Are People Basically Good?

Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick;

who can understand it?

A hit song by Luke Bryan captures what many people feel deep down:

I believe most people are good / And most Mamas oughta qualify for sainthood I believe you love who you love / Ain’t nothing you should ever be ashamed of I believe this world ain’t half as bad as it looks / I believe most people are good.

That’s not just a catchy chorus—it’s a worldview. And it resonates with a lot of Americans.

According to Ligonier Ministries’ recent State of Theology survey, 66 percent of Americans agree that human beings are basically good by nature. Similarly, 70 percent believe everyone is born innocent in the eyes of God. But these beliefs raise a critical theological question: Are human beings basically good, and what does that mean for Christians if they are?

What the Bible Says About Human Nature

To answer that, we need to start at the beginning. Genesis tells us that when God created Adam and Eve, he made them in his image. At the end of creation, God looked at everything he made and declared it “very good.” Humanity was originally good, righteous, and holy.

But the story doesn’t end there.

Adam’s sin in the Garden of Eden didn’t just affect him personally—it affected all of us. Romans 5:12 says, “Sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.” Verse 18 adds that Adam’s one trespass brought condemnation for all, and verse 19 says his disobedience made us all sinners.

In other words, we are not born neutral or innocent. We are born guilty and corrupted by what theologians call original sin.

What Is Original Sin?

The doctrine of original sin teaches that because of Adam’s fall, every person enters the world already guilty before God, already corrupted at the level of our nature, and already inclined away from what is good and holy. We aren’t born with a clean slate; we’re born spiritually dead. Psalm 51:5, Jeremiah 17:9, and Romans 3:10–18 affirm this sobering reality.

This doctrine is clearly articulated in the Westminster Confession of Faith, which says that Adam and Eve’s sin was imputed to us, and that “from this original corruption… proceed all actual transgressions.”

Isn’t That Too Harsh? (Are People Basically Good?)

At first glance, the doctrine of original sin might seem extreme—even cynical. But that’s because we often underestimate how serious sin really is. Scripture describes sin not just as mistakes or moral slip-ups, but as rebellion, transgression, iniquity, and even hatred of God.

To downplay the seriousness of sin is like telling a cancer patient they just have a cold. A good doctor tells the truth, even if it’s hard to hear. The Bible does the same—it exposes the depth of our corruption not to crush us, but to lead us to the cure.

And that cure is not advice. It’s not, “Try harder, be better.” It’s good news—the gospel.

Why This Doctrine Matters

If we believe we’re basically good, then all we need from God is a bit of help. A little guidance. Some inspirational teaching. But if we believe what the Bible says—that we’re born in sin, enslaved to sin, and spiritually dead—then what we need is a Savior.

Jesus didn’t come as a life coach to make good people a little better. He came as a Redeemer to rescue spiritually dead sinners.

Saying “you are basically good” may sound kind, but it actually burdens people. It makes the Christian life all about us: I need to fix this. I need to do better. I need more accountability. I, I, I… But the gospel isn’t about what we do for God. It’s about what God has done for us in Christ.

As pastor Tim Keller put it, “The gospel is good news, not good advice. Advice is about what you must do. News is a report of what has been done for you.”

And to be clear, believing in original sin doesn’t mean every person is as bad as they possibly could be. God still gives common grace. We can still think, love, and create. But even our best efforts are stained by sin. Like a funhouse mirror, our nature is distorted. We still bear God’s image, but it’s warped.

Jesus taught that the real problem isn’t just “those people”—murderers, racists, adulterers. He turns the mirror on us. In the Sermon on the Mount, he said that hatred is like murder, and lust is like adultery. He showed that the human heart itself is the problem.

Rejecting an Ancient Heresy

It’s worth knowing that the idea that humans are born innocent is not just a modern misunderstanding. It was formally condemned as heresy over 1,600 years ago.

A man named Pelagius taught that Adam’s sin didn’t affect us, and that we can obey God’s law in our own strength. The Church condemned this teaching at the Councils of Carthage (418) and Ephesus (431). Why? Because it denies our need for grace. It makes Jesus unnecessary.

The Gospel Is for Sinners

D.A. Carson said it well: “If the supreme problem is sin… then what we need is a salvation that addresses sin—not just the acts of rebellion, but all its effects… suffering and sickness and war and death and hell.”

This is why the doctrine of original sin is so important. It isn’t about being grim or negative. It’s about telling the truth, so that the good news of Jesus really is good.

Because if you believe you’re basically good, you’ll never see your need for a Savior. But if you know you’re a sinner, then Jesus is the best news in the world.

by Daniel Nealon / Core Christianity

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Daniel Nealon is pastor of Deer Creek Church, a congregation in the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA). He is also the author of the Deer Creek Catechism. He and his wife Hannah live in Littleton, CO with their four children.