Difference between original sin and actual sin

 

God made man in His likeness and image The “likeness of God is in the soul, which is a spirit, having understanding and freewill and is destined to live for ever. Understanding is the power to apprehend, to judge and to reason and then to know right and wrong. And Freewill the power to choose to act either or not to act. Math. 25:46

 

Original sin

 

Adam and Eve committed sins of pride and disobedience, and thus they lost the sanctifying Grace, the right to heaven; they became subject to death (spiritual death which means bodily alive but spiritually dead. This happened for the reason that they have disobeyed the commandment of GOD there by committed the sin and lost grace following the spiritual death) ; and suffering and a strong inclination to evil.

 

This loss marked the beginning of the conflict between man's powers and his reason, of which St. Paul says (see Galatians 5: 17) On account of Adam’s sin, his descendents came into the world deprived of sanctifying Grace. (Genesis 5: 3) and inherit his punishment (Romans 5:19) This sin is called ‘original sin’, because it comes down to us through our origin or descent, from Adam. This explains why man is so often tempted to evil and why he so easily falls into error and is more inclined to consider temporal than eternal things.

 

Besides original sin, there is the ‘actual sin’! ie; any wilful thought, desire, word, action or omission of what we ought to do.

 

Actual sins are of two kinds - Mortal and Venial.

 

Mortal sin is a grievous offence against the law of God and the sinner loses the sanctifying Grace, makes the soul an enemy of God, and thus deserving to eternal punishment in hell, because the sinner knows, his action is wrong and even then consent to it wholeheartedly.

 

Venial sins are a less offence against the law of God.

The chief sources of actual sin are pride, covetousness, lust, anger, gluttony, envy and sloth. They are generally called the Capital sins.

Pride - source of presumption, ambition and boasting.

Covetousness - hardheartedness to poor, of theft, deceit.

Lust - blindness of mind, worldliness, love of one's self.

Anger - blasphemy, quarrels and murder.

Glutteny - dullness of mind, gross and vulgar speech.

Envy - Joy in other’s misfortunes, Hatred and distress at other’s prosperity.

Sloth - the neglect to perform good work that are of grave obligation.