Original Sin | Decalvinized.com

Expanded explanation

Humanity does not begin from a neutral or untroubled condition. Adam's rebellion brought sin and death into the human story, and every generation experiences the damage of that rebellion. People are born into a world where sin is powerful, death is real, and every person eventually confirms the pattern through personal sin. The important distinction is between inheriting a damaged condition and being personally blamed for Adam's decision. The universal need for grace is fully affirmed without making God's judgment depend on guilt for an act a person did not commit.

Context

Discussions of original sin should distinguish inherited corruption, mortality, condemnation, personal guilt, and the consequences of living in a fallen world. Romans 5, 1 Corinthians 15, Genesis 3, and other passages must be read in their own arguments rather than reduced to a single formula.

Calvinist Usage

Calvinist theology commonly teaches that Adam's sin brought both guilt and corruption upon all humanity. People are born spiritually dead, under condemnation, and unable to turn to God without God's effectual grace. This view takes seriously the connection between Adam's sin and the universal human condition. The disputed questions are whether Adam's guilt is imputed to each person before personal sin, and whether inherited corruption removes the ability to respond to God's gracious call.

Decalvinised Position

Decalvinised affirms that Adam's fall explains humanity's universal bondage to sin and death and that every person needs Christ's saving work. It does not treat people as personally guilty of Adam's particular act before they commit sin themselves. God judges people justly for their own sin and provides grace in the midst of the fallen condition. Original sin therefore explains the need for redemption without requiring that God condemn people for an unavoidable choice they did not make.