The Depravity of God's Image Bearers

Coming up next on Renewing Your Mind one sin committed by one man against holy God is sufficient to condemn the entire human race.

That's how holy God is and that is how serious just one sin by one person is as we would go to the trouble codes rodeos easy to become one of the world becomes diagnosing the problem is essential before we can address your thoughts, Troy, Dr. Steven Morrison from a message titled, the depravity of God's image, my text is Romans three verse 23, which is a launching point for us as is for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God is been well said that a right diagnosis is half secure, and that is certainly true as we evaluate the human race because something has gone desperately wrong will look all around us and we see evidences of of illness moral illness everywhere. We see conflict and death in war and strife and conflict in and and everything, but these really the symptoms. The real question is what is the disease what what is causing all of this to send the human race into a distortion of what God had originally designed what has gone wrong with the image of God in man. Many would say well it's it's outside of man is the problem.

It's his environment.

It's where he grew up. It's the outside forces that were brought to bear upon his life.

Others would say it was his upbringing in and how he was raised and even others, perhaps more biblically would say well the problem is the evil world system around us.

It is the devil that is causing havoc in and to some extent, those would be true but if we're to have a right diagnosis of what has gone wrong with the image of God in man, it would be boiled down to one simple word. The word is sin. The problem is not outside of thus the real problem is what is inside of us.

It is sin. So what is sin will sin is any lack of conformity to the holiness of God. It is any lack of obedience from the heart to the word of God is falling short of the glory of God. It is any departure from the will of God in the heart of the human problem is the problem of the human heart is it what lies inside of us we are the problem and specifically it is sin that is within us. It is the image of God that has been dramatically and drastically marred by sin. The image of God is still within us the image of God.

That which gives capacity to humans to know God to to love God, to obey God, but because of sin.

All of that has been rendered inoperative to use an illustration. Think of a car that has been totaled a car that has undergone a very serious wreck is still remains a car, it still has the wheels in the steering wheel and and all of that but it is completely inoperative.

It cannot be driven, it cannot meet the design for which it was originally built in, so it is with the image of God and sin. We still have the image of God but we have undergone a total wreck because of sin. Theologians refer to it as total depravity whereby our mind, our affections and our will have been totally devastated by sin and that is what we want to address in this message.

If you would turn with me to Romans five and verse 12 and will spend most of our time today in the book of Romans. In Romans five verse 12 we see a clear statement of what theologians referred to as Original Sin.

So if you would look at verse 12. In this verse is very important when theologian is said, you can determine how how skilled of a theologian, a person is by how well their Bible is worn at this very one verse to Romans five in verse 12 therefore, just as through one man was to stop there for a moment. We know this one man is this one man is Adam as though he is not mentioned here, we know exactly who he is.

It is Adam it is through one man sin entered into the world. Several things to note about that first of all, sin is in the singular is not in the plural, so it's referring to, not just all of the sins that would come, though, that is true but is referring to the principle of sin, it's referring to the power and the and the pollution of sin. It entered into the world through the one sin that was committed by Adam.

Also, please note that sin entered into the world. That means it previously existed. It was not created when Adam sinned. Sin already existed with Satan in first John three verse eight we read that it was the evil one who quotes sinned from the beginning." So, sin entered through the flood gate of Adam's first sin, and it came pouring into the world like a like a tsunami, and with sin.

The inevitable consequence came death death through sin.

God had said in Genesis 2 verse 17 in the day that you eat of that fruit.

You shall surely die, and the moment he disobeyed God defiantly and ate of that fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil immediately spiritual death came in immediately physical death began to course through Adam's body and he would eventually die.

So Adam opened the door to sin, and sin opened the door to death and we read in verse 12 of the devastating effect it says so death spread to spread like a malignant cancer is his to all men, that means to every human being in every place in every generation in every age on on every continent death spread to all men and we would also add to every part of all men. And here's why. Because all sinned, that is an extraordinary statement and what we learn from this is that Adam acted as our representative.

