The Nature
of Fallen Man
The fall of Adam
God created Adam in his image. Adam was made without sin, holy and perfect.
He was naked in the presence of God and did not have any sin consciousness.
Adam was in his probation period, when God gave Adam a law, a commandment.
Ge 2:17 But of the
tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day
that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
Being a perfect holy man he had capacity to obey the above law. This was
a covenant that God made with Adam, where his probation period would end and
that he can gain eternal life through the obedience to the above commandment.
Obedience was required in this covenant, and eternal life is promised by works
of obedience.
Then the enemy came with all his deception and said to the woman,
Ge 3:4 And the serpent
said unto the woman, ye shall not surely die:
Adam and Eve listened to the enemy, and violated the commandment of God
as they ate the fruit then they realized that they were naked and hid in the
bushes.
Inherited Sin
Inherited sin is sometimes called the original sin.
What did sin do to Adam?
1. He died spiritually.
a) He lost fellowship with God.
b) He lost the ability to communicate with God.
c) He lost the ability to be righteous before God.
2. He died physically.
a) The aging process began to set, as the poison of sin infected his blood. His chromosomal structure changed, the DNA was corrupted.
Adam violated the commandment of God and became a sinner.
1Jo 3:4 whosoever committed sin transgressed also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
Adam was righteous before the fall became unrighteous after the fall.
1Jo
When Adam sinned against God, we too sinned in Adam. Adam was the fountainhead of the entire human race. The entire human race including all of us were in the loins of Adam. Adam sin was imputed to all men.
Ro 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.
What is the reason we sin? It is not that we learn how to sin but it’s in our nature. You do not have to teach a toddler to sin, one of the first words a toddler say is “No.” Because we are born sinners
Ps 51:5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.
The result of the inherited sin.
Everyone who was a descended from Adam
was born into the same condition.
Spiritual death.
“As you were dead in your transgressions
and sins,” (Eph.2:1) Also Colossians 2:13. The result of the spiritual death is
total depravity. It means his body, mind, soul and the will was corrupted
by sin. Every part of man was corrupted by sin. But God is infinitely
pure, holy and righteous and man is spiritually dead, he is carnal and the
heart of man is deceitful above all things. (Jer.17:9) The holy God
is separated from man. (Isa. 59:2) God and the sinners cannot live
together. (Psalm 5:4) Because God is 100% righteous and he will not
expect anything below his standard. God‘s standard is given to mankind in his
ten commandments. They are righteous standards. God’s holiness is
manifested in the Ten Commandments. On the other hand with reference to
man, “There is no one righteous not even one.” (Rom.
If you are spiritually dead, then
you cannot understand God. “There is no one who understands God.”
(Rom.3:11) You can witness about the Lord to a very educated highly
intellectual man and he may think how foolish you are to believe the
gospel. The reason is he can be alive in his education and position but
in the presence of God he is dead in his spirit. “The man without the Spirit
does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness
to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.”
(1Cor.2:14)
“There is no one who seeks God.”
(Rom.3:11) It is impossible for man to seek God when he is spiritually
dead. In fact man is fleeing God. When Adam and Eve sinned they
were not seeking God but running away from God and hiding from him. Today
we see many people seems to be seeking God. They are not seeking the holy
and righteous God of the Universe but a god that they have made. A god who will
compromise their sins and they believe that they are right before their god as
their god is less holy tolerates and compromises sin, and their god is
not the God of the Bible.
“….There is no one who does good, not
even one.” (Rom.
This seems to be like another
contradictory statement from the human perspective. We see many good
people in the world today, no matter what their religion is. There
are people who help and offer kindness to others in various religions.
But the Bible is very clear when it says that not even one does
good. Jesus said only God is good. When men do good things it
is to show how good they are. It is done to please their flesh, so the
flesh would be glorified which will be the result of a type of humble
pride. Only God knows the inward thoughts and the motives of man. All the
hidden sins are exposed by God. If one has created a movie camera that
could also express the inner thoughts and the motives of men verbally.
