Q
Our Christian group has been discussing sin. Some say we are born with a sin nature and become sinners when we sin. Others say we are born sinners because we have a sin nature. What say you?
A
I like Pastor Chuck Smith’s answer to this question. He said, “We’re not sinners because we sin. We sin because we’re sinners.” He was confirming what David said in Psalm 51:5. “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.”
Children are not sin free from birth until the age of accountability. It’s just that their sins are not counted against them. They sin without even understanding what sin is. They’re born sinners, just like the rest of us.