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.
– Ephesians 2:3
Here in Ephesians we read how God describes mankind as being “by nature children of wrath.” This doctrine is commonly called Total Depravity. While we may understand that all men are sinful, the implications of this truth are, at times, difficult to swallow.
A nature is something that essential to a person. We are, by nature, humans and not racoons. We are, by nature, either male or female. Mankind is, by nature, born of wrath. In Genesis 8:21 God says “the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth.”
The implications of this truth are vast, and none of them are pleasant. It is hard to think of children being bent toward sin and against God. This sin nature, though, is important in understanding why we sin and how we sin. The desireto do bad things runs in our blood.
So, we need more than a cosmetic fix to do better things. We need a heart transplant—a new nature. Something monumental must happen for us to gain victory over sin—and that is exactly what Christ has provided for us.
When you become a Christian, you do not simply vow to do better. Instead, the Spirit of God removes the old man and puts in a new one. A Christian life is marked by rebirth.
Children of Wrath
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.
– Ephesians 2:3
Here in Ephesians we read how God describes mankind as being “by nature children of wrath.” This doctrine is commonly called Total Depravity. While we may understand that all men are sinful, the implications of this truth are, at times, difficult to swallow.
A nature is something that essential to a person. We are, by nature, humans and not racoons. We are, by nature, either male or female. Mankind is, by nature, born of wrath. In Genesis 8:21 God says “the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth.”
The implications of this truth are vast, and none of them are pleasant. It is hard to think of children being bent toward sin and against God. This sin nature, though, is important in understanding why we sin and how we sin. The desire to do bad things runs in our blood.
So, we need more than a cosmetic fix to do better things. We need a heart transplant—a new nature. Something monumental must happen for us to gain victory over sin—and that is exactly what Christ has provided for us.
When you become a Christian, you do not simply vow to do better. Instead, the Spirit of God removes the old man and puts in a new one. A Christian life is marked by rebirth.