The Fall of Man and the Sinfulness of Humanity

Our view about what really happened to Adam when he fell is one of the most important and central points of theology. What really happened to man in Eden? Did he retain his free will? Did he retain his perfection? To what extent did the original sin affect Adam’s original image in which he was created? Did he really die spiritually, or did he merely fall asleep?

These are questions that have been debated for centuries. From the time of St. Augustine, Pelagianism, semi-Pelagianism, Arminianism, and Calvinism, these issues have been intensely discussed. Yet with all these differences, one thing remains clear in the sin of Adam (and in us through him): rebellion against God’s law and God’s prescribed way of life. Adam’s attempt to live independently of God was the cause of the fall, and that has been the case for humanity—including you and me—ever since. It even goes back to the fallen angels themselves. It is the same attempt.

A.W. Pink writes:

“The great controversy between Creator and the creature has been whether He or they should be God, whether His wisdom or theirs should be the guiding principle of their actions, whether His will or theirs should be supreme.
That which brought about the fall of Lucifer was his resentment at being in subjection to his Master: ‘Thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God... I will be like the most High’ (Isaiah 14:13–14).
The lie of the serpent which lured our first parents to their destruction was ‘Ye shall be as gods’ (Genesis 3:5), and ever since then the heart sentiment of the natural man has been: ‘Depart from us, for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways. What is the Almighty, that we should serve Him?’ (Job 21:14–15), ‘Our lips are our own: who is Lord over us?’ (Psalm 12:4), ‘We are lords; we will come no more unto thee’ (Jeremiah 2:31).”

This may sound exaggerated, but if we confine ourselves to our own society and ask some honest questions, it becomes evident that this description fits the condition we are in.

Who defines the way we live? Certainly not the Bible. We consider ourselves clever enough to do that. We have history, tradition, and experts—so why turn to that old and primitive Jewish book?

Why do nudity, sexual perversion, and immorality dominate the market? The common answer is that it is normal for us. We have become civilized; this is our way of life. Why bring the restrictions of what people call “primitive society”?

Isn’t man wonderful? Are we really supposed to chain all our instincts, desires, and wishes to morality?

Having embraced evolutionary thinking, which places man and animals on the same level, man inevitably begins to covet living like animals. “Isn’t man supposed to express himself?” This is the prevailing argument, at least practically.

Christianity and Modern Culture

Why is Christianity ridiculed or equated with other religions that are essentially human inventions?

Why do we pride ourselves on “religious liberty” as if truth were subjective? Whenever true religion (Christianity) is equated with false religions, God’s way becomes merely one option among many. Once there is no absolute standard, the strongest rule. Survival of the fittest takes over, and everyone else is left at their mercy.

Isn’t that exactly what we see around us?

Since Christianity is impossible for the natural man, whenever it is brought to the table it is often treated with scorn—or used as decoration for agendas that are entirely unbiblical.

Christianity condemns man’s evil way of life, and therefore man rejects it. Instead of asking whether the Bible’s testimony about him is true, he asks every other question:

Who was Cain’s wife?
What fruit did Adam and Eve eat?
Isn’t the Bible just a colonial tool?

Yet he avoids the one question that matters: What does the Bible say about me?

Modern Views About God

What are the prevailing views about God today?

The “god” of the 21st century is often treated like an ATM—someone who supplies needs but never demands worship or holiness. Worship services are often organized to satisfy human desires rather than honor God. The assumption becomes: if we are happy, God must also be happy.

In this view, God simply overlooks sin. He has surrendered His will to ours and waits for us to allow Him to save us. He observes but does not rule.

Humanity believes it can manage its own future.

As Martin Luther once said:

“Your thoughts of God are too human.”

A.W. Pink commented on Psalm 50:21 (“Thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself”):

“Men imagine that the Most High is moved by sentiment rather than governed by principles. They suppose His omnipotence is an idle fiction and that Satan thwarts His designs. They think that if He has any plan, it must be constantly changing like theirs.
They insist His power must be limited lest it invade man’s ‘free will’. They reduce the atonement to a mere remedy that sinners may or may not choose, and they turn the invincible work of the Holy Spirit into a mere offer that can be accepted or rejected at pleasure.
The god of this twentieth century no more resembles the Sovereign of Scripture than the flickering of a candle resembles the glory of the midday sun.”

