On account of their sin Adam and Eve lost sanctifying grace, the right to heaven, and their special gifts. They became subject to death, to suffering, and to a strong inclination to evil. They were also driven from the Garden of Paradise. The loss of sanctifying grace and the special gifts marked the beginning of the conflict between man’s lower powers and his reason, of which Saint Paul says, “The flesh lusts against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh…”(Gal. 5:17). Scripture teaches us that Adam, by the grace of God, later obtained the remission of his sins
What Happened on Account of the Sin of Adam?
Because of the sin of Adam, we, his descendants, came into the world deprived of sanctifying grace, and we inherit his punishment, as we would have inherited his gifts had he been obedient to God. This sin in us is called original sin because it comes down to us through our origin or descent from Adam.
What are Some Punishments we inherit from the Sin of Adam?
The chief punishments of Adam which we inherit through original sin are death, suffering, ignorance, and a strong inclination to sin. The fact of original sin explains why man is so often tempted to evil and why he so easily turns from God. Because of the ignorance resulting from original sin, the mind of man has difficulty in knowing many necessary truths, easily falls into error, and is more inclined to consider temporal punishment rather than eternal things. The penalties of original sin, death, suffering, ignorance, and a strong inclination to sin, remain after Baptism, even though original sin is taken away. Although we have a strong inclination to evil as a result of original sin, our nature is not evil in itself. Our nature can perform some good actions in the natural order without the aid of grace.
Is God Unjust in Punishing us on Account of the Sin of Adam?
God is not unjust in punishing us on account of the sin of Adam, because Original sin does not take away from us anything to which we have a strict right as human beings, but only the free gifts which God in his goodness would have bestowed on us if Adam had not sinned.
