“The Verdict”
Romans 3:9-20
September 30, 2007
Dr. Jerry Nelson
Ponder this carefully: We exist for the glory of God!
God
said in Isaiah 43:7 “Everyone who is called by my name…I created for my
glory."
1 Corinthians
10:31 “Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
All other purposes in life must be
subservient to that overarching purpose or those other purposes are idolatrous
– they have usurped the place that belongs to God alone.
We easily become very human-centered in
our thinking, as if humanity and earth were the center of the universe.
But before humanity or any other thing
existed God had always been.
And in the
future, after all that we know is gone, only God and those he chooses will
exist.
Yes there are some who theorize that
matter is eternal that it has always been and always will be.
But when Jesus
rose from the dead he created credibility for himself that makes the theories
of all others irrelevant.
And with that
resurrection credibility Jesus corroborated a worldview that places God at the
center of all.
So again I ask you to consider this
carefully: We EXIST for the glory of God; humanity’s reason for existence is
the glory of God!
A thousand years before Jesus was on earth, Isaiah
reports God’s declaration: Isaiah 66:19-20 " I will send some (of my people) to the distant islands that
have not heard of my fame or seen my glory. They will proclaim my glory among the nations. And they
will bring all your brothers, from all the nations, to my holy mountain in
Jerusalem…”
A thousand years later the Apostle John
wrote what God revealed to him about that New Jerusalem that will appear at the
end of time:
Revelation
21:22-23 “I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord
God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city does not need the sun or the
moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light...”
The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 1:5 “Through
Jesus and for his name's sake (for his glory), we received grace and
apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience
that comes from faith.”
Called to live for the
glory of God.
The Westminster catechism reflects this
biblical worldview: The chief end of man, man’s primary
purpose is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever.
In the book of Romans the
Apostle Paul begins by setting forth the central theme of his letter to the
church in Rome: Romans 1:16-17 “I am not ashamed of the gospel,
because (the Gospel) is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who
believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a
righteousness from God is revealed…”
Given that Paul has a worldview based on the Bible, it is no wonder then that he turns his attention quickly to why it is that salvation is needed.
In 1:18 Paul begins a long section explaining the human condition.
Romans 1:18-20
“The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and
wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be
known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the
creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine
nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so
that men are without excuse.”
Paul declares that
everyone, whether they have ever seen a Bible or not, whether they have ever
heard of Jesus or not, has some knowledge of the glory, the worthiness, of God.
But what do all
people do with that knowledge of God’s glory?
Romans
1:21-23 “For although they knew God,
they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking
became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they
claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the
immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and
animals and reptiles.”
Now as then they may worship stone images as in some cultures, or as in
our culture they may worship and serve themselves.
But in all cases they don’t live for the glory of God; they live for
their own glory.
Romans 1:25 “They exchanged the truth of God
for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator
--who is forever praised. Amen.”
The point is that
they have violated the very person of God and have perverted the very purpose
of God.
Although
created in the image of God for the purpose of reflecting the glory of God AND
“Although
(verse 32) they know God's righteous decree that those who do (what ought not
to be done) deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but
also approve of those who practice them.”
In chapter 2 God’s
indictment extends beyond those who have never had the Scriptures to those who
have.
In those verses Paul in essence says that not only is the glory
of God not reflected in your lives but worse yet, Romans 2:24 “God's name is blasphemed
among the Gentiles because of you."
Is it any wonder
that “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the
godlessness and wickedness of men…?”
A fatal malignancy pervades the human race and God must and will change
it.
That’s why Paul
wrote in Romans 1:16-17 “I am not ashamed of the gospel,
because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes:
first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a righteousness from
God is revealed…”
God is in the business of restoring his creation so that his glory may be reflected.
2 Corinthians 3:18 “We, who…reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord…”
But before telling us how that is possible Paul summarizes God’s indictment of all people, Jew, Gentile, Pagan or religious.
Romans
3:9-20 “What
shall we conclude then? Are we any better? Not at all! We have already made the
charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin.
10 As it is written:
"There is no one righteous, not even one; 11 there is no one
who understands, no one who seeks God.12 All have turned away, they have together
become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one." 13 "Their
throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit." "The poison
of vipers is on their lips." 14 "Their mouths are full of cursing and
bitterness." 15 "Their feet are swift to shed blood; 16 ruin and misery
mark their ways, 17 and the way of peace they do not know." 18 "There is no
fear of God before their eyes."
