Part 2: The Origin of Sin — From Eden to Us
If sin is more than just bad behavior—if it’s a condition, a rupture, a falling short—then a natural question follows: Where did it come from? How did this brokenness become part of our human story?
To answer that, we return to the very beginning. In the Garden of Eden, humanity was created for perfect relationship with God. But that harmony didn’t last. What happened there didn’t just affect Adam and Eve—it shaped the human condition we all share today.
The First Act of Rebellion
Genesis 3 tells the familiar story: the serpent tempts Eve, she eats the forbidden fruit, and Adam joins her. In that moment, the first sin enters the world—not through ignorance, but through a deliberate choice. It was not simply about eating fruit; it was about distrusting God’s goodness and disobeying His word.
“Did God really say…?” — Genesis 3:1
The enemy planted doubt, and humanity responded with defiance. In doing so, Adam and Eve chose independence over intimacy, self-rule over surrender. That choice fractured everything.
The Consequences of the Fall
The results were immediate and devastating:
- Shame — They saw their nakedness and hid.
- Fear — They fled from the presence of God.
- Blame — Adam blamed Eve; Eve blamed the serpent.
- Separation — They were driven from the garden, and the way back was barred.
“Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin… in this way death came to all people, because all sinned.” — Romans 5:12
This wasn’t just about Adam and Eve. According to Scripture, sin entered the world through their disobedience, and now we are all born into that same condition. We inherit their bent toward self-rule and estrangement from God.
Sin Is Not God’s Design
It’s important to say: God did not create sin. He created humanity with the freedom to love, obey, and live in joyful fellowship with Him. But love requires choice—and tragically, humanity chose wrongly. Sin is a distortion of what God intended, a hijacking of good desires aimed at the wrong target.
God’s sovereignty includes allowing free will—but never at the cost of His justice, or His mercy. He already had a plan in place to redeem what had been broken.
Inherited, Not Inevitable
We are not condemned for Adam’s sin alone, but we are affected by it. We are born into a world where sin reigns—and given enough time, we each contribute to that brokenness ourselves. Our need for redemption isn’t just theological—it’s personal.
And here’s the good news: the same passage that tells us sin came through one man also tells us that righteousness came through One Man—Jesus Christ.
“For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.” — Romans 5:19
Key Scriptures
- Genesis 3 – The Fall: humanity’s first sin.
- Romans 5:12–19 – How sin came through Adam, and righteousness through Christ.
Reflection Questions
- What does the story of the Fall reveal about human nature—and your own?
- How have you seen the ripple effects of Adam’s disobedience in your life or the world around you?
- Why is it important to understand both the origin of sin and God’s plan to redeem it?