"First, the Scripture describes the superiority, perfection, and integrity of human nature before the Fall in order to show from the contrast how those good things have been in part lost and in part darkened and corrupted. According to Gn 1:27, God created man after His image and likeness. In Eccl 7:29 we read: 'T his alone I found, that God made man upright, but they have sought out many schemes.' But after the Fall, we are told in Gn 5:3 that Adam begot sons in his own image and likeness. What the image of God in man was can in some measure be understood from its restitution, which is begun in our renewal. And this entire description of the image of God and its loss is described in the Decalogue, if it is compared with our nature. Therefore, Paul says, 'All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God' ( Rm 3:23), but renewal is called 'glory' in 2Co 3:18.

 

"Second, Scripture describes what and of what kind our corrupt nature is in itself, before its restoration and renewal. Thus Paul says: 'B y the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners' ( Rm 5:19). How Paul wants this understood he explains in the same place. For he calls us wicked and enemies of God before we are reconciled to Him through His Son. Eph 2:1-5 sets these two things over against each other, while the believers have been made by grace and what they were by nature. Yes, it mentions actual sins, namely walking in sins, following the prince of the power of the air, living in the passions of the flesh, doing the will of their thoughts; but it adds that evils are brought about not by custom, not by imitation, but 'by nature,' it says, 'we were children of wrath,' namely, having the passions of the flesh, the desires of the flesh and of the thoughts. It says we who have been born from circumcised parents, were by nature children of wrath, even as the others also, that is, those born of Gentiles. The Scripture, however, distinguishes these two things, to commit sin ( 1Jn 2:4), or to walk in sins ( Eph 2:3) and to have sin ( 1Jn 1:8), which is called indwelling sin ( Rm 7:17, 20), sin that is close at hand ( Rm 7:21), sin which besets us on all sides and takes possession of all the powers in man ( Heb 12:1), and the ignorance that is in them ( Eph 4:18).

 

"Third, when the restoration and restitution of man through that Spirit of renewal is described, there is shown at the same time the contrast of the corruption ( Rm 12; Eph 4; Col 3; etc.). But the restoration is begun in all parts and powers of man in this life. This must grow so that the body of sin is finally destroyed ( Rm 7:24). From the contrast, therefore let it be considered, what kind of corruption that has entered into human nature through the sin of Adam and has taken possession of all its parts."