Psalm 51:5 states:“Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.” (NIV)
There is no doubt that David considered himself a sinner at birth.Not only was he born a sinner (and “surely” he was, in his own consideration), he went on to trace his sin back to when he was conceived. For him, sin was an integral part of his being, at his origin.And although original sin is not a biblical phrase, David clearly confesses his original corruption.“The truly penitent will ever trace back the streams of actual sin to the fountain of original depravity.” (Matthew Henry Concise Bible Commentary)
In his book “Concise Theology: A Guide to Historic Christian Beliefs”, J.I. Packer has taken on theological subjects and made them easy for the reader to understand.While being reformational and evangelical, he has peppered his writings with biblical references for the reader’s information and use, resulting in a powerful, biblically based approach to developing one’s biblical beliefs.One such writing, also known as a brief, titled “Original Sin” takes a look at how depravity has infected everyone.
To all of this, I say a hearty amen.Like David, I too consider myself a sinner at birth.And, I too trace my sin back to my conception.According to J.I. Packer, “Scripture diagnoses sin as a universal deformity of human nature, found at every point in every person (1 Kings 8:46; Rom. 3:9-23; 7:18; 1 John 1:8-10).”Utterly depraved as we are, “original sin makes the point that we are not sinners because we sin, but rather we sin because we are sinners, born with a nature enslaved to sin.”