The Depravity of Sin
Notes
Transcript
9 What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin;
10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
13 Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:
14 Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:
15 Their feet are swift to shed blood:
16 Destruction and misery are in their ways:
17 And the way of peace have they not known:
18 There is no fear of God before their eyes.
19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
Introduction
Introduction
Last Sunday morning, we preached on “The Debate of Sin” out of the first 8 verses of Romans 3, and today, we will pick up right where we left off.
I concluded last week’s message with verse 9 with the obvious conclusion of the debate of sin, and that conclusion was that whether you are Jew or Gentile, you’re under sin! There’s no exclusions to the fact that we are all sinners!
Paul tells us that sin is a problem that affects both the Jew and the Gentile.
Regardless of the color of your skin, you are still a sinner. No one is exempt from the stain of sin! The white man, the black man, the red man, the brown man and the yellow man are all sinners in the sight of the Lord!
It is a universal problem!
Now, going back through the last couple messages, we saw that the unrighteous need salvation, the self-righteous need salvation, the religious need salvation! Why is that?
In verse 9, Paul tells us that the Jew and the pagan are both sinners. It matters not how dedicated they may be to their religion, they are still sinners in the sight of God.
Notice the words, “What then? Are we better that they? No in no wise!”
Remember, and I think this is significant! Paul is writing to the Christians - the Believers - of Rome...Paul tells his Christian readers that they are no different than anyone else!
All men are sinners, there is no escaping that awful truth! Romans chapter 3, truly is, a reality check for all of us!
Today, we are going deeper into this truth and looking at “The Depravity of Sin” in these verses before us...
These verses, first of all, show us:
I. Sin In Character
I. Sin In Character
In verses 10-12, we see that sin infects man’s character...
A. Man is Unrighteous
A. Man is Unrighteous
10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
There is none righteous!. There are no exceptions. It is very emphatic. Men reject God because they believe they are righteous. This leads to their destruction.
Mankind needs God because mankind has a sin problem. The only way man can become righteous is through the Lord Jesus Christ.
Man is unrighteous, but Christ was made to be sin for us, “...who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”
B. Man is Unreasonable
B. Man is Unreasonable
11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
Men do not understand their own sinfulness and the holiness of God. Men do not comprehend the cost of salvation and their destiny without Christ.
There is none that “seeketh” after God. This word “seeketh” comes from the Greek word which means “to scrutinize; a determined search after something.”
God is reaching out to men, but men run away. God is not playing Hide and Seek with men. He wants to be found. Men are looking for love, joy, peace, and satisfaction in the wrong places. He won’t seek God because his false conclusions about God, death, Heaven, and Hell leave him thinking He does not need to seek God.
C. Man is Unrepentant
C. Man is Unrepentant
Romans 3:12 (KJV 1900)
12 They are all gone out of the way, ...
This phrase carries the idea of leaning the wrong way. The idea is that we do not stay on the right path. Our tendency is to wander astray. This phrase was used in the military to describe someone who went AWOL.
D. Man is Unprofitable
D. Man is Unprofitable
Romans 3:12 (KJV 1900)
12 ...they are together become unprofitable...
The word unprofitable comes from the Greek word meaning "to spoil, render useless, to become unprofitable."
It was a word used to describe food that had soured or meat that had spoiled. It speaks of an irreversible process.
Man is so far gone, that in his unregenerate state, he is not profitable to God. What a description of man's depravity.
E. Man is Unregenerate
E. Man is Unregenerate
Romans 3:12 (KJV 1900)
12 ...there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
This is a blow to man's pride.
Most men would claim that they are not all bad. Surely we can find some good things about people if we look for them. God says, no you cannot. The truth of the matter is, the best man can produce apart from God is nothing more than filthy rags.
