What spiritual condition are all people born into as descendants of Adam?
All people descended from Adam are born spiritually dead, spiritually destitute, and spiritually enemies of God. They did not become guilty by eating forbidden fruit themselves; they inherited condemnation and a fallen nature from Adam. Scripture presents this condition as the result of Adam’s fall, not personal merit.
Les explains that we are not guilty sinners because we ate of a forbidden fruit, nor are we guilty in the similitude of Adam’s sin. That was what Adam did; we did not. We inherited condemnation because we are sons of Adam. As a result, people are immediately born into this world spiritually dead, spiritually destitute, and spiritually an enemy of God. God created Adam innocent, sinless, and perfect, but Adam fell, and God decreed that everyone coming from Adam would be a fallen creature. Yet God did everything to bring that fallen creature back to his original state if they would believe. It has always been by faith. Adam and Eve were restored into fellowship by faith, and so it continued through the Old Testament. In contrast to Adam’s sin, God through Jesus Christ reconciled the human race, paid the debt, and made everything possible to bring men back to Himself.