 “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”