I think there is a difference between Original Sin vs. breaking certain commands of God with consequences that can run into the various generations of one's offspring (For example: If one is a drunk, they can potentially spread the curse of their addiction to their offspring). For the breaking of God's moral commands (like murder, theft, idolatry, etc.) is a far cry from the difference of Adam's one time sin separating the human race from God with them being inclined to sin and with their bodies stained by the sin of Adam.
For in Original Sin: The Bible says sin (or transgression of the Law) from Adam passed down upon all men so that all have sinned. Men are born into sin via the male seed. This is why Jesus had to be born via a virgin (i.e. by the seed of a woman and not of the seed of the male). Babies were deserving of death by Adam's sin, but Jesus Christ reversed the curse of Adam. Fortunately, God is aware of the future with pinpoint precision (without having to be in the future) and He could declare that Jesus was the Promised Messiah and that His sacrifice was a guarantee for the salvation of men (long before Christ was physically sacrificed). For he is the Lamb slain since the foundation of the world. So while a baby's body is condemned to death by Adam's sin, their soul is saved by Jesus Christ and they will one day be resurrected physically by the power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
In fact, the best way to comprehend Original Sin is to properly understand the doctrine of “
Federal Headship.” One of the top passages that helps us to grasp "
Federal Headship" is Hebrews 7:8-10. It says,
8 "Here people who die receive tithes, but there one receives tithes of whom it is testified that he lives.
9 We can say that through Abraham even Levi, who receives tithes, has paid tithes,
10 for he was yet in the body of his father when Melchizedek met him." (Hebrews 7:8-10) (New Heart English Bible).
Levi paid tithes in Abraham even before Levi was born. This is Federal Headship.
Three reasons why Federal Headship is true.
#1. The Virgin Birth. While it is true that a good reason Jesus was born of only a woman so that God the Father can be exclusively his true father, but this is not the only reason. When Eve sinned, nothing happened. It was only when Adam sinned when both of their eyes were opened to the after effects of sin. So sin is passed down by the male seed. This is one of the reasons why Jesus was born of a virgin. Hebrews 7:26 says, "For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;"
#2. The moment we accept Christ as our Savior (for real) we are forgiven of our past sins and we are associating with the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Jesus took on the sins of the entire world in his body in the Garden of Gethsemane from the cup that the Father gave to Him. Jesus was then later wounded for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquities and by his stripes (whip marks) we are healed. Jesus was literally taking our place. Romans 3:25 says "God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past,"; This is the blood or sacrifice of Jesus Christ. His sacrifice is applied to us when we become born again spiritually just as Adam's sin was once applied to us when we were born into this world by the flesh of Adam. 1 John 1:7 talks about our continued salvation in Christ. If we walk in the light [i.e. keep God's commandments abiding in God the Father] as He [Christ] is in the light [God the Father], we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin (cf. John 14:23). So Christ's sacrifice is applied to our lives when we repent of our sins and we then obey Him.
#3. If we are truly 100% innocent at birth, then there would have been no need for a Savior. God could have just taken our lives before we reached the age of accountability before we could sin in God's eyes.
Romans 5:12 is probably the best verse in defending Original Sin. The word "
for" (KJB) can be translated as the word "
in" within Romans 5:12.
"Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one human being, and death through sin, and in that way death spread to all humans, in that all sinned" (Romans 5:12) (NTE).
1. Sin came into the world through one human being.
2. Death came through sin.
3. In this way death (sin) spread to all humans.
4. In that all sinned (in the fact that sin (death) spread to all humans by the fact that sin came into the world by one man, Adam).
It's why God sent a Savior.
For we see this same Greek word translated as the word "in" (instead of as "for) within other parts of the Bible:
G1909 - epi - Strong's Greek Lexicon (KJV)
This fits the context because verse 19 says,
"For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous." (Romans 5:19).
"Therefore as by the offence 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." (Romans 5:18).
"For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." (1 Corinthians 15:22).
When we come to Jesus, we have the promise that we will one day have a new resurrected body that will live forever. The opposite is true when we were born into this world with a body that is condemned by death because of the sin of Adam.
John 3:6 - “That which is born of the flesh is flesh”
- 1 John 2:16 - "For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world."
- Genesis 8:21 - The Lord said in his heart, “I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth.”
- Psalms 58:3 - The wicked are estranged from the womb; they go astray from birth, speaking lies.
- Job 5:7 - Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward.
- Proverbs 22:15 - "Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child;"
- Job 15:14-16 - "What is man, that he should be clean? and he which is born of a woman, that he should be righteous? Behold, he putteth no trust in his saints; yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight. How much more abominable and filthy is man, which drinketh iniquity like water?"
- Romans 7:24 - "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?"
- Jeremiah 17:9 - "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?"
- Matthew 26:41 - "...The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
- Ephesians 2:2-3 - "Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 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 2:3-4 says we are sinners by nature because it says by nature we were children of wrath and we were once called the "children of disobedience." This means that while it is true that sin is the breaking of the Law (1 Jhn 3:4), sin is not just something we do alone, it is something in who a person is (i.e. a sinner). So while Adam and Eve were originally formed by God to be morally good, they had free will to sin and their failure to obey God had led their descendants to be born with a sinful nature (whereby their hearts would be desperately wicked). This is why all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Because if we were born 100% innocent, then by sheer mathematical probability, at least one person in the human history would have not sinned (Not counting Jesus Christ of course because He is holy and separate from sinners - See Hebrews 7:26).
We are born in the image of Adam (who is earthy).
1Co 15:45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
1Co 15:46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.
1Co 15:47 The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.
1Co 15:48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.
1Co 15:49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
The second man is the Lord from heaven and we (believers) are to bear the image of the heavenly. This means we were not originally born to be spiritual or to be heavenly. It's why we need to be born again spiritually by Jesus Christ (the second man or the last Adam). Granted, this does not mean babies are not saved. Babies are simply unaware of knowing how to sin. Sin is not imputed where there is no Law (Romans 5:13). Babies do not know about any law, so sin cannot be imputed to them. So while babies do carry the sin of Adam (or the sin nature of Adam), they have not put forth any kind of sin or evil works to be judged. But yet, they do carry the sin of Adam within them (Which proves itself true by the fact they will sin later when they grow up). Jesus died for the sins of the entire world. So this very act by Jesus saves babies. If Jesus did not go to the cross, not even babies would have been saved. All of humanity would have been condemned. For Jesus Christ is our Savior; It is not our own own innocence or goodness alone that saves us!
Important Note:
While doing good is a part of God's Kingdom (i.e. Sanctification by the Holy Spirit), it is good deeds that the Lord does through the believer after they come to the Lord Jesus Christ by faith (seeking His forgiveness over their sin with Him). For we are first saved by God's grace and the gospel in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, and we continue in God's plan of salvation by walking in the Spirit and putting away the misdeeds of the body (See: Romans 8:13, and Galatians 5:16). But make no mistake, man is not born into being completely innocent. The stain of Adam's sin is definitely upon his offspring. Just look at the world around you.