Then one day this man becomes busy filming the person who thinks who is good,
without his knowledge. Then at the end he will call all the good man’s
friends and show him the movie that was taken which also verbally expresses the
inner motives and thoughts of him. What would you think of the outcome?
100% good that is to the standard of God, of course not. Instead there
are unprofitable thoughts, immoral thoughts, sensual thoughts, evil
thoughts, unlearned imaginations, prideful thoughts, lustful
thoughts, greedy thoughts, and hypocritical thoughts. In front of
God’s great majesty and glory instead of crying up to him and saying, “God
merciful to me a sinner” the man says see God how good I am. “All of us
have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy
rags.” (Isa.64:6) “Those controls by the sinful nature cannot please
God.” (Rom. 8:8)
“Who can say, I have cleansed my
heart, I am pure from sin.” (Prov. 20:9) Every part of man’s body is
affected by sin, and that is total depravity of man. That is why all the
parts of our body gets old, decay and die.
Natural Man is an enemy of God.
Many unbelievers would have a respect to God in general but in reality they are enemies of God, because they keep on breaking the laws of God daily.
Ro 8:7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
God is angry with the
wicked every day. (Psalm
Even the believers were enemies of God before salvation.
Ro 5:10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
In what way the unbelievers
are enemies of God.
We saw from the above
scriptures that the unbelievers are enmity with God. The word enmity means,
unfriendly, hostile an enemy. We see this enmity in their decisions in life,
their affections toward God and in their lifestyle. Their value of God is
extremely low. When it comes to their friends they have a very high value of
them, as they think very highly of them and even cover up their weaknesses. On
the other hand when it comes to their enemies they have no value over them, it is
the same way toward God. They are like Pharaoh who said, “Who is the LORD that
I should obey his voice to let
Unbelievers serve a god that would bless them physically as they are concerned only of their flesh.
What is the Almighty that we should serve him? and what profit should we have, if we pray unto him? (Job 21:15)
They do not count the Lord to be worthy, neither they love God nor fear God. But they do not behave like that to their own fellow men. They value their friends more than God. They are more afraid offending them and displeasing them than God. They treat God as mean and worthless but they value all the pleasures of worldly enjoyment higher than God as they get very excited in their worldly pleasure and enjoyment but not towards God. They value God the lowest in their priority list.
They have a great distaste for God. Gods perfections are manifested by the light of nature, and also they have heard of God, but in reality they do not like God and have no desire for God. They have heard that God is infinitely holy, pure and righteous and they do not like that. They have no desire to meditate upon Gods holiness and perfections. If they have to do that that will be not out of desire but out of grudgingly to please other Christians. God is omniscient knows all things, he is omnipotent and all powerful, God does not change, and the unbelievers do not like for God to be all knowing and all powerful and all holy or any of Gods attributes.
The unbelievers wants to have distance with God as far as possible. They do not meditate or have a true communication with him.
Ps 10:4 The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.
They do not think of God, even if they hear of God, they do not meditate upon those thoughts and they are soon forgotten. It is easy for them to forget these things of God but they will remember all the worldly pleasures. It is like the seed that fell to the ground but the birds came and ate the seed or the seed that fell on the rock there is no root, they remain the same. They will remember the entertainment and other things of life but God is not in their minds in their daily life. They remember God only when they are in trouble. They love to pray in front of people, but have no time for secret prayer. Their labor is for the flesh and have no time to wake up early and pray.
Their will is contrary to the will of Gods will. They hate Gods will but will do those things that God hates as they are opposed to Gods will. The unbelievers are in opposition to God. They hate the authority of God.
Ro 8:7 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.
They are enemies to God in
their affections.
Many times their hatred and enmity toward God cannot be seen. They may look outwardly very nice people, as long as they are left alone and they are not disturbed by God. But if their sins are exposed and God shows his wrath against their sins, when things in life turns bad, difficult, situations change and become tough, when in under pressure you will see them as they will curse God as their hatred will break out against God. They will use filthy words, blasphemous words and thoughts against God, before they looked innocent as a dove and now they are like a viper spitting poison at God.
