The Conversations

The Conversations revisit the foundational teachings and practices of the Church. By asking the enduring Lutheran question, “What does this mean?” we seek to understand our faith, remaining rooted in the truth of Holy Scripture.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. | Colossians 3:16

The Conversations is a recurring feature of Lutheran Church–Canada’s weekly e-newsletter, in response to calls from pastors and laity to return to the fundamentals of the faith. Through guided discussions between the Director of Communications and pastors across LCC, The Conversations help readers understand not only what the Church teaches and does, but why–rooting each topic in Holy Scripture and the life of the Church.

The Conversations on August 27, 2026

In last week’s entry, we started looking at Sin. Rev. Oboya Ochalla began explaining what is ‘sin,’ but we realized that question is not as simple as we thought. So, the Director of Communications (Dr. T) invites him back to explain the one point that many often leaves behind, as she puts back the question to him:

Dr. T:

What do Lutherans mean by ‘sin’?

Rev. Ochalla:

One point that is often left behind by many modern evangelicals and liberal
Christian preachers alike is the Biblical teaching of what is called ‘original sin’ – or
sometimes just as ‘inherited sin’.

By this, we do not mean that you or I will be held accountable for our parents’ actions.  What this refers to is what St. Paul goes into great detail to explain in the book of Romans.  Romans 5, for example, he points out that everyone born from Adam is subject to the problem of sin – even though our particular ‘actual sins’ may be different; we ‘inherit’ sin from our parents all the way back to Adam & Eve so that we are all under the same curse from the Garden of Eden – where the wages of sin is death and God’s righteous condemnation.

We are not born somehow ‘neutral’ with the Lord waiting to see whether we will be good or bad.  We are all born with the same condemnation as Adam & Eve.  As Paul unfolds this, however, he points us to Jesus (as that second Adam) through which grace, life & salvation are given.  So that, in the same way that our natural birth (from our mother’s womb) passes on that original/inherited sin that we cannot escape by any of our works, we need a new birth – the birth of Holy Baptism (water & the Spirit) – where we are born in that life with Jesus so that everything that Jesus has done for us is given to us – even in the same way that He carried our sins to die for them (2 Corinthians 5:21).  This is why Paul moves from discussing our inability (due to original sin) to save ourselves right into a discussion in Romans 6 to our need for Baptism – and what that gift both gives and means.

Rev. Oboya Ochalla was ordained in 2019 and serves as the Associate Pastor at St. James Lutheran Church.

So, we can’t save ourselves? It seems we have to go a little deeper into this ‘sin’ thing. Join us as Rev. Ochalla returns to close this discussion in our next Conversation, as we get back to the basics . . .

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