Theologians referred to it is federal headship that Adam acted on behalf of the entire human race. And what Adam did affected every person who would ever be conceived within the womb. It says all sinned and it happened at that moment Adam's sin was credited to all of us. The moment that Adam sinned, before we even were conceived in our mother's womb. Sin had already been charged to our account and it was the result of this one man. This is reinforced by the way, in this context, if you allow your eyes to look at verses 15 through 319.

There is a repetition of this, as Paul will now reinforce light like driving a nail into a board and hitting it multiple times. This is the. The emphasis that Paul is making in verse 15, if you'll note we read in the midst of the verse by the transgression of the one the many died. The word transgression. Here is a is a word that means one false step, a deviation from the pass and by this.

One false step by Adam, we read the many died. It's a verb tense it means they would. They all died. It wants in verse 16 we read the judgment arose from one transgression, resulting in condemnation at the judgment here is the divine verdict of God upon the human race, and the condemnation here is the divine punishment upon the human race, so the punishment is the execution of the verdict. The condemnation is the result of the judgment and it was upon the entire human race. Verse 17 is reinforced further by the transgression of the one and that one is adamant by the way, it was by the one transgression of the one man only just pause here for a moment. Here we see the seriousness of sin against a holy God that just one sin committed by one man against holy God is sufficient to condemn the entire human race. That's how holy God is and that is how serious just one sin by one person is the entire human race condemned and confined to the path that leads to destruction. Two.

In verse 17 by the transgression of the one death reigned death running like a cruel tyrant like a cruel dictator to dominate the lives of every person that would ever be born in the entire human race. No one would enter into this world in a state of neutrality towards God. Everyone who is born into this world comes under the mastery and the dominion of sin enters in the shackles of the chains of sin.

Verse 18 through one transgression, and that again referring to Adam's original sin through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men in this condemnation is eternal punishment in the flames of hell.

Verse 19 one more time through one man's disobedience in here the word disobedience is substituted for transgression in the word disobedience refers to a willful defiance against God and what is the result through the one man's disobedience the many referring to the entire human race were made sinners because Adam's sin was imputed to every person who would ever be can see and it occurs in the womb I think we see here the seriousness of Original Sin.

What's wrong with the human race.

The answer is Adam's sin to what we see here is taught the doctrine of imputation that the action of one man is regarded as the actions of many others is based upon the principle of federal headship and Adam's disobedience was our disobedience was was really regarded as our disobedience and his death has become our death, so that's number one. Original sin, and I have to ask you how familiar you are with Romans five verses 12 through 19.

Because this is a cornerstone passage for any understanding of what has gone wrong with the image of God and man. This now leads second to total depravity and the second main heading we've gone from now Original Sin to now total depravity. If you would come with me to Romans three in verse nine as we stay in the book of Romans. Not only was the sin of Adam charged to each and every one of us but there was also something equally devastating.

There has been the transmission of Adam's sin nature at the moment of conception that has been passed down to us. So with Original Sin. Adam sin was charged to our account.

But that was just in God's ledger that was just in God's bookkeeping. What this is now saying is that Adam sin nature and once he sinned it inside of Adam. There was spiritual death that dad has been passed down now. Subsequently, from generation to generation to every single person I want to bring to your attention of verse that I find very interesting is Genesis 5 and verse one after we read that God made man in his own image, which was Genesis 126 let us make man in our image. Notice Genesis 5 verse one.

The text reads different with the children that came from Adam. This is the book of the generations of Adam in the day when God created man, he made them in the likeness of God he created them male and female, and he blessed them, and named the man in the day when they were created.

Okay, we understand that but now look at verse three.

