From the Baptist Catechism with Commentary, by W.R. Downing, used by permission;
Adam stood as Representative Man, and therefore when he sinned in apostatizing from God, the whole human race fell in him as their federal head. This is called “original sin,” or immediate imputation. Even if a person could begin from any point in his or her life and live perfectly without sin—even if this were possible—he or she would still be utterly condemned because of original sin [the imputation of Adam’s transgression]. The condemnation and guilt of sin are thus inescapable.
See Question 66. When Adam and Eve, as sinners, had children, they, too, were sinners (Gen. 5:3). The defacement of the Divine image in man was passed to all of Adam’s posterity by both imputation and inheritance.
Thus, all human beings not only have original sin, but also a sinful nature and so are prone to personal sin. The inheritance of Adam’s sinful nature and proneness to transgression is termed “‘mediate’ imputation” (Rom. 3:9–18). Both the immediate and mediate imputation of sin are awful realties.
Every subsequent human being consequently evidences his or her sinful state by personal sins in disposition, inclination, motivation, thought, word and deed as being under its reigning power. Because all human beings are sinners, all stand in need of salvation from both the reigning power of sin and from its immediate and ultimate consequences. It is not only noteworthy, but absolutely vital to understand that, even with the curse, there came the promise of a redeemer (Gen. 3:15) [the protevangelium, or first promise of the gospel]. This Divine revelation to the serpent as a challenge and to man as a promise demonstrates constantly that God is a God of purpose, who delights in mercy and glories in grace (Isa. 45:22; Jn. 3:16–18)!
Quest