19 Now we know that
whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every
mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. 20 Therefore no one
will be declared righteous in (God’s) sight by observing the law; rather,
through the law we become conscious of sin.
The indictment is here summarized in three English words: “all under sin.”
The verses that follow (10-18) are Scriptural corroboration of this indictment.
But here in v9 the human condition is stated so succinctly: “all under sin.”
In Galatians 3:22 Paul said it this way, “But the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin…”
The Bible says that all people are under the influence of sin, they are captive to it, they are controlled by it and they operate in the sphere of sin.
We all want to believe that people are free not to sin, that they can do what is worthy of merit with God.
But remember anything or anyone is only as free as they are capable.
A fish is free but not free to fly.
You would, I’m certain, agree that God is completely free to act but yet you would quickly admit he is not free to sin.
In fact, he is unable to sin and yet we say he is free.
Conversely, humans, being “under sin” are able only to sin.
Later God will say through Paul, Romans 8:7-8 “the sinful mind is
hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so.
Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.”
Quoting from the Old Testament, Paul will make that point this way:
Romans 3:10-12 “As it is
written: “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who
understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together
become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.”
We read those words and something inside of us says, “That’s not true! I know people who do good.”
Martin Luther correctly stated that this entire passage
must be understood from God’s perspective rather than our own.
This
passage describes how God see us, not how we see ourselves or others. (Luther, Lectures on Romans, 86)
We compare ourselves to each other and declare ourselves good or bad.
God compares even our best deeds to him and declares us guilty.
Isaiah 64:6 “all our righteous acts are like filthy rags.”
The late James Boice, pastor of Tenth Presbyterian in Philadelphia, tells the apocryphal story of soldiers in a prison camp who barter for food and other things.
One day a package arrives with a Monopoly game in it.
The prisoners take the Monopoly money and dole it out and begin to use it in dealing with one another.
One shrewd soldier manages to collect most of the money.
When he is finally set free and
returns home he takes the money to his American bank to deposit it. Romans Vol.1, 292-3
Foolish, right?
His “money” may have had relative value among the prisoners, but it has no absolute value.
Likewise our “good deeds” may have relative value among us but they have no absolute or real value with God.
Why not?
Hebrews 11:6 “Without faith it is impossible to please God…”
Romans 14:23 “Everything that does not come from faith is sin.”
This is where my
introduction comes back into focus.
Do you remember
when I said, “We exist for the glory of God”?
Or as Paul said
it in 1 Corinthians 10:31 “Whatever you do, do it all for
the glory of God.”
Jesus said in
Matthew 22:37 “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with
all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest
commandment.
The
Reformers called the good people naturally do, “civic virtue.
Jonathan Edwards said such good
was motivated by enlightened self-interest.
We do
good to gain approval, to feel better about ourselves, or to avoid negative
consequences.
That may in fact produce a relative good.
But unless they are done for the glory of God they are sin – they fall
short of the glory of God.
John Piper wrote, “Fix this firmly in your mind,
sin is mainly a condition of rebellion against God, not mainly a condition of doing
bad things to other people. This is why it is so sad and so pointless when
people argue that they are pretty good people, and so don't need the Gospel.
What they mean is that they treat other people decently: they don't steal,
kill, lie much, or swear much, and they give to some charities. But that is not
the main question. The main question is: Do you love God with all your heart
and soul and mind and strength? Do you love his Son, Jesus Christ? God is the
most important person in the universe. It is not a mark of virtue to do nice
things for people while having no love or reverence or passion for God. Sermon on Romans 3:9-18
That which is
truly good in God’s sight is good done out of a love for God, good done with
gratitude for the resources given by God and good done for the glory of God.
The Bible says the
natural man is unable to please God.
This is not because God is “picky” but because our good deeds are
self-centered.
That is what God is going to change!
As John Hendryx put it, “Regeneration (enables) us, for the first
time, to be pleasing to God on the basis of Christ's work. And, from this, the
work of the Holy Spirit (is) renewing our affections for God, giving us
understanding of and a delight in spiritual things and turning our heart of stone
to a heart of flesh. From John Hendryx “The Apparent Good in Natural Man.” http://www.reformationtheology.com/2006/01/the_apparent_good_in_natural_m_1.php
In these verses
Paul shows us the essence of sin – self-deification.
