Lord’s Day 3
Q7. Where did our sinful nature come from?
From the fall and disobedience of our first parents, Adam and Eve, in the Garden of Eden. Because of what they did, our nature became so broken that we are all conceived and born in sin.
Scripture Proofs — King James Version
Genesis 3
“Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.”
Romans 5:12, 18–19
“Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. … Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.”
Psalm 51:5
“Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.”
Parent Guide
Discuss this question together
Discussion Questions
- 1
Who were Adam and Eve, and what did they do?
- 2
Why does their sin affect everyone and not just them?
- 3
Does it seem fair that Adam and Eve's choice changed things for all of us?
Illustration
If someone poisons a well, everyone who drinks from that well gets sick. It does not matter that they did not put the poison in. Adam and Eve poisoned the well of human nature. Every person born after them is born drinking from that same poisoned well.
Application
When you catch yourself thinking "I'm basically a good person," remember what the catechism says. Our nature is broken from birth. Ask God to help you see your need for a Savior rather than trusting in your own goodness.