WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT HUMAN SIN?

“Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.” 1 Timothy 4:16

In order to understand, respond to, and appreciate God’s saving and atoning work, we must understand the seriousness of human sin.  Have you read “What Does the Bible Say about Salvation?” yet?  It’s a great place to start!  Check it out at: www.trustworthyword.com/salvation

    Also, to understand different specific sorts of sin, through the lens of the Ten Commandments, check out “What Does the Bible Say about Sin?” at www.trustworthyword.com/what-does-the-bible-say-about-sin.

Bible Verses on Human Sin

(Romans 3:10-12) “As it is written: ‘There is no one righteous, not even one; 11there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. 12All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.’”

(Isaiah 64:6) “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away”

(Jeremiah 17:9) “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?”

(Psalm 51:5) “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.”

(Ephesians 2:1-3) “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3All 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.”

(John 3:19) “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil”

(John 8:34) “Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin”

(John 8:44) “You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires.  He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him.  When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”

(1 Corinthians 2:14) “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.”

(Romans 1:18) “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness”

(Proverbs 14:12) “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.”

(Romans 8:7) “the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so.”

(1 John 3:10) “By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.”

(Ephesians 2:1-10)     [1] And you were dead in the trespasses and sins [2] in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—[3] among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. [4] But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, [5] even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—[6] and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, [7] so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. [8] For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, [9] not a result of works, so that no one may boast. [10] For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Bible Verses on Christ’s Atonement

(2 Corinthians 5:21) For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 

(Colossians 2:14) by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.

(Romans 10:14-15) How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? [15 ] And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”

(John 10:15) just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.

(Isaiah 53:8-12) By oppression and judgment he was taken away;and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living,stricken for the transgression of my people?...[11b ] by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities…[12b ]because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.

Helpful Terms and Quotes on Human Sin

"Since no man is excluded from calling upon God the gate of salvation is open to all. There is nothing else to hinder us from entering, but our own unbelief." – John Calvin

"God has promised forgiveness to your repentance, but He has not promised tomorrow to your procrastination." - Augustine

“I am myself persuaded that the points of the Calvinist alone is right upon some points, and the Arminian alone is right upon others. There is a great deal of truth in the positive side of both systems, and a great deal of error in the negative side of both systems. If I were asked, ‘Why is a man damned?’ I should answer as an Arminian answers, ‘He destroys himself’. I should not dare to lay man’s ruin at the door of divine sovereignty.  On the other hand, if I were asked, ‘Why is a man saved?’ I could only give the Calvinist answer, ‘He is saved through the sovereign grace of God, and not at all of himself.’” – Charles Spurgeon

Essential Theological Terms

These below definitions are from Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology.

“Conversion: Our willing response to the gospel call, in which we sincerely repent of our sins and place our trust in Christ for salvation.”

“Grace: God’s goodness towards those who deserve who deserve only punishment.”

“Inherited Corruption: The sinful nature, or tendency to sin, which all people inherit because of Adam’s sin (often referred to as ‘original pollution’).  This idea entails that (1) in our natures we totally lack spiritual good before God; and (2) in our actions we are totally unable to do spiritual good before God.”

“Justification: An instantaneous legal act of God in which He (1) thinks of our sins as forgiven and Christ’s righteousness as belonging to us, and (2) declares us to be righteous in His sight.”

“Limited Grace or Particular Redemption: The Reformed view that Christ’s death actually paid for the sins of those whom he knew would ultimately be saved.  A preferable term for this view is ‘particular redemption’ in that the power of the atonement is not limited, but rather it is fully effective for particular people.”

“Mercy: God’s goodness towards those in misery and distress.”

“Penal Substitution: The view that Christ in his death bore the just penalty of God for our sins as a substitute for us.”

“Propitiation: A sacrifice that bear’s God’s wrath to the end and in so doing changes God’s wrath

“Reconciliation: The removal of enmity and the restoration of fellowship between two parties.”

“Redemption: Christ’s saving work viewed as an act of ‘buying back’ sinners out of their bondage to sin and to Satan through the payment of a ransom (though the analogy should not be pressed to specify anyone to whom a ransom was paid).”

“Sin: Any failure to conform to the moral law of God in an act, attitude, or nature.”

“Unpardonable Sin: The usually malicious, willful rejection and slander against the Holy Spirit’s work attesting to Christ, and attributing that work to Satan.”

Here are some of our TrustworthyWord resources on God’s Salvation!

 

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