TULIP GEMS
“But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.” (2 Peter 3:18)
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“But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.” (2 Peter 3:18)
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MAN’S TOTAL INABILITY “Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.” -- (Jeremiah 13:23) God, through the Hebrew Prophet Jeremiah, shows us the real condition of our sinful hearts. Not only is fallen man's nature evil, but he CANNOT CHANGE. He can no more change his sin nature than a black man can change his skin color, or a leopard change its spots. Man, by his fall into sin, has lost all ability of will to any spiritual good that might accompany salvation. Natural man is dead in sin and is not able, in his own strength, to convert himself, nor to prepare himself for conversion. This does NOT mean that all men are equally bad. Nor does it mean that any man is as bad as he could be. Nor does it mean that anyone is entirely destitute of virtue. Nor does it mean that man's spirit is inactive. What it DOES mean is that since the fall of Adam into sin, man rests under the curse of sin. He is actuated by wrong principles. He is wholly unable to truly love God or to do anything meriting salvation. FREE WILL AND ABILITY Man is a free agent. His will is not controlled by any force outside of himself. As the bird with a broken wing is "free" to fly but is not able, so the natural man is free to come to God, but is not able. How can he repent of sin when he loves it? How can he come to God when he hates him? Man's ruin lies mainly in his own perverse will. He CANNOT come to God, because he WILL NOT come. “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.” -- (John 3:19) Fallen man does not desire to be saved from his sins. His fallen nature gives rise to a most amazing stupidity, blindness and opposition to the things of God. In spiritual matters he puts bitter for sweet, sweet for bitter, good for evil and evil for good. Fallen man is so morally blind that he uniformly prefers and chooses evil over good, as do the fallen angels (demons). He is never compelled to sin, but does it freely and delights in it. Natural man cannot perceive the kingdom of God, much less enter into it. Man, in his natural, fallen state, may have an intellectual knowledge of the facts and doctrines of the Bible. But he lacks all spiritual discernment of their excellence. He finds no delight in them. Under the Law of Moses, the circumcision of the newborn child, and the purification of the mother, were designed to teach that man comes into the world sinful. Human nature is corrupt in its very origin. “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.” -- (Psalm 51:5) “The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.” -- (Psalm 58:3) (From MY TESTIMONY Copyright © 2002 by George R. Theiss) George Theiss is a combat veteran of Vietnam who now follows the Lamb of God. He and his wife Christy have been married 31 years. They have 8 children.
Author's Web Site: www.tulipgems.com Bible Articles Table of Contents Contact Information
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