Beth-El Baptist Church

10/11/2009

Greg Tomlinson


Does humanity stand condemned because of Adam's transgression as well as their own?


The Church of Christ of Latter-Day Saints (the Mormons) have as one of their articles of faith that “men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam's transgression”. While they are not the only ones who believe this, it is important to base our answer not on our own observations of the sinfulness of men but on what exactly is written in the scriptures.


  1. Why would any human being be punished?

Romans 3:23 Luke 18:18-20

Jeremiah 29:32 Ezekiel 14:7-10

2 Thessalonians 1:8-9 Genesis 9:5-6


Men will face the punishment of God because they are sinners. A sinner is someone who does not measure up to God's standard. God has given us His word in order that man may know what it means to be holy and righteous as God is holy and righteous. Men are punished because they believe a lie told by someone else and departed from the direction of God. Men are punished because they fail to live out the fullness of being made in the image of God.


  1. Is every human being a sinner against God by their own actions?

Hebrews 10:28-29 Isaiah 5:7-; 53:6

Genesis 6:5 Jeremiah 17:9

Romans 3:10-18 Ezekiel 22:30-31

Deuteronomy 31:29 John 3:19-20; 7:6-7

1 Corinthians 2:14


The works of men are continually evil. Their works betray that they are not holy and righteous as God demands but are in fact sinners who can do nothing but sin against God. As God evaluates the hearts of every man on the face of the earth, He cannot find any who are truly good and righteous and just. There is no man entering into the world who is able to understand and follow after the word and work of God.


  1. Is every human being a sinner against God independent of their own actions?

John 3:18, 36 1 John 1:10; 5:10-12

Romans 10:3; 14:11-12 Isaiah 6:1-5; 45:23

Philippians 2:9-11


Regardless of the actual actions of a man, the punishment they will receive is a result of not knowing Jesus Christ, the Son of God. It is important to know the real and proper Jesus as well (the identity of Jesus is for another lesson). Without knowing Jesus, a man has refused to listen and believe God. God does expose the reality that every person is a sinner. The man who believes he is not a sinner is calling God a liar, which is blasphemy, a sin. Regardless of the activities of a man, once they are face to face with God, the fullness of their own sinfulness will become apparent.


  1. What is the link between humanities punishment and Adam's transgression?

Romans 5:12-14 1 Corinthians 15:21-22, 45-49


While some people may not like to hear the truth, men have died throughout history, not only because of the reality of their transgressions against the commands of God, but they sinned because they are the offspring of Adam. Note, the from Adam to Moses, men continued to die although they could not have sinned as the result of violating a spoken or written commandment of God. Why then did they die? They died because of Adam's transgression. They inherited the self serving judgment of right and wrong from Adam. Every man since Adam sinned has sought to define for himself what is right and good. Man establishes his own evaluation without understanding the evaluation of God.