Chapter 05 · Hamartiology
Hamartiology
The Doctrine of Sin
What Is Sin?
Our view of God directly shapes our understanding of sin. If God is good, perfect, and holy, then sin is an enormous problem, not a minor character flaw or a social inconvenience. Our understanding of humanity also shapes our view of sin: if we reflect God's image, then we are judged by His standard, not the standard of other fallible humans. And our doctrine of sin strongly influences our doctrine of salvation: if the consequences of sin are severe, then salvation is all the more necessary and precious (Erickson).
Sin vs. Sins: An Important Distinction
Many people think of wrongdoing only in terms of specific bad acts, things they did wrong. This is the category of sins (plural): individual wrong acts, external and concrete, logically separable from the person. On this view, someone who hasn't done anything visibly wrong might consider themselves good.
But Scripture goes deeper. Erickson writes: "Many people are unable to grasp the concept of sin as an inner force, an inherent condition, a controlling power. People today think more in terms of sins, that is, individual wrong acts. Sins are something external and concrete, logically separable from the person." (Erickson)
Sin (singular) refers to our nature: the inherited condition and controlling inner force that gives rise to sinful acts. We do not merely commit sins; we are sinners by nature. This distinction matters because it means the human problem runs deeper than bad behavior. It is a problem of the heart.
The problem of sin is not primarily what we have done: it is what we are. External behavior flows from internal condition. This is why salvation must be a transformation of the heart, not merely a correction of behavior.
Biblical Terms for Sin
The Bible uses a rich variety of words to describe sin, falling into three broad categories (Erickson):
Terms emphasizing causes: predisposing factors that give rise to sin: Ignorance, Error, Inattention.
Terms emphasizing the character of the act: the nature of sin itself: Missing the Mark, Irreligion, Transgression, Iniquity or Lack of Integrity, Rebellion, Treachery, Perversion, Abomination.
Terms emphasizing results: consequences that follow from sin: Agitation or Restlessness, Evil or Badness, Guilt, Trouble.
The Source of Sin
"Let no one say when he is tempted, 'I am being tempted by God,' for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death."James 1:13–15 (ESV)
Sin comes from within humanity, not from God. Satan is often called the "author of sin," but the immediate source of temptation is our own desire. Paul describes this in terms of the flesh versus the spirit, meaning not our physical bodies, but our sinful nature that actively pulls us toward rebellion. He calls this an internal battle (Romans 7; Galatians 5).
The Results of Sin
Effects on Our Relationship with God
Adam and Eve went from being in fellowship with God to being His enemies, through their own choice, not His. Sin produces divine disfavor: because God is holy, He is opposed to sin, and those in sin exist in opposition to His character. Sin also creates guilt: defined by Erickson not as a feeling but as a state of being: "the state of having violated God's intention for one and thus being liable to punishment" (Erickson). Finally, sin brings punishment, which Erickson categorizes as remedial (corrective), deterrent (preventative), and retributive (just consequence).
Death: Three Forms
Physical Death: Were humans created mortal? The view of conditional mortality holds that humanity was not inherently able to live forever, but also need not have died. Death came as a consequence of sin.
Spiritual Death: "The separation of the entire person from God" (Erickson). Sin results in alienation from God: the breaking of the relationship for which we were designed.
Eternal Death: "The extension and finalization of spiritual death" (Erickson). The idea of a "second death," the permanent state of separation from God chosen by those who reject Him. Revelation 20:14 calls this the "lake of fire."
Effects on the Sinner
Erickson identifies seven effects of sin on the individual: Enslavement (becoming slaves to sin while calling it freedom); Flight from Reality (unwillingness to face death and accountability); Denial of Sin (refusing to take responsibility); Self-Deceit (hypocrisy); Insensitivity (becoming calloused to God's promptings); Self-Centeredness (attending to self while ignoring others); and Restlessness (the insatiable emptiness produced by sin).
Effects on Relationships with Others
Sin also corrupts our ability to relate to other people. It produces Competition (because self-centeredness inevitably conflicts with others); Inability to Empathize ("we see only our own perspective and cannot step into the shoes of others"); Rejection of Authority (seeing authority as a threat to our internally built security); and Inability to Love (self-absorption makes it impossible to genuinely seek the welfare of others) (Erickson).
Original Sin
Romans 5:12: "just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned." Original sin refers to both the guilt of Adam's first sin (imputed to all humanity) and the corrupted nature inherited by all people as a result. Three major theological traditions interpret this differently:
Pelagianism: Denies original sin and guilt entirely; each person only sins by imitation of Adam. Condemned as heresy by the Council of Carthage (418 AD).
Arminianism: Affirms original corruption but holds that God applies prevenient grace to all people, neutralizing guilt and enabling free choice.
Calvinism (Augustinian): All people inherit both the guilt and the corruption of Adam's sin. This is the basis for the doctrine of Total Depravity.
The Social Dimension of Sin
Sin does not exist only in individual lives. It is embedded in the systems and powers that govern human society. The Fall has affected social structures, cultural institutions, and patterns of power just as it has affected individual hearts. This is why the work of Christians in the world matters: society itself requires transformation, not just individuals.
Key Vocabulary
Our nature and inherited condition, the controlling inner force that gives rise to sinful acts. Distinguished from sins (plural), which are individual wrong acts. Sin is a state of being; sins are expressions of that state.
The doctrine that Adam's first sin resulted in both guilt and a corrupted nature being passed to all of his descendants. Romans 5:12 is the central text. Interpreted differently by Pelagians, Arminians, and Calvinists.
The Calvinist/Augustinian doctrine that sin has corrupted every dimension of human nature — intellect, will, emotions, and desires — leaving us completely unable to choose God on our own. Does not mean every person is as evil as they could be, but that no part of us is untouched by sin.
"The state of having violated God's intention for one and thus being liable to punishment." (Erickson). Guilt in the theological sense is an objective status — a state of being — not merely a feeling.
"The separation of the entire person from God." (Erickson). The state of alienation from God that results from sin — the breaking of the relationship for which humanity was designed.
The 5th century heresy taught by Pelagius, which denied original sin and held that humans have the natural ability to choose good without divine grace. Condemned at the Council of Carthage (418 AD).
The view, following Jacob Arminius, that affirms original corruption but holds that God applies prevenient grace to all people, neutralizing guilt and enabling free choice to respond to the gospel.
The Augustinian/Reformed view, following John Calvin, that all people inherit both the guilt and the corruption of Adam's sin. This is the basis for the doctrine of Total Depravity.
Key Scriptures
- Genesis 3:1–24
- Romans 5:12–21
- Romans 3:23
- James 1:13–15
- Psalm 51:5
- Isaiah 64:6
- Jeremiah 17:9
- Revelation 20:14
Review Questions
- What is the difference between "sin" (singular) and "sins" (plural)? Why does this distinction matter for how we understand the human problem and salvation?
- How does our view of God affect our understanding of sin? How does our view of humanity affect it?
- Describe the three forms of death that result from sin: physical, spiritual, and eternal. Which do you think is most serious, and why?
- List and briefly explain four of the seven effects sin has on the sinner (Erickson's list). Can you see any of these patterns in the world around you?
- What is original sin? How do Pelagianism, Arminianism, and Calvinism each interpret the relationship between Adam's sin and the rest of humanity?
- How does the social dimension of sin go beyond individual behavior? What does it mean that sin is embedded in systems and structures, not just personal choices?