Sin first entered the world through one man, Adam, and with it came death, which spread to all because all have sinned. Adam's sin was deliberate and presumptuous, bearing greater responsibility than Eve, who was deceived. As the first of a new creation, Adam's actions affected all humanity, just as Christ's actions affect others in a contrasting, positive way. Death passed upon all not because Adam forced others to sin, but because all have followed his example and sinned themselves, each bearing personal responsibility for their own death. God did not create a sinful nature in humanity. Adam and Eve were created with a spirit that was very good, living in harmony with God until satan entered the scene. It was through their choice to submit to satan that their nature became corrupted, not by God's design but by association with satan's influence. This corrupted nature is not passed through natural birth processes but through contact with satan, his spirit, and the world he rules as its god. The whole world lies under the sway of this wicked one, and the lusts and pride within it are not of the Father but of satan's system. Every person, from Adam and Eve to now, becomes infected by this nature through exposure to satan's influence and the world he dominates. God permits this to occur for His purposes, though He did not implant an evil nature in humanity. The spirit God gave to man was good, intended to make humans distinct from animals, providing understanding and wisdom. It is satan's presence and influence that have turned man's heart evil, feeding it with his own corrupt spirit, leading to the pervasive sin and death that challenge even the followers of Christ, who must bear their cross under the weight of sin's ever-present reality in their hearts.

Sin, in its first manifestation, did not originate within humanity by creation but entered the world through external influence. Sin began with satan, who, though not created to sin, chose to do so out of vanity and pride in his beauty, power, and position, leading him to believe he did not need God. This tragic choice was made despite his direct visibility of God, requiring less trust than is demanded of humans. When God re-created the earth for man, sin was already present because satan was there. Sin then entered the world through Adam and Eve, influenced by satan's presence, though he did not force them to sin. They, in their pride, turned their backs on God and chose to yield to satan's influence, allowing sin to enter and begin a process of domination, much like a drug infiltrating and enslaving a person. Human nature, as created by God, is not inherently evil but is naturally unenlightened, lacking a natural inclination toward the true God. This nature, oriented toward the physical and the self, is easily influenced into sin due to its spiritual darkness. From the moment of birth, the human spirit operates blindly in relation to God, making the likelihood of sinning and ingraining it into character very high. The potential for sin is always present within this nature, and while external factors such as satan, the world, and peers can intensify its manifestation, no one ultimately makes a person sin. The choice to sin, whether through ignorance, negligence, or willfulness, lies within each individual. This inherent disposition toward sin is evident from childhood, where foolishness and self-centeredness are bound in the heart, ready to grow rapidly if indulged. Even the best parenting cannot fully suppress this inclination to corruption, as seen in Adam and Eve, who, despite having God as their perfect Parent, chose to follow a different path. Sin's pervasive influence can dominate an individual or even an entire society, affecting every faculty of the mind—understanding, affections, reasoning, will, and conscience—leading to a state where every intent of the heart can become continually evil, as witnessed before the flood. Even in conversion, the struggle against sin persists powerfully within the flesh, as the old nature wars against the divine influence of God's Spirit. This battle reveals sin's deep entrenchment in habits and thought patterns developed from birth, making it a daily fight to overcome, even for the converted. Sin, portrayed as a living entity, seeks to dominate until a new nature, provided by God's Spirit, enables successful resistance and transformation toward holiness, reflecting the image of God.

Genesis, the book of beginnings, addresses humanity's pressing questions, including the prevalence of sin and evil. In the narrative of the first sin, the serpent's role in mankind's fall is revealed, leading to God's pronouncement of curses and His plan for redemption. The curse on Adam, detailed in Genesis 3:17-19, reflects the consequences of being cut off from God, symbolized by the tree of life. This judgment centers on eating, which represents mankind's daily struggle to survive in a hostile environment. Once a place of pleasurable work in the Garden of Eden, the earth became uncooperative after the curse, turning into a battle of man versus nature. Man must now toil with all his physical and mental powers to subdue the earth, facing resistance from natural elements and creatures alike. God's curse on Adam includes the phrase "for your sake," indicating that, despite the harsh toil and privation, the curse is ultimately for man's benefit. As an act of God, the perfect standard of goodness, this hardship is designed to do mankind good in the end. The struggle against the cursed ground shapes character, especially for those who combine their labor with a relationship with God, fostering growth in wisdom, knowledge, and joy. For the sinner, however, cut off from God, the toil remains drudgery, with the fruits of their labor eventually benefiting the righteous. The physical nature of man, subject to death due to this curse, also holds the potential for eternal life through resurrection, following the pattern set by Christ, while providing a means for God to rid the universe of those unwilling to submit to Him. Thus, what appears as a curse on Adam and mankind carries within it the seeds of blessing, depending on one's perspective and relationship with God.

God clearly instructs Adam and Eve that there was one tree in the middle of the garden whose fruit they were forbidden to eat. Sin is not complex; it occurs when we do not do what God says we should do. Eve was deceived by satan, offering her a small measure of justification, yet she still sinned by not obeying God's command. Adam, however, was not deceived and bore greater responsibility, sinning deliberately to please Eve, thus making an idol out of her despite knowing the snake was lying. From this first sin arises a broad and simple conclusion: mankind sins because we do not truly believe in God's personal reality or what He says. Even though Adam and Eve saw God and knew He created them, they still did not believe Him enough to resist sin. There was no sign of resistance to satan; they simply went along with the temptation. Their act was preceded by thoughts unlike God's, as they preferred satan's words over God's command, driven by vanity to be like God. We continue to sin because we lack the depth of belief in God and are not fully convicted of sin's true evil. Unlike Adam and Eve, who had no reference for sin's depth, we witness its effects all around us through wars, murders, broken marriages, and societal ills, yet we are still persuaded by its allure. God explains simply that the cause of all curses is sin, which is not doing what He instructs. No sin has ever improved anything; it may offer temporary relief or exhilaration, but the end is always death.

The concept of sin originated with the very first human beings. Sin entered the world through one man, as stated in Romans 5:12, where it is written that by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. Death reigned from Adam to Moses, indicating that sin was imputed during this period because there was a law in existence from Adam's time. Sin is defined in I John 3:4 as the transgression of the law, a spiritual law set in motion by God Almighty to regulate human happiness. This spiritual law, embodied in the Ten Commandments, was in full force and effect since human life existed on this earth. The original sin occurred in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve broke this law. God commanded them not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, warning that they would surely die if they did. Yet, they chose to disobey, influenced by the devil's lie that they would not surely die but would become like gods, knowing good and evil. In this act, they broke multiple commandments, including the first by obeying another god, the tenth through lust and vanity, the eighth by stealing what was not theirs, and in various ways, every one of the Ten Commandments was violated in that first sin. Further evidence of sin's presence before the law of Moses is seen in the actions of Cain, Adam and Eve's son, who murdered his brother Abel and lied about it, breaking the sixth and ninth commandments. Idolatry was also a sin before Abraham, as his ancestors served other gods, and Jacob's household possessed strange gods, which they relinquished. Profanity, or taking God's name in vain, was a sin prior to Moses, as were violations of other commandments such as dishonoring parents, adultery, stealing, lying, and coveting, all documented in various accounts from Genesis. Even the observance of the Sabbath was enforced weeks before the law of Moses was given at Mount Sinai, showing that God's law was active and binding from the beginning. Thus, every one of the Ten Commandments was in existence from creation, and it was sin to break any of them between the time of Adam and Moses. This spiritual law was designed for humanity's happiness, yet its transgression has brought suffering and sorrow throughout history.