After Adam has sinned. When Adam had lived 130 years he became the father of a son watch this in his own likeness, according wants this to his image, and named him Seth. We've gone from man being made in the image of God to now man being created in his own image, it indicates there's been a radical change that has taken place within the human soul, a devastating change that has occurred with in man after the sin of Adam and it is that the sin of Adam has permeated the whole of his own being and as he procreated and had a child, his sin nature intellect affections and will all marred by sin has been passed down to the next generation. We give you an illustration. If you would think of a glass of water just pure, clean water that has been filtered, it's uncontaminated and then you take an eyedropper and pull up a measure assign, I'd deadly poisonous cyanide and drop it into the glass of water that cyanide would immediately permeate the whole of that glass of water and that is what has happened to sin. It's not compartmentalized into one area of a person's psyche, but from the top of their head to the bottom of their feet every inch and every ounce of their soul. The real person who they are on the inside has been poisoned by the fatal cyanide of sin, and so I want you to think before we look at this text that man's mind is now darkened, he cannot see with understanding the truth. Man's affections are defiled, and he cannot love God and does not love God and cannot pursue God. He has no desire for God. And then his will is dead and he cannot choose God to put it another way, man's mind is blinded by sin, he cannot see was spiritual understanding the truth that is before him. His affections are now totally depraved and he loves what he should hate and he hates what he should love in his will is bound in sin. The will is not an island unto itself, able to act contrary to the affections into the mind, but there is a solidarity within man, in which his entire being is bound by sin. In chapter 3 verse 23, the text that I read. As we began this lesson for all have sinned us to stop right there. Every person in every place on every continent and every generation for all have sinned the word sin here means to miss the mark to air to go wrong to wander from the path. Please note is translated as the past tense. Looking back on all of human history all have sinned and now he says and fall short in a shift to the present tense. In other words, everyone is sinned, up to this point and everyone continues to fall short of the glory of God the glory of God.

Here is the sum of all the moral perfections of God himself. The glory of God is simply the outshining of the holiness of God.

The picture some scales and on one side of the scales is placed your life. Every thought, every word, every deed, every reaction everything everything you've ever done in entirety of your life, including all of the mountains of sin on one side of the scales and on the other side of the scales is place the glory of God. We have all been weighed in the balances and fallen short of the glory of God and the soul that sins, it shall surely die. Ezekiel 18 verse three the wages of sin is death, Romans six, verse 23 in the day that you eat of this for you shall surely die. Genesis 217. What hope do we have nothing in ourselves, our only hope is outside of ourselves, our only hope is found in heaven at the throne of grace from which God sent his only begotten son into this world to seek and to save that which is lost to go to the cross and their BR sin bearer upon the cross.

First Peter 224 and to be the Lamb of God, he would take away the sin of the world. John 129 Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world. John 442.

He is come into this world on a mission, a rescue mission and emergency rescue mission to save those who are perishing, and it requires that we would turn to him and repent of our sin, and throw herself upon his mercy and say, have mercy upon me, the center, to believe in our heart that he is the son of God and that God has raised him from the dead to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ there in lies are only hope.

Jesus said I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the father but through me if you have never believed upon the Lord Jesus Christ our call upon you this very moment to put your trust in him to throw yourself upon his mercy in Jesus says him. It comes on to me I will in no wise cast them out, is calling and inviting you to come to himself. He is your Savior is your Lord if you will, but throw yourself at his feet and believe upon him.

May God give me that grace to do that is what comfort to know that God will never cast out his own were safe with him were glad you Georges for Renewing Your Mind by we Webb or teacher. Today was Dr. Steven Lawson and his message is from a recent online streaming about our theme made in the image of God.

These are timely messages and I hope you'll be able to join us.

The rest of the week are resource for this week provide you with even more study material of the subject of human dignity and worth its RC Sproul's book the hunger for significance reporters and says this is precisely the book the church needs to help was rightly grasped with dignity and purpose of each and every human being. All image bearers of our holy and gracious God is a book that will help you gain a biblical perspective. In the midst of our challenging circumstances will send a copy to you for your gift of any about when you call us at 800-435-4343. You can also go online to Renewing Your Mind.org. Your generous donations help us continue producing and distributing teaching like we heard today that much more. For example, were excited about the upcoming release of the new Spanish tradition of the Reformation study Bible, it will be available next week.

September 1. This is a strategic resource because it's taking God's word to regions of this world that the Reformation did not reach to any great extent were grateful for your financial support openly place to be with us tomorrow as Dr. HP Charles Junior continues our theme in the title of his message is the dominion of God's image. This is not a result of some evolutionary process. Mankind is not window minyan because the some contest of the survival of the fittest.

This is the work of God. God gave man dominion over the works of his hands.

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