Introduction
The nature of human beings is one of the central throughlines in the Bible. According to the story of the first human, he was created in the image of God, “let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness” (NIV Bible Gen. 1:26). Thus, there is an inherent goodness to humans, as they bear a likeness to God, and “no one is good—except God alone” (NIV Bible Mark 10:18). Nevertheless, humans’ free will distinguishes them from other creations and defines their nature. Thus, people have both good and evil in them, and their choices and the actions of the first man are what determine their essence.
The problem of good and evil
As noted above, people were made to be inherently good and righteous. However, humanity’s nature changed when the first humans fell, as every descendant of Adam would bear his sins. It is written that “just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned” (NIV Bible, Rom. 5:12). Therefore, the nature of humans is evil as their free will drives them to commit sins. People’s choices lead to them either moving away from badness and repenting or accepting evil into their hearts. People can struggle because of their nature and consciousness when making moral decisions, and they can rely on faith to bring goodness back – “we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ” (NIV Bible Gal. 2:16). By having faith in Christ, people may transform their sinful nature.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Scripture demonstrates the path of humans from good to evil. Although people were created in God’s image, their sinful nature has led to the Fall and changed their lives. Thus, people are inherently evil from birth due to the original sin. The Bible shows that the only possible way to transform one’s life is to have faith in Jesus Christ and strive for redemption.
Work Cited
The New International Version (NIV) Bible. Biblica, 1978.