September 20, 2024
Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. (Genesis 6:5)
How sinful are we? The answer is: totally. Apart from God and His intervention in our lives, we are completely and totally spiritually depraved.
NOAH’S DAY
… proved it in bold relief. Mankind had been separated from God’s presence because of their sin for ten generations, and the result was decades of ever-increasing evil. Finally, we come to Noah’s day, and we have recorded the assessment of mankind written above: “Every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”
Lest we think this is just an Old Testament phenomenon, listen to Paul’s description of every man in Romans, Chapter 3.
SOBERING, BUT EXPLAINABLE
It’s not hard to understand, for we were created to live in dependency upon God. This was not added because of man's fall. It was how we were designed so that we would forever live in union with our Creator. Our sin explains why we are separated from God, and our separation from God explains our continuing, increasing sin. Without Him in our lives, we are “dead in our trespasses and sin” and have no capacity for godliness.
SOBERING BUT ENCOURAGING!
There is a beautiful reality here, though. Our sin is what pushes us to God. We must rely upon Him and experience His saving and sanctifying work to live aright. And it is freely offered to us through Jesus Christ. We can be clean, forgiven, and filled with His life. “Christ in us, the hope of glory,” Paul said. It is our confident assurance and practical experience that, united to Christ, we can be all we were designed to be! And one day soon set free from evil on this earth, we shall be as Christ is in glorious righteousness.
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