Orignal Sin or Not?

"Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me."

Psalm 51:5 (ESV)

Today I read an article by Kelly M. Kapic called Simul Iustus et Peccator. Don't ask me what it means. I'm a little rusty on my Latin. In this article, though, he discusses the debate of original sin between Pelagius and Augustine. 

Here are the basics of the debate.  Pelagius was "apparently frustrated by the lackadaisical ethical attitudes he saw around him" and began to write about the importance of unbending moral behavior.  While arguing this point he went as far as to say there was no original sin found in us.  We are not born with sin.  Instead, "we sin when we show inadequate willpower and give in to the seductive situations." 

Augustine saw a major problem with this stance because scripture is saturated with passages similar to Psalm  51:5 above.  One major issue Augustine had with Pelagius' teachings was "that he had no satisfying explanation for the real continuing struggle that believers have with sin in their lives."  In other words, we sin because we are just not trying hard enough not to sin and Augustine could not stand for that.

So, I bring in a famous question by a well-known doctor: How's that been working for you?  Not well, I'm assuming.  Our sin problem is very deep and very personal.  In fact, who in their right mind wants to admit their deep sinfulness.  No one wants to be known as a "bad person" because we think we are overall "good people."  We don't just sin every once in a while, though.  We sin all the time.  Or as Kapic puts it, "our problem is that we are soaked in sin, are born into it, and are never completely free from its presence this side of glory."

We cannot forget the cross.  The cross holds more significance than our salvation.  It's significance goes far beyond a one-time usage.  The cross is a daily guide for His children.  I'll close with Kapic's final sentence.  "[W]hile we continue to struggle with sin, we also find hope and comfort as we lift our eyes to the cross and keep walking."