Moral respoansbility against sin ‘nature lie’
The doctrine that humans possess a “sinful nature” which forces them to sin and makes obedience impossible is fundamentally incompatible with the biblical teaching that God will judge every person according to their works.
If sin could not be avoided because of an inherited, irresistible sinful nature, then sin would no longer be a moral act.
It would not be a deliberate, intentional transgression of God’s law, but a natural necessity something the person cannot prevent.
And if a person cannot prevent it, then it cannot be considered sin in the biblical sense.
A just God cannot condemn someone for actions they were incapable of avoiding.
This is exactly why the doctrine of an unavoidable sinful nature destroys moral accountability and contradicts God’s justice.
Scripture speaks very clearly:
Revelation 20:12
“The dead were judged according to their works… each one was judged according to his works.”
This judgment presupposes:
freedom,
ability,
responsibility,
and moral accountability.
God judges only what man was capable of choosing.
If the human will were bound by an inescapable sinful nature, then: judgment would be unjust, condemnation would be arbitrary, and moral accountability would collapse.
But Revelation 20 shows that God will judge every individual because their actions were genuinely theirs, freely chosen, and therefore subject to divine evaluation.
Thus, the idea of a “sinful nature” that makes obedience impossible is incompatible with the Final Judgment, the justice of God, and the entire biblical concept of sin as a voluntary transgression.
Psalm 119:4 You have commanded your judgments, that they may be diligently observed.
Man’s actions are determined, or rather influenced, by his motivations and inclinations, exercised by the faculty of his free will. In no case is God the author of determinism, much less of evil. This is why man’s responsibility is absolute in his actions, thoughts, words and intentions.
Deuteronomy 30:19 I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing. Choose life, that you and your descendants may live, to love the LORD your
God, to obey his voice, and to hold fast to him; for this is your life…
If God were to accomplish the salvation of certain individuals predestined to salvation by an absolute decree of irresistible grace, this would imply no true wisdom on his part. Indeed, such an approach would deny man’s free will, the foundation of his dignity and his capacity for moral choice. Divine wisdom is manifested precisely in offering man a genuine choice, thus
respecting and preserving his freedom and his human nature.
By granting each person the possibility of freely responding to his call, God honors human responsibility while manifesting his infinite wisdom in the plan of redemption.
The wisdom of God, by respecting free will, allows love and obedience toward him to be chosen and not imposed. This free choice gives the act of faith and victorious sanctification an authentic value, because only by voluntarily choosing to love and obey God can man attain a sincere and profound
relationship with his Creator. God, in his wisdom, desires children who turn to him out of love and conviction, and not out of compulsion, thus manifesting the beauty of his plan in the personal freedom and commitment of each one.
Luther’s destructive phrase: “You, Lord Jesus, are my
righteousness, but I am your sin.”
This outrageous statement by Martin Luther alone sums up the deeply flawed theology he developed regarding sin and righteousness.
*By stating, “You, Lord Jesus, are my righteousness, but I am your sin,” Luther introduces a notion that distorts both the holiness of Christ and human
responsibility for sin.
The Bible emphasizes personal responsibility for sin. Ezekiel
18:20 The soul that sinneth, it shall surely die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son.
Deuteronomy 24:16 The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, nor shall the children be put to death for the fathers; every man shall be put to
death for his own sin.
By taking refuge behind the excuse of ‘I was born sinful’ these men reject the notion of free will, which is nevertheless one of the foundations of moral responsibility and divine justice.
Not wanting to assume their responsibilities, they prefer to attribute their actions to a fatality of nature rather than to personal choices, which amounts to refusing the call to holiness and purity that God demands of each one.
Since they consider that man does not have the natural capacity to be holy and pure, they think that the grace of God must compensate for this human incapacity. However, this doctrine is pure sophistry, neither scriptural nor rational.
The grace of God, its operation acts on the motivation of man in
an incentive manner, but his capacity to act remains proper to man, and man acts of himself, without God acting his capacity.
In the Scriptures, we find examples of people whose responsibility is at stake in holiness (Revelation 2:3), as well as in Matthew 5, where Jesus warns to be vigilant against temptations, thus illustrating the human responsibility to be
pure and holy.
The wickedness of men results from their collective refusal to listen to God’s voice and abide by His laws. This consistent choice to ignore divine truth has resulted in widespread corruption of heart.
Genesis 6:9 presents Noah as a righteous and blameless man. This proves that even in a generation where wickedness predominates, it is possible, by conscious and voluntary choice, to walk in righteousness and find favor in the eyes of God.
Some theological movements, such as those advocating total
depravity, argue that this verse shows man’s total inability to
choose good. However, a careful reading of the biblical context does not support this idea. Evil here is willfully
cultivated by men, who refuse to listen to God.
