We Sin Because We’re Sinners

Q.  In a recent article you said, “We’re not sinners because we sin. We sin because we’re sinners.” Would you be kind enough to elaborate on this statement in a little more depth. I must say that my thick head is having difficulty seeing the difference between the two sentences.

A.  It means we don’t start off pure and acquire the habit of sinning by doing it repeatedly over time.  We are born sinners and our sinful behavior is a manifestation of our nature.  We have no choice about it.

In Psalm 51:5 David said, “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.”  From the moment of conception we had a sin nature and sinful behavior would become one of our defining characteristics.