Pharaoh’s hatred toward God was not more than any other unbeliever. Pharaoh never raised his finger at God, when things were moving smoothly, but when God intervened, we see him as a different man. If other unbelievers were in Pharaohs shoes we would see the same corruption. A natural man has a heart like the heart of a devil; only corruption is more under restraint in man than in devils. If God takes away the restraint they can all become like Hitler. There is a difference between a wicked man on earth, and a wicked man in hell. The one in hell is not restrained; the old corruptions will break out without restraint.
The natural man seek Jesus for their flesh
The natural men walk in the flesh and seek things after their flesh. Remember the great multitude of people that followed Jesus. He fed them bread and fish, all were filled and satisfied. Later we see when Jesus left them, they were still seeking Jesus.
Joh 6:24 When the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, neither his disciples, they also took shipping, and came to Capernaum, seeking for Jesus.
Joh 6:25 And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi, when camest thou hither?
26 Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.
In the same way there are many who are seeking Jesus, but they are seeking in their own flesh. The unbelievers will have a religion, the whole world will acknowledge them in their religion but they will not walk in the spirit as they are not born of the spirit.
We need to understand that unbelievers are not different than Pharaoh. It was only by Gods grace that we are saved, and the war against God is finished now we have peace with God, he removed the guilt in us and Christ’s righteousness is imputed to us, and we stand in God not in our goodness but in His grace. Now we can rejoice what he had done for us and give glory to Him!
Ro 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
The
natural man cannot love God.
Joh
In John
In
another portion of the scripture it says, woe unto the world.
The world is not all the people but
accounted to a limited number.
Lu 2:1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.
Was
the whole world taxed?
Did
the whole world go after Jesus?
Joh
Does
it mean every single person in the entire region including old the young,
children, people in hospitals, jails every single individual go after him? No
certainly not. Let me give you and example. When Pope John Paul II died the
news media said, the whole world is mourning. Does it means
every single human beings on the face of the earth were mourning? No, only a limited number. This is called a hyperbole, an exaggeration
of the truth.
Jesus
did not pray for the world, but only to the ones that was given by the Father.
Joh 17:9 I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for
them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.
This
is why the context is so important in interpreting the scriptures. In John
Natural Man cannot come to God as he is
spiritually dead.
"No
man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him. John 6:44.
Man
is unable to come to God because of his nature. Charles Spurgeon gives this beautiful
example, one day a man said, that he did not believe any man had the power to
walk to the house of God unless the Father drew him. This was very foolish
saying according to Spurgeon. Because as long as a man was alive and had legs,
it was as easy for him to walk to the house of God as to the house of Satan.
There is no lack of physical power in coming to Christ, as physically men are
alive, they can raise a hand in coming to Christ, they can walk down the isle
in coming to Christ, they can say a prayer in coming
to Christ. But just because they did all these things physically, it does not
mean they truly came to Christ. The defect is not in the body, as the natural
man is alive and strong physically, the defect is in the mind and in the heart.
It is spiritual. As he is spiritually dead.
Spurgeon
gives the example of a lion and a sheep. The lion has legs so does sheep, the
lion has a mouth so does a sheep, the lion have ears so does a sheep.
Physically both can walk and eat. But the lion will not eat grass like a sheep
neither the sheep will eat meat like a lion. The distinction is in the nature.
By nature, the Lion is different than a sheep. In the same way by the natural
man s nature is so corrupt that he has neither the will nor the power to come to
Christ unless drawn by the Spirit.
Let
us go further and see what sin did to mans nature.
When man sinned against God, he became spiritually dead and was separated from
God. There fore there is no love towards God. Love is to be together. Man and
woman falls in love with each other and their desire is to live together
because they love each other. However, we see when they do not love each other
because of sin there is separation in marriage and there is divorce. Now there
is no love for each other as they are separated. In the same way when man is
separated from God, there is no true love in him.
