Doctrine of Man and Sin

Sin entered this world through the sin of Adam, the first man, and because he was our God designated representative all sinned.[1] Therefore, all men are sinners.[2] Man is born a sinner.[3]   God tells us that man’s wickedness is great, that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart are only continually evil.[4] No one is righteous, good, or understands.[5] God, since we are born sinners, reveals that:

1.       Man cannot do good.[6]

2.       Man cannot understand the things of God.[7]

3.       Man cannot please God.[8]

4.       Man cannot and does not desire to come to Christ.[9]

5.       Man cannot change himself.[10]

6.       Man suppresses the knowledge of God that is innate to all men.[11]

Man is totally unable to do anything good in his natural state. God tells us that men are dead in their sins and worthless.[12] God tells us that man’s mind is blinded (he cannot understand), man’s will is in bondage to sin,[13] and man’s emotions are corrupted so that he does not desire or love God.

Man does not need to be reformed, but transformed! Man must become a new creation; he must be “born-again”; he must be “risen” from the dead and given new life.[14] Only God can “re-create”; “give birth to”; and raise the dead.[15] A man can be saved only by God for it is impossible for man to do anything to save himself.[16]

Through God’s revelation of man’s inability and sin we learn the absolute necessity of a Saviour and that Saviour is only the Lord Jesus Christ.[17]