How Sinful is Man?

Because of the fall, recorded in Genesis chapter three, all mankind is now born into sin and is bound by it. Genesis chapters 1 and 2 and Revelation chapters 21 and 22 have something in common and that is no sin. Everything between those two sets of chapters is about man and sin. Everything in between, is about the struggle man has with sin and about what God is doing to remove that sin from man and for man. God is holy, just, and righteous and He is infinite. When an offense is committed against an infinite God who holy, just, and righteous and is serious about sin, the punishment must be eternal death. 

Sin has effected every part of man. It has effected his physical body, his spirit, and his mind/will/desires. The following verses show us what man is like before he is saved by Jesus Christ.

Man produces all kinds of evil from the heart- And he[Jesus] said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. 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.” (Mark 7:20-23)

Man is weak- For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. (Romans 5:6)

Man is a slave to sin- But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, (Romans 6:17)

Man is dead in sin- You were dead in the trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1)

Man is a follower of the devil- 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— (Ephesians 2:2)

Man is by nature children of wrath- 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. (Ephesians 2:3)

Man does not do good nor righteousness nor seeks God- 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.” (Romans 3:10-12)

Man is an enemy of God- For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. (Romans 5:10)

Man is hostile towards God and cannot please God- 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. (Romans 8:7-8)

Because of these sins we are more than horribly crippled. Every part of us is effected by sin. Biblically speaking we do not have a free will. When I say we do not have a free will I do not mean that we don’t make choices. We can make choices but they are not choices or desires for good or righteousness. But the most critical thing about this is because we are spiritually dead we cannot make right spiritual decisions. Dead people don’t make choices. Even when Jesus was speaking in the book of John He said, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.” (John 6:63) Only God can save us and draw us to Himself… 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 6:44) We will talk more about that later here. Right now we are focusing on our sin and the severity of it.

If you pulled a knife on an average man on the street he might pull one back or at least attempt to fight you. If you pull a knife on a police officer you are going to get hurt and end up in jail. If you attempt to pull a knife on the president you are most likely going to end up dead. Notice the offence was the same from the guy on the street to the president but the consequence of the offense increased, Why? Because the authority was also increasing. If you attempt to pull a knife on the president and are going to end up dead, what do you think the consequence is when we sin against an infinite God who is holy, just, and righteous? Eternal punishment, we deserve God’s Holy and Righteous wrath on sin—Hell.

And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. (Matthew 10:28)

“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. (Matthew 25:41)

Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions,divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience,kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:18-21)

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23)

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)

But “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:9-13)