The Church of God (Cleveland) affirms that all humans inherit a sinful nature from Adam, the first human who disobeyed God. This inherited corruption affects all aspects of human nature — intellect, will, and affections — inclining all toward sin. However, the Church qualifies this doctrine by affirming that prevenient grace is given to all, which restrains sin and enables genuine moral response and freedom to accept or reject God's offer of salvation.

Humans are not beyond all ability to respond to God's grace, and the guilt of Adam's actual sin is not imputed to infants or those who have not yet attained moral awareness. Rather, the inherited corruption (the tendency toward sin) is present in all, but prevenient grace enables all to respond genuinely to the gospel. This balance between fallenness and grace is characteristic of Wesleyan theology.