Personal Responsibility and Contrition for Sin

A biblical understanding of responsibility and contrition for sin are important to systematic theology, pastoral work, public life, and personal piety. Misunderstanding sin and responding inappropriately to personal sin can be damaging to physical and spiritual health. Hence, this paper reviews the doctrines of original and actual sin and identifies responsible personal reactions to sin. The traducian and imputation theories of the transmission of sin are outlined and the orthodoxy of personal responsibility for original sin is asserted. Several biblical examples of confrontation with actual personal sins are analysed to determine what elements constitute a responsible reaction to personal sin, and the ways in which a person may mis-react to sin. The responsible reaction to personal sin is repentance. Calvin locates contrition in the apologetic element of repentance, Berkhof in the emotional element.