Article 4

In the beginning God created everything very good. He made humanity in His own image, furnished with every appropriate perfection of nature and free from sin. But humanity did not remain long in that honorable condition. Satan used the serpent's cunning to deceive Eve, and through her to lead Adam astray. Adam, without being compelled, ate the forbidden fruit and transgressed God's command. Through his fall death came upon all his descendants. They are now conceived in sin and are by nature children of wrath, servants of sin, subject to death and other miseries both in this world and forever, unless the Lord Jesus Christ sets them free.¹