Question 14: Did God create us unable to keep his law?

Answer: No, but because of the disobedience of our first parents, Adam and Eve, all of creation is fallen; we are all born in sin and guilt, corrupt in our nature and unable to keep God’s law.

Kids Answer: No, but because of the disobedience of Adam and Eve, we are all born in sin and guilt, unable to keep God’s law.

Key Scripture: Romans 5:12

Additional Scripture: Romans 6:17; Romans 5:12,19; 2 Chronicles 6:36 God created man truly free and with full ability to obey Him but Adam, as a representative for mankind, disobeyed God’s Law and now we, as His descendants are born enslaved to sin. We are born with a “total inability” to keep God’s rules and find ourselves enslaved to sin. We are still truly free but our hearts are infected with a love for sin. If we are left to our own devices we will always choose sin, even when it is destructive. Thank God that He does not leave us on our own! Through Jesus we have been set free from bondage to sin. He gives us a new heart and a new spirit, makes us love the Law of God, and helps us to obey.

Questions to ask: (To help process the truth we learned. Ask yourself, a friend, your group, or your family questions to talk through it together)

• What if Adam had kept the Law perfectly in the Garden?

• If it had been you in the garden rather than Adam, would theresults have changed?

• What does it mean that we are born with a “total inability” tokeep God’s Law?

• If we love sin and are enslaved to it then how is it that the worldis not worse than it is?

• Can someone who is enslaved to sin still make altruistic choices? How can this be?