The Depravity of Man

The Truth about Humanity

What is depravity?

The wickedness of man. (Genesis 6:5) The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

The foolishness of man. (Psalms. 14:1-4) The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”  They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds; there is none who does good.  2 The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man,  to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God. 3 They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one. 4 Have they no knowledge, all the evildoers who eat up my people as they eat bread and do not call upon the Lord?

Born in sin. (Psalms 51:5) Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. 

Born sick in sin. (Jeremiah 17:9-10) The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? 10 “I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, 

      according to the fruit of his deeds.” 

There is none righteous, not even one. (Romans 3:10-11) as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; 11 no one understands;  no one seeks for God.

ALL have sinned. (Romans 3:23) for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, Suppose we pour a measure of salt into a container of pure water. The salt affects every drop of the water to the extent that all the formerly pure water becomes salty. From that time on, every bit of water drawn from that container is salty and no pure water can be drawn. This is similar to the depraved condition of man. The first sin was an act, one act that brought sin into the human race. Since that one act the very bloodstream of the human race has been polluted.

2. What is the consequence of depravity? 

Death for the sinner. (Romans 6:23a) For the wages of sin is death,

Death in Adam. (Romans 5:12) Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.

Death eternally. (Revelation 20:11-15) 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. 

3. What is the Only remedy for depravity?

The forgiveness of sins. (Colossians 2:13-14) 13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.

The confession of sins. (1. John 1:8-10) If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

The Repentance for sin. (Eek. 18:21-23) “But if a wicked person turns away from all his sins that he has committed and keeps all my statutes and does what is just and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die. 22 None of the transgressions that he has committed shall be remembered against him; for the righteousness that he has done he shall live. 23 Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord God, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live?

The Response to God’s Invitation. (John 6:37) All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.

Conclusion:

The difficulty some have in entering the doorway to the kingdom of God is like the experience of the boy who got his hand caught inside an expensive vase. His upset parents applied soap suds and cooking oil, without success. When they seemed ready to break the vase as the only way to release the hand, the frightened boy cried, “Would it help if I let loose of the penny I’m holding?”

So it is all too often with us. We cause others great anguish and risk the truly valuable because we will not let go of the insignificant things we possess today.

We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. Isaiah 64:6 14 if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. II. Chronicles 7:14