ପେସା ଆଇନ କୁ ନେଇ ରାଜଧାନୀ ରେ ଆଦିବାସୀ ସମ୍ମିଳିତ

TOTAL DEPRAVITY 

1.       Man’s Relationship To God Before The Fall Into Sin

a.       Man is made in the image (likeness) of God – Genesis 1:27  [‘tzehlem’ – Strong’s #6754 – found in Numbers 33:52, Psalm 39:6. ‘vain shew’, 73:20, Daniel 2:31,32, Amos 5:26 and Strong’s #6754 ‘tzlehmveth’ – compound word translated as ‘shadow of death’ as in Job 24:17, Psalm 23:4, Isaiah 9:2]

b.       Man was made upright – Ecclesiastes 7:29 [‘yashar’ – Strong’s #3474 and 3477 – translated as ‘please’ (Judges 14:3, 1 Samuel 18:26), right (1 Samuel 12:23, Proverbs 12:15, 21:2,8), righteous (Job 23:7, Psalm 107:42, Proverbs 2:7) ‘seemed good’ (Jeremiah 18:4), ‘make straight’ (Isaiah 40:3), ‘Jasher’ (Joshua 10:13, 2 Samuel 1:18) and ‘upright’ (Psalm 7:10, 25:8, 92:15)]

c.       Everything in creation was made very good – Genesis 1:31 [phrase ‘very good’ composed of the words ‘mahad’ (Strong’s #3966) and ‘tove’ (Strong’s #2896) found also in Judges 18:9, 1 Samuel 19:4, 25:15 & Jeremiah 24:2]

 2.       Man’s Relationship To God After The Fall Into Sin

a.       Man now has a sinful and darkened heart. – Genesis 6:5, 8:21, 1 Kings 2:44, Ecclesiastes 7:21, 8:11, 9:3, Jeremiah 17:9, Mark 7:15-22, Romans 1:21

b.       Man now has to die a physical death and is now spiritually dead.  His works are as filthy rags in the sight of God – Genesis 2:17, 3:19, Job 24:19,20, Ezekiel chapter 37, Luke 9:60, 15:24,32, John 5:24, 11:25, Romans 5:6,12, 6:23, 7:5, 1 Corinthians 2:14, Ephesians 2:1,5-9, Hebrews 9:14, 1 Peter 2:24

c.       Man is not able to serve the law of God in his fallen, natural mind (Romans 8:7-9, 1 Corinthians 2:14) and even if he becomes saved he has the dread of his body that lusts after sin (Romans 7:15-25).

d.       Man must now give an account for his sins to God on judgment day – Psalm 96:13, Ecclesiastes 3:17, 12:13,14, Hebrews 9:27,28

e.       Man’s eyes are now open to know good and evil and see his own nakedness – Genesis 3:7 

f.        Man is now foolish in God's eyes and his heart is against God – Proverbs 19:3, Romans 1:22

g.       Man is given over to a reprobate (unacceptable, unworthy) mind – Numbers 15:39, Romans 1:28

h.       Man is now capable of many horrible sins and has pleasure in doing them (Romans 1:29-32)

i.         “All men are liars..” Psalm 116:11

j.         A woman would now have sorrow in conception – Genesis 3:16

k.       The ground is now cursed – Genesis 3:17,18

l.         The husband will now rule over the wife – Genesis 3:16

m.     Man is now driven from the Garden of Eden – Genesis 3:23,24

n.       Man's life on this earth is vanity (empty) – Job 15:2, Psalm 39:5-11, 94:11, 127:1, 144:4, Ecclesiastes 2:22,23,26, 6:1,2,12, Romans 8:20, Ephesians 4:17

o.       Man is still made in the image of God and is accountable for his sins- Genesis 5:1, 9:6, Matthew 12:36, Romans 6:23, 1 Corinthians 11:7

p.       God restrains sin in mankind throughout history – Genesis 20:1-6, chapter 37:18-28 > 50:20, Proverbs 23:13,14 (by the use of parents disciplining their children)

q.       God at times allows man to do great outward acts of evil toward God and his fellow men – Genesis 4:8, 6:5, 14:2, Exodus 1:15-20, 1 Samuel 24:17, Matthew 24:6

r.        God at times will bring physical judgment to people for their sin during their life time –  Genesis 4:11,12, 7:21-23, 1 Samuel 28:17-19, Luke 23:39-41 (thieves on the cross next to Christ), Romans 13:1-4

s.       Man’s wisdom is not God’s wisdom – 1 Corinthians 2:13, 1 Thessalonians 2:13

 3.       God Did Not Force Man To Sin (Rebel) Against Him

a.       God made man upright, but man has sought out his own inventions (Ecclesiastes 7:29). Adam said that he ate of the forbidden fruit not mentioning that he was forced to do so (Genesis 3:12, Romans 1:21).