God is for us, at best, an after thought, not the
guiding person in our lives.
We love ourselves more than God.
It is our comfort, satisfaction and safety that dominate
our motivations rather than God’s glory.
No one is righteous and no one does good.
That’s the essence of sin but I want to also show you what
John Stott calls the pervasiveness of sin. (In Stott, Romans, 101)
For hundreds of
years it has been known as “total depravity.”
“Total depravity” does not mean that every person is as bad as they
could be but it does mean every motive and every action is tainted by sin.
I
remember reading once that if sin were a blue dye; every human being would
simply be a different shade of blue.
In Romans 3:13-17 Paul illustrates how pervasive sin is:
“Their throats are
open graves; their tongues practice deceit." "The poison of vipers is
on their lips." "Their mouths are full of cursing and
bitterness." "Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery
mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know."
From our heads to our feet, every part of our being is
affected by sin.
·
Deceit speaks of our motives.
·
The mouth, tongue and lips indicate our words.
·
The feet indicate our actions.
Their words create death.
They
mislead others into thinking all is okay with God when it isn’t.
Their cursing (the opposite of blessing) deals death.
“Bitterness”
is envy, whether it is expressed or not.
They “practice deceit;” a flattery which uses and abuses
the hearer.
And their actions deal death whether physical or
relational.
They destroy
relationships and they don’t have any desire to bring real peace.
That’s the pervasiveness of sin; it has affected every
motive, word and action.
And we
all know it.
We
sometimes refer to ourselves as having “mixed motives” as if that lessens the
guilt.
And in
verse 18 the essence of sin is referred to again: Romans 3:18
"There is no fear of God before their eyes."
In May of this year the Gallup organization polled
Americans and discovered that at least 86% of Americans believe in God (another
8% think there might be a God).
77% believe there is or might be a
hell.
77% believe the Bible is the Word of
God.
May 10-13 Gallup Poll, 2007. N=1,003 adults
nationwide. MoE ± 3
http://www.pollingreport.com/religion.htm
Over 200 years ago Robert Haldane wrote, “It is
astonishing that men, while they acknowledge that there is a God, should act
without any fear of his displeasure. Yet, this is their character. They fear
(other people), but disregard the Most High…They are more afraid of man than of
God – (afraid of man’s) anger, his contempt, his ridicule. The fear of man
prevents them from doing many things from which they are not restrained by the
fear of God… They don’t love (God’s) character, they don’t give to him the
honor that is due; they don’t respect His authority. Such is the state of human
nature (so long as) the heart is unchanged. (Edited from
Robert Huldane, Exposition of Romans, 121)
1600 years ago, Augustine prayed, “O Lord, what evil have we not done? Or if there is evil that we have not done, what evil is there that we have not spoken? If there is any that we have not spoken, what evil is there that we have not thought to do?
But you, O Lord, are good. You are merciful. You saw how
deep we were sunk in death, and it was your power that drained dry the well of
corruption in the depths of our hearts. All that You have asked of us was to
deny our own wills and accept yours. Forgive us for every failure to do so and
help us to follow You in every way and always, through Jesus Christ our Lord,
Amen. Adapted from
Augustine's Confessions (9.10)
The essence of sin is our failure to live for the glory of
God.
The
pervasiveness of sin is seen in how tainted with “self” every thought, word and
deed truly is.
And now we see the universality of sin. (Stott, 101)
Just as
back in chapter 1 where Paul makes a point of the fact that EVERY person has
knowledge of God that they dismiss, so here Paul uses repetition to make his
point.
Romans 3:10-12 "There is no one righteous, not
even one; there is no one who understands, no one
who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together
become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even
one."
We want to think there are truly righteous people out
there but our own experience ought to confirm to us there is none righteous,
not even one.
Or as Paul will say it later, “all…have fallen short of the glory of God.”
Human nature – is it basically good or evil?
Are we basically good and deserving of God’s reward with maybe a little mercy for our minor failings or are we all sinners deserving of God’s wrath?
The Bible is abundantly clear on that point: “All have
turned away, they have together become worthless
Paul ends his
description of the human predicament with these words:
Romans 3:19-20 “Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those
who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world
held accountable to God. 20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing
the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.