Personal Accountability

These observations must become personal questions:

Who are you accountable to?
Who is God to you?
How do you live in relation to Him?
Where is your hope in life and death?
What is your chief purpose in life?

Answering these honestly reveals whether God or self sits on the throne of the heart.

Historical/Biblical Background on the Sinfulness of Man

Given how deeply ungodly humanity has become, it is important to examine what Scripture teaches about what happened to Adam and his descendants after the fall.

Lester J. Kuyper observed that the phrase “to know good and evil” refers to the authority to determine right and wrong independently.

Genesis 3:5 records the temptation:

“Ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.”

In other words, humanity attempted to take divine authority into its own hands and establish its own moral order. This disease has marked Adam’s descendants ever since.

“Be yourself” and “be true to yourself” reflect this same impulse.

From childhood, humanity seeks to define its own moral order.

In What Way Is Man a Sinner?

Satan tempted Eve to seek independence from God. As Rushdoony wrote:

“The attractiveness of independence from all restraint caught the fancy of the human pair, and they arrogated to themselves that authority which only Yahweh possesses.”

Man was given dominion over creation but attempted to invade the dominion of God Himself. That rebellion became the first manifestation of sin.

A.W. Pink defined sin this way:

“Sin is saying: I renounce the God who made me. I disallow His right to govern me. I care not what He commands. I prefer self-indulgence to His approval. I will be lord of myself.”

Sin is rebellion against the majesty of heaven.

The Nature of Sin

The problem with man is not merely the sins he commits. It is his nature.

Humanity inherited from Adam a nature that is spiritually dead—dead to God and His ways (Ephesians 2:1).

This nature:

Runs away from God
Creates its own righteousness
Shifts blame rather than confessing sin

Adam blamed Eve—and even God Himself.

How Deep Is the Sinfulness of Man?

Rushdoony compared hell to a city dump (Gehenna), a place of fire and worms where garbage is consumed.

He used this imagery to describe the human heart. John Calvin similarly described the human heart as an “idol factory.”

The heart produces endless forms of sin.

Total depravity does not mean that every person is as evil as possible. It means sin has affected every faculty of human nature: mind, will, and emotions.

Charles H. Spurgeon said:

“The venom of sin is in the very fountain of our being; it has poisoned our hearts and is in the marrow of our bones.”

Children do not need to be taught to lie, steal, or disobey—it comes naturally.

Evidence of the Fallen Heart

If we want to see the condition of the human heart, we need only look around us—even within religious institutions.

Church scandals, greed, corruption, and hypocrisy all testify to the fallen condition of humanity.

Jesus said:

“Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.”

The heart of man has indeed become like a city dump—full of unrelated and corrupt desires.

Can Man Change Himself?

Some might agree that humanity is sinful but still believe that people can change themselves.

Scripture says otherwise.

Jeremiah 13:23 asks:

“Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots?”

Romans 8:7 states:

“The carnal mind is enmity against God… neither indeed can it be.”

Man lacks the ability to change himself because he loves darkness more than light.

This is why repentance itself is described as a gift of God (2 Timothy 2:25).

Jesus said:

“No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him.” (John 6:44)

The Reality of Judgment

Because God created humanity, He has the right to hold us accountable. Humanity’s rebellion therefore invites judgment.

History itself demonstrates the consequences of sin.

A.W. Pink wrote:

“Nothing is smoother than the sea, yet when stirred into a tempest nothing rages more. Nothing is sweeter than the patience of God, yet nothing is more terrible than His wrath when it burns.”

Therefore Scripture urges:

“Flee from the wrath to come.” (Matthew 3:7)

The Hope of Salvation

Some may wonder how guilt this deep can be removed.

Scripture answers clearly.

Psalm 103:12 says:

“As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.”

Isaiah 43:25 says:

“I, even I, am He that blotteth out thy transgressions.”

Hebrews 10:17 declares:

“Their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.”

But how?

Because the guilt of believers was transferred to Christ.

“The Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:6)
“He hath made Him to be sin for us.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)

Those who are in Christ therefore have:

“No condemnation.” (Romans 8:1)

A holy God pardons sinners not by ignoring sin but by placing its penalty upon Christ.

Soli Deo Gloria

Total Depravity