THE NATURAL MAN
ESCHATOLOGY.COM
John 17:3 "And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only
true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.** In order to understand
the grace of God, we must first understand the nature of man. John 9:39-44
Without the knowledge of our sinfulness there can be no salvation!** 1
John 1:8-10
The condition of man in his natural state Romans
3:9-19, vs. 23
I. Condition confirmed
A. Romans 3:22-23 "I've never sinned!?"
1. Proverbs 16:2 All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes;
but the LORD weigheth the spirits.
2. Proverbs 21:2 Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the
LORD pondereth the hearts.
3. Proverbs 12:15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he
that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.
4. Proverbs 20:9 Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure
from my sin?
5. Psalms 130:3 If You, LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could
stand?
6 Psalms 143:2 Do not enter into judgment with Your servant,
For in Your sight no one living is righteous.
7. "Because I've been a pretty good person!?"Proverbs 20:6,9 Most men
will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find?
9 Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?
8. "That George, he's a good man!?" Ecclesiastes 7:20,29 For there
is not a just man on earth who does good And does not sin. 29 Truly, this
only I have found: That God made man upright, But they have sought out
many schemes."
9. "I know where I'm going!?" Isaiah 53:6 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.
10. "Ok mom, I'm all clean" Jeremiah 2:22 For though you wash yourself
with lye, and use much soap, Yet your iniquity is marked before Me," says
the Lord GOD.
11. "I just felt like being nice!?" Jeremiah 13:23 Can the Ethiopian
change his skin or the leopard its spots? Then may you also do good who
are accustomed to do evil.
12. "I'm in better shape than ever!?" Ephesians 2:1 And you He made
alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins,
13. "I'm doing the best I can!" Psalms 39:5 Indeed, You have made my
days as handbreadths, And my age is as nothing before You; Certainly every
man at his best state is but vapor. Selah
14. "I promise to be your faithful wife" Psalms 5:9 For there is no
faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is very wickedness; their
throat is an open sepulchre; they flatter with their tongue.
15. "I have a really good idea!" Psalms 94:11 The LORD knoweth the
thoughts of man, that they are vanity.
16. Jeremiah 2:29 Wherefore will ye plead with me? ye all have transgressed
against me, saith the LORD.
17. Micah 7:2-4 The good man is perished out of the earth: and there
is none upright among men: they all lie in wait for blood; they hunt every
man his brother with a net. 3 That they may do evil with both hands earnestly,
the prince asketh, and the judge asketh for a reward; and the great man,
he uttereth his mischievous desire: so they wrap it up. 4 The best of them
is as a brier: the most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge: the day
of thy watchmen and thy visitation cometh; now shall be their perplexity.
II. Condition captured
A. "I know I sought after God, my goodness!?" Romans 3:9-11,19 What
then? Are we better than they? Not at all. For we have previously charged
both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin. 10 As it is written:
"There is none righteous, no, not one; 11 There is none who understands;
There is none who seeks after God. 19 Now we know that whatever the law
says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped,
and all the world may become guilty before God.
1. "I don't really like sinning!?" Job 15:14-16 What is man, that
he should be clean? and he which is born of a woman, that he should be
righteous? 15 Behold, he putteth no trust in his saints; yea, the heavens
are not clean in his sight. 16 How much more abominable and filthy is man,
which drinketh iniquity like water?
2. "Proverbs 4:16-17 For they do not sleep unless they have done evil;
And their sleep is taken away unless they make someone fall. 17 For they
eat the bread of wickedness, And drink the wine of violence.
3. "I don't actually need to sin!?" Jeremiah 17:9 "The heart is deceitful
above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?
4. Proverbs 21:10 The soul of the wicked desires evil; His neighbor
finds no favor in his eyes.
5. "I know I don't love sinning!?" John 3:19 "And this is the condemnation,
that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than
light, because their deeds were evil.
6. "I'm not addicted" Romans 6:20 For when you were slaves of sin,
you were free in regard to righteousness.
7. "I can please God whenever I want!?" Romans 8:6-8 For to be carnally
minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because
the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law
of God, nor indeed can be. 8 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot
please God.
8. "I never thought the Bible was foolish" 1 Corinthians 2:14 But the
natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they
are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually
discerned.
9. "Salvation is like a gift...you have to reach out and take it" John
3:27 John answered and said, "A man can receive nothing unless it has been
given to him from heaven.
10. "You can come to Christ right now!?" John 6:44 "No one can come
to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up
at the last day.
11. John 6:64-65 "But there are some of you who do not believe." For
Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who
would betray Him. 65 And He said, "Therefore I have said to you that no
one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father."
12. Isaiah 42:6-7 I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and
will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant
of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; 7 To open the blind eyes, to
bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness
out of the prison house.
13. Isaiah 43:8 Bring forth the blind people that have eyes, and the
deaf that have ears.
14. "You can call upon His name right now!?" Isaiah 64:7 And there
is no one who calls on Your name, Who stirs himself up to take hold of
You; For You have hidden Your face from us, And have consumed us because
of our iniquities.
15. "I'm not perverted!" Job 9:2,3,20,30,31 How should man be just
with God? 3 If he will contend with him, he cannot answer him one of a
thousand. 20 If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me: if I
say, I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse. 30 If I wash myself
with snow water, and make my hands never so clean; 31 Yet shalt thou plunge
me in the ditch, and mine own clothes shall abhor me.
