UNIVERSAL DEPRAVITY
As was inferred in
The Origin of Sin, Satan and his angels were cast out of heaven, and down to earth.
However, it seems that he still has access to God in heaven, but this world and
"the air" is his abode. As for "heaven," there appears to
be three, since Paul, on one occasion, was "caught up to the third
heaven" (2 Cor. 12:2), (See also Deuteronomy 10:14; 1 Kings 8:27; and
Psalm 148:4.) it has been reasoned that the third heaven is God's dwelling
place, though His presence has no limitations; the first heaven purportedly is
the atmospheric heavens immediately surrounding the earth; and the second
heaven is "outer space," the realm of the stars-galaxies, planets.
Figuratively, perhaps the devil and his angels now inhabit the second heaven,
having access to both the earth and God.
To us mortals, it
seems that he expends most of his efforts on the earth, the abode of mankind.
Regardless of when he was cast out, we know he was present in the serpent when Adam
and Eve were the only human inhabitants. The ultimate result of that occasion
was what we call human depravity, which was, and is, universal, as we shall see
from our lesson texts.
Isa
64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousness are as
filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind,
have taken us away.
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:
17 For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)
18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.
19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
I. MAN'S FIRST SIN
(ROM. 5:12,17-19)
The details of
mankind's first sin by Adam in the garden of Eden are well known. The fact of
sin, its result, and its consequences are matters of great concern.
A. Satan the
Instigator: Satan was angry at God for being expel led from heaven, being
denied his coveted and exalted estate. That anger and vengeance was not long in
manifesting itself on earth, though we do not know the length of time lapse
between the creation of man and the serpent's confrontation. He would strike
out at man, whom God had made in His own Image. The approach was crafty;
appealingly deceptive. And, sad to say, it was amazingly effective!
B. Satan's
Objective: The temptation created a seemingly innocent desire in man for the
one thing forbidden. This was comparable with Lucifer's lust for the highest
place in heaven. Now it was Satan's objective to effect disobedience to God. He
had dared to disobey by self-exaltation and had consequently been cast out. In
vengeance, he would make mankind his target for retaliation.
C. The Result (Rom.
5:12, 17-19): Through cunning subtlety, Satan, through the serpent, beguiled
Eve (Gen. 3:13); he deceived her. Paul explained, "And Adam was not
deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression" (1 Tim.
2:14). The result of Eve's temptation was Adam's fall; not because he was
deceived, but because he disobeyed God. And sin was "passed upon all men." Adam was the
representative of all mankind, all of whom were, at the moment, still unborn.
His sin corrupted his nature, and that corrupt nature was imputed to all men.
So, "by one man’s offence death reigned by one,” and “judgment came upon
all men to condemnation: …by one man's disobedience man" were made
sinners…”
Romans 3:l0-l2, 23
10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
II SINFUL NATURE
(ROM. 3:10-12, 23)
A. The Consequence
of the First Sin (v.10): We see the full-fledged consequence of the inherited
Adamic, sinful nature. "There is none righteous, no, not one. Adam and
Eve's first son, Cain, was born with that fallen nature, as has been every
human being that has been born since that time. O! how exceeding sinful is sin!
Its "awfulness" is incomprehensible!
B. Man's Inherent
Waywardness (vv.11,12): With the passing of the ages, men's comprehension of
their corrupt nature has become progressively less.
Even Cain seemed
unaware of the cause of his hatred of his brother. By the time of the apostles,
Paul could say, "There is none that understandeth, there is none that
seeketh after God." Men's waywardness makes them unprofitable to God. So
much so that "there is none that doeth good, no, not one." In fact,
even men's "works of righteousness" are "as filthy rags"
(Isa. 64:6, Titus 3:5), because of the corrupt nature.
Psalm 51:5
5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.
C. Man's Corrupted
Image (Rom.3:23, Psa. 51:5): Through the fallen nature of Adam, not only have
"all sinned," but they do not reflect the glory of God as He intended
man to do when He made man in His own image and likeness. Therefore, the very
purpose for which God made man is corrupted by sin. David's words help to confirm universal sin, in that he was both
conceived and born with the sinful nature of his father Adam.
I Corinthians 15:21.22
21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
III. UNIVERSAL
DELIVERANCE PROVIDED (1 COR.15:21, 22)
A. The Gift of
Righteousness: Reverting to Romans 5:17-19, we find the provision for man's
deliverance from universal sin. Through belief in the gospel "...much more
they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall
reign in life by one, Jesus Christ." Just as one man's sin (Adam's)
brought the judgment of death upon men to condemnation, even so by one man's
righteousness (Christ's), the free gift of justification by faith, which is
unto eternal life, has been provided for all who will believe.
B. Resurrected With
Christ (1 Cor.15: 21, 22): Sin and its penalty of death came by Adam. The
resurrection unto eternal life has come by the imputation of God's righteousness
through the sacrifice of Christ. By the power of God through the gospel
(Rom.1:16), the believer is buried with Christ in His death, and raised up from
the dead with Him in His resurrection. (Read Romans 6:3-14.)
C. Corrupt Nature
Crucified: By faith, the justified soul is entitled to deliverance from the
fallen nature of Adam. By a second work of grace, "the old man," the
corrupt nature, is crucified. Thereby "the body of sin" is "destroyed"
(Rom. 6:6). Sin no longer has dominion, or rule, over the sanctified heart
(Rom.6:14), because of the works of grace therein.
Sin in any form or
measure should alarm us! It is frightening! It is more dangerous than Ebola. And even more so because of the
existing casual, compromising attitude toward it. Its ultimate defilement is seen
in the inestimable price that was required to deliver the doomed soul from its
curse!
We read of "the
deceitfulness of sin" (Heb.3:13). The writer's warning was to a people
whose faith was faltering. Our faith may falter if we allow sin to become considered
less sinful than it truly is. The sin itself is deceitful, or deceptive; but
even worse is the deceitfulness concerning its deceitfulness, as it were! When
deceit seeks to justify sin in the guise of "freedom of conscience,"
or "Christian liberty," such deceit is exceedingly deceptive! There
is a genuine Christian liberty; a glorious freedom from sin (Rom. 6:18, 22).
The captive of the enemy is set free from Satan's bondage to become the servant
of righteousness unto holiness (Rom. 6:19,20). We are never free to obey the
flesh. Christian liberty is liberty to obey; a liberty which Satan’s bondmen do
not have.
Paul encourages us,
saying, "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us
free, and be not entangled again [by a false interpretation of liberty] with
the yoke of bondage...for, brethren, we have been called unto liberty: only use
not liberty for an occasion of the flesh...” (Gal. 5:1,13).
If you have never accepted Jesus Christ here are three steps you need to take to be saved:
You must admit you are a sinner, confess your sin to Jesus, repent (turn from all you know is wrong), ask Jesus to come in your heart, and begin to follow Jesus by reading and obeying his word and go to a bible believing church that teaches his word. May God through Christ bless you!
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