One summer Donald Barnhouse was traveling by ship across the
Atlantic and had occasion to preach on a Sunday. (Romans
Vol. 1, 270ff)
One young woman, a professor of languages in an eastern college, was taken with what he said and came to talk to him.
Barnhouse asked this question: "If this ship should suddenly suffer some great catastrophe and sink to the bottom of the sea and we died, and if, when you appeared before God, he should ask you, 'What right do you have to come into my heaven?' what would you say?"
The woman said, "I wouldn't have a thing to say."
Barnhouse told her she was quoting Romans 3:19.
It is true; she would have nothing to say to God.
In that moment, everyone will know they are guilty before a holy God because “every mouth (will) be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God
We want to compare ourselves to others but at the end of the age, when God judges, there will be only one standard of comparison- God's holiness and glory:
Imagine that at that moment you were singled out to stand before God and he would begin to read from his law, his description of what brings him glory.
I am the Lord your God, you shall have no other gods before me.
Nothing else in your life shall have priority over God.
If God read that command aloud and you knew that he knew everything about you - knew every act you have ever done, every thought you have ever had - Would you want to stand accountable for reflecting the glory of God?
You shall not bow down to any idol.
Nothing, not you, not another human, not any thing, nothing other than God shall have your worship.
Would you want to stand accountable for that?
You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God.
You shall not thoughtlessly use God’s name in expressing your emotions – God’s name stands for all God is and it shall not be lightly or carelessly used.
Would you want to stand accountable?
You shall remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy, not working on that day.
One day in seven is to be reserved in your life to give to the worship of God - don't violate that with your own interests.
Do you want to stand before God and make excuses?
Honor your father and your mother.
Do you want to be held accountable?
Jesus said "I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment.
Do you want to try your excuses?
Jesus said, "I tell you anyone who looks at a person of the opposite sex with lust has already committed adultery with that person in their heart - stop it for it is better that you take drastic measures to stop it than that you go to hell.
Do you want to stand before God accountable for that reflection of the glory of God?
You shall not covet what does not belong to you.
You have heard it said, love your neighbors and hate your enemies but I tell you Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.
"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul strength and mind, and your neighbor as yourself".
Do you want to stand accountable to God?
Barnhouse said if any words are spoken on that day they will not be excuses but they will be an acknowledgment of God's justice.
"It was all true, God. I was wrong.
I knew I was wrong when I made my excuses.
But I hated and still hate the principle of righteousness by the blood of Christ.
I must admit that those despised Christians were right who bowed before you and acknowledged their dependence on you.
I hated their songs of faith then, and I hate them now.
They were right, and I hated them because they were right and because they belonged to you.
I wanted my own way.
I want heaven with myself on the throne.
That is what I want and I do not want anything else and never, never will want anything other than heaven with myself on the throne.
I want my own way.
And now I am going to the place of desire without fulfillment,
of lust without satisfactions,
or wanting without having,
of wishing but never getting ,
of looking but never seeing,
and I hate, I hate, I hate because I want my own way.
I hate, I hate,..."
And then there will be silence.
“Every mouth will be silenced - the whole world accountable to God”
The testimony of Scripture is that, on their own, every human being is hopeless and helpless.
Romans 3:20-22
“Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law;
rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.
“But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has
been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness
from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.”
A man lived near the church that Donald Barnhouse pastored and Barnhouse often tried to speak to him of the gospel but the man always resisted saying that he didn't need the church he had his lodge and they were involved in doing all sorts of good things. From Barhouse, Romans Vol. I, 266ff
The man would always tell Barnhouse that if he ever met God he would be all right because of his moral principles and the good things he had done.
One-day word came to Barnhouse that the man was very sick with a fatal disease.
Members of the lodge were taking turns staying by his bedside because lodge rules said no man should die alone.
Barnhouse came to visit just as one member was leaving and another coming.
Realizing the situation was desperate Barnhouse decided to get right to the point.
He sat down by the man and said,
· "You don't mind my staying here and watching you for a few minutes do you?
· “I have often wondered what it would be like for a person to die without Jesus Christ.
· “I have known you for quite a few years, and you have always said that you do not need Christ and that your lodge obligations are enough.
