Understanding Depravity

Big Questions for Tonight

What does it take for someone to believe in Jesus?

Is seeing believing?

Last week we spoke about some scientific reasons for why God has to exist, and how Creation came “ex nihilo” or out of nothing.

To go along with that we also talked about how the world is always trying to lead us to believe in a system that doesn’t need God.

We saw from Romans 1 that people are suppressing the truth, aka lying to themselves about who God is and what He has done, because they don’t want to submit to God’s reign.

That leads us to tonights topic, we see in scripture how people can know there is a God from creation, but instead of recognizing and seeking Him, they turn to their own way.

In order to have a right understanding of the world and ourselves we need to understand why that is.

After Small Group:

Seeing is not believing, because like we talked about, we have creation around us that tells us there is a God, yet we still don’t recognize Him.

A couple passages for reference:

Matthew 11:16–24 LEB

“But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces who call out to one another, saying, ‘We played the flute for you and you did not dance; we sang a lament and you did not mourn.’ For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon!’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Behold, a man who is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ But wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.” Then he began to reproach the towns in which the majority of his miracles had been done, because they did not repent: “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. Nevertheless I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and for Sidon on the day of judgment than for you! And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? No, you will be brought down to Hades! For if the miracles done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until today. Nevertheless I tell you that it will be more bearable for the region of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you!”

John 7:1–5 LEB

And after these things Jesus was going about in Galilee. For he did not want to go about in Judea, because the Jews were seeking to kill him. Now the feast of the Jews—the feast of Tabernacles—was near. So his brothers said to him, “Depart from here and go to Judea, so that your disciples also can see your works that you are doing. For no one does anything in secret and yet he himself desires to be publicly recognized. If you are doing these things, reveal yourself to the world!” (For not even his brothers believed in him.)

All of these people switnessed Jesus do miracualous things and they still didn’t come to Him, because the problem is much deeper.

They had a heart issue

Romans 3:10–18 LEB

just as it is written, “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned aside together; they have become worthless; There is no one who practices kindness; there is not even one. Their throat is an opened grave; they deceive with their tongues; the venom of asps is under their lips, whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood; destruction and distress are in their paths, and they have not known the way of peace. The fear of God is not before their eyes.”

See the problem of unbelief isn’t evidence or a good argument, but it takes a miracle for someone to come to Jesus.

When we talk about someone really repenting and coming to Jesus it is nothing short of miracle because it is something only God can do.

God is the one who changes peoples hearts. This is why salvation is a permanent thing, because when you are saved you are a brand new creation!

Titus 3:1–5 LEB

Remind them to be subject to the rulers and to the authorities, to obey, to be prepared for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all courtesy to all people. For we also were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, enslaved to various desires and pleasures, spending our lives in wickedness and envy, despicable, hating one another. But when the kindness and love for mankind of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not by deeds of righteousness that we have done, but because of his mercy, through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit,

So how do we apply this?

Have you been born again?

How are you speaking to the people around you about Jesus?