"As by one man sin entered into this world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." - Romans 5, 12.

 Before the conception of their first child, our first parents voluntarily transgressed a commandment of God and by this sin lost the image of God.

 The fall of man was disloyalty to God and therefore evil both in its nature and in its effect.

2. What was the result of man's falling into sin?

 It had a four-fold result:

 A. "The eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves apron." - Genesis 2, 7.

 The first result was the loss of the image of God.

 B. "As by one man sin entered into the wold, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. - Romans 5, 12.

 In the second place, man became entirely depraved in spiritual death.

 C. "In the sweat of they face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken; for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return." - Genesis 3, 19.

 In the third place, man became subject to temporal death.

 D. "Therefore as by the offense of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of One the free gift came upon all men unot justification of life." - Romans 5, 18.

 It is as a sinner that fallen man is the subject of God's particular love, whose purpose it is to restore in him the image of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

3. What is sin?

 "Whatsoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law; for sin is the transgression of the law." - 1 John 3,4.

 Sin is every departure from the norm of the divine law, whether this consists in a state or condition or in actual deeds.  Sin assumes two forms: (a) lack of righteousness or conformity with the divine will and (b) actual opposition to the divine will.

4. Since sin is "the transgression of the law," what law does Scripture mean?

 "There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy." - Saint James 4, 12.

 The law is that divine doctrine in which the righteous and unchangeable will of God is revealed, showing how man is to be in his nature, thoughts, words and works so that he will be pleasing and acceptable to God.

5. How can men know this divine law?

 "As by the offense 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." - Romans 5, 18-19.

 The only unfailing standard by which God's law may be known with certainty is Holy Scripture, which contains complete the revelation of God's law.  Through the Fall, the knowledge of man's conscience was weakened and obscured, so that conscience may be wrong or may entertain doubts.

6. What is the cause of sin?

 Man is always inclined to shift responsibilities, either on God or other creature.  Although God permits sin, or punishes sin with sin, He is not in any sense the cause of evil.

 According to the Bible, the first cause of sin is Satan, who first transgressed and then seduced man.

 "The great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him." - Revelation 12,9.

 The direct cause is man's corrupt will, which permits itself to be enticed into sin.

 "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do.  He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him.  When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own; for he is a liar, and the father of it." - Saint John 8, 44.

7. What are the consequences of sin?

  Man through sin becomes (a) guilty before God (Romans 3, 19) and (b) subject to His punishment (Galatians 3, 10).

 When Adam and Eve fell into sin, the immediate result was death in its three aspects: spiritual, temporal and eternal.

 This sweeping sentence of death, however, has been halted by the promise of the divine Redeemer of the sinful race.

8. What is original sin?
 
 Original sin, the state of depravity which follows Adam's transgression and which now inheres in all men, embraces (a) inborn guilt and (b) inborn corruption.

9. What is the effect of original sin?

 "The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." - 1 Corinthians 2, 14.

 With respect to the intellect, original sin brings a complete lack of spiritual light, so that man by nature cannot know or understand the truth of God's Word pertaining to his conversion and salvation.

 "Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others." - Ephesians 2, 3.

 With respect to his will, fallen man actually and constantly opposes God's will.

10. Are all men tainted with original sin?

 "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." - Romans 5, 12.

 All descendants of Adam are corrupted by original sin, so that not a single human being after the Fall is without its pollution.

11. What is the importance of the doctrine of original sin?

 It is of the greatest importance for the right understanding of the doctrines of the means of grace.  Particularly, it is the foundation of Holy Baptism, the divine ordained washing of regeneration.
 

Test Paper - Lesson 7

1. How did sin enter into the world?
......................................................................................................................................................

2. Name two results of man's falling into sin.
a. ..................................................................................................................................................
b. ..................................................................................................................................................

3. Complete the following passage: "Sin is ....................................................................................
....................................................................." - 1 Saint John 3, 4.

4. God's law is contained in ..........................................................................................................

5. Please write in your own words what the cause of sin is.
......................................................................................................................................................

6. Name two results or consequences of sin.
a. ..................................................................................................................................................
b. ..................................................................................................................................................

7. Complete the following Bible passage: "The ...................... man receiveth not the things of
................................................................; ....................................................................................
......................................" - 1 Corinthians 2, 14.

8. Cross out the following incorrect statement(s).
 a. All men are tainted with original sin.
 b. Only unbelievers are tainted with original sin.
 c. Man at his creation was already tainted with original sin.

9. Explain in your own words why the Bible tells of our sin.
......................................................................................................................................................

10. Complete the following Bible passage: "By the .......................................... of One the free gift came upon all men unto ...................................................................." - Romans 5, 18.

Make every effort to fill in the answers from memory.  If you are not sure of certain answers, you may look them up in the lesson.  Your paper will be graded according to the following standard: 10 correct: perfect; 9 correct: excellent; 8 correct: very good; 7 correct: good.