Man
is enmity against God as a whole being. That means his mental and physical
powers, principles, and actions are against God. His nature is totally against
God, there fore his mind, heart and all his bodily instruments are not for God
but in opposition to God. Apostle Paul speaks of the natural man,
I am carnal, sold under sin. (Ro 7:14) He is a slave to sin under the bondage
of Satan and all his affections are dominated by his flesh and against Gods
will. We can see again the Jews, who were very religious, and they had an
outward form of godliness of love but inwardly they hated him. Their desire was
to kill Jesus.
2Ti
3:5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power
thereof: from such turn away.
Mt
26:4 And consulted that they might take Jesus by subtilty, and kill him.
Lu
22:2 And the chief priests and scribes sought how they
might kill him; for they feared the people.
The
enmity of the natural man is so great that no human power can change him as the
corruption is rooted in the heart. He is against God, as his will is against
God. He is very hypocritical, as we see the Jews and the Pharisees were hypocritical,
Paul was at enmity with God, persecuting the church of God, he was a very
religious man but a hypocrite in nature, no one could change his heart, only
the infinite power of God almighty changed his heart and nature as he became as
one of the finest Apostles in the New Testament.
Godly
Christians can witness to them, but cannot change their enmity towards God,
pastors can preach repentance and the Excellency of Christ, but they cannot
change them, the angels cannot change them. They might say,
if we really see the miracles of God we will change. No, the children of
The
natural man will come clothed in religion but inwardly an enemy of God, they
have killed the Old Testament prophets, crucified Jesus, killed the disciples,
the early church Christians were tortured, burned alive, eaten alive by the
wild animals, the Roman church burned the true Christians, the
natural man hates God.
Natural
mans desire is to dethrone God.
The
natural mans desire is to dethrone God. They will do it if they can do it. They
would be glad if there is no God.
Ps
14:1 The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.
They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth
good.
Read
carefully the root is the heart. In his heart, there is no God. Meaning his
desire is that there is no God, he is telling I wish there is no God. They are
poisonous snakes. When they bite, they seek to kill precious life.
John
the Baptist called them O brood of vipers. (Mat 3:7) This poison is the enmity
that they have for God.
Ps
58:3 The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go
astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.
Natural
man crucified Jesus.
De
32:33 Their wine is the poison of dragons, and the
cruel venom of asps.
The
immortal, infinitely holy God who is separated from man, because of sin and
mans enmity toward God, yet God the second person of the Trinity clothed in
human nature, became a man, and came down to earth to dwell among the fallen
man, who were vipers and with full of poison in their heart. They hated him,
spit at him, persecuted him and the multitudes of men cried with one voice
saying, Crucify him, crucify him. Away
with him. Rather they would prefer Barabbas
who deserved death to be saved, and their desire was to kill the Holy one of
God. They could not find any fault with Jesus but nothing could satisfy them
until they crucified him to death. Yes, the natural man if they can dethrone
God, he will do it. This was the cruelest execution that ever happened, by
mocking the Holy Son of God, spitting at him and scourging him. Here we see the
enmity of man toward God in all true colors.
God
is their greatest enemy. Their enmity so great toward God
than they are to Satan. They believe that Satan is evil, yet they will
join hands with Satan in doing what Satan wants them to do. In reality, they
are the friend of Satan and the devil is their master.
John
8:44, Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts
of your father ye will do: he was a murderer from the beginning.
We
need to remember that we too were enemies of God one time, we too had a form of
religion but dead spiritually. Now that we are saved by the grace of God, we
should not be separated and point the finger at all who are unsaved. Jesus
commanded us to go and preach the gospel to all nations. Apostle Paul said,
Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.
(1 Cor 8:1) We need to do everything in love and
humility. The prime example is our Lord. We need to show the fallen mans
nature, and preach the gospel to all nations.
Spurgeon said,
of a youth who concealed a stolen fox under his garment, and although it was
eating into his bowels, he would not show it, and therefore died through the
creature's bites; you are of that sort sinner, you are carrying sin in your bosom,
and it is eating out your heart. God knows what it is,
and you know what it is; now you cannot keep it there and be unbitten,
undestroyed. Why keep it there? O cry to God with a vehement cry, God save me
from my sin!"