Mankind’s Natural Inner Tendency to Sin

In Romans 7, Paul describes the natural inner conflict in himself, which everyone experiences, between a desire to do good but being tempted to sin of our own lusts from within (James 1:14, Galatians 5:17). In Romans 7, Paul speaks about “sin that dwelleth in me” (Romans 7:17-18, 20) which he describes as “the law of sin in his members” (Romans 7:23).

Paul clearly uses the term “sin” here in a special sense by metonymy to refer to the natural inclination to sin that exists in all humans, “every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.” (James 1:14). Strictly speaking, sin is defined as the transgression of law, the act of disobedience (1 John 3:4); but in Romans 7:11 it is mentioned not as the outcome, but as the root cause of deception. It is not the act of transgression, but rather what causes that act which Paul refers to as “sin” by metonymy.

Nevertheless, even though no good thing dwelt in his flesh, Paul “consented unto that the Law that it was good (Romans 7:16). However, his members, or his natural inclinations responded quite differently, resulting in a situation where he desired to do what was right and good but struggled to carry out the good actions (Romans 7:18).

In this way, Paul experienced an inward conflict. Despite his desire to do good, evil was present with him in his members (Romans 7:20-23), bringing him into captivity to the law of sin because of the natural inclinations to sin from within. Nonetheless, as he constantly delighted in the Law of God after the inward man or inner self (Romans 7:22), he could justifiably claim, “If I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but Sin that dwelleth in me (Romans 7:20) … so then, with the mind I, myself, serve the Law of God, but with the flesh the law of Sin” (Romans 7:25)

God Did Not Create a Tendency to Sin in Mankind

Such an internal tendency to sin was not part of Adam and Eve’s nature when God made them. John explicitly declares that the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life are “not of the Father, but of the world” (1 John 2:16). This is a powerful statement that these "lusts" cannot originally be attributed to God; they are sinful inclinations that only came into existence as a result of the first sin. The “lust of the world” and “the will of God” are essentially antagonistic (1 John 2:17). Therefore followers of Jesus should “no longer live to the lusts of men, but to the will of God” (1 Peter 4:2). Far from being created by God, human lusts are “of Diabolos” (John 8:44), which is the personification of the natural inclination to sin in human nature.

If God had created Adam and Eve with a natural inclination to sin like us then he would have been the author of sin. God made mankind upright (Ecclesiastes 7:29) and they were created “very good” (Genesis 1:31) with an innocence and a natural disposition to obey him. They were not tempted internally of their own lusts and enticed (James 1:14) as we are now. They did not experience an inner conflict like we do now, as described in Romans 7.

In Genesis 3 we are given the account of the introduction of sinful lust into the nature of mankind. God created mankind with a capacity for hunger and provided for its satisfaction (Genesis 2:9, 16; 3:2). The trees both stimulated and satisfied appetite in Adam and Eve, with one exception - the tree in the midst of the Garden (Genesis 3 :3).

For the forbidden tree they knew no desire (and consequently experienced no unlawful lust to eat of it) until the external tempter “beguiled Eve.” Initially, when the serpent first questioned God’s prohibition of eating the fruit, Eve's response showed a disposition of implicit obedience, showing that she did not naturally experience any inclination towards disobedience - “God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it” (Genesis 3:2). Eve as yet knew no temptation.

The first lie, of which the unenlightened serpent was the father (John 8: 44), changed this, and it was only upon being beguiled and believing that lie - and not before - that Eve knew temptation to disobey. “The serpent said, Ye shall not surely die ... God doth know that ye shall be as gods ... and when the woman saw that the tree was good for food ... pleasant to the eyes ... and to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof and did eat” (Genesis 3: 6). What Eve now experienced was not the innocent sensation of hunger which the tree had not previously stimulated, but an urge to indulge appetite for an ulterior purpose. Her God-given legitimate desires had been corrupted by the serpent’s reasoning into deceitful lusts Ephesians 4:22. This was Eve’s first experience of “lust” - which is clearly attributable to being beguiled by the serpent’s reasoning - and so of temptation.

Adam experienced a similar process to Eve in being tempted to eat the fruit. Eve became his external tempter by giving him the fruit to eat and persuading him with her words to eat it (Genesis 3:6, 12). It was only after he hearkened to her words - and not before - that he knew temptation to disobey. Paul tells us in 1 Timothy 2:14 "Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor", instead he was enticed by Eve and unlawful lusts were only aroused in Adam when he was tempted after hearkening to her words. Neither Eve nor Adam were tempted from within to disobey but were tempted by an external source.

