Is the Christian concept of original sin ultimately an empowering doctrine or a depressing one? Explain.

Answer 1

First I’d like to start off with a disclaimer that I am in no way a learned Biblical scholar, but having studied the Bible for a few years now I will try to answer in the best of my ability.

Now, the answer to this question is purely based on individual perspective and opinion. So allow me to offer my perspective on it and the basis for my thinking.

First off, it depends on what you mean by “empowering” and “depressing.” Empowering to whom? Empowering to God? Empowering to Christians? Empowering to mankind in general? Empowering to just men and not women? Or vice versa? It’s difficult to really give a solid answer to this question without identifying the subject here. Regardless of whom would be the subject of this “empowerment,” I don’t think the account of Adam and Eve’s original sin is, in any sense of the word, empowering. “Empowering” is a very strong word. It is, instead, a story of things going awry, of evil being introduced into the world. So it’s a pretty bad thing, for lack of a better term.

But I, personally, wouldn’t go as far as to say it was depressing either. Why? Because through this story God’s mercy is shown in that when Adam and Eve came to realize that they were naked due to the shattering of their innocence (ref. Genesis 3:7), He “made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them” (Genesis 3:21).

That was the very first sacrifice to take place in all of Scripture (the garments of skin were presumably from an animal, so it can be deduced that God killed an animal to make these garments), indicating that the only solution to counteract sin is sacrifice. One could also argue that is almost like a very early foreshadowing of the ultimate Sacrifice that was to come (the blood of Jesus Christ) to wipe away and wash away the sins of humanity—since the entirety of the Old Testament is not only a collection of historical books but also quite a few prophetic messages pointing to the coming Messiah who would bridge the gap between God and a fallen humanity. God had a plan to rectify everything from the moment Adam and Eve sinned and possibly even before.

So in a way the account of original sin is simply just that: an account of how God’s creation fell, an explanation of why the world is in utter chaos today—because of man’s continuous rebellion to a perfect and just God, and His perfect and just Law. But this account also offers a glimpse of hope in a dark and fallen world, and a glimpse into the merciful nature of a God who redeems.