Are most human beings inherently good? Most people would say yes. Of course, there are evil people out there: dictators, terrorists, rapists and serial killers. There is no doubt that these kinds of people are sinners, and very few, if any, would argue that they are “good” in any sense of the word. However, they would likely argue that the majority of humans are good by nature, and while we all have our shares of failures and foibles, most of us do not reach this level of evil in our lifetimes.
According to The State of Theology survey done by Ligonier Ministries in 2022, seventy percent of Americans believe that everyone is born innocent in the eyes of God, and sixty-six percent agree with the statement, “Everyone sins a little, but most people are good by nature.” Perhaps these are not surprising numbers when we consider our secular culture and its atrophied sense of what sin is. However, the survey also shows that professing Evangelicals share these beliefs. Sixty-six percent of Evangelicals agree that humans are born innocent in God’s eyes, and fifty-seven percent believe that most humans are good by nature.[1]
Like with everything else, Christians ought to root their beliefs and understandings of the world in the infallible truths of Scripture. What is the Bible’s take on this question? Are humans good by nature? To answer this, we must go back to the beginning.
In the beginning, there was God, our self-existent, eternal, omnipresent God (Genesis 1:1). God is and always has been holy and righteous, perfect and good. He is unable to sin, cause someone to sin, or create sin. This means that when He created the heavens and the earth, everything was good, and righteous, and holy (Genesis 1:31). Sin did not exist, and the first human beings lived in complete harmony with each other, with creation, and with their Creator.
But all of that changed when those first two human beings decided to rebel against God and directly disobey His command (Genesis 3:6-7). In doing so, they introduced sin into the world. They were no longer good, no longer righteous, no longer holy. They became sinners, destined for death, and they would pass on this dark legacy and destiny to their children, and their children’s children, and every other person who would descend from their line.
This is the doctrine of original sin—every human being possesses a sin nature that they inherited from Adam and which actively separates them from God. The late pastor and theologian R.C. Sproul once described it—
“The power of sin is so deeply rooted in the hearts and souls of mortal people that it is impossible for us not to sin…We are not morally able to do the good that God requires.”[2]
The reality of original sin is that nobody is born innocent. Everybody enters this world with a sin nature. The Apostle Paul testifies to this in the fifth chapter of his letter to the Romans, where he describes how sin and death spread from one man (Adam) to all men (Romans 5:12). And in Psalm 51, King David wrote,
“Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.” Psalm 51:5, ESV
We are all sinners. You’re a sinner. I’m a sinner. The best, most righteous person you can think of is a sinner. We all fall short of God’s glory—His holiness, His righteousness, His perfection (Romans 3:23). There is no one out there who always does what is good and never sins (Ecclesiastes 7:20). We may have a desire to do what is right and good, but we are unable to fully do so because we are sinful to the core (Romans 7:18). Our very hearts are deceitful and sick (Jeremiah 17:9). Many will claim that they’re not sinners, that they’re good people. For them, John gives a strong reprimand—
“If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” 1 John 1:8
What is the truth? Human beings are dead in their sins (Ephesians 2:1). But that’s not the end of our story. While we were sinners, God loved us and sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die in our place for our sins (Romans 5:8). We deserved death as the punishment for our disobedience and our rebellion against our Creator. But Jesus came to earth, lived a perfectly righteous life, and atoned for our sins on the cross so that we might gain His righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21). Instead of being dead in our sins, we are now able to die to our sins and live the righteous life that God desires of us (1 Peter 2:24). In Christ, we are made new!
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” 2 Corinthians 5:17
So, are humans good by nature? Are we born innocent in the eyes of God? The Bible says no. We are totally depraved, wretched sinners who deserve death. Everybody sins, and nobody is able to perfectly meet God’s holy standard. But Jesus came to take on our sin and give us His righteousness. In Him, we are no longer sinners, no longer slaves to the enemy (Galatians 4:7). In Him, we are saved and sanctified, looking forward to a day when sin will be no more (Revelation 21:4). And until then, we are charged to live in obedience to God’s Word and spread the good news of God’s mercy and grace.
If you have never repented of your sin or trusted in Christ as your Savior, I urge you to do so today. You cannot live a good enough life apart from Jesus and what He did for you on the cross. Recognize you’re a sinner in need of a Savior, and believe in Jesus.
“Because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9
[1] “Key Findings,” The State of Theology, accessed February 2, 2023, https://thestateoftheology.com.
[2] R.C. Sproul, Everyone’s a Theologian: An Introduction to Systematic Theology (Sanford: Reformation Trust Publishing, 2014), 109-111.