6 But we are all as an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; And we all do fade as a leaf; And our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
Charles Spurgeon was once staying at an inn in one of the valleys of northern Italy where the floor was dreadfully dirty. “I had it in my mind to advise the lady to scrub it,” said Spurgeon, “but when I perceived it was made of mud, I reflected that the more she scrubbed the worse it would be.”
That, my friend, perfectly describes the heart of man…there is no improvement that can be made apart from faith in the Son of God...
We see in these verses the sin that is in mankind’s character…
II. Sin In Conversation
II. Sin In Conversation
Romans 3:13 (KJV 1900)
13 Their throat is an open sepulchre...
The grave is a place of corruption and stench. Imagine coming upon an open grave with the smell of a rotting corpse rising up into your face. This is what man's throat is compared to.
Romans 3:13 (KJV 1900)
13 ...with their tongues they have used deceit...
Deceit comes from a word that carries the idea of luring with bait. It means to mislead someone by making him believe something that's not true. Men constantly deceive by using flattery, smooth words and lies.
The Bible goes on to say...
Romans 3:13 (KJV 1900)
13 ...the poison of asps is under their lips:
The asp is a snake whose poison is contained in a small sac at the base of the tongue. The tongue is seen as a serpent that strikes at and poisons everything in sight.
8 But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
The Bible continues in verse 14...
14 Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:
Cursing speaks of blasphemous language. Just listen to people talk and you’ll understand what it’s saying here…The vile, everyday language that is commonly used in America today is an absolute disgrace!
Not only is man’s conversation full of cursing, but also bitterness...
Bitterness is self pitying, suppressed anger that stews and smolders deep down inside a person and eventually it sours their entire life…Why are people like this?
Matthew 12:34 (KJV 1900)
34 ...out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
The heart of the problem is the problem of the heart! We are all sinners, we are rotten inside, and we need the regenerative work of Jesus Christ in order to be anything different!
We see mankind’s sin in character, in conversation, but also Romans 3 tells us about mankind’s:
III. Sin In Conduct
III. Sin In Conduct
15 Their feet are swift to shed blood:
Man in our day has little or no respect for life. Think about it. The first child born into this world murdered his own brother, and things haven't gotten any better.
16 Destruction and misery are in their ways:
Man left to himself is miserable and destructive. Look around and you’ll see every Word of the Bible is true!
Man never really improves things. He just makes them worse.
17 And the way of peace have they not known:
The Bible tells us Romans 12, “If it be possible…to live peaceably with all men.” But people today just want to have their own way! They don’t care about the rights of others, they don’t care what anyone else thinks, and they will stop at nothing to achieve their own goals and dreams!
So far, our text today has shown us mankind’s sin in character, sin in conversation, sin in conduct, but it also shows us mankind’s:
IV. Sin In Contempt
IV. Sin In Contempt
18 There is no fear of God before their eyes.
Here is the root problem. There is no fear of God. Solomon said,
7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: But fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Webster defines fear as, "an unpleasant often strong emotion caused by anticipation or awareness of danger."
The word fear in relation to God also carries the idea of "reverence, awe, great respect." Genuine fear of the Lord is always seen in obedience to the Word of God.
The reason there is so much sin and wickedness is due to man's lack of reverence and awe of God. The world as a whole has no respect whatsoever for God. They ridicule His existence. They mock at the thought of judgment and puny man shakes his fist at Heaven with no fear of God's wrath. But it’s not over. Those who are so bold as to mock God will someday shutter before Him.
31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Conclusion
Conclusion
19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
The whole world has been indicted, the evidence has been presented, the arguments heard and the judgment has been handed down. The whole world, regardless of color, creed or class is guilty. Man now knows that he is a sinner and he has no excuse for his sin.
There is one solution for our sins and it won’t be found in doing good things or in being a good person.
It will be found only in a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ!
I ask you this morning: “Are you saved by grace through faith? If you were to die today, would you die a child of God, completely trusting in Jesus and nothing else to take you to Heaven?”
How do you stand before the Lord today?