BCD: Human Sinfulness

[bcbsr]

Human Sinfulness

Human sinfulness is such a well established fact it hardly needs mentioning. Ecc 7:20 "There is not a righteous man on earth who does what is right and never sins." Even of the redeemed it is written, "All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath." Eph 2:3

"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Rom 3:23

Now there are those who say that they are not that bad. They haven't committed some heinous sin. But nonetheless they have missed the mark, which is one of the two Greek words for "sin" in the New Testament, "hamartia". The other "parabasis" means to trespass. The idea is to trespass a boundary. But whether one has violated a law or simply didn't live up to God's standards, all have sinned.

God's standards are generally higher than people imagine. For example did you know that "Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him." 1John 3:15 Or how about what Jesus said in Matt 5:28 "I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart." Or concerning remarriage after divorce Jesus said, "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced from her husband commits adultery." Luke 16:18 And what of "coveting"? For God commanded, "You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s." Ex 20:17

Jesus summarized the Law say to love the Lord you God will all your heart, mind, soul and strength and to love you neighbor as yourself. So if you think by the Law you will be saved, you'd better be more than just well behaved. You must love in spirit, not only in letter. Though you think you're good, you must be better. In view of these facts, vain it is to hope to be saved as a matter of compliance to regulations. That option is gone. No one is "good enough" by God's standards. Jesus himself said, "No one is good— except God alone." Mk 10:18 And as such all are under condemnation.

 

[SkyWriting]

Human Sinfulness
Though you think you're good, you must be better.

You seem to be saying that I should forgive others and not be judgmental
because I am actually no better than them in God's eyes? Humpfff.

 

[SavedByGrace3]

I am always amazed when preachers tell unbelievers they have to repent from all sin before they can be saved. Yet that is the point. You cannot. If you could, that would prove that you do not need to be saved. For the law was given to prove (in the failed effort) that you are sinful. Those who claim they repented from all sin before they were saved are just fooling themselves. I have been a believer for 50 years and I live by 1 John 1:

8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.​

I would challenge anyone to fulfil in action the clear statement of Jesus.

Matt 5:
48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.​

I am dismayed when I hear the preaching of successful pre-salvation repentance from all sin. How many souls have sincerely attempted the task of perfection only to become discouraged and turn away? Try as you may you cannot.

Jeremiah 13:
23 “Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.”​

As the OP pointed out. Even the good things the unsaved do are filthy rages before God.

Is 64:6
But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
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