Continuing our discussion of the Westminster Shorter Catechism question 15, What was the sin of our first parents?

We will discuss their failure to be obedient to God and the consequence.

In summary:
1. “Satan’s clever persuasion and temptation tricked our first parents, and they sinned by eating the forbidden fruit. God, in His wise and holy plan, allowed this sin to happen, intending to use it for His own glory.”

2. “Because of this sin, our first parents lost their original righteousness and connection with God. They became spiritually dead, completely corrupted in every part of their being, both in their soul and body.”

3. “Since our first parents are the ancestors of all humankind, the guilt of their sin was passed down to their descendants. All their offspring inherited the same spiritual death and corrupted nature through ordinary birth.”

4. “All actual wrongdoings stem from this original corruption within us, which makes us completely inclined towards evil, disabled, and opposed to anything good.”

5. “This corrupt nature remains in those who are spiritually reborn. Even though it is forgiven and subdued through Christ, it is still considered sinful, along with all its desires and actions.”

6. “Every sin, whether it originates from our inherent corruption or is an actual transgression, goes against God’s righteous law and brings guilt upon the sinner. This guilt binds them to God’s anger and the law’s consequences and subjects them to spiritual, temporal, and eternal suffering.”

Finally, we will review the tactics of Satan and how he uses those very same tactics today to distract the people of God from what God has to say and how he gets us to focus on the concerns of this world, the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things to make us turn from the word of God.