· “I would like to observe a person end his life with those beliefs and see what it is like."
The man was marvelously convicted and looking at Barnhouse with fear said, "You wouldn't mock a dying man would you?"
Barnhouse then said, "You are going to appear before God in a very short while. Suppose he asks you, what right do you have to come into my heaven? What will you say?"
At that great tears welled up in the man's eyes.
And while the man listened carefully Barnhouse told him how he could stand before God not in his own merit but in the merit, the righteousness of Jesus Christ.
In the next moments the man turned from trusting in his own relative goodness to trusting in Christ's absolute goodness.
Have you, will you?
Total Depravity (Inability) Verse List
http://www.traviscarden.com/writing/total-depravity-verse-list/
The doctrine of total depravity (or
total inability) says that all men, as a consequence of the Fall, are born
morally corrupt, enslaved to sin, and unable to please God or even of
themselves to turn to Christ for salvation. Is it biblical?
Is
man basically good or basically evil? #
Ecclesiastes 7:29
"Behold, I have found only this, that God made men upright,
but they have
sought out many devices."
Mark 10:18/Luke 18:19
And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone."
Romans 5:12,19
through one man sin entered into the world, and death through
sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned... through the one man's
disobedience the many were made sinners
c.f. Ecclesiastes
9:3
All
men? Are there any exceptions? #
Romans 3:23
for all have sinned and fall
short of the glory of God.
Isaiah 53:6
All of us like sheep have
gone astray, each of us has turned
to his own way;
Romans 3:9-12
What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have
already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin; as it is written,
"There is none righteous, not even one; there is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God; all have turned aside, together they
have become useless; there is none who does
good, there is not even one.
1 John 1:8,10
If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and
the truth is not in us. If we say we have not sinned, we make [God] a liar and
His word is not in us.
c.f. 1
Kings 8:46; Psalm 53:1-3, 116:11, 130:3, 143:2; Proverbs 20:9; Ecclesiastes
7:20; Jeremiah 2:29; Micah 7:2-4, Mark 10:18; Luke 18:19; James 3:2; etc.,
etc.
Are
people good deep down? #
Mark 7:21-23
"For from within, out
of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts,
fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, deeds of coveting and wickedness, as
well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. All these
evil things proceed from within and defile
the man."
Psalm 5:9
There is nothing reliable in what they say; their inward part is destruction itself. Their
throat is an open grave; they flatter with their tongue.
Are
men totally depraved? Is any faculty of the
person yet uncorrupted? #
Heart/Thoughts
(Deceitful) #
Jeremiah 17:9
"The heart is more
deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can
understand it?"
Ecclesiastes 9:3
the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil and insanity is in their hearts throughout
their lives. Afterwards they go to the dead.
Genesis 6:5 & 8:21
Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the
earth, and that every intent of the thoughts
of his heart was only evil continually... from youth.
Psalm 36:1-2
Transgression speaks to the ungodly within his heart; there is
no fear of God before his eyes. For it flatters him in his own eyes concerning
the discovery of his iniquity and the hatred of it.
Proverbs 28:26
He who trusts in his own heart is a fool
c.f. Ecclesiastes
8:11; Psalm 94:11; Mark 7:21-23
Mind/Understanding
(Depraved) #
Romans 1:28-31
And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer,
God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those
things which are not proper, being... without understanding
Titus 1:15-16
to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience are defiled
Ephesians 4:17-18
So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk
no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, excluded
from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of
the hardness of their heart;
Jeremiah 10:7-8,14
For among all the wise men of the nations and in all their
kingdoms, there is none like You. But they are altogether stupid and foolish. Every man is stupid,
devoid of knowledge
Will/Choosing
(Enslaved) #
John 8:34
"Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is
the slave of sin."
2 Timothy 2:25-26
if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the
knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the
snare of the devil, having been held
captive by him to do his will.
Titus 3:3
For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending
our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another.
Romans 6:6
our old self was crucified with Him... so that we would no
longer be slaves to sin. But thanks
be to God that though you were slaves of
sin, you became obedient... and having been freed from sin,
you became slaves of righteousness.
Romans 6:20
For when you were slaves of
sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.
