al transgression of the Divine law. Every man descending
from Adam by ordinary generation is born with the taint of original sin.
As the representative head of humanity, Adam transmitted to all his
descendants the nature that his sin had polluted. The fountain of life
was poisoned at its source, and when Adam begat children they were born
in his likeness. "By one man sin entered into the world, and death by
sin; and so death passed upon all men." "Death reigned ... even over
them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression."
"By one man's disobedience many were made sinners."[198]

Actual sin consists in breaking any law of God made known to us by
Scripture, conscience, or reason. It assumes many forms. There are sins
of thought, of word, of deed; sins of commission, or doing what God
forbids; of omission, or leaving undone what God commands; sins to which
we are tempted by the world, the flesh, or the devil; sins directly
against God; sins that wrong our neighbours, and that ruin ourselves;
sins of pride, covetousness, lust, gluttony, anger, envy, sloth. In many
things we sin, and "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves,
and the truth is not in us."[199]

Man's sinfulness is set forth in Scripture by a great variety of
figures. The word rendered "sin" means the missing of a mark or aim. Sin
is sometimes described as ignorance, sometimes as defeat, sometimes as
disobedience. The definition of the Shorter Catechism is clear and
comprehensive. "Sin is any want of conformity unto, or transgression of,
the law of God."[200] The taint of original sin, extending to man's
whole nature, inclines him to act in opposition to the law of God, and
every concession to his corrupt desire, in thought, word, or deed, is
actual sin. Because of it he is not subject to the law of God, neither,
indeed, can be.

Sin is always spoken of in Scripture as followed by punishment or by
pardon. There is no middle way. Salvation for man must therefore involve
deliverance from condemnation.

The word which expresses man's liability to punishment is "guilt," and
only a religion which makes known how he may be set free from guilt will
suit his necessities. We cannot set ourselves free from condemnation.
"Man," says the Confession of Faith, "by his fall into a state of sin,
hath wholly lost all ability of will to any spiritual good accompanying
salvation; so, as a natural man, being altogether averse from that good,