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- Inherited corruption – Not only was Adam’s sin imputed to us and therefore his guilt, but we also inherited the sinful nature of Adam.
- Scriptural proof:
o Psalm 51:5 - Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me.
§ The sin nature we have is clearly from conception and therefore we are sinners from birth.
· See also Psalm 58:3 - The wicked are estranged from the womb; these who speak lies go astray from birth.
o Ephesians 2:3 - and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.
§ What other verses?
· Ephesians 2:1-2 – Dead in sin and followed course of this world.
· Colossians
· Romans 8:6-8 – Flesh is hostile toward God and cannot submit to God’s law.
o There are no exceptions in the world for there is no one righteous (Romans
- This means we are born with a disposition to sin all the time.
o Example: Do you teach your children to say “No”?
§ How many train your children to disobey?
· Does this mean nobody can do any good in any sense of the word?
o No - as Grudem says, “This inherited tendency to sin does not mean that human beings are all as bad as they could be, nor does it mean that we can do no good in any sense of the word. However, our inherited corruption, our tendency to sin… means that as far as God is concerned, we are not able to do anything that pleases Him.”
§ This can be seen in two ways.
- First, we lack any spiritual good before God – Every aspect of us is affected by sin: heart, mind and soul.
o Paul says in Romans
o Titus
o Jeremiah 17:9 – The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately corrupt, who can understand it?
§ Reiterates that unbelievers can do good in some senses, but we cannot do any spiritual good apart from God
· Quotes Ephesians 4:18
- Second, actions cannot do spiritual good.
§ Romans 8:8 - Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
§ John 15:5 – Apart from Christ we can do nothing.
§ Romans
· Hebrews 11:6 - Without faith it is impossible to please God.
§ Isaiah 64:6 - all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.
· Scripture clearly teaches our actions cannot please God, on there own.
- What does this do to our wills?
o Jeremiah
§ This is a helpful description of the condition and what is often called total depravity.
· For it helps us see that what we determine to do is a product of who we are.
§ Can a leopard change itself?
o No! It will do what is in accordance with its nature.
§ The same with sinful man.
o Man has a will, but as a sinful man he will do only what is sinful. Romans
§ Man is enslaved to His sin Romans 6:17-20.
- This explains verses such as Romans
o And John
§ John
o It is not that people are trying to break down the door into the
§ They do not want it!
o We will revisit this again before we speak about the effective call of God and irresistible grace.
- Punishment of sin – By far the worse effect of sin
o John
o In 2 Thessalonians 1:4-10 – Those who disobey the gospel will be eternally punished.
o The wrath of God is a result of our sin (Romans
- What attribute of God necessitates this punishment of sin? Justice of God.
o Psalm 9:7-8 He (the LORD) has established his throne for justice, & he judges the world with righteousness; he judges the peoples with uprightness.
o Isaiah 61:8 For I the LORD love justice; I hate robbery and wrong; I will faithfully give them their recompense.
§ The great consequence of our sin is separation from God and punishment of God
o Proverbs gives us a verse that makes our case seem almost hopeless.
§ Proverbs
· God must punish sin, for Him not to do so would make Him an unrighteous God.
o God did something to not hinder His love on one hand and not compromise His justice on the other hand.
§ He sent His Son Jesus.
o We will look in depth at the propitiatory sacrifice of Jesus in the weeks to come.
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