Where does our sinful nature come from?

Written by Rev. Nicholas Davelaar
Published in the Courier of Russellville, Arkansas on March 6, 2015

By nature, we cannot fulfill the demands of God’s law perfectly.

That’s probably not news to most of us. Everyday life has a way of reminding us that we by nature do not and cannot love God with all our heart, soul and mind, nor do we love our neighbors as ourselves.

Indeed, we have a natural tendency to hate God and our neighbor.

The big question now is how we got this way. It’s a foundational question, a critical part of every philosophy and religion.

What does God’s Word say? Did God create us this way?

No. Genesis 1 testifies that God created us good and in his image. We were created in true righteousness and holiness according to Ephesians 4:24.

As one of the Protestant Reformers explained, God did this, “so that we might know him, love him and live with him in eternal happiness for his praise and glory.”

Then where did our corrupt nature come from? If God created us so good, what happened?

Genesis 3 tells us that our first parents rebelled against God. Satan tempted them to doubt God’s goodness and trustworthiness, and they willfully rejected God’s claim over them.

We might say Adam and Eve crossed the Rubicon, to use an illustration from Ancient Rome.

In the years leading up to 49 B.C., Julius Caesar was growing in influence and power. Eventually he decided to make himself head of the empire. He would advance on Rome and use the military forces under his command to seize control of the city.

The start of Caesar’s march toward Rome wasn’t especially alarming or threatening in itself. Roman armies went to and fro all the time.

The leaders of these armies were simply careful not to cross the border of the province of Italy. To do so would be high treason.

Certainly Julius Caesar would respect the border, right? Surely he and his soldiers would stay north of the Rubicon River, which marked the border.

Caesar, however, chose to cross the Rubicon. From that point on there could be no turning back for him.

The same thing happened the day Adam and Eve rebelled against God. From that point on there could be no turning back for them and their descendants.

Fast forward many years, and we today have been born into their family. We share their guilt and nature.

Each of us from birth is in rebellion against God. As Isaiah 53:6 states, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned — every one — to his own way.”

Our only hope now is to be born again and be brought into a different family.

Think about that. Ignoring it isn’t going to change anything.

For further study (and a word of hope), read John 3:3-21.