16. Jeremiah 16:12 Behold, ye walk every one after the imagination
of his evil heart, that they may not hearken unto me:
17. Matthew 7:16-18 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather
grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 17 Even so every good tree bringeth
forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 18 A good
tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth
good fruit.
18. Matthew 12:34-35 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil,
speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good
things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.
19. "Come forward and receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit" John
14:17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because
it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth
with you, and shall be in you.
20. Romans 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world,
and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
21. Romans 7:5,11,13-15,18,19,23 For when we were in the flesh, the
motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring
forth fruit unto death. 11 For sin, taking occasion by the commandment,
deceived me, and by it slew me. 13 Was then that which is good made death
unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in
me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding
sinful. 14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold
under sin. 15 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do
I not; but what I hate, that do I. 18 For I know that in me (that is, in
my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but
how to perform that which is good I find not. 19 For the good that I would
I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. 23 But I see another
law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me
into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
22. Romans 8:5-8 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things
of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life
and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not
subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8 So then they that are
in the flesh cannot please God.
23. Galatians 5:17,19-21 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit,
and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the
other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. 19 Now the works
of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness,
lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations,
wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness,
revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also
told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit
the kingdom of God.
24. Titus 3:3 For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient,
deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy,
hateful, and hating one another.
III. Condition conceived
A. Romans 3:13 "Their throat is an open tomb; With their tongues they
have practiced deceit"; "The poison of asps is under their lips";
1. "Oh, what an innocent little baby!?" Psalms 58:2-5 No, in heart
you work wickedness; You weigh out the violence of your hands in the earth.
3 The wicked are estranged from the womb; They go astray as soon as they
are born, speaking lies. 4 Their poison is like the poison of a serpent;
They are like the deaf cobra that stops its ear, 5 Which will not heed
the voice of charmers, Charming ever so skillfully.
2. "I never did things like that when I was a kid!?" Genesis 8:21 And
the LORD smelled a soothing aroma. Then the LORD said in His heart, "I
will never again curse the ground for man's sake, although the imagination
of man's heart is evil from his youth; nor will I again destroy every living
thing as I have done.
3. "But he hasn't reached the age of accountability!?" Isaiah 48:8
Surely you did not hear, Surely you did not know; Surely from long ago
your ear was not opened. For I knew that you would deal very treacherously,
And were called a transgressor from the womb.
4. "My kids never really got into trouble!?" Job 14:1-4 "Man who is
born of woman Is of few days and full of trouble. 2 He comes forth like
a flower and fades away; He flees like a shadow and does not continue.
3 And do You open Your eyes on such a one, And bring me to judgment with
Yourself? 4 Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? No one!
5. "My child is not a worm!?" Job 25:4-6 How then can man be righteous
before God? Or how can he be pure who is born of a woman? 5 If even the
moon does not shine, And the stars are not pure in His sight, 6 How much
less man, who is a maggot, And a son of man, who is a worm?"
6. "A zygote is a sinner?" Psalms 51:5 Behold, I was brought forth
in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me. Next you'll probably tell
me that every action or thought is a sin!?" Yes, you are right."
7. Mark 7:21-23 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil
thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness,
deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: 23
All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.
IV. Condition complete
A. Romans 3:12,14-18 They have all turned aside; They have together
become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one." 14 "Whose
mouth is full of cursing and bitterness." 15 "Their feet are swift to shed
blood; 16 Destruction and misery are in their ways; 17 And the way of peace
they have not known." 18 "There is no fear of God before their eyes."
1. Genesis 6:5,12 Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was
great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart
was only evil continually. 12 So God looked upon the earth, and indeed
it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. cf.
Romans 5:12-14
2. Ecclesiastes 9:3 This is an evil in all that is done under the sun:
that one thing happens to all. Truly the hearts of the sons of men are
full of evil; madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that
they go to the dead.
3. Ecclesiastes 8:11 Because sentence against an evil work is not executed
speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to
do evil.
4. Romans 2:1 Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou
art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself;
for thou that judgest doest the same things.
5. Isaiah 1:5-6 Why should you be stricken again? You will revolt more
and more. The whole head is sick, And the whole heart faints. 6 From the
sole of the foot even to the head, There is no soundness in it, But wounds
and bruises and putrefying sores; They have not been closed or bound up,
Or soothed with ointment.
6. Ephesians 2:1-3 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses
and sins: 2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this
world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that
now worketh in the children of disobedience: 3 Among whom also we all had
our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the
desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of
wrath, even as others.
B. "Even our good works too?"
1. Isaiah 64:6 But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses
are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the
wind, Have taken us away.
2. Proverbs 21:4,27 A haughty look, a proud heart, And the plowing
of the wicked are sin. 27 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination;
How much more when he brings it with wicked intent!
3. Titus 1:15 To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are
defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience
are defiled.
4. Ezek 33:13 When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall
surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity,
all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that
he hath committed, he shall die for it.
"So you are saying that I didn't even have the ability to choose
God?"
No, Jesus said it in John 15:16 "You did not choose Me, but I chose
you...'
"That means all my salvation depends on His purpose, His desire, His
will, and His grace?"
EXACTLY!
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