We often hear that people are born good but become bad due to society. In our South Asian culture, we say things like, "Uska dil achha hai, bas zuban kharab hai." But this idea needs deeper reflection.
Once, while traveling on the Paris subway, I saw a woman angrily shouting on her phone. After her call, she apologized to me. I replied, "You should apologize to the person you were yelling at." This led to a conversation where she said, "Love is natural, but hate is taught." I asked her, "If love is natural, why do people become so evil?" She had no answer.
The Bible teaches that God created Adam and Eve in His image (Genesis 1:27), meaning they were good and holy. But God placed Adam under a command: he could eat from any tree except one (Genesis 2:16-17). When Adam disobeyed, sin entered the world (Genesis 3:1-6).
This act of disobedience broke the covenant and brought sin and death to all humanity (Romans 5:12). Instead of seeking God, Adam and Eve hid—but God sought them, revealing a deep truth: man does not seek God, God seeks man.
God declared judgment: the ground was cursed, work became painful, childbirth became hard, and death entered the world (Genesis 3:17-19). This shows the seriousness of sin—not just physical but spiritual death and separation from God.
Adam's nature changed from holiness to sinfulness.
His descendants inherited this sinful nature.
Now, humans are naturally inclined toward sin.
As 1 Corinthians 2:14 explains, man in his natural state cannot understand spiritual truth without God’s Spirit.
Before sin, Adam had free will. After sin, he became a slave to sin (Romans 7:19), and his descendants share this bondage. Unless God intervenes, no one can choose righteousness on their own (Ephesians 2:4-6).
Even in judgment, God showed mercy. He covered Adam and Eve with animal skins (Genesis 3:21), a picture of the future atonement through Christ. To prevent eternal life in a sinful state, God removed them from Eden (Genesis 3:22-24).
Adam represented all humanity, so his sin is counted as ours (Romans 5:12). This is the doctrine of Original Sin—through Adam, all are guilty and need salvation.
Without God’s intervention, we would remain lost. But God, full of mercy, came as Jesus Christ to save us (John 3:16, Matthew 1:21). Salvation is by grace, not works (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Human nature is not naturally good. The fall of Adam shows that we are born sinners in need of redemption. Our only hope is in Christ, who redeems, renews, and restores.
The question remains: Are we naturally good or evil? According to Scripture, we are born in sin—but through Christ, we are offered new life.
