All have sinned—What does that mean?

TL;DR:

Because the first man, Adam, chose to disobey God, all have a sin nature, which causes us to sin and be separated from God. Because everyone has a sin nature, all have sinned.

Sin is defined as anything against God’s character or commands, either through action or inaction. Sin is making choices apart from the natural order God designed. By this definition, every person has sinned .

In the beginning, Adam and Eve disobeyed (Genesis 3:6) and passed on the desire for independence from God to everyone (Romans 5:12). One of their sons killed the other (Genesis 4:8), and in just a few generations, all of mankind was corrupted and living apart from God (Genesis 6:5). Even after a global flood (Genesis 6:17), people still choose to follow their own path and make names for themselves (Genesis 11:4) instead of living for God.

David declared that there is no one who seeks after God (Psalm 14:1-3), and Isaiah said that all of us have turned away from God to go our own way (Isaiah 53:6). It is no surprise, then, when Paul writes that all have sinned (Romans 3:23).

from the old testament

Adam and Eve ate from the forbidden tree and disobeyed God (Genesis 3:6). As a result, sin entered all creation, and all have sinned since then.
Cain offered an inferior sacrifice not in faith (Genesis 4:5), grew jealous (4:6), and killed his brother (4:8).
After only a few generations, all of mankind was continuously evil all the time (Genesis 6:5).
Not long after the flood, mankind wanted to be their own gods (Genesis 11:4).
Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed for their evil and corruption (Genesis 19:24-25).
Abraham lied about Sarah twice to save himself (Genesis 12:11-13, 20:2).
Jacob cheated his twin brother Esau out of his birthright (Genesis 25:29-34) and out of his blessing (27:1-46).
Aaron, the high priest, oversaw the building of the golden calf and allowed his people to worship the idol instead of worshiping God (Exodus 32:1-6).
Though Moses was described as “very meek, more than all people who were on the face of the earth,” even he disobeyed God in how he was to draw water from a rock (Numbers 12:3, 20:8-13). This example shows that no matter how seemingly “good” someone is, all human beings sin.
Before Israel had a king, they rejected the LORD and did what was right in their own eyes (Judges 17:6).
King Saul offered an unauthorized sacrifice (1 Samuel 13:8-14) and refused to remove all of the Amalekites despite God’s instructions (1 Samuel 15:9).
David committed adultery (2 Samuel 11:1-5) and murdered Bathsheba’s husband to cover it up (11:14-17). In repentance, he confessed that he was born in sin (Psalm 51:5).
Another Psalm declares that there is no one who does good (Psalm 14:1-3).
Solomon remarked that there are no sinless people (Ecclesiastes 7:20).
Almost all of the kings led Israel into idolatry and destruction (2 Kings 13:2,11).
Isaiah said that everyone has gone his own way (Isaiah 53:6).
Jeremiah proclaimed that every human heart is desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9).

from the new testament

Both John the Baptist and Jesus preached repentance from sin (Mark 1:4, 14-15).
Before Jesus healed a lame man, He forgave him his sins (Matthew 9:2).
Jesus taught that even our thoughts and desires can be sinful (Matthew 5:21-22, 27-28).
Paul quoted Psalm 14 (Romans 3:10-12) and declared that all have sinned (Romans 3:23). Paul also stated that because Adam sinned, all of humanity is born in sin (Romans 5:12)
Paul told the Ephesians that they, along with everyone else, were born in sin as children of wrath (Ephesians 2:1-3)
James said that we sin because of our own evil desires (James 1:14) and that if we break one law, we’ve broken them all (James 2:10).
John said we deceive ourselves if we think we’re sinless (1 John 1:8-10).

implications for today

In Romans 3:23, the apostle Paul states, "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." In the context of chapter 3 and the entire book of Romans, Paul is making the point that Gentiles and Jews are alike in that all are sinners. The bottom line is that no one is without sin; no one is righteous (Romans 3:10). All human beings are born under the power and the curse of sin (Romans 3:19; 11:32). To sin is to violate God's law and therefore to dishonor Him. We sin when we do what God prohibits (sins of commission) and when we fail to do what God commands (sins of omission). Sin is not merely external but extends even to our innermost soul-- our hearts (Matthew 15:19). Breaking the law at even one point makes us guilty of breaking it all (James 2:10). By sinning in our hearts, we have fallen short of the glory and righteousness of God. The just desert or wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). Therefore, we are born condemned and increase our guilt with every sin. The only way to rectify this condemned condition is to be perfect, which we are unable and unwilling to do.There is but one exception. His name is Jesus Christ. He was born of a virgin and conceived by the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:20–23). He is the God-man-the second Person of the triune God. Jesus is God in the flesh (John 1:1, 14). He alone is able to rescue all who have sinned. For this reason He left heaven and came to earth (Philippians 2:5-8)—to save sinners (1 Timothy 1:15). Amazingly, graciously, Jesus fulfilled the righteous demands of the law and willingly suffered the wrath that our sins merit (Romans 5:6-9). Through faith in Jesus, all who have sinned are declared righteous before God (2 Corinthians 5:21). This righteousness is not our own but the righteousness of Christ that we receive through believing in Him (Romans 3:21-22). So though we have all sinned, because the sinless One suffered the punishment for our sins and offers us His righteousness as a free gift, we who are sinners can have forgiveness for our sins and abundant life in Him.

understand

Both the Old and New Testaments emphasize that all humans have sinned.
Sin separates humans from God and leads to spiritual and physical death.
Though all have sinned, salvation is available through Jesus Christ.

reflect

How do you see the reality of sin in your own life? How does the reality of your sin impact your response to it?
What impact does knowing that Jesus offers forgiveness for my sins have on your daily response to sin?
Where do you rely on your own efforts instead of trusting in God's grace to deal with your sin?

engage

Many people claim that not all have sinned, that people are born good. However, what evidence in reality do we see that all have sinned?
What are some common misconceptions about sin that we see in society, and how can we address them using biblical truths?
What does it mean to live in the freedom that Jesus offers, and how can we share this message with others?