The Corruption Inherited by All (Chapter 6, Paragraph 3)

“They being the root, and by God’s appointment, standing in the room and stead of all mankind…”

Adam and Eve were not merely the first humans—they were the representatives of all humanity. Just as a branch shares in the life (or death) of the root, so we are born with the consequences of Adam’s fall. By God’s wise and just appointment, Adam’s guilt and corruption have been passed on to every one of his descendants.

This “root theology” helps explain why human nature is universally broken, and why we cannot look to ourselves for moral or spiritual hope. The problem runs deep—it is inherited, not just learned.

“…the guilt of the sin was imputed…”

Imputation is a legal term. Adam’s guilt was counted to us. We are born with a criminal record because of our connection to Adam. This is not contrary to justice—it is the very same principle by which Christ’s righteousness is imputed to believers. If we reject Adam’s imputation, we must also reject Christ’s. But if we accept the one, we are prepared to treasure the other.

“…and the same death in sin and corrupted nature conveyed to all their posterity descending from them by ordinary generation.”

This sentence makes clear that original sin is transmitted through natural birth. All who descend from Adam and Eve “by ordinary generation” inherit this corruption. This excludes Christ, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and not tainted by Adam’s guilt (Luke 1:35; Heb. 4:15).

Every child born is a sinner—not first by choice, but by nature. David said in Psalm 51:5, “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.” The corruption begins before any outward act of sin appears.

“Being now conceived in sin, and by nature children of wrath…”

This reinforces that the fall affects us at the deepest level—our nature. We are not born innocent, but corrupted by the environment. Rather, we are born under judgment and deserving of wrath from the start. Ephesians 2:3 says we are “by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.”

This does not mean children are damned without remedy. God is merciful, and His electing grace can reach even in infancy. But the doctrine remains: we are all born alienated from God, needing redemption and new birth.

“…the servants of sin…”

Apart from grace, we are not free. We are slaves. Romans 6:17 describes unbelievers as “slaves to sin.” We follow its impulses, obey its desires, and live under its dominion. True freedom comes not by following our hearts, but by being set free by Christ.

“…the subjects of death…”

This includes both physical death and spiritual death. Adam’s sin introduced death into the world (Rom. 5:12). Every funeral testifies to the truth of original sin. But more devastating than the body’s death is the spiritual death that separates us from God.

“…and all other miseries, spiritual, temporal, and eternal, unless the Lord Jesus set them free.”

Here is the turning point: “unless the Lord Jesus set them free.” The entire weight of sin and misery rests on humanity—unless. There is only one hope: Jesus Christ. He alone can rescue us from sin’s penalty (justification), power (sanctification), and presence (glorification). He became the second Adam (1 Cor. 15:45), succeeded where the first failed, and now gives life to all who trust in Him.

Application for the Believer:

This doctrine strips away every illusion of self-sufficiency. We were not merely misled—we were enslaved, dead in sin, and deserving of wrath. Our problem was not lack of effort, but a corrupted nature. Yet, into this despair, God sent His Son. The more clearly we see our ruin in Adam, the more fully we will rejoice in our redemption in Christ. Let this truth guard you against pride, deepen your gratitude, and increase your urgency to proclaim the gospel. There is no remedy for original sin but sovereign grace. And praise God, that grace is freely offered in Jesus.