Wickedness (Romans 1:29)

Wicked Hearts

Genesis 6:5 “And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”

The Awfulness of Wickedness

Wickedness- departure and deviation from the will and word of God; evil disposition (character) or practices; sinfulness.

Evil - the tendency of people to do what is contrary to the will of God.

In the garden was the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. All Adam and Eve knew was good (what God had made) until they ate of the tree and gained the knowledge of evil.

Wickedness is deviating to the left and right of where God’s standard is. (like snake, serpent, satan)

Narrow (straight) gate vs. wide gate.

Matthew 7:13–14 “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”

2 Thessalonians 2:7–9 “For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,”

1 John 2:13 “I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father.”

1 John 3:12 “Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.”

1 John 5:18 “We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.”

Psalm 5:4 “For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: Neither shall evil dwell with thee.” GOD HATES WICKEDNESS AND EVIL

The Analyzing of Wickedness (thoughts of his heart)

Wickedness and the heart coincide with each other.

- WICKEDNESS BEGINS NOT WITH AN ACT, BUT WITH AN ATTITUDE.

WICKEDNESS BEGINS NOT WITH CONDUCT, BUT WITH CONSIDERATION.

WICKEDNESS BEGINS NOT WITH REBELLION, BUT WITH REFLECTION.

Psalm 5:9 “For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; Their inward part is very wickedness; Their throat is an open sepulchre; They flatter with their tongue.”

Proverbs 6:16–19 “These six things doth the Lord hate: Yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, Feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, And he that soweth discord among brethren.”

Jeremiah 17:9 “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”

Matthew 12:33–36 “Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.”

Other passages concerning wickedness and the heart.

Acts 8:14-24]

Mark 7:14-23]

Luke 11:37-39]

The Amount of Wickedness (great in the earth, every imagination, evil continually)

Psalm 9:17 “The wicked shall be turned into hell, And all the nations that forget God.”

Just as those that get saved turn to God, those that don’t want God turn to their father: the devil.

1 John 5:19 “And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.”

Romans 3:10–13 “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre (quoted from Psalm 5:9“For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; Their inward part is very wickedness; Their throat is an open sepulchre; They flatter with their tongue.” ); with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:” (sited from Psalm 140:1–3 “Deliver me, O Lord, from the evil man: Preserve me from the violent man; Which imagine mischiefs in their heart; Continually are they gathered together for war. They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; Adders’ poison is under their lips. Selah.” )

Romans 3:16–18 “Destruction and misery are in their ways: And the way of peace have they not known: There is no fear of God before their eyes.” (sited from Psalm 36:1 “The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, That there is no fear of God before his eyes.” )

At one point in our lives, we were wicked. Depraved, disobedient, and deterred from the word and will of God.

Wicked Hands

Because of what is in wicked hearts, it leads to wicked hands.

Psalm 58:2 “Yea, in heart ye work wickedness; Ye weigh the violence of your hands in the earth.”

Psalm 9:15–16 “The heathen are sunk down in the pit that they made: In the net which they hid is their own foot taken. The Lord is known by the judgment which he executeth: The wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. Higgaion. Selah.”

(Peter preaching) Acts 2:22–24 “Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God (lamb slain from the foundation), ye have taken (It didn’t have to be them (just like Pilate (Matthew 27:24 “When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it.” ) , and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: (Matthew 27:18 “For he knew that for envy they had delivered him.” ) (the wicked hate the people, the things, the word of God)

Colossians 1:21–22 “And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:”

THANK GOD THAT THOUGH WE WERE WICKED, CHRIST WROUGHT THE VICTORY!