Romans 7:14
For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin.
c.f. John
8:31-32,36; Galatians 4:9; 2 Peter 2:19
Affections/Desires
(Perverted) #
Romans 1:24-27
Therefore God gave them
over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that
their bodies would be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of
God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator,
who is blessed forever. Amen. For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their
women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the
same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one
another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own
persons the due penalty of their error.
2 Timothy 3:2-4
For men will be lovers of
self, lovers of money, boastful,
arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving,
irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless,
conceited, lovers of pleasure rather
than lovers of God
Proverbs 21:10
The soul of the wicked desires evil
John 3:19
"This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the
world, and men loved the darkness rather than
the Light, for their deeds were evil."
c.f. Genesis
3:16; Psalm 4:2, 140:8; Proverbs 10:23; 2 Peter 2:13
et al (Utter Ruin) #
Titus 1:15-16
to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and
their conscience are defiled
Romans 7:18
I know that nothing good dwells in
me, that is, in my flesh
Isaiah 1:5-6
The whole head is sick and the whole heart is faint. From the sole of
the foot even to the head there is nothing
sound in it, only bruises, welts and raw wounds, not pressed
out or bandaged, nor softened with oil.
Are
they just misdirected? Do men "not know better?" #
Romans 1:18
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all
ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness.
Romans 1:21
For even though they
knew God they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they
became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
Romans 1:32
and although they
know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things
are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval
to those who practice them.
c.f. Romans
2:14-15
Can
men still do good when they want to? #
Matthew 7:18
"A good tree cannot produce bad
fruit, nor can a bad tree
produce good fruit."
Romans 8:7
the mind set on the flesh... does not subject itself to the law
of God, for it is not even able to do so
Jeremiah 13:23
Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots? Then
you also can do good who are accustomed to doing evil.
Genesis 6:5 & 8:21
Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the
earth, and that every intent of the thoughts
of his heart was only evil continually... from youth.
Titus 1:15-16
to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and
their conscience are defiled. They profess to know God, but by their deeds they
deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed.
c.f. 1
Samuel 24:13; Job 14:4; Matthew 12:34; Romans 14:23
Are
men at least born pure? What about the "tabula rasa?" #
Psalm 51:5
Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
and in sin my mother conceived me.
Psalm 58:3
The wicked are estranged from the womb; those who speak lies go astray from birth.
c.f. Proverbs
22:15; Isaiah 48:8
What is the natural disposition of man toward God? #
John 3:20
"For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the
Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed."
Romans 8:7-8
the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject
itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are
in the flesh cannot please God.
Colossians 1:21
you were formerly alienated
and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds
James 4:4
You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world
is hostility toward God?
Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
c.f. Romans
1:28-30
What
is man's relationship to God? #
Psalm 58:3
The wicked are estranged from the
womb; those who speak lies go astray from birth.
Ephesians 2:12-13
Remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and
strangers to the
covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ
Jesus you who formerly were far off have been
brought near by the blood of Christ.
Ephesians 2:3
Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh,
indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the
rest.
c.f. Isaiah
59:2
Can man then do anything to please God? #
Proverbs 15:9
The way of the
wicked is an abomination to the Lord
Proverbs 15:8/21:27
The sacrifice of the
wicked is an abomination to the Lord
Proverbs 28:9
He who turns away his ear from listening to the law, even his prayer is an abomination.
Isaiah 64:6
For all of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment;
Romans 8:7-8
the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not
subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those
who are in the flesh cannot please God.
Hebrews 11:6
And without faith it is impossible to please [God]
c.f. Psalm
50:16; Proverbs 21:4; Isaiah 1:10-15; Amos 5:21-24
Are men at least seeking God? #
John 3:20
"For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear
that his deeds will be exposed."
Isaiah 65:1
"I permitted myself to be sought by those who did not ask
for me; I permitted myself to be found by those who did not seek me."
Isaiah 64:7
There is no one who calls on Your
name, who arouses himself to take hold of You; for You have
hidden Your face from us and have delivered us into the power of our
iniquities.
Romans 3:10-12
"There is none who seeks for
God"
c.f. Romans
10:20
Can the natural man comprehend the gospel or come to
saving knowledge of God on his own? #
1 Corinthians 2:14
But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of
God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because
they are spiritually appraised.
2 Corinthians 4:3-4
our gospel is veiled... to those who
are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the
minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of
the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
1 Corinthians 1:18,21-24
For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Crist crucified,