Original Sin

Non-denominational evangelical theology uniformly affirms that the Fall of Adam brought sin and spiritual corruption into the human race, such that all people are born in a sinful state and are inclined toward evil. This universal sinfulness makes all people accountable before God and in need of the redemption provided in Christ.

The specific mechanics of how Adam's sin is transmitted to his descendants — whether through imputed guilt (federalism), inherited moral corruption alone, or Augustinian realism — is not a point of consensus within the non-denominational evangelical world. Some churches maintain a detailed Reformed anthropology emphasizing total depravity and imputed guilt; others use more popular language about 'sin nature' and 'being born sinners' without elaborate theological frameworks.

All non-denominational evangelical churches agree that humans cannot save themselves, that the human heart is 'deceitfully wicked' (Jeremiah 17:9), and that only the grace of God in Christ can address the human condition. This conviction of universal sinfulness is the backdrop for the evangelical emphasis on personal conversion and the necessity of the gospel.