The Fall of Man

The account of the Fall of Man is to be found in Genesis Ch 3. Whether we take the story literally as if it were history, or whether we read it figuratively, the story has a very clear message.

Mankind was created to be perfect.
Mankind was intended to have a close personal relationship with God.
Mankind was not created to be a puppet but was given the ability to choose to obey or disobey God.
In choosing to disobey God, Mankind lost his relationship with God.
Mankind became subject to decay and death.
Not only Mankind but all of creation suffers from the direct and indirect consequences of the fall.

The decision of Adam to disobey God introduced sin, not only into his own nature but into the nature of all mankind thereafter. Thus, every human is born with a sinful nature and a tendency to sin. The only exception to this statement is Jesus who, because of his miraculous parentage was enabled to overcome the sinful nature all others inherit.[1]

Man is incapable of leading a sinless life because it is in his nature to sin since the fall. If it were not for the work of Jesus this fact would bring despair but the Good News is that God made Salvation possible through the incarnation of his only Son, Jesus.

Some people today prefer to deny the reality of the fall. In doing so they follow a long line of heretics including the Gnostics.

See Article on Revelation

Note: 1. This is a rather unsatisfactory statement but it is difficult to explain how Jesus could be truly man without inheriting man's sinful nature. It is equally difficult to explain how Jesus could be truly God and yet inherit man's sinful nature.