It has become commonplace for people to justify their sinful behavior by saying “I was just born that way.” Morality is left out of the discussion. Sins are blamed on a physical condition while ignoring behavior. After all, if they are born that way, they can’t help it, right? And many Christians don’t know how to deal with this. They will say, “How can the Church condemn the sins of people if they are “just born that way?” What is the Christian response to the issue of “genetic sin?”
In a very real sense, we are indeed “just born that way.” We are born sinful. We inherit sinful desires through the spiritual “genes” that have been passed down from every parent to every child since the Fall. And when our “genetic sin” is nurtured by the sinful world, visible sins are the inevitable result.
The Lutheran Reformers knew this to be true.
It is also taught among us that since the fall of Adam all men who are born according to the course of nature are conceived and born in sin. That is, all men are full of evil lust and inclinations from their mother’s wombs and are unable by nature to have true fear of God and true faith in God. Moreover, this inborn sickness and hereditary sin is truly sin and condemns to the eternal wrath of God all those who are not born again through Baptism and the Holy Spirit.
Augsburg Confession, Article II, 1
They based this on the message of Scripture.
Romans 5:12-19 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned — for before the law was given, sin was in the world. But sin is not taken into account when there is no law. Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who was a pattern of the one to come. But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.
The message of Jesus is “being born that way” is no excuse. God hates all sin, and impenitent sinners are condemned to hell. That is the Law, which condemns each of us. We all need to feel the hammer of the Law that crushes pride, making us long for forgiveness. Homosexuals, heterosexual adulterers, slanderers, gossips, those who are judgmental, lazy, liars, and everyone living in habitual and manifest sins must hear nothing but God’s Law until they realize that these and all sins bring punishment. Whether it comes from nature or from nurture or both, every sin carries a price. We condemn the sin in order to save the sinner. Of course we want to be compassionate, but it is neither kind nor loving to let someone believe that God will accept their sin. When they come to that realization, that they are sinful and need help, they will find that God does have something to offer.
Jesus bore our guilt. He paid the price for our sin. By Word and Sacraments His payment is offered to us as our payment for sin. By faith we receive His death as our death for sin, so that we will also be joined with Him in His life. This is the main message of Scripture.
The world being what it is, there will always be churches that tell people what they want to hear. There will be those who tell you “you were just born that way, you can’t help it, go ahead and be yourself. Jesus loves you just the way you are.” But the message God shares with us in His Word is that while you may be “born that way” you do not have to act upon it! When you sin, you make a conscious choice to act upon the sinful desires that are in your nature. What God calls you to instead is to follow His Spirit’s guiding, remember what Jesus did to make you righteous, and respond to Him by not following the desires of your sinful nature.
If you admit that are “just born that way,” sinful, and with faith look to the cross for your forgiveness, you will be forgiven. Keep your eyes on Jesus. Then you can say, “Yeah, I’m a sinner. I was born that way. But Jesus took care of that for me.” And with God’s help, resolve not to act upon the longings of your sinful nature.