b.       God cannot tempt one to sin.  Note that often the word ‘tempt’ can be translated as test, try or trial.  See James 1:13,14.  He will test man as He did to Abraham in Genesis 22:1-13 (also Hebrews 11:17-19) the Canaanite woman in Matthew 15:22-28 and the true believers in Psalm 11:5 and 1 Corinthians 10:13.

c.       God is righteous and holy and cannot sin against His own laws (Genesis 18:19, Numbers 23:19, Deuteronomy 7:9, 25:16, 32:4, 1 Kings 8:56, Job 34:12, Psalm 5:4, 11:5, 19:8, 25:8, 33:4, 36:5, 48:10, 89:1,14,  92:15, 97:2, 119:137, 145:17, Proverbs 8:13, Isaiah 45:21, 59:2, Hosea 14:9, Amos 5:14,15, Zechariah 8:17, 9:9, Matthew 5:48, 1 Corinthians 1:9, Titus 1:2, Hebrews 1:9, 6:18, Revelation 15:3).

*Note – A further study on the attributes of God will be given in the future, the Lord willing

d.       The testimony of those who are saved and unsaved is that man has sinned, not the Lord (Exodus 9:27, 10:16, Numbers 14:39,40, 22:31-34, Joshua 7:20, 1 Samuel 15:24, 1 Chronicles 21:8, Nehemiah 9:33, Job 7:20, chapter 8, Psalm 51:4, Jeremiah 3:25, Daniel chapter 9, Micah 7:9, Matthew 27:4, Luke 15:18, Romans 3:5-9, 1 John 1:10).

e.       The testimony of those who are saved do not doubt God’s character of being without sin.  They understand Him to be just, holy and righteous (Genesis 22:1-14, Job 13:15, Hebrews chapter 11, Revelation 16:5-7).

f.        If we question why God allowed mankind to fall into sin, then it may be that…

1.         we think we know more than God.
2.         we think we are without sin.
3.         we think that we are more just than God who has created us.
4.         we think that we can overcome our sinful nature on our own. 

The Bible says “be sure that your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23).  Also “ Where is the wise?  where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world (1 Corinthians 1:20)?  We will find in our lives pride that is found in all mankind to some degree (Mark 7:21, 22). God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6).  Is it not just for God to resist the proud and give grace to the humble? Can we blame our own pride on our sinful nature?  What about one who does terrible sins like murder and theft?  Can they blame their sinful nature?  Does not this world understand that there must be some justice for man’s sins to mankind (Romans 13:1-4)?

We have the picture of those who oppose God and are facing His judgment in Proverbs 22:12, Revelation 6:15-17, 11:18, 16:9, 21.  Their response to God’s judgments is that they blaspheme or speak evil of the one who has made them in His image to worship Him with all their heart (Romans 1:17-32). They are so angry with God that they will join forces with Satan to fight the true believers in Revelation 20:8, the camp of the saints.  Is this where you want to be?  The angels declare in Revelation 16:5-7 that God is righteous in bringing all these judgments against all the unsaved of mankind. We are on our own if we think that God has caused us to sin and that He would be unjust for sending anyone to eternal damnation for one’s sins.

Let us ask the following questions if we think that God is unjust:

1.          Is man forced to love darkness rather than light (John 3:19)?
2.          If man is more just than God, then why does not man overcome all the evils of society and mankind and bring upon a utopia, nirvana or heaven on earth?
3.          Does God force man to sin today?  How is our sin different from that of Adam and Eve in the garden when they first sinned?  If Adam and Eve were not forced to sin, then though we are conceived in iniquity (Psalm 51:5), we sin of our own doing and therefore have to answer to a just God.
4.          If God is unjust, why does the Bible say that Christ came not for the righteous, but for sinners to repentance (Matthew 9:13)?  Why would He save anyone at all (Ephesians 1:5, 9 ‘good pleasure’)?
5.          Is there any love and justice when a parent disciplines a son or daughter? If they did not do this at times, then the children would be spoiled and live a life of disobedience (Proverbs 13:24,22:15, 23:13, 14, Hebrews 12:5-11). Did not God give us parents to teach us many things including discipline?  Is this not needed? 
6.          Was it not just for God to test Job in the book of Job?  Was not God just with Job and pointed out the sins of even Job’s four comforters? (Job 42:1-17, James 5:11).  Was not Job comforted by the Lord God (Job 19:21-26, 36:6)?
7.          How can the love of God never fail (1 Corinthians 13:8) if God is unjust? 