It is not an irreversible state imposed on man from birth, but a
consequence of repeated and deliberate choices.
Genesis 6:3 indicates God’s patience:
“My spirit will not always strive with man.” This divine patience emphasizes that God gives men time to repent and change their ways.
Wickedness is a result, not an inevitability.
The text does not say that men are born wicked, but that their thoughts and hearts are voluntarily directed toward evil.
So, Genesis 6:5 highlights man’s moral responsibility.
This passage shows that man’s wickedness is the result of his willful and constant choices to reject God and pursue his own
selfish desires. God never took away man’s ability to choose between good and evil, and Noah’s example proves that it is possible to walk righteously, even in a corrupt world. This text is a reminder that sin is not inevitable, but a decision, and that God is constantly calling humanity to return to Him.
Genesis 8:21 And the LORD smelled a sweet savour: and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake: for the
imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth: neither will I again smite every living thing, as I have done.
When the person is seduced by the attraction of sin, the love of sin reigns in him by his own inclination. The nature created by God remains intact, this is required in order for his responsibility before the judgment of God to be engaged. It is in the heart, animated by lust, that sin is born, when it is
seduced by temptation.
The lying movements ease their minds by cultivating the illusion of being in the truth, because many of them believe that man is irremediably bound to a sinful nature and saved only by faith, without the need of pure holiness without sin.
Sin is not inevitable or permissible but avoidable and condemnable through individual choice and responsibility.
Genesis 4:7 reinforces this truth, as God tells Cain: “sin lies at the door… but you must rule over it.” If sin were an unavoidable condition for mankind, such a command would be meaningless.
Divine discipline in 2 Samuel 7:14 only makes sense if man has the real ability to obey this in no way replaces man’s responsibility to obey the Divine Law, nor does it question his natural capacity to do what is right. By directing the young man to the observance of the commandments, Jesus confirms that
obedience to the Law remains essential for anyone seeking
eternal life.
This statement does not deny man’s capacity to do good, but emphasizes the righteousnessess must conform to divine justice revealed in the Law. Jesus reminds us that perfect goodness belongs to God, but this does not excuse
man from his moral and spiritual duties, nor does it diminish his active role in the journey toward justice and eternal life.
Each person is judged according to his or her own actions, highlighting the
importance of living in righteousness and obedience to God’s
Law.
God offers the possibility of repentance: if the wicked sincerely turns from his sins, he will live, and his faults will be forgotten. Conversely, if the righteous abandons his righteousness to commit iniquity, he will die because of his
sins.
These passages reveal God’s deep desire: He does not want the wicked to die, but that they repent and live. Personal conversion and obedience are essential to salvation. This demonstrates God’s faithfulness and justice, who will judge
each soul according to its own ways and choices, offering
each the possibility of eternal life.
Ezekiel 20:11 I gave them my statutes and made known to them my judgments, that whoever does them, he shall live in them.
This verse highlights that salvation is directly related to obedience to God’s laws and ordinances. These commandments are principles of life that save the soul. By applying them, man finds life, both in the spiritual sense and
in a lasting relationship with God.
On the day of judgment God will demand accountability because each of us has a moral responsibility and should have conformed to the universal law
of morality, engraved in the heart of man.
Romans 2:6-7 He will render to each one according to his deeds: eternal life to those who by patience in well-doing seek glory and honor and immortality.
Unbreakable connexion with
Romans 2:13 For not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified.
This doctrine of the sinful nature or original sin compromises the human capacity to grow in complete holiness, leading either to despair in thinking that it is impossible to be in pure holy life without sin leading the person into a dangerous comfort, in which sin is seen as a mere consequence of this
sinful nature due to a fleshly weakness destroying its
seriousness as well as the person’s responsibility.
1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man, but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able.
it is always up to man, through his free will and responsibility, to pay diligent
attention to the voice of the Spirit and not to sin. Thus, this perspective preserves both the sovereignty of God, who sanctifies us, and human responsibility in the process of sanctification. This is called synergy, a cooperation between two entities God and man working together for a common goal: salvation.
Romans 8:13 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if you through the Spirit put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
In this verse, Paul highlights man’s personal responsibility in
the fight against sin.
He emphasizes that it is a cooperation between man and the Spirit. To put to death the sinful actions of the body is to refuse any compromise with sin, by actively putting an end to the fleshly desires that lead away from God.
This approach requires discipline and obedience to the Law of God, guided by the directive voice of the Holy Spirit
Revelation 3:20 I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
The image of Jesus knocking at the door illustrates the call to each person to prepare to receive Christ as Master of the house in a clean dwelling, free from all sin and disorder. Jesus does not force his way in and does not himself put order into each person’s life; it is up to the person to take responsibility
for abandoning his sins, for putting his heart in order so that Christ can dwell there.