God's Plan of Redemption in Christ Jesus Part 1 Man's Total Inability

1. Adam was placed in the Garden of Eden and was warned not to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:16-17)

Genesis 2:16–17 ESV

And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

2. Adam disobeyed and ate of the forbidden fruit (Genesis 3:1-7)

Genesis 3:1–7 ESV

Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.

3. When Adam disobeyed God, he brought spiritual death upon Adam and the whole human race (Romans 5:12; Ephesians 2:1-3; Colossians 2:13)

Romans 5:12 ESV

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—

Ephesians 2:1–3 ESV

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

Colossians 2:13 ESV

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,

[SIDE NOTE] 4. Immediate Spiritual Death occured, then moral decay resulting from the spiritual death and then physical death came as a result from sin. The opposite happens when we are born again:

4.1. Our spirits come to life and are renewed,

4.2. We then start to become more Christ like and conformed to His image, (the bible calls this sanctification)

4.3. And then, one day our physical body will be made new and perfect and able to live forever.

5. Ever since the fall, all of mankind has been born in sin (Psalms 51:5, 58:3)

Psalm 51:5 ESV

Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.

Psalm 58:3 ESV

The wicked are estranged from the womb; they go astray from birth, speaking lies.

6. Jesus tells us than men must be born again or born anew if they are to SEE and/or ENTER the Kingdom of God. (John 3:3-7)

John 3:3–7 ESV

Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’

7. As the result of the fall, men are blind and deaf to spiritual truth. Their minds are darkened by sin; their hearts are corrupt and evil. (Genesis 6:5, 8:21; Ecclesiastes 9:3; Jeremiah 17:9; Mark 7:21-23; John 3:19; Romans 8:7-8; 1 Corinthians 2:14; Ephesians 4:17-19, 5:8; Titus 1:15)

Genesis 6:5 ESV

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.

Genesis 8:21 ESV

And when the Lord smelled the pleasing aroma, the Lord said in his heart, “I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done.

Ecclesiastes 9:3 ESV

This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that the same event happens to all. Also, the hearts of the children of man are full of evil, and madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead.

Jeremiah 17:9 ESV

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?

Mark 7:21–23 ESV

For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”

John 3:19 ESV

And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.

Romans 8:7–8 ESV

For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

1 Corinthians 2:14 ESV

The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.

Ephesians 4:17–19 ESV

Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity.

Ephesians 5:8 ESV

for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light

8. Before sinners are Born Anew into the Kingdom of God they are by default slaves to sin and children of the devil and under his control (John 8:34, 44; Rom 6:20; Titus 3:3; Eph 2:1-2; 2 Tim 2:25-26; 1 John 3:10, 5:19)

John 8:34 ESV

Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.

John 8:44 ESV

You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

Romans 6:20 ESV

For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.

Titus 3:3 ESV

For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another.

Ephesians 2:1–2 ESV

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—

2 Timothy 2:25–26 ESV

correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.

1 John 3:10 ESV

By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.

1 John 5:19 ESV

We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.

9. Sin is universal to all men and all men are under its reign and power. There is none amongst human beings that are righteous and without sin. (2 Chron 6:36; Job 15:14-6; Psalm 130:3, 143:2; Prov 20:9; Eccles 7:20, 7:29; Isa 53:6, 64:6; Rom 3:9-12; James 3:2, 8; 1 John 1:8, 10)

2 Chronicles 6:36 ESV

“If they sin against you—for there is no one who does not sin—and you are angry with them and give them to an enemy, so that they are carried away captive to a land far or near,

Job 15:14–16 ESV

What is man, that he can be pure? Or he who is born of a woman, that he can be righteous? Behold, God puts no trust in his holy ones, and the heavens are not pure in his sight; how much less one who is abominable and corrupt, a man who drinks injustice like water!

Psalm 130:3 ESV

If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?

Psalm 143:2 ESV

Enter not into judgment with your servant, for no one living is righteous before you.

Proverbs 20:9 ESV

Who can say, “I have made my heart pure; I am clean from my sin”?

Ecclesiastes 7:20 ESV

Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.

Ecclesiastes 7:29 ESV

See, this alone I found, that God made man upright, but they have sought out many schemes.

Isaiah 53:6 ESV

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Isaiah 64:6 ESV

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.

Romans 3:9–12 ESV

What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”

James 3:2 ESV

For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body.

James 3:8 ESV

but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

1 John 1:8 ESV

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

1 John 1:10 ESV

If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

10. Men left in their dead state are unable to repent and believe the gospel or to come to Christ apart from the work of the triune God. They have no will nor desire nor power in themselves to change their natures or to do anything of any eternal good. (Job 14:4; Jer 13:23; Matt 7:16-18, 12:33; John 6:44, 65; Rom 11:35-36; 1 Cor 2:14, 4:7; 2 Cor 3:5)

Job 14:4 ESV

Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? There is not one.

Jeremiah 13:23 ESV

Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots? Then also you can do good who are accustomed to do evil.

Matthew 7:16–18 ESV

You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit.

Matthew 12:33 ESV

“Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit.

John 6:44 ESV

No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.

John 6:65 ESV

And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”

Romans 11:35–36 ESV

“Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

1 Corinthians 2:14 ESV

The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.

1 Corinthians 4:7 ESV

For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?

2 Corinthians 3:5 ESV

Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God,

11. Stay Tuned for the 6 Parts of this sermon series to get the full picture of God’s plan of Redemption!