In the case of Eve,

1. the serpent enticed and deceived her (Genesis 3:13);

2. in believing the serpents lie, Eve experienced lust (Genesis 3:6);

3. lust brought forth sin.

In the case of Adam the process was repeated:

1. Eve enticed her husband by offering him the fruit to eat and persuading him with her words (Genesis 3:6, 12);

2. in hearkening to her words Adam experienced lust (Genesis 3:17);

3. lust brought forth sin.

Through their willing acceptance and subsequent obedience to the first lie, their inherent nature was corrupted to the point that they hid themselves from God (Genesis 3:7-10). Their simplicity or innocence was corrupted (2 Corinthians 11:3). From that moment onward, this moral corruption became as an inherent part of human nature, constituting a part of the vanity to which God subjected creation until the day of salvation (Romans 8:20–25).

There is therefore a bias to sin within mankind which has to be offset by an acquired tendency to do good (Colossians 3:1). This bias to sin must either have been implanted in human nature at creation or be the direct consequence of Adam’s transgression. The first proposition is inconceivable; the second states the facts.

Differences in Temptation Before and After Sin Entered the World

The notable distinction between the way Paul experienced inner conflict and was tempted of his own lusts and the Genesis account of Eve and Adam's temptation by being deceived from an external source only, indicates that the inherent natural inclination to sin in human nature is the legacy of Adam's first sin. In Paul's case, it was Sin itself that deceived him (Romans 7:11), while in Eve's case, it was the serpent that beguiled her (2 Corinthians 11:3) and in Adam’s case it was Eve who enticed him.

The contrast is significant. In Eve's case, the temptation came externally through the serpent enticing Eve with deceptive words and as a result arousing in her a desire to disobey. In Adam's case, the temptation came externally through his wife enticing him with her words and as a result arousing in him a desire to disobey. In Paul's case, the desire already resided within him and operated instinctively, for it was his own sinful lust that enticed him (James 1:14).

This can mean but one thing; after the first transgression Diabolos (or the personification of our natural inclination to sin) became a natural part of mortal human nature which had not previously existed. Thus Paul uses the term “sin” in Romans 7 in a special sense to describe a natural inner tendency to sin dwelling in mortal human fleshly nature. This natural inclination to sin was not created by God in human nature and did not exist in Adam and Eve before they sinned.

Changes in Human Nature After Sin Entered the World

God had created Adam and Eve “very good” both morally and in physical nature. They were in a state of probation because they could only be in God’s image and likeness morally if they chose to obey God of their own free will. They were created neither mortal nor immortal, but they were capable of being changed to either. They were created innocent with a natural disposition to obey God, but were capable of sin.

But after the first sin they were no longer “very good” mentally or physically. Paul states in Romans 7:18, that no “good thing” dwelt “in me, that is, in my flesh”. Jesus, even though he was sinless, also rejected being called “good” by the Jewish ruler, saying, “Why callest thou me good? None is good save God” (Luke 18:18–19). After the change in human nature to having a natural inner tendency to sin, it could no longer be termed good in any sense, even in Jesus Christ who committed no sin.

This was coupled with the physiological change in the physical nature of their bodies now being mortal whereas before they were not. This mortal human nature along with a natural inner tendency to sin were the changes Adam and Eve experienced as a consequence of their sin. This state was passed on to all their descendants who inherit this by birth, Romans 5:12.

It should be noted that the change to having a natural inner tendency to sin occurred in Adam And Eve as soon as they ate the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, whereas the physiological change in their bodies to mortality occurred by sentence of God afterwards.

As soon as they had eaten the fruit “their eyes were opened” and they now experienced shame because of their nakedness. They made clothes from fig leaves to cover their nakedness, and because of their shame, they hid themselves from God, Genesis 3:7-10. It was only when God confronted them about their sin that they were changed physiologically to being mortal by his sentence upon them. God sentenced them to die by becoming mortal, a change which made them subject to death, disease, and weakness.

Adam and Eve’s relationship with God was affected as their sin had separated them from him and they were in need of forgiveness, Isaiah 59:2. They once had a harmonious relationship with God but now they could now no longer come into his presence as they once had. God expelled them from the garden of Eden and barred them from eating of the tree of life. They had never eaten the fruit of the tree of life and if they did they would immediately become immortal.

The sentence of God also included a life mixed with sorrow, which God subjected them to in order to make them hope in him for salvation, Romans 8:19-21. While sentencing them to mortality, God also gave them the first promise of salvation in Genesis 3:15, to give them forgiveness and a hope of being changed to immortality through a special mediator and saviour that God would provide.

Adapted from “Redemption in Christ Jesus” by W F Barling