If we are stripped naked of our thinking that we are just and God is unjust, and look to the Bible honestly and prayerfully, we will see our true relationship to the Lord, that He is just and we are in our sins. The Bible says that without faith, it is impossible to please Him (Hebrews 11:6) and the faith that the Bible speaks about comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God(Romans 10:17). If we lean on our own understanding concerning this, we will go the way of fools (Proverbs 1:7, 3:5,6), continue in our rebellious path against God (Romans 8:7) and be headed for death (Proverbs 14:12).

The Bible claims to be the power of God unto salvation (Romans 1:16, 2 Timothy 3:15), sharper than any two-edged sword, a discerner of the intents of the heart (Hebrews 4:12), a hammer that shatters its enemies (Jeremiah 23:29) and a comfort to those who are exercised thereby (Psalm 119:50). If we are unjustly given a sinful nature, then the Bible should have no truth to it at all and should be replaced by the wisdom of man.  Man should then be able to prove to God that He is unjust and therefore overcome death, because man would have to be mightier than God.  He should create a whole new universe while he is doing this and show his sovereignty as Creator Man and live forever!

We read in 1 Samuel 2:2-10:

“There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God. Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed. The bows of the mighty men are broken, and they that stumbled are girded with strength. They that were full have hired out themselves for bread; and they that were hungry ceased: so that the barren hath born seven; and she that hath many children is waxed feeble. The LORD killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up.  The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up.  He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the LORD'S, and he hath set the world upon them.  He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail.  The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them: the LORD shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed.”

 g.       The Lord says that He has no pleasure in the death of the wicked (Ezekiel 18:23, 33:11).  He commands the wicked to turn from their ways.  But who will turn from his evil ways?  Over and over the Bible tells us that we will not seek the Lord with all of our heart, our good works are as filthy rags (Romans 3:10-14, Isaiah 64:6).

4.       The Imputation Of Sin To All Mankind – Psalm 51:5, 58:3, Ezekiel 18:4, Romans 5:12,13,17,18,19, Ephesians 2:3
 

5.       The Results Of Sin In Mankind

a.       The works of the flesh – Galatians 5:19-21

b.       Total rebellion against God – Genesis 6:5-7, Proverbs 19:3, John 2:25, Romans 1:18-32, 8:7

c.       No one will seek after God on God’s terms – Psalm 14, 53, Isaiah 26:10, Romans 3:10-14, 1 Peter 2:4

d.       Men will set up their own inventions and idols to feel right in the eyes of God – Ecclesiastes 7:29, Deuteronomy 4:19, 7:4, Mark 7:7-9
 

6.       The Results Of Sin In God’s Eyes (perspective)

a.       God will judge all mankind for their personal sins against Him on the last day – Isaiah 13:6-22, 24:18-23, 34:1-15, Revelation 20:12-15

b.       The Earth will bring suffering unlike the Garden of Eden or Heaven to come – Genesis 3:17, Romans 8:22, Hebrews chapter 11

c.       Wars and rumors of wars between mankind – Matthew 24:6-8

d.       The world was almost entirely destroyed in the flood of Noah’s day – Genesis 6:7

e.       The sin of mankind had become a grief to God – Genesis 6:5,6, 18:20
 

7.       Man Is Now Spiritually Blind, Deaf and Dumb (cannot speak) – Job 28:12,13, Psalm 146:8, Proverbs 16:2, 25, 20:17,24, 21:2, 28:20,21, Isaiah 43:8, Matthew 15:14, John 3:3-7, Acts 26:18, 1 Corinthians 2:14, 2 Corinthians 4:4

 8.       Man thinks that all is well between him and His Creator – Proverbs 16:2,25, Matthew 24:37-44, Luke 12:16-21

 9.       Man Has No Ability to Overcome His Sinful Nature, Appease or Approach God That Is Acceptable To God  –  Genesis 20:1-6, Judges 7 (Gideon and the 300 chosen men as a picture of this), Job 14:4, 15:16, 25:4, Psalm 39:5,6, 44:6,7, 65:4, 94:11, Proverbs 20:9, Jeremiah 13:23, Zechariah 4:6, John 8:34-36, 15:5, 1 Timothy 6:16, 1 John 1:8

 10.   Man Will Invent Ways to Make Himself Feel That He Is Right (In Fellowship) With God  –  Psalm 106:39, Isaiah 2:20, Jeremiah 10:14-16, Romans 1:21-25

 11.   God Has Restraint and Patience with Fallen Mankind until Judgment Day  –  Numbers 14:18, Psalm 86:15, Job 21:30 (the wicked are withheld unto judgment day) Romans 2:4, 1 Timothy 1:16, 2 Peter 3:15

 12.   God demonstrates the need of a perfect sacrifice to cover one’s sins and have peace with Him  –  Genesis 4:4-7, chapter 22 (account of Isaac as a sacrifice), Matthew 5:20, James 2:10