SCRIPTURAL TEACHING.
(1) All men, without respect of condition or class, are sinners before God.
Rom. 3:9, 10, 22, 23; Psa. 14; Isa. 53:6. There may be a difference in the degree, but not in the fact of sin. All men, Jew and Gentile, have missed the mark, and failed to attain to God's standard. There is none righteous, no, not one.
(2) This universal sinful condition is vitally connected with the sin of Adam.
Rom. 5:12—"Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." "For the judgment was by one to condemnation" (5:16). "For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners" (5:19). All men were in Adam when he sinned; fallen he, fallen they. Herein lies the truth of the organic unity of the race. "In Adam all die." Two questions are raised here: How can man be held responsible for a depraved nature?—this touches the matter of original sin; and How can God justly impute Adam's sin to us?—this deals with the question of the imputation of sin.
(3) The whole world rests under condemnation, wrath, and curse.
Rom. 3:19—"That every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God." Gal. 3:10; Eph. 2:3. The law of God demands a perfect obedience; but no son of man can yield such obedience; hence the curse of a broken law rests upon those breaking it. The wrath of God abides on all not vitally united by faith to Jesus Christ (John 3:36).
(4) Unregenerate men are regarded as children of the devil, and not sous of God.
1 John 3:8-10; John 8:44—"Ye are of your father the devil." 1 John 5:19—"And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness (in the wicked one, R. V.)."
(5) The whole race of men are in helpless